fishing Dartmouth sea angling torbay festival Devon uk charter boat shore plaice turbot bass river dart
Plus Other Items of Local or Wider
Interest
BBC LOCAL WEATHER FORECAST FOR
YOUR AREA
Charter Dates - I constantly
receive calls from anglers who would like to go "Fishing Dartmouth"
so I've asked some of our most popular and
successful Skippers to provide some dates when
they are happy to take individual anglers. Thanks Dave, Ian,
Owen
and Chris. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Just single left click your mouse on the
photo of the charter boats below, to see a list of dates and trips when
these very helpful Skippers are happy to take individual anglers or
larger groups to fish for all sorts of varieties of fish and in various
locations. I know you will thoroughly enjoy a day aboard any of
these excellent local charter boats.
**Please mention the
Fishing Dartmouth website when you contact this skipper.** Small groups and individuals welcome
Please
contact Dave on
01803 851 766 or 07968 599 245
for details and to book.
**Please mention the
Fishing Dartmouth website when you contact this skipper.** Small groups and individuals welcome
**Trip
Special**
Sun 5th Feb
- ONLY 1 space left on
mid Channel wreck trip for
Cod, Pollack,
Ling etc
Sat 18th Feb - 10 spaces left on
mid Channel wreck trip for
Cod, Pollack,
Ling etc
For fishing trips to the famous
"Skerries Banks",
Reefs, mid-Channel Wrecks or
exciting 4-5 day
Channel Island excursions
(Small groups and individuals welcome)Please contact Ian on
01803 834 598 or
07780 970 803 for details and to book.
**Please
mention the Fishing Dartmouth website when you
contact this skipper.**
Small groups and individuals welcome
**Trip
Special**
Sun 5th Feb
- ONLY 5 spaces left on
mid Channel wreck trip for
Cod, Pollack,
Ling etc
Mon 6th Feb
- ONLY 3 spaces left on
mid Channel wreck trip for
Cod, Pollack,
Ling etc
Tues
21st Feb - ONLY 5 spaces left on
mid Channel wreck trip for
Cod, Pollack,
Ling etc
Please
contact Owen on
01803 832 897 or 07891 498 023 for details and to book. "Outlaw
of Dartmouth"
**Please mention the Fishing Dartmouth
website when you contact this skipper.**
**Please mention the
Fishing Dartmouth website when you contact this skipper.**
Small groups and individuals welcome Please contact Chris on 01548 511 500
or 07967 387 657
for details and to book. "Anglo Dawn III" - out of Salcombe
"Skerries Banks"
trip for Plaice, Bass, Ray,
Whiting etc
mid Channel wreck trip for
Cod, Pollack,
Ling etc
Reef fishing
trip for Cod, Ling, Pollack, Bass etc
Tackle box fillers at TRADE
prices, once they're gone, they're gone.
Sold
out, more to come shortly
Click the link to fill your tackle box for
less.
Hi Folks, I'm on a bit of a mission to support
my 10 yr old daughter, Alana and three of her
friends, to raise funds for the British Heart
Foundation.
Alana is part of a group of 4
children at her primary school who are taking
part in the Torbay Civic Award. The award aims
to develop well-rounded, confident and caring
individuals who strive to make a difference in
their various communities and are prepared to
take responsibility for change.
There are a couple of press
releases about the award at the following links
and there are a couple of attached files from
the brainchild of the award, Mrs Karen Thomson.
As part of their award, the four
girls are wanting to fund raise for the British
Heart Foundation at the Warberry School
Valentines Fair on the 10th February. I
know you probably wont be aware of it but my
Father, her Grandad, passed away in October 2011
from a heart condition and one of the other
girls in the group has a hole in her heart,
hence why they chose the British Heart
Foundation as their charity.
In an attempt to raise prizes for
the raffle they want to hold, I contacted the local
charter skippers and fishing tackle wholesalers and
the response from them was nothing short of
fantastic. I really want to give them all a massive
thank you for their support. This gave me another
idea to help the girls raise funds for the BHF. The
skippers have very kindly given me permission to use
their donated trips to maximum effect so we raise as
much as we can for this worthwhile cause. There are
3 ways in which you can help, please see below:
Option 1, Sealed Bids
I am offering trips from 4 skippers
in a sealed bid auction format. The sealed bid
format is where you place a bid by contacting me on
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or call me on 01803
294095. Please tell me which trip you're interested
in, give me your contact details and your maximum
bid and at the close of the auction, which will be
at 23.59 hrs on Friday 10th February, the highest
bidder will win the trip, simple as that. When you
place your bid please
take into consideration the value of the trip in the
first place and as we are raising money
for the British Heart Foundation, please be sure you'll honour your bid if you
win. After all, this is a charity that helps
research into all kinds of heart conditions and
treatments, something that has or will touch us all
in some way. Thank you. The trips on offer are as
follows:
Chris Roberts very
kindly donated a charter trip for one person aboard
his Salcombe
based charter vessel 'Anglo Dawn 3' up to the value
of £50.
