Combe Martin SAC member Ollie Passmore enjoyed a foray to South Devon with his fiancé in search of ballan wrasse. They enjoyed some great sport landing numerous beautiful wrasse with personal bests for both Ollie and Natasha. Ollie’s best wrasse scaling 4lb 4oz and Natasha’s 3lb 1oz. Ollie told me that with sport slow on the North Coast a trip down South seemed a good plan.

Specimen ballan wrasse have become increasingly rare on the North Devon coast in recent years which is a mystery as they are not targeted extensively by commercial fishing. Large wrasse are caught from time to time and a concerted effort could well produce some good specimens. Large wrasse are frequently tempted from South coast marks using lure fishing tactics a technique that has not caught on in North Devon even during the summer months when there is good water clarity.