14 May 2018

Boat Fishing Sport Round Up!

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Thomas Atkinson won Appledore Shipbuilders Boat Competition with a fine smoothound of 17lb 10oz. Andrew Atkinson was second with a hound of 13lb 4oz and third Michael Hammett with a hound of 12lb 6oz.

(Above)Andrew Atkinson with a smoothound of 13lb 4oz
(Above and Below)Thomas Atkinson smoothound 17lb 10oz

Appledore Shipbuilders enjoyed  a great good day on the hounds with the average size around 9lb they also had a couple of tope around the 20-25lb mark along with a few small pollack and a few small huss.

Anglers are also finding goof sport off Ilfracombe aboard Dan Hawkins boat Reel Deal with beautiful weather and flat calm seas hard fishing at times but some good early sport  The Tope are starting to show more often now along with Huss, dogs and bass.

 

23 Apr 2018

Reel Deal – Shark Season Underway

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The first porbeagle of the season has been caught from Ilfracombe based Reel Deal skippered by Dan Hawkins who takes customers to marks off North Cornwall. John Krupa a member of the Plough Angling club brought the shark estimated at 250lb to the side of the boat. The shark was unhooked at the side of the boat.   All sharks hooked by anglers in these conservation-enlightened times are returned alive to ensure the survival of these magnificent fish. The shark was tempted using a whole Ammo frozen mackerel and attracted to the boat using Ammo Chum Mix.

19 Apr 2018

Migrants are highlight of Spring day afloat

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Keith Armishaw from Angling Book Specialists River Reads booked a days fishing off Ilfracombe on Bluefin skippered by John Barbeary. and sent me a brief report on an interesting day.

Keith tells me that The fishing wasn’t great a is often the case in Spring when the winter spurdog shoals have migrated away and the summer species have not arrived in any numbers. As they moved from mark to mark dogfish snaffled the bait in plague proportions.

But as is often the case the day was saved when John managed to locate a should of pollock that put a bend in the rods along with a few bull huss.

Days afloat are about more than just fish and Keith relays an interesting aspect of the day in that several birds landed on the boat.
Keith guessed that these were on migration to South Wales. They had 4 warblers (one actually settled on Lee’s rod whilst he was holding it), a blackcap and another ( caught a fleeting glimpse of was a redstart I think). Keith commented that it all added to the joy of the day. Great to be outdoors.

 

3 Apr 2018

Reel Deal – Arrives in Ilfracombe for Summer Season

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Dan Hawkins has brought New Charter Boat Reel Deal into its summer moorings ready for the Summer Season at Ilfracombe. Below is a brief update from Dan on the start of an exciting new venture for this season.

Well we’re home in Ilfracombe and nearly ready to start the season. Well it’s been a roller coaster of a month Adam Bruce,Tom aka marry berry and of course the man himself Mr Swifty Chris Dawson have made me a proud man with a beast of a boat that’s just made the journey back round the bottom half of the country in what I can say was testing conditions and she just ate seas for fun what a vessel. There’s lots of thank you’s todo firstly chris and the guys at swift cats for the boat and making me so welcome. Mr Mark Watts  for coming to Essex and sticking in the hours with me on the fit out he’s been a god send ,my wing man Sonia Maslen who also came to Essex and helped with the boat and kept us fuelled up with grub. Peter Watts of Breaksea boats for supplying all the electronics and windlass top man. Kevin Jones of LGS marine for all our safety gear anchor ropes and chain. Rich lines of motor lines for all the unseen bit and pieces. Pete leathbridge and Adam for the stainless steel awesome job and really adds to the look of the boat. Mr steve causey for the engines and coming out of his way to do the rigging and commissioning of them and he extra call out needed. Paul Hutching and Benjamin Hopkins for taking time away and helping me get the boat home in the worst conditions I have ever been in. Wendy Hawkins for the lovely cabin cushion. Shane at design a sign for the graphics . Shannon Marie Sprague shay for the emergency lift home when in need. Thank you all so much for helping us get this boat to where she is today if you fancy booking a day on her drop me a message or call 07850984933 or book online at www.reeldealcharters.uk

Below – A few highlights from last season :-

 

25 Mar 2018

Biggest spur of the season on Bluefin _ It’s a club record!

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 Kevin Pike boated the biggest spurdog of the season weighing a massive 21 lb 6oz whilst fishing off Ilfracombe aboard John Barbeary’s Bluefin. The party also boated a bull huss and dogfish.
Andrew Atkinson updated my earlier report _
” The fishes official weight is 21lb 6oz. The fish was kept alive and weighed ashore and returned to the water where it swam away. strongly
The fish sets a new Appledore Shipbuilders Boat record for the species.” Andrew commented further that up until the capture of the spurdog it had been “one of the worst days fishing they had participated in. After Kevin caught the specimen it was far from their worst day ever.” Illustrating the fact that its not over until the last line has been reels in.
http://www.bluefincharters.co.uk

 

20 Feb 2018

Toby Boats Conger 44lb 8oz

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Toby Bassett joined a party of anglers aboard John Barbeary’s boat Bluefin off Ilfracombe and boated a fine specimen conger of 44lb 8oz.. The spurdog they were targetting  proved harder to find than on recent trips but good numbers of conger proved adequate consultation with good numbers of twenty pound plus eels boated.

31 Jan 2018

Bluefin – Trip Extra

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Steve Dawe is on a mission to catch 52 species in 52 weeks and is doing it to raise money for The Stroke Association following a massive stroke that impacted upon a close angling friend of Steve’s. Steve has agreed to write about his aims on NDAN in a feature that will follow soon. In the mean time above is a picture of the huge 19lb spurdog Steve boated on Tuesday January 30th whilst fishing on John Barbeary’s boat Bluefin.

A link to Steves blog follows :- https://stevedawe189.wixsite.com/fishtytwochallenge

Pete Gregory was also on the trip and enjoyed sport with spurdog and bull huss.  ( Below)

http://www.bluefincharters.co.uk