This will include a trip to the famous 'Skerries Banks' or
inshore reefs or
mid-Channel wrecks.
If you wish to place a sealed bid on
this trip please contact me on
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or please call me on 01803
294095
and I'll be pleased to hear from you.
If you are the successful bidder we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the
laminated voucher in person or post it by recorded mail.
Plus I will
inform the skipper of the winners details.
We accept donations through our fundraising page on the
charity giving website 'Just Giving' and our page can be
found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website with
your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause.
Ian Noble very kindly donated a charter trip for one person aboard his
Dartmouth
based charter vessel 'Samuel Irvin 3' for a Plaice
fishing
trip to
the famous 'Skerries Banks'.
If you wish to place a sealed
bid on this trip please contact me on
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or please call me on 01803
294095
and I'll be pleased to hear from you.
If you are the successful bidder we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the
laminated voucher in person or post it by recorded mail.
Plus I will
inform the skipper of the winners details.
We accept donations through our fundraising page on the
charity giving website 'Just Giving' and our page can be
found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website with
your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause.
Dean Farrell very kindly
donated a charter trip for one person aboard his Brixham/Paignton
based charter vessel 'Becca Marie'. This will include
a trip to the famous 'Skerries Banks' or inshore reefs or
Bass wrecks or mid-Channel wrecks.
If you wish to place a
sealed bid on this trip please contact me on
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or please call me on 01803
294095
and I'll be pleased to hear from you.
If you are the successful bidder, we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the
laminated voucher in person or post it by recorded mail.
Plus I will
inform the skipper of the winners details.
We accept donations through our fundraising page on the
charity giving website 'Just Giving' and our page can be
found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website with
your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause.
Owen Mallia very kindly
donated a charter trip for one person aboard his Dartmouth
based charter vessel 'Outlaw of
Dartmouth'. This will include
a trip to the famous 'Skerries Banks' or inshore reefs or
Bass wrecks or mid-Channel wrecks.
If you wish to place a
sealed bid on this trip please contact me on
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or please call me on 01803
294095
and I'll be pleased to hear from you.
If you are the successful bidder, we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the
laminated voucher in person or post it by recorded mail.
Plus I will
inform the skipper of the winners details.
We accept donations through our fundraising page on the
charity giving website 'Just Giving' and our page can be
found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website with
your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause.
Option 2,
Raffle Tickets
In this section
I'm offering the following prizes (3 fishing trips
and fishing tackle) via a raffle. Tickets cost £1.00
a strip and you can buy your tickets by giving your
donation through our fundraising page on the
charity giving website 'Just Giving'. Our page can
be found at the following web address:
Once you've given your donation
please either email me at
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or call
me on 01803 294095 so I can match up your donation
with the amount of raffle tickets. I will then email
or text your raffle ticket numbers. The raffle
tickets will be drawn at Warberry Primary School,
Cedar Road, Torquay at the Valentines Fair organised
by the girls on the 10th February. Winners will be
notified by phone or email (whichever you prefer).
Depending on where you live I will deliver the
prizes personally or send them by recorded mail. The
prizes being raffled are:
Prize 1 - Alan and Hilary Hemsley
very kindly donated a half day charter trip
for TWO people aboard
their Dartmouth based charter vessel 'African Queen'.
This will include rod hire, bait
and tuition, the full works.
If you wish to buy
raffle tickets for this trip please make your donation
through
our fundraising page on the charity giving website 'Just
Giving'. Our page can be found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website with
your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause. Once you've
given your donation please either email me at
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or call me
on 01803 294095 so I can match up your payment with the
correct amount of raffle tickets. I will then email or text
your raffle ticket numbers.
If you are the successful winner we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the
laminated voucher in person or post it by recorded mail.
Plus I will
inform the skipper of the winners details.
Prize 2 - Dave Harrison very kindly donated either a charter trip
aboard his Dartmouth
based charter vessel 'Gemini'or
£50.00 cash. This will
include a trip to the famous 'Skerries Banks' or inshore
reefs or mid-Channel wrecks. If you opt for the fishing
trip, this will be valid from August 2012 when Dave's new
boat, a brand new BW Seacat, arrives.
If you wish to buy raffle tickets for this
trip please make your donation through
our fundraising page on the charity giving website 'Just
Giving'. Our page can be found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website with
your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause. Once you've
given your donation please either email me at
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or call me
on 01803 294095 so I can match up your payment with the
correct amount of raffle tickets. I will then email or text
your raffle ticket numbers.
If you are the successful winner we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the
laminated voucher in person or post it by recorded mail.
Plus I will
inform the skipper of the winners details.
