Its Fun Fish Time at Ilfracombe – Sunday September 3rd 2023

COMBE MARTIN SAC FUN FISH – The weather is looking perfect for the Fun Fish on Ilfracmbe Pier with sunshine and light winds forecast . We have guests on the day including Mat Mander Chief Officer of  Devon  & Severn Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority,  Dean Asplin from the Angling Trust and representatives from the Coastguard and RNLI who focus on water safety.

Bring along a rod and enter the fun fishing competition or just come along for a chat with club members and our guests. Its only two hours and once a year. There is also lots to explore around Ilfracombe’s Sea Ilfracombe Festival.

The event is generously supported by High Street Tackle Ilfracombe with an array of superb prizes for the competitors.

Ilfracombe Aquarium. https://ilfracombeaquarium.co.uk

Below an array of top quality prizes from HIgh Street Tackle.

Combe Martin SAC Fun Fish 2023

Combe Martin SACs annual Fun Fishing Event coincides with the Sea Ifracombe Festival. This years special guests include Mat Mander from the D & S IFCA, Dean Asplin from the Angling Trust and hopefully members of the Local Coastguard and RNLI. There will be a friendly competition as in past years and the opportunity to talk with local anglers and our special guests.

The club look forward to meeting up with local anglers as participants or just for a chat on the day.

The event is free to enter. All junior anglers must be accompanied by an adult.

FUN FISHING 2022

         Combe Martin SAC hosted their annual Fun Fish on Ilfracombe Pier in conjunction with the  2022 Sea Ilfracombe festival. The event was once again a resounding success with several families taking part in the Fun Species competition.

         Special guests on the day included Mat Mander Chief Officer of Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the Ilfracombe Area Coastguard. The event gave the opportunity for members of the public the talk with the guests about the valuable work that they do.

         The event was generously supported by High Street Tackle, The Angling Trust  and Ilfracombe Aquarium.

         The whole aim of the event is to give the opportunity for young anglers and their families to participate in angling. The Angling Trust provided Certificates, Angling books and caps. High Street Tackle provided a top prize for the overall winner of the event along with numerous prizes for all who took part. Ilfracombe Aquarium gave a family entry to be used by the winning family at a time of their choosing.

         The competition started promptly at 3.00pm as the tide receded from the landing stages. Close to twenty anglers of all ages cast out and fish came regularly from the start. Eight species were registered including, pollock, ballan wrasse, pouting, corkwing wrasse, rock goby, tompot blennies, Shanny and dragonette.

         Smiling faces lit up what was at times a grey afternoon as dark clouds drifted above with occasional drizzle.

         Small ragworm baits proved most effective with mackerel and squid also producing good numbers of fish.

         The competition closed at 5.00pm with the prize presentation at 5:15pm.

         The winning individual was Effie Welch who was presented with a superb Rockfish LRF rod and reel donated by High Street Tackle. The winning family were the Stanway family, Ross, Charlie and Jake who received a family ticket for Ilfracombe aquarium.

         All junior anglers who took part received a prize and each family were presented with a book on Angling from the Angling Trust.

         The club hope to host the event again next year and thank all those who made the effort to attend.

Combe Martin SAC Fun Fishing

Top prize in tomorrows Fun Fish competition is a Rockfish LRF Rod and reel worth over £80.00. Special thanks to High Street Tackle. Plenty of other goodies plus a family Aquarium ticket. Special guest is Mat Mander from Devon & Severn IFCA. I have free starter rigs and bait supplied by CMSAC. There will be a limited number of light rods set up to use.
The Angling Trust have supported the event and there will be Certificates and books for entrants.
Competition is a fun friendly event top prize is for most points,
2 points per species with 1 point per fish for next two of each species. Only 3 fish of each species to count.
Longest fish
Heaviest Fish

Anglers Paradise – Get Fishing Family Fun Day

            The Angling Trust are always at the forefront of events to promote angling ensuring its future for generations to come. Anglers Paradise was founded by Zyg Gregorek over forty years ago and has undoubtedly sowed the seeds for many anglers who have visited the venue with their families.  On Easter Sunday 2022 I attended a family fun fishing day at the day ticket Eldorado complex that was supported by Anglers Paradise, The Angling Trust, Shakespeare, Angling Direct, The Environment Agency, Dynamite Baits and Nash Tackle.

Dean Asplin from the Angling Trust with Zenia Drury Gregorek

            Zenia Drury Gregorek was undoubtedly the driving force behind the event that attracted over seventy eager participants. Coaches from the Angling Trust were joined by keen local anglers to introduce families to the joys of angling. All tackle and bait was provided at this free event with a wealth of expert advice on tap for both total beginners and the more experienced angler. All juniors who took part earned a Get Fishing Certificate Award and badge from the Angling Trust presented by Dean Asplin who is Angling Development Manager for the South of England and South West Angling Development Officer.

