2 Feb 2026

Bulldog Fisheries Fly Fishing Competition – 1st February 2026

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Bulldog Fisheries Fly Fishing Competition – 1st February 2026
Many thanks to Tom Early for his report on the competition below ;- My own account follows
Our latest fly fishing competition at Bulldog Fisheries took place on the 1st of February 2026, and on arrival the conditions looked absolutely perfect. Overcast skies paired with still air set the scene nicely. Over a cup of tea and a bacon roll, plenty of fish were already showing, rising steadily along the far bank. Much of the early conversation centred around the recent stocking, with Nigel and Tom boasting of monster browns that had been introduced — excitement levels were high before a line had even been cast.
Following a quick peg draw, keen anglers made their way to their designated spots, patiently awaiting the starting horn. When it sounded, the ‘stocky’ rainbows came hard and fast during the opening hour of the competition.
Then came the first real moment of the day. Out on the point, with his rod bent double and a huge splash at the end of the line, it was clear Dave Chapman was connected to something special. After a lengthy fight and some expert netting from his son Freddy, the first big brown of the day was landed. Weighing in at just over 11lb, it was a cracking fish and gave Dave’s total weight a serious boost.
As the day went on, the rain arrived — heavy at times — and the fishing followed a familiar rhythm of sudden flurries and quieter lulls. There were moments when multiple anglers were playing fish across the lake at once, followed by brief pauses before the action fired up again.
Big browns continued to make an appearance throughout the day, particularly for Andrew Facey — quickly earning him the nickname “the man of many browns”. Fish after fish came to the net, including a double-figure brownie and a second biggen not far off, prompting a running joke that he’d soon need a wheelbarrow to carry his fish bag.
Just before lunch, the biggest fish of the day decided to show itself. North Devon Angling News editor, Mr Wayne Thomas, found himself locked into the battle of a lifetime. When the fish was finally landed, it was nothing short of spectacular — fin perfect and a prime example of what Bulldog Fisheries is capable of producing. Weighing an incredible 13.7lb, it was not only the largest brown taken from Bulldog’s waters in several years, but also a brand-new personal best for Wayne!
By lunchtime, anglers were soaked through and thoroughly hungry, so lunch was very welcome — cheeseburgers and chips all round!
Competition Results
1st Place: Andrew Facey – 5 fish, total weight 29.4lb
2nd Place: Dave Chapman – 5 fish, total weight 23.10lb
3rd Place: Chris Dunn – 6 fish, total weight 22.13lb
Biggest Fish of the Day: Wayne Thomas – 13.7lb Brown Trout
Many fish were landed throughout the day, including multiple Spartics and browns in the 4.5lb to 6lb range.
Overall, this was definitely one of the better competitions we’ve held. It’s always great to see everyone enjoying the venue, and knowing that our hard work is appreciated makes it all worthwhile 🙏
Onwards to the next one

The Cultivation of luck

Those big moments in angling are often the result of a bit of luck and there are many sayings used in relation to the luck factor. ” The harder I try the luckier I get” is perhaps one of the biggest in angling. Chatting with Nigel about the carp lake I pondered upon the investment of time when he commented on an angler having caught one carp in eight days fishing. Carp fishing by its nature is a discipline where the amount of time spent on the bank can be seen as hours invested results in success.

Fly Fishing and in particular competitive fly fishing is time constrained meaning that the decisions made on the day within a strict time frame are perhaps more focused. Thinking back over my many years at the water’s edge many of my personal best fish can be attributed to a big slice of luck that has to some extent been cultivated.

The luck of the draw

The big brown trout I caught during Bulldogs February Competition is a good example. I had started the day in peg 10 determined by a random draw. As is often the case the first twenty minutes are often hectic with the fish seizing anglers offerings with gusto. I capitalised on this early spell banking two rainbows though I could and should have done better as numerous fish came off after a few seconds of brief connection. A lesson that I have learnt is that in a competition keep at it if the fish are playing ball for they will often switch off quickly as a result of angling pressure.

The competitive format is that every twenty minutes the horn is blown and all move two pegs along. The next three moves resulted in just one fish for myself and by late morning I had still to catch that fourth fish to complete the morning quota. Colin Combe a friend from Wistlandpound angling Club had come for a chat and we talked of previous successes at various lakes. Fly choice is a widely debated topic amongst fly fishers and we both agreed that Bulldog Trout seem to respond to larger lure patterns. My own favourite is an olive damsel whilst Colin reflected upon recent success with a cats-whisker. Now I know the cats whisker is a very successful fly but it is not a fly I tend to use often.

Half an hour or so later I was fishing the point a good peg but success was eluding me. It was by now lashing with rain and there were only three of us left on the striving for that fourth fish whilst all other anglers chatted in the warmth of the hut beside a roaring woodburner with hot drinks and biscuits. Tom walked over and perhaps taking pity upon us told us we could fish where we liked during the last twenty minutes.