Prize 3 - Dave Roberts very kindly
donated a charter trip aboard his Minehead
based charter vessel 'AlyKat' fishing the Bristol
Channel for TWO people
(1 Adult and 1 Child)
If
you wish to buy raffle tickets for this trip please make
your donation through
our fundraising page on the charity giving website 'Just
Giving'. Our page can be found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website
with your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause. Once you've
given your donation please either email me at
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or call me
on 01803 294095 so I can match up your payment with the
correct amount of raffle tickets. I will then email or text
your raffle ticket numbers.
If you are the successful winner we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the
laminated voucher in person or post it by recorded mail.
Plus I will
inform the skipper of the winners details.
Fladen Fishing from
Weymouth who supply the Fladen
Maxximus and Fladen
Rescue System brands to the trade very kindly
donated the fishing tackle on the left. Please click the
links on the left to see detailed pictures of the fishing
tackle.
Kiddy Wholesale from
Torquay who supply the Sidewinder
and Storm brands to the
trade very kindly donated the fishing tackle on the right.
Prize 8 - Beachcaster combo kit - 12ft Rebel
4-6oz beachcaster matched with a Rebel 65 fixed spool reel,
4.1:1, 310m/14lb, spare spool and reel bag and 6ft aluminium
tripod.
Prize 9 - Lady
Luck pink bass rod and reel combo - One for the
ladies/girlies - 10ft, Lady Luck 2-4oz pink Bass rod matched
with Lady Luck pink F/S reel 245m/12lb, spare spool and reel
bag
Prize 10 - Small Sakuma Cool
Bag - perfect for fishing and picnics.
Measures
28cm L x 19cm W x 15cm D. 1000D waterproof fabric, fully insulated easy
clean interior, anti corrosive zip, external rubber mesh
pocket, tough padded carry handles and reflective piping.
Prize 11 - Small Sakuma Cool
Bag - perfect for fishing and picnics.
Measures
28cm L x 19cm W x 15cm D. 1000D waterproof fabric, fully insulated easy
clean interior, anti corrosive zip, external rubber mesh
pocket, tough padded carry handles and reflective piping.
Prize 12 - Large Sakuma
Cool Bag - perfect for fishing and
picnics. Measures
36cm L x 26cm W x 15cm D. 1000D waterproof fabric, fully insulated easy
clean interior, anti corrosive zip, external rubber mesh
pocket, tough padded carry handles and reflective piping.
Prize 13 - Large Sakuma
Cool Bag - perfect for fishing and
picnics. Measures
36cm L x 26cm W x 15cm D. 1000D waterproof fabric, fully insulated easy
clean interior, anti corrosive zip, external rubber mesh
pocket, tough padded carry handles and reflective piping.
Swift Worldwide from
Exeter who supply the Sakuma
and Redgill brands to
the trade very kindly donated the fishing tackle on the
left.
If you wish to buy raffle tickets for the above
fishing tackle please make
your donation through
our fundraising page on the charity giving website 'Just
Giving'. Our page can be found at the following URL:
You can donate through the 'Just Giving' website
with your credit/debit card.
Please be generous for this worthwhile cause. Once you've
given your donation please either email me at
rob@fishingdartmouth.co.uk or call me
on 01803 294095 so I can match up your payment with the
correct amount of raffle tickets. I will then email or text
your raffle ticket numbers.
If you are the successful winner we will let you know
from the contact
details you leave and depending on the distance I will
deliver the prize in person or post it by recorded mail.
Option
3,
Kind Donation
The final option is where I politely ask if
you'd kindly donate to the British Heart Foundation. You can
do this with your debit/credit card at our fund raising page
which can be found at
www.justgiving.com/valentines-fair1002 We have an
initial target of £500.00 and really hope we can surpass
that. Please tell all your friends and support this
worthwhile cause. Thank you very much.
Alternatively, if you wish to
donate any further prizes for the raffle or to sell, to
raise funds for the BHF, please let me know as soon as you
can and I'll be very pleased to hear from you. Thanking you
in advance.
Friday 3rd February -
Mid Channel wreck fishing
aboard "Anglo Dawn 3" - Chris Roberts has been at sea
on Sunday 29th Jan, aboard his Salcombe based
charter boat "Anglo Dawn 3". Chris emailed his fishy tale
and photos for your interest and enjoyment. Many thanks Owen, your
input is much appreciated. Here's what Chris wrote:
Hope you are well, Just e-mailing over some pictures of some of the
cracking fish we had on the weekend. The best Ling was 27 lb
caught on a red shad, by a guy from Stadium Leisure SAC. The next
was a Ling which was 25 lb 4 oz caught on a small octopus and squid and
the other Ling was just over 20 lb, again, caught on squid.
The Pollack was caught by Jerry
Bennett from Stadium Leisure SAC that weighed around 14 lb 8 oz on a
small shad and the Haddock, one of 4 caught over the weekend, was caught
on a blue Sidewinder. Regards Chris.