            I arrived at the venue shortly before the start and enjoyed chatting with  the coaches who had travelled from far and wide to assist and support on the day. Amongst the coaches were Roly, Tony King, John Thompson, Andy Payne, Joe Drury, Hassan Khan, Steve Manley, Dan Murrell, Joe Dietrich, Callum Regan and Mark Thorneycroft.

Roly
John Thompson
Mark Thorneycroft – Angling Trust Volunteer
Tony King
Joe Dietrich
Hassan Khan & Steve Manley

Andy Payne

It was to prove a busy day for the coaches with families descending on the venue from far and wide. The event was blessed with warm sunshine during the morning session with the sounds of children’s laughter and adults banter filling the spring air. A few swallows swooped over the water as the coaches explained the finer details of fishing. The majority of families gathered around a lake stocked with  a wide variety of smaller fish with whips used in conjunction with float tactics. The young anglers were fascinated by the brightly coloured wriggly maggots and soon focussed upon the brightly coloured floats that bobbed optimistically upon the water to disappear delightfully from time to time as a bejewelled fish from another dimension was lifted from the cloudy waters.

Tony King and Andy Payne with the Ezsias Family proudly displaying their certificates. ( many thanks to Tony King for the above image)

            Many caught their first fish and it was  great to see the joy and fascination upon so  many faces. The coaches gave guidance on how to unhook the fish carefully and return them to the water with minimal harm.

            On the lower Lake Hassan Khan of Nash Tackle was joined by Steve Manley and Dan Murrell of Catch to explain the complexities and technicalities of carp fishing. During the morning session the carp showed on the surface in abundance allowing Hassan and his friends to demonstrate the frustration of carp fishing as the carp ignored the carefully presented hook baits. They made up for this in the afternoon session helping a young angler to bank two fine double figure carp.

Leon Mortimer with a fine double figure carp
Leon Mortimer with his dad Floyd Mortimer with the biggest fish of the day.

The event proved a huge success with many families being introduced to angling for the first time. For some this could prove the gateway to a lifetime spent in the great outdoors gaining an in depth appreciation of nature. Angling is recognised as providing a great deal of well-being with significant benefits for mental health.

Joe Drury of Fat Mammoth with a family of happy anglers with a fine koi carp

            During the day I attempted to capture a few images of the fishing that will hopefully do more justice than words alone.

Hugo Clayton with a golden tench

Tony King and Oscar Ody

Dillion Bandy with fine perch ( Image – Kevon Jefferies)
Dillion Bandy with a golden tench ( Image – Devon Jefferies)

Zenia Drury Gregorek would like to say a special thank you to Get Fishing and the Angling Trust for helping and supporting this Event, also to Zyg and Rose Gregorek for letting us hold the wonderful event at Anglers Paradise’s Day Ticket venue Eldorado Big thank you to Shakespeare Fishing for sponsoring the Event with prizes for the kids. Dynamite Baits for providing all the bait, and to the Angling Times & Improve Your Coarse Fishing for providing copies of their awesome magazines to all that attend!! Not forgetting the volunteers to help on the day – Dean Asplin from the Angling Trust, the Angling Trust Coaches, Hassan Khan, Joe Drury, Tony King, Andy Payne, Steve Manley, Joe Dietrich & any that I have forgotten – THANK YOU!! It really was a wonderful event to see so many smiling, happy families & share the MAGIC OF…FISHING!
Anglers Paradisehttp://www.anglers-paradise.co.uk

FUN FISHING 2019

posted in: Sea Angling, Sidebar | 0

FUN FISHING

ILFRACOMBE PIER

SUNDAY September 1st

1.30pm until 4.30pm

Special Guests:

Dominic Garnett – Free Lance Writer and Angling Trust

Steve Dawe – Stroke Association – Species Fisher

Safe Fishing – With the coastguard

Fun Fishing Competition

Sponsored byHigh Street Tackle, Ilfracombe

(Below) last years winners

Blakewell Fun Fishing

posted in: Sidebar, Young At Heart | 0

Catching those first fish is not always easy so that first venue needs to have a good head of fish. At Blakewell Fishery the Fun Fishing Lake gives young anglers the chance to catch that first fish and of course a tasty treat to take home as well. The Fishery also boasts a waterside cafe overlooking the fish farm where children can also feed the fish. An ideal venue for a family visit.