I took the opportunity to walk ten yards to peg ten where I had started the day. I carefully tied on a catswhisker  and checked the hooks bend for it was a fly that had resided in my fly box for quite a while. I cast the fly to what I perceived was the hot spot and after two tweaks of retrieve all locked up as a big fish hit the fly. Five apprehensive minutes or so later a big beautiful brown trout slid over the rim of the net.

It was a very lucky cast destined by being in the right place at the right time with a fly at the lines end that tempted the trout. In a stocked Stillwater big fish are no wiser than small fish. If there is any skill it is in the landing of the fish as a big fish can break free as they often do. Checking those knots, hooks and removing those line weakening wind knots are key to capitalising upon luck.

The burger and chips went down well as we chatted of fishing, country sports, healthy eating, cooking, local meetings with rock stars and a wide range of wider topics wisely keeping clear of politics and other contentious issues.

The afternoon session proved harder going with most struggling to complete their six fish limit. I did add another brown trout of a couple of pounds and lost a good rainbow of perhaps four pounds when the hook pulled. Chatting later it was obvious that the trout were nipping at the tails of the flys without fully committing.

It was cheery bunch at the weigh in as the days catches were admired and memories captured before heading home with plenty of trout and  prizes.

 

 

14 Jan 2026

THE ARUNDELL – West Country TROUT FESTIVAL 14th/15th March

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Join us on 14-15th March for the inaugural West Country Trout Festival.
Hosted at The Arundell Hotel, Tinhay Lake and the River Beats, the festival will feature presentations, fly tying, fly fishing and casting demonstrations. The lineup includes Orvis, Hanák, Unique Flies, Alternative Tackle, Veniard, the Wild Trout Trust, Westcountry Rivers Trust, South West Rivers Association, Nigel Nunn, Charles Jardine, Alex Jardine and Dominic Garnett, with more guests to be announced.
A ticket for the weekend is £10 and includes all events on Saturday and the riverside celebrations on Sunday.
Tickets available via Westcountry Trout Festival tickets – TheArundell. Alternatively purchase your tickets by contacting The Arundell on 01566 784666 or emailing [email protected]

 

26 Jun 2025

A glimpse of silver – Arundell Summer Fishing

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The season certainly seem to be drifting by on life’s current in an ever increasing speed and it seems only a short time since I was last at the Arundell for the grayling day back in early March. https://www.northdevonanglingnews.co.uk/2025/03/06/arundell-spring-grayling-day/

Over three months later and the grayling closed season has passed and summer sea trout are ascending the rivers of the Tamar catchment. The Arundell boasts twenty miles of water amidst lush landscapes of the Devon and Cornish borders. I had arranged a day’s fishing with my good friend Jeff Pearce and had arranged to meet at the Arundell tackle shop for 9:00am.

Traffic at Bideford delayed my journey and it was 9:30am before I arrived and apologised for my lateness. Jeff had enjoyed chatting with fellow fishing guests and James Christoforou who is the venues head of Fishing.

James is a breath of fresh air with an abundance of passion and optimism befitting an angler from a younger generation. James talked of the recent upturn in fishing in the rivers following a good summer spate with good numbers of sea trout showing along with a few salmon. These migratory visitors really are the icing on the cake with abundant wild brown trout and some stunning grayling providing consistent opportunity’s for anglers.

It is always well worth listening carefully to advice from experienced local anglers and James certainly knows the hotels waters intimately explaining to Jeff and I where to fish and suggesting which flies to use and how to fish them.

Jeff is a keen exponent of nymph fishing and engaged in an in depth discussion with James delving into the intricacies of fly design. Like many other anglers I know including myself he carries an extensive selection of fly patterns yet in reality only fishes with a tiny proportion of them. My own interpretation of the discussion is to some extent that there is some basis in certain flies working well on specific rivers. This could be in part be due to anglers following trends and traditions. It is also likely that certain colours are more visible in certain tinges of water colour. The weight of a nymph is undoubtedly vital in ensuring that a fly gets down to where the fish are so the stronger and deeper the pool the heavier the fly needs to be. So the perfect nymph for the Arundell waters is perhaps a tungsten silver headed jig style with black body and sprinkling of silver flashy sparkle.

It was late morning by the time we actually arrived at the waters edge keen to start exploring the deep pools and runs. We both carried two rods one set up with a dry fly and the other with a nymphing set up.

We started fishing on Beat 2 and Bridge Pool where Jeff commenced the days quest drifting his team of nymphs slow and deep as a rather nonchalant duck observed proceedings.

The lush green foliage of late June hung over the river its course carved through rocky bed rock over thousands of years. As I often say each river has its own unique character and the River Lyd is undoubtedly one of the West Country’s finest and after recent rainfall to flush sediment its waters seemed to be in sparkling health.