A happy angler from Stadium SAC proudly
holds up the best Ling of the day with a fine
fish of 27 lbs caught aboard Chris Roberts Salcombe
based charter boat
"Anglo Dawn 3"
Sunday 29th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Chris Roberts
A happy angler from Stadium SAC proudly
holds up a very nice Haddock, one of four
caught aboard Chris Roberts Salcombe
based charter boat
"Anglo Dawn 3"
Sunday 29th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Chris Roberts
Jerry Bennett from Stadium SAC proudly
holds up a very nice Polack of 14 lbs 8 oz
which he caught aboard Chris Roberts
Salcombe based charter boat
"Anglo Dawn 3"
Sunday 29th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Chris Roberts
A happy angler from Stadium SAC proudly
holds up a fine brace of Ling of 25 lbs 4 oz
and just over 20 lbs he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Chris Roberts
Salcombe based charter boat
"Anglo Dawn 3"
Sunday 29th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Chris Roberts
Wednesday 1st February -
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Outlaw of Dartmouth" - Owen Mallia has been at sea
on Sunday 29th Jan, aboard his local
charter boat "Outlaw of Dartmouth".
Owen emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Chris, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Owen wrote:
Due to kinder
weather we managed another day’s fishing last Sunday out to the
mid-Channel wrecks in search of the larger winter fish, the
winds were practically non-existent – which allowed us to press
on to the deep water marks once again. Our group was a
mixture of local anglers and a few boys from Wales.
Andy 'Squiff'
Howitt (L) proudly holds up the
best Pollack of the day at 21 lbs 2 oz and
Wayne Pontin proudly holds up his fine
Pollack. Both fish were caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Sunday 29th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
We arrived at our
destination in good time as the tide had just started to flood,
although the drifts were a bit slow to start with, (as there was
not a lot of current initially), as the tide started to build,
so did the fishing, we were active right up until slack water
around lunchtime (where we had about an hour’s doldrum), the Ebb
tide started to make and after a few slow drifts the fishing
just ‘switched’ back on. Top man on the day was Andy
‘Squiff’ Howitt who managed to wrestle the sweepstake out of the
Skippers hands with a fine 21lb 2oz Specimen Pollock caught on a
Rhubarb & Custard Sidewinder lure, up until that point the
Skipper himself had managed to land himself a nice 18lb +
Pollock on a Redgill Evo lure!
Harry White (L)
and Leon Draper proudly hold
up their fine Pollack. Both fish were caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Sunday 29th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Welsh Rugby
International John Yapp was having a day off from Rugby and was
out with us again, he managed to get in on the action along with
his mate Leon Draper (also from Wales), both men catching a
number of fine winter Pollock throughout their day.
Another Outlaw regular who was out with us was Harry White from
Moretonhapstead, Harry managed to get himself involved with fish
on practically every other drift throughout his days fishing.
Once again, I lined up for our last drift of the day and nearly
everyone was in to fish, it was really encouraging to leave good
fishing at the end of our day.
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Outlaw of Dartmouth" - Owen Mallia has been at sea
on Saturday 28th Jan, aboard his local
charter boat "Outlaw of Dartmouth".
Owen emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Owen, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Owen wrote:
Following another
week of inclement weather we managed to get out fishing again on
Saturday 28th January with members of the Cwmbach
Predators from Wales plus friends, we headed for the deep water
wreck marks in the middle of the Channel in search of winter
Pollack, Ling and the odd Cod. The weather was still a bit
frisky with a stiff North Easterly breeze behind us all of the
way out to the Channel, however the forecast suggested that the
winds would subside as the day wore on, so we anticipated a
comfortable ride back to Dartmouth.
Wayne Pontin
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 28th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Mike 'The
Conger' Morgan proudly holds up
his fine Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 28th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Gareth Parsons
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 28th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
We arrived at our
first wreck as the tide started to turn, fishing was a bit slow
to start with but picked up as the day unfolded, we continued to
catch steadily until I decided to move to an adjacent wreck in
search of a bit more ‘pace’, thankfully my hunch paid off and
the fishing was a lot more active, at our second destination, so
we stayed there for the remainder of the day. Top dog on the day
was Mike (the Conger) Morgan from Aberdare who landed himself a
number of excellent winter Pollock, Mike lost one particular
fish that gave him a hell of a battle for a while but
unfortunately the fish had the better of his tackle and was free
to fight another day.
Mark Williams
(L) and Wayne Pontin proudly
hold up their fine Pollack which they caught
on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen
Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 28th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Mark Nathan (L)
and Paul Frain proudly
hold up their fine Pollack and Bass which
they caught on the mid
Channel wrecks
aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 28th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Other notable
performances from the Cwmbach ‘boyos’ were from Mark Nathan and
Wayne Pontin, you may notice the unusual headgear the lads were
determined to wear when they had caught a fish and we were
preparing to take their picture – obviously this was some
‘angling ritual’ that perhaps brings good luck?!!! Also pictured are
Gareth Parsons from Wales (who caught the second largest Pollock
on the day), Mark Williams with one of his winter Pollock and
Paul Frain from Wales who landed himself a fine 3lb Bass for his
efforts. Top lures appeared
to be variations of Sidewinders and Redgills today with no
particular colour outperforming another. We turned for home
with calmer seas and made our way back in to Dartmouth, everyone
was tired and relaxed after another great day’s fishing.
