Combe Martin SAC member Jamie Steward caught this specimen smoothound of 11lb 3oz from a North Devon Rock mark. This is a promising sign with Spring just around the corner as smoothound were once considered a fish of the spring and summer. Recent seasons have seen them caught throughout the year.
Combe Martin SAC member Ross Stanway set his alarm for the early hours of 2021 and embraced the icy conditions to get his angling year underway. Fishing from a local rock mark spurdog, bull huss, conger or cod were the expected catch. The first fish to rattle the rod was small conger of around 6lb. Then Ross hooked into a good fish that fought hard and swam deep in the water. Ross was hopeful that he had hooked a rare double figure cod. To his surprise the culprit was a specimen smoothound scaling 12lb 9.5oz a fish more often associated with the spring, summer and autumn!
Combe Martin SAC member Dale Kiff tempted this personal best smoothound scaling 15lb whilst fishing a North Devon rock mark with peeler crab. Smoothound have been a regular feature of Autumn fishing in recent season with fish caught right into the winter months.
Bidefords 24 hour results
Andrew Clements landed superb brace of mullet to secure victory in Bideford & District Angling Clubs 24 hour rover.
1st Andrew Clements – thick lipped mullet 5lb 2.25oz 128.516%
2nd Andrew Clements – thick lipped mullet 5lb 0.5oz 127.344%
3rd Nathan Clements – smooth hound 9lb 13 98.125%
Paul Hutchings enjoyed a great days sport with Andrew McKenna fishing the estuary on their rib which produced 7 species including smoothound to 12 lb gilt head and black bream to 2.5lb , dogfish, codling and a bass 3lb.
David Jenkins fished a North Devon Beach to land a specimen smoothound scaling 12lb 1oz.
Combe Martin SAC member Kevin Legge continues to find the fish on the north Devon coastline, both by day and by night.
Bull huss of 10lb 3oz and a smoothhound of 10lb 7oz have featured in his latest catches which have also included dogfish, rockling and conger eels.
Ian Laird and Ali Laird enjoyed a hectic session targeting smoothound landing over twenty of the hard fighting hounds the best weighing 12lb 9oz and 10lb 8oz.
Combe Martin SAC members Daniel Welch and Ross Stanway have enjoyed some great inshore boat sport from their Private Boats fishing out of Ilfracombe boating Pollock and smoothound.
Late October but summer species are still about. Kevin Kirby sent me this report of smoothound caught from a North Devon shore mark. The hounds scaling 10lb 6oz and 8lb 9oz were tempted using whole squid baits. I have noticed that each autumn the hounds are staying later with some specimens showing light up until Christmas they also seem more inclined to take squid baits at this time of year.
