After a very quiet few weeks its good to get a bit of sea angling news coming in. The two cold blasts from the east have certainly impacted upon both fish and fishing effort. Lets hope things start to improve over the next few weeks.
Bideford 24 hour results
1st Andrew Clements Thornback 7lb 14 1/2oz 80.902%
2nd Nathan Clements Thornback 6lb 12 1/2oz 75.173%
3rd kyle Blackmore pouting 1 lb 2oz 75%
Triple Hook Club – Derek Philiips Memorial
1st Dennis Toleman – dogfish 2lb 3oz
Barnstaple Triple Hook Club – Windy Shield Trophy competition was won by Mark Hancock with a dogfish of 2lb 13/4oz. In runner up spot was Dennis Toleman with a dogfish of 2lb 3/4oz. Dennis also told me that he caught a tasty codling of around 3lb 8oz.
Bideford Angling Clubs 24 Hour Rover
1st Dick Talbot Thornback ray 9 lb 6oz 104.166%
2nd Nathan Clements small-eyed ray 9lb 5 103.472%
3rd kyle Blackmore spur 9lb 14oz 98.750%
Appledore Shipbuilders Winter League
Graham Snow specializes in catching grey mullet and proves that they are now an all round year round species to target.
1st – Graham Snow – grey mullet 3lb 47/8oz
2nd – Graham Snow – Grey Mullet 3lb 41/2oz
3rd Cameron Atkinson – whiting 151/8oz
Shore sport seems to have slowed down with the weather undoubtedly deterring a few anglers from venturing out. There are a few whiting, dabs and dogfish being tempted. There is still an excellent chance of catching ray, conger, huss and spurdog from deep water marks.
If the weather permits boat sport should be good off Ilfracombe with Bluefin taking trips out after spurdog and conger.
Bideford 24 hour Rover
Nathan Clements took the top spot in Bideford Angling Clubs twenty four hour rover with a fine pollock of 4lb 3oz.
In runner up spot was Andrew Clements with a pouting 1lb 1 1/2 and in third Antony Smith with a rockling 14 1/2 oz.
In Appledore Shipbuilders Rover Josh Atkinson secured victory with a spotted ray weighing 3lb 10oz.
Antony Smith landed the only two fish in Bideford Angling Clubs Monthly Rover a fine specimen spurdog of 12lb 81/2oz and a whiting of 1lb.
Dennis Toleman won Triple Hook Clubs first competition of the New Year winning the Sportsman’s Cup with a flounder of 1lb 3oz. In runner up spot was Rob Hancock with a flounder of 1lb 21/2oz.
In Appledore Shipbuilders Rover eighteen senior anglers failed to catch a fish big enough to bring to the scales. Jack Pike secured victory in the Junior section with a whiting of 101/2oz.
Kevin Legge closed 2017 with a specimen spurdog of 11lb 15oz that was tempted just ten minutes before midnight on New Years Eve with celebratory fireworks lighting the night sky as his angling companion Dave Brooke took the pictures. Four hours later Kevin started the New Year with a spurdog of 9lb 9oz.
Looks like we could be getting some stormy conditions early tomorrow which will hopefully stir up the coastal waters and ensure some good fishing during the coming week. I would expect to see a few decent conger, huss and spurdog caught along with the chance of a big blonde or small eyed ray. Probably wise to use a wire trace to present that big chunk of fish or squid always the chance of a tope plus those spurdog have some sharp teeth.
Weather Warning from Met office (Below)
A spell of strong winds is expected affect the far south of England and Wales on Sunday morning and early afternoon with the highest winds expected in Bristol Channel coastal areas. Some short term loss of power and other services is possible, as well as some delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges. It is likely that some coastal routes, sea front and coastal communities affected by spray and/or large waves.
Steve Baker landed the best flounder of the day at 1lb 12oz to win Triple Hook Clubs latest Open Flounder match. Runner up was John Passmore with a flounder of 1lb 71/2oz and Denis Toleman third with a flounder of 1lb 51/4oz.
Graham Snow won Bideford Angling Clubs monthly Rover with a grey mullet of 3lb 14oz. Tarrant Wotton was second with a whiting of 1lb 3oz. Graham turned to the estuary to land flounders of 1lb 65/8oz and 1lb 41/4oz and secure third and forth place.
(Above) Graham Snow with his flounder
Jack Sharock won Appledore Shipbuilders Monthly Rover with a fine specimen whiting of 1lb 151/8oz. In second and third was Graham Snow with his grey mullet of 3lb 14oz and flounder of 1lb 65/8oz.
Jack Sharrock – Specimen whiting
Kody Chugg scaled down his hook sizes and bait to be rewarded with a mixed bag of pollock, bass, whiting and codling. It is often worthwhile fishing with smaller hooks on one rod as this not only produces a variety of species but can also provide useful baits for larger predatory species.
There are a some fine bull huss coming to shore anglers along the coast with rocky snaggy venues often proving most productive.
(Above ) Kevin Legge with a double figure bull huss.
Kevin Waddham landed this fine 13lb 13oz cod whilst fishing on Watchet based boat Reel Deal skippered by Daniel Hawkins.
Its getting to feel like real winter now time for the cod!
Bideford Angling Clubs twenty four Hour Rover was won by Nathan Clements with a fine conger of 28lb 3.5oz.(Pictured above) In second place was Lee Watts with a spotted ray of 3lb 6.5oz and in third Lee Watts with a dogfish of 2lb 2oz.
Appledore Shipbuilders 24 hour Rover was won by Josh Atkinson with a small-eyed-ray of 5lb 15oz(Below). Runner up was Graham Snow with a thick lipped grey mullet of 2lb 12oz.
Ross Stanway took the top two places Combe Martin SAC’s Lee to Lee Competition with conger of 16lb 12oz and 14lb 8oz.
In third place was James Thomas with a dogfish of 1lb 13oz. Jack Phillips took forth place with a smoothound of 5lb 4oz a surprise catch from Combe Martin’s Bottom Deck probably the first of this species ever landed from this mark. (Below)
Several quality fish were also landed over the weekend by anglers not fishing in club competitions. Dale Kiff landed a fine conger of 19lb 14oz.
Kody Chugg Fished an up channel mark to land a personal best small eyed ray of 7lb 10oz. (Below)
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Ian Laird landed this 9lb 15oz bull huss whilst fishing a local rock mark. The fish was part of a haul that consisted of smoothound, dogfish and pollock.
(Above) This 3lb 6oz codling was tempted by Chay Boggis from a local beach whilst targetting bass.
Ali Laird fished the estuary to land nine flounder to 1lb 9oz. Flounder fishing should be good for the next few weeks with heavy rain flushing out the river.
(Above) Ollie Passmore with a grey mullet of almost 3lb.
(Above) Ollie Passmore with a bull huss of 10lb 4oz.
November can be an exciting time for sea anglers with a vast range of species to target. A big squid or mackerel bait presented on a pennel rig is likely to bring rewards from deep water marks all along the coast. Make sure you use a substantial hook length to withstand sharp teeth. I use a minimum of 80lb b.s mono or fluorocarbon for my shore fishing with a heavy wire trace if tope are a possibility, contrary to popular opinion.