Large Wrasse and nice Dab -
I received a very welcome email from Brixham SAC member Russell
Farley who's been out and about wetting a line with his son
Ciaran. Thank you Russell your input is much appreciated. Here's
what Russell wrote:
Hi Rob here are
some of our January catches. I had a nice Dab of 1 lb 1 oz 7 dr
taken from Beesands on the 27th January. It was a very fat fish
in perfect condition. Bait was frozen black lug and cockles
cast out as far out as I could sling it! On the 28th we fished
at the mouth of the River Dart targetting Wrasse.
Ciarans had a fish was 4 lbs 2 ozs 12 dr and mine 5 lbs 2 ozs 4
dr. Both were caught on peeler crab.
Russell
Farley proudly holds up his fine
specimen Wrasse of 5 lbs 2 ozs 4 dr which
he caught on Peeler Crab while fishing at
the mouth of the River Dart.
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Russell Farley
Ciaran Farley
proudly holds up his fine
specimen Wrasse of 4 lbs 2 ozs 12 dr which
he caught on Peeler Crab while fishing at
the mouth of the River Dart.
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Russell Farley
Russell
Farley proudly holds up his fine
Dab of 1 lb 1 oz 7 dr which he caught on
Black Lug and Cockle while fishing at
Beesands.
Friday 27th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Russell Farley
Large Ling caught out of Dartmouth -
I received a very welcome email from Garry Harding who caught a
fine Ling out of Dartmouth during a very odd day of fine weather. Thank you
Garry your input is much appreciated. Here's what Garry wrote:
Attached is a picture of a Ling that
I caught on Sunday 29th January from a wreck on my
mates, Simon Mitchell, boat "Laurenholly", out of
Dartmouth. The Ling weighed 27lb 13oz. Happy
fishing! Garry Harding.
Garry Harding
proudly holds up his fine
specimen Ling of 27 lbs 13 ozs which he
caught from his mates, Simon Mitchells'
private boat "Lauren Holly".
Sunday 29th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Garry Harding
Wyvern Division competition awards and
presentation night - I received a very welcome email
from Mike Spiller about the Wyvern Division competition
awards which were held on Saturday 28th Jan. Thank you Mike, here's what
Mike wrote:
Nearly 100 people attended the
Wyvern Division presentation Night at Exeter last Saturday
night. All the Divisions awards were made from the 2011 season
along with the presentation of the Castle Trophy.
The evening started with a short talk on
work of the Angling Trust by David Mitchell, David explained
work that had been completed and what was going to be looked
at in the future. The presentation then followed with all
the fish of the month winners being awarded with Gilt medals
and certificates for all the winners. Main trophy winners
for 2011 were:-
Captor of the
best specimen of the year and the
winner of the Castle Trophy was Mark Bryce of
the Rodbenders SAC for a fine specimen shore
caught Pout of 3 lbs 4 ozs.
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Mike Spiller
Best Lady Gail Nathan (Paignton SAA) with a
Ling of 28-0-2. Best Flatfish Mike Hodge (Rodbenders
SAC) Plaice 4-13-0. Best Bass Pete Passmore (PaigntonSAA)
14-6-3. Best Conger Chris Martin (Brixham SAC)
96-4-13. Best Bream Gordon Richards (Paignton SAA) 5-9-12.
Best Junior Shore Ciaran Farley (Brixham SAC) Flounder
3-7-8.
Best Junior Boat Craig Doidge (Paignton SAA)
Cod 23-13-4. The winner of the best specimen of the year for
the Castle Trophy was Mark Bryce (Rodbenders SAC) Shore
caught Pout of 3-4-0. Mark also won £140 for his chosen
charity which was for the Brent Ward Trust at Derriford
Hospital. At the end of the nights everyone was
treated to a free buffet.
Tuesday 31st January -
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Samuel Irvin 3" - Ian Noble has been at sea
on Sunday 29th January aboard his local
charter boat, the big white and blue Blyth 33 catamaran, "Samuel Irvin 3".
Ian emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Ian, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Ian wrote:
Sunday was a complete contrast to yesterday with hardly a
whisper of wind and flat seas as we travelled out to the mid-channel wrecks
off Dartmouth. Aboard were anglers from the Keltic SAC of South Wales
looking for winter Pollack. There was surprisingly little movement of
water considering the predicted tide heights and the fish were slow to take
the lures.
