Daniel Hawkins landed this fine coalfish of 5lb 10oz whilst fishing over a reef off the North Devon Coast. Not often you see these caught off North Devon and when I first saw it I thought it was a post from Norway! The biggest coalfish I know of from the North Devon coast was landed by Barry Hill from a shore mark near Ilfracombe and weighed 18lb! It held the British Record for several years.
Shane Tandy boated a fine blue shark of 114lb whilst fishing on board Reel Deal. This was one of thirteen shark caught during a trip to the offshore marks out of Ilfracombe.
Dan Hawkins wrote earlier “with the season coming to a close down Ilfracombe we have some last chance availability for the sharks then it’s back up channel for the cod www.reeldealcharters.uk book now to avoid disappointment I’ll be running local trips and trips right up to the English and welsh grounds”
Ladies day aboard Reel Deal (Dan Hawkins) off ilfracombe resulted in fabulous Blue sharks up to 90lb. Stacey Bayldon landed the first blue shark of the day, followed by Jade Jemmett, Michelle Bayldon and Sharon Feakes landing the biggest at 90lb. A truly amazing experience, life long dream achieved! A massive thank you to Daniel Hawkins and Archie Porter aboard Reel Deal for an amazing day, to Dave Stenson for embracing our madness and our helping hand and huge thank you to Phil Lewis for the best birthday present ever!
Many Thanks to Stacey for sending this report to North Devon Angling News
(Above) Michelle Bayldon
The Veals Mail order Team enjoyed a fantastic day Tope fishing out of Ilfracombe with Daniel Hawkins of Reel Deal Charters
Simon Lynch relays that the day started off well with numbers of small Tope around the 20lb mark, along with a few Bullhuss. After a couple of hours Dan decided to up the anchor and move off. He suggested big mackerel baits at the second mark and we were soon rewarded with some lovely Tope around 30lb, it was non stop action all afternoon with double shots on-board. Simon Lynch landed a new personal best of 41lb.
Bait was supplied by Ammo Baits.
Dan Hawkins has ventured to deep waters off the North Devon coast taking advantage of the settled weather to put anglers amongst both blue and porbeagle shark. Over three days eleven porbeagle shark and nine blue shark were tempted using Ammo chum in combination with Ammo mackerel hook baits. The fish were in the 80lb to 90lb range.
The catches have stirred interest from the national press who will undoubtedly be sensationalizing the catches of shark off the North Devon coast. This is however nothing new as shark have always frequented the the area but it takes a pioneering skipper to rediscover them and make the effort. All of the shark are released alive after photographing. Circle hooks are used to reduce any danger of deep hooking and the fish handled for a minimal period with large fish unhooked at the side of the boat.
“What a absolutely brilliant day!!” Said Toby Basset after an amazing days fishing aboard Dan Hawkins Reel Deal..”off we set at 6am and by 8.30am we were fishing in the Celtic deeps sharks rod went in and i was first up within an hour first fish was hooked! A cracking beagle of 80lb+ sadly shook the hook. The party hooked a fish a fish every 20 minutes with the anglers landing two shark each a mix of beagles and blues! Biggest blue went to 71lb the skipper even landed a tidy little beagle as we brought the lines in to go home! Ten shark landed 3 dropped what a day!! Even caught a new species of a little grey gurnard!”
Its proving to be a great season for tope fishing off Ilfracombe aboard Dan Hawkin’s Reel Deal with fish to over forty pounds putting healthy curves in anglers rods!
Packs of tope are providing some fine sport for anglers fishing off Ilfracombe on Dan Hawkins boat Reel Deal.
(Above) Justin Goodhine from Bristol boated this specimen tope of 52lb whilst fishing off Ilfracombe aboard Dan Hawkins Boat “Reel Deal”.
The fish was tempted using Ammo frozen mackerel.
South Molton angler Steve Saxby age 67 has caught a fine porbeagle estimated at between 350lb and 400lb. The mighty fish was tempted using Ammo mackerel and chum mix and took an hour to bring to the side of the boat where it was released.