            BB that great Countryside Writers Children’s Book ‘The Little Grey Men’ is a classic tome that captures the magic of a rivers journey and the shaded waters of the River Lyd somehow resonated within the pages of the book. This morning could easily have been a day BB describes “ After a soft grey morning, the sun had slowly broken through the clouds, and every blackbird and thrush in Lucking’s Meadow began to warble and tune up; the first opening bars of a great symphony in praise of life”. My ponderings on gnomes dwelling in the shady banks of the River Lyd are undoubtedly deluded for BB states “ For secrecy  was of utmost importance, especially in these modern days when discovery would mean the end of everything. Why these little creatures had survived for so long is puzzling, because  though they lived in this rural countryside, it was by no means ‘wild’ in the sense that some parts of Devon and Cornwall are wild, and there are, to my knowledge, no gnomes left now in either of these last two localities, though I understand they are still to be found in some parts of Ireland”.

            We fished carefully up through deep shady pools that hid their secrets as sunlight broke through the vibrant green canopy of midsummer. We were both using bright indicators to suspend our nymphs to just trip the riverbed. This was not traditional fly fishing and the purist would certainly not approve. We are going through a revolution in fly fishing at the moment as technics from across the wider world are embraced by a younger generation who push the boundaries and break down the barriers between disciplines.

Watching our bright indicators drift slowly through deep calm pools is little different to trotting with a float and what’s wrong with that?

            There is no doubt that catching on an upstream dry fly is more satisfying and that delectable moment of deception is one to savour. However life is short and in these modern times if we want a younger generation to embrace the sport then perhaps we have to accept a wider range of tactics and values. It is perhaps possible to draw comparison with today’s cricket scene. The traditionalist will always extol proper Test match cricket; five days of endeavours to be savoured and analysed. A younger generation will perhaps prefer the wham bam thrust of 20/20 cricket that is all over in just a few hours.

            Jeff was first to connect and I watched as a sea trout gyrated in the strong current as it was persuaded to the waiting net. The silver flanks glistened as we admired its beauty before slipping it back into the cool waters.

Boosted by this success we both searched intently drifting the nymphs through the pools. I hooked a small brown trout that shook the hook and caught a couple of small parr.

            We then took a break to drive a short distance to the fish beat 3 a stretch of river that we had fished back in early March when Jeff had caught a grayling and I had lost one.

            We went our separate ways now alternating between pools immersed in our own endeavours to a large extent.  When we met up a short while later Jeff was excited to recall the capture of a fine sea trout estimated at around 2lb at had made his reel scream as it battled gamely.

 

            It is often the case that when I fish with Jeff we seem to mirror each other’s catch’s and when one of us enjoys a good first half the other succeeds in the second half. This was certainly my hope as I searched the pools attempting to read the water carefully focussing on those sections that took my fancy.

            The deep fast water towards the head of the pools and runs tempted me and I searched these areas in preference to the slower deeper areas.

            I undoubtedly missed a couple of fish as my indicator dipped beneath the surface or twitched vigorously with my strike finding no connection.

            Then that wonderful moment of connection came and a bar of silver erupted from the water leaping almost to eye level before coming adrift after just a few seconds of adrenalin fuelled excitement.

            Ten minutes later I hooked another larger fish that battled hard again leaping from the water before diving deep and under the far bank where I feared the line would catch in the roots of bankside trees. I savoured the bending rod and feel of a good fish in the strong current. I knelt at the water’s edge and guided the sea trout towards the waiting net. Then elation turned to dejection as the hook hold gave and my silver prize disappeared with flick of its tail.

            The two glimpses of silver leaping and gyrating on my line are lodged in that deep file of memories in the mind. Merging with the lush green of early summer clear glistening water following a summer spate. The electric blue of kingfisher and the cheerful echoes of chiff-chaff and wren song in a river valley. Damsel flies and dragon flies haunting the river margins. As many of BB’s books commence,

The wonder of the world

Its beauty and its power,

The shapes of things,

Their colours lights and shades,

Look ye also while life lasts.

            I caught up with Jeff at the weir pool and told of my losses. We chatted and fished the deep water above the weir together. A few trout dimpled the surface and Jeff switched to dry fly tactics whilst I persisted with the deep nymph tactics and missed a couple of chances.

We had planned to pack up at around 5.00pm but a glance at the time revealed it was now past 6.00pm and after ten or so last casts we reluctantly walked back across the waterside meadows to return home. Already plotting further trips with a youthful enthusiasm that belied our years. The indicator deep fished nymph will certainly be used elsewhere to explore those deeper pools when the fish are not rising.

26 Nov 2023

Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club – Bulldog Fishery

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Wistlandpound Fly Fishing Club held their latest Match at Bulldog Fishery where David Richards secured top spot with three rainbow trout for 9lb 2oz the best a fish of 3lb 9oz.

Dave Mock was runner up with three for 7lb 15oz and Colin Combe third with three for 7lb 13oz. The club are holding their Christmas Competition at the venue on December 17th.