Ian Howells
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 29th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
John Phillips
proudly holds up two
of his fine Pollack which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian
Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 29th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Gareth Brown
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 29th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Gareth Gronow
(L) and Bill Gronow proudly
hold up two of their fine Pollack which they
caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard
Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 29th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Keith Hobbs
proudly holds up two of his
Pollack in prime
condition which he caught
from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 29th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
We visited three wrecks during the day taking fish from
all of them with the last being the most productive. Again
Sidewinders, white or rhubarb, were taking the fish.
A grand day out with flat seas, fish and good company.
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Samuel Irvin 3" - Ian Noble has been at sea
on Saturday 28th January aboard his local
charter boat, the big white and blue Blyth 33 catamaran, "Samuel Irvin 3".
Ian emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Ian, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Ian wrote:
With an improving forecast Saturday found us heading out
to the mid-channel wrecks south of Dartmouth with a fresh North Easterly
breeze behind us.
On board were experienced anglers of the Penywaun fishing club in South
Wales. Most fish came to white or blue and white Evo and Sidewinder soft
lures with Colin Thomas having the biggest bag, whist his son Chay took the
pool money with the heaviest fish of the day.
Peter Truro
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Kevin Dillon
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Matthew
Parfitt proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Horace Rodgers
(L) and Chay Thomas proudly hold up two of their fine Pollack which
they
caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard
Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Colin Thomas
proudly holds up two of his
Pollack in prime
condition which he caught
from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Saturday 28th
January 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
The conditions were not perfect and though the
improvement in the forecast didn't happen until we were nearly back in port
the fish obliged and we were able to stay on the wreck all day. Come on
Summer.
Wednesday 25th January -
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Outlaw of Dartmouth" - Owen Mallia has been at sea aboard his local
charter boat, "Outlaw of Dartmouth".
Owen emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Owen, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Owen wrote:
Thanks to a brief break in the weather I
managed to get out to the mid-channel wrecks on Monday 23rd
January with a regular group of anglers. With the very
light winds forecast we decided to go for a long day’s fishing.
Allan Painter
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Carl Jones
proudly holds up his fine
18 lb Ling which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Glenn Law
proudly holds up his fine
Cod which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
We arrived at our first wreck – only to find
that recent commercial wreck-net activity on the last neap tide
had left remnants of gill net strewn all over the wreck and its
superstructure, so after a couple of frustrating drifts with
fish coming up with net still attached to them we moved on to
another wreck where the fishing was slow but steady, we fished
until it started to dry up and then pressed on to another wreck
where we instantly found good fishing, we managed to land a
number of nice winter Ling, Cod and Pollack and again, just like
my last trip out on this group of wrecks, regular Dartmouth
angler - Glenn Law who is from Dartmouth caught himself a fine
7lb 15oz Bass on an Orange Eddystone Eel! Glenn also managed to
wrestle a few nice Cod and Pollack in as well.
Leyton Yapp
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Wes Donohue
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Allan Painter
proudly holds up another
fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Another local angler Wes Donoghue from
Paignton managed to catch a fine Ling and a few nice Pollack for
his day’s efforts. Carl Jones the Dartmouth regular angler
from Caldicot, Wales had himself a battle royal with a lovely
18lb + Ling, plus a number of great Cod and Pollack,. His buddy
Allan Painter (another angling Dartmouth regular) consistently
fished away all day (as he always does) and managed to land
himself a number of fine Pollack for his efforts. Dan
Rees-Jones (originally from Brixham but now residing in Bristol)
had his first ‘Outlaw experience’ and settled in to just doing
what comes naturally and consistently caught fish all day.
Dan Rees Jones
(L)
proudly holds up his
fine
Pollack and Leyton Yapp holds up
his fine Cod of 16 lbs which they caught
on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen
Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Glenn Law (L)
proudly holds up his
fine Bass of 7 lbs 15 ozs and John Yapp
holds up his fine Pollack which they caught
on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen
Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Monday 23rd January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Cardiff Blues and International Rugby Prop
John Yapp from Cardiff – who is another Outlaw regular came down
with the boys from Wales on Monday and brought his brother
Leyton along for the day, both of the brothers made a slow but
steady start to their catch rate in the early stages, but as the
day unfolded John managed to catch himself a nice winter
Pollack, then Leyton (who claims he hasn’t had much sea angling
experience) started to get the hang of things and initially
caught himself a super Pollack followed later in the day with a
really chunky winter Cod of 16lbs, obviously there is one Rugby
star and one up and coming fishing star in the Yapp household!
As the sun started to set in the West we fished our last drift
and pointed Outlaw for home, the Westerly winds just started to
freshen up as we neared Dartmouth, so thankfully the forecast
was accurate and we were safely back in to port before any
weather took hold.
Tuesday 24th January - Updated catches from
Brixham SAC members - Brixham SAC member Dave Fortune very kindly
emailed me with some of the latest catches of Brixham SAC members. Thank you
Dave, your input is most appreciated. Here's what Dave said:
Junior members fished
Berryhead to find a few fish. Ciaran Farley had Dogfish to 2
lbs 4 ozs and Shay Upham caught a 3 Bearded Rockling of 1 lb
2 ozs 14 dr. Doug Mosedale and John Heather fished a wreck
off Start Point, John taking Pollack to 15 lbs 12 ozs 14 dr
and Doug finding Pout to 2 lbs 8 ozs 6 dr.
The clubs Flounder
competition was won by Dave Fortune with a fish of 1 lb 9
ozs 1 dr. The Wrasse competition was also won by Dave
Fortune with a fish of 4 lbs 11 ozs 7 dr and Rob Marshall
came second and third with fish of 4 lbs 3 ozs 10 dr and 3
lbs 5 ozs.
Updated catches from T&BASA members - T&BASA member
Nigel Foord very kindly emailed me with some of the
latest catches of T&BASA members during the clubs Exmouth Seafront
competition held at the weekend. Thank you Nigel, your input is most
appreciated. Here's what Nigel said:
Here are the results from Sundays
Competition on Exmouth Seafront. It was fished in a strong
Westerly wind but 24 anglers fished the competition and the
winner was John Adey with a fine Flounder of 2 lb 9 oz 12
drms. Second was Rich Corston with another good fish
of 2 lb 9 oz 4 drms. 3rd was Ross Stewart with a Flounder of
2 lb 1 oz.
Tuesday 17th January - Reminder of the Wyvern
Division competition awards - I received a very welcome email
from Mike Spiller to remind everyone about the Wyvern Division competition
awards. Thank you Mike, here's his reminder:
Please can you give a
mention for our Wyvern Division Presentation of awards on
the 28th January, again at the RBL in Alphington, Exeter.
All winners have been notified by post and the night is open
to all anglers. The evening will start at 7-30pm for a 8pm
start. David Mitchell from the Angling Trust will be present
on the night to give a short chat on the work of the AT. The
night will end with a free buffet as normal. Anyone
needing more details can contact me on 01404 43397
Many thanks, Mike Spiller
Monday 16th January -
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Outlaw of Dartmouth" - Owen Mallia has been at sea aboard his local
charter boat, "Outlaw of Dartmouth".
Owen emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Owen, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Owen wrote:
I was out at the weekend with Outlaw on
Saturday 14th January with a group of anglers who
were all fairly local to the region. We headed out to
the mid-Channel wrecks in search of Winter Pollack and that
is exactly what we got (apart from one surprise along the
way!). We arrived at our first wreck and tried a few drifts
but there really wasn’t much going on so we pressed on a bit
deeper in to the Channel to see if we could improve matters,
we stopped at about four wrecks before we started to find
any decent signs of fish (the fishing may have been a bit
challenged due to the stiff South-Easterly breeze?).
Dave Stead
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 14th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Dave Dinsborrow
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 14th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Dave Dinsborrow
proudly holds up his
surprise but very welcome 6 lbs 1 oz
Bass which he caught on the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 14th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
We arrived at our fifth wreck to find large
fish, although not in any great number, so we moved on to
another wreck where we instantly found fish on every drift
throughout the remainder of the day, young Max Bingle from
Paignton had a bumper day winding up with six plump Pollack
for his efforts, he was very skilful at catching fish each
drift and would have had a higher total if he had managed to
land another four fish that shook the hook before he managed
to get them to the surface, Max tried Sidewinder Lures,
Tsunami Lures and the new Savage eels to excellent effect.
Max Bingle from
Paignton proudly holds up
two of his fine Pollack which he caught on
the mid Channel wrecks aboard Owen
Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Saturday 14th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Dave Stead from Dawlish had plenty of action
and also wound up with a few nice Pollack examples, Dave
Dinsborrow from Teignmouth steadily plodded away all day
winding up fish quietly at the stern of the boat, on one
particular drift I readied the landing net for another of
his fish (expecting another Pollack) only to realise that he
had hooked himself a lovely Bass of 6 lbs 1 oz, he was
elated with his catch – which was caught on a new white
Tsunami Sandeel Lure. Our plans were to fish later in
to the day, we managed to catch fish even on our last drift
as the sun sank in to the Western Channel, the South East
wind started to gain pace and pushed us nicely back to the
port of Dartmouth in good time, everyone was tired from
their day and enjoyed another good day’s fishing on Outlaw.
Successful sea trials and Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Outlaw of Dartmouth" - Owen Mallia has been at sea aboard his local
charter boat, "Outlaw of Dartmouth".
Owen emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Owen, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Owen wrote:
After a major
Gearbox overhaul on Outlaw last week I decided to venture
out to the mid-channel wrecks with my buddy Glenn Law from
Dartmouth – this was just to ensure that everything was ship
shape and fully functional on Outlaw (before taking anglers
out to sea the following day). Glenn and I visited a
number of wrecks that I hadn’t been to for a number of
years, we managed to catch a lot of fish throughout our day,
so the trip was 100% successful, the boat performed
perfectly and we caught fish in abundance, so total result!
Glenn Law
proudly holds up the best
Pollack of the day at 19 lbs 8 oz which
he caught during a sea trials trip on the
mid Channel wrecks aboard Owen
Mallias
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Friday 13th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Glenn Law
proudly holds up a fine brace
of Pollack which he caught during a sea
trials trip on the mid Channel wrecks
aboard Owen Mallias
Dartmouth charter
boat "Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Friday 13th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Skipper, Owen
Mallia proudly holds up a
fine Pollack which he caught during a
sea trials trip on the mid Channel wrecks
aboard his
Dartmouth charter boat
"Outlaw of Dartmouth"
Friday 13th January 2012
Picture
courtesy of Owen Mallia
Along with
many 12-15lb fish towards the end of the day Glenn managed
to hook himself a super 19lb 8oz Winter Pollack using a
White Tsunami Lure.
Sunday 15th January - Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Pollack
aboard "Samuel Irvin 3" - Ian Noble has been at sea aboard his local
charter boat, the big white and blue Blyth 33 catamaran, "Samuel Irvin 3".
Ian emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Ian, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Ian wrote:
With strong easterly winds forecast for the weekend we
took advantage of Friday's fine weather and set out for the mid-channel
wrecks to the south of Dartmouth. On board were a group of regular and
experienced anglers from the South West. They fished Red Gill Evos and
Sidewinder soft lures with good effect throughout the day landing some fine
Polack.
Graham Lewis
thought he had the money
with this excellent Pollack of 18 lbs which
he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks
aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter
boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Friday 13th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
John Webb took
the money with this
cracking Pollack of over 18 lbs which he
caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard
Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Friday 13th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Johnny
Francis with a Pollack in prime
condition which he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Friday 13th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Graham Lewis landed a smashing 18lb Pollack and thought
he had secured the money but he was later pipped by John Webb with an even
better Pollack.
Rodger Leviston
(L) holds up his fine Pollack
and Brian Atkinson with a nice Pollack that
came to a Sidewinder soft lure which they
which he caught from the mid
Channel
wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Friday 13th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Kev Smart (L)
holds up his fine Pollack, with a little support from Rodger
Leviston and Steve Howell with a nice Pollack that came to a
Sidewinder soft lure which they caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Friday 13th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Another 'Summer Day' in January, hard to believe.
Thursday 12th January - Updated catches from T&BASA members - T&BASA member
Nigel Foord very kindly emailed me with some of the
latest catches of T&BASA members. Thank you Nigel, your input is most
appreciated. Here's what Nigel said:
Just a couple of decent
fish to report for the Torbay and Babbacombe club members.
Firstly, Simon Kingshott has weighed in a decent shore
caught cod of 9 lb 7 oz from reefs in North Somerset.
Kevin Rouse has weighed in a shore caught flounder of
2lb 3 oz 10 drms caught in the Exe on peeler crab and
finally, Denise Stacey caught a Pout of 2lb from an inshore
boat mark.
Simon Kingshott
proudly holds up his fine
Cod of 9 lbs 7 ozs which he
caught from
shore at a North Somerset mark.
January 2012
Photo
courtesy of Simon Kingshott
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Cod and Pollack
aboard "Samuel Irvin 3" - Ian Noble has been at sea aboard his local
charter boat, the big white and blue Blyth 33 catamaran, "Samuel Irvin 3".
Ian Emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Ian, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Ian wrote:
A sunny day and a cracking forecast in January had to be
taken advantage of, so with a group made up of individual anglers we set off
for the mid channel wrecks to the south of Dartmouth. From the first
drift we had fish coming aboard up to the mid day slack. This turned the
fish off but thankfully as the Ebb tide built the fish came back on the
feed. The catch was mainly Pollack and the most effective lures were
Sidewinder and Redgill Evo soft lures. A lovely day with sunshine and
good company in January!!
Dartmouth
angler Mike Donovan with his
first Cod of the day which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Local angler
Tony Hewett with a Pollack that
came to a rhubarb and custard Sidewinder
soft lure which he caught from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Local angler
Derek Hopcroft pictured with
one of the Pollack which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Alan Painter
with the first of his Pollack
caught using an Evo soft lure from the
mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Dartmouth angler
Mike Donovan with one
of the Pollack he caught using Sidewinder
soft lure from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard
Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
A cracking
Tub Gurnard caught on a rhubarb
and custard Sidewinder soft lure by Charlie Sayers from the
mid
Channel wrecks aboard
Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Derek
Hopcroft pictured with another of the Pollack he caught
using Sidewinder soft
lures from the mid
Channel wrecks aboard
Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat
"Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Dave
Henshaw pictured with a fine Pollack
which he caught from the mid
Channel
wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Welsh
rugby player and fishing fanatic John Yapp with a fine
Pollack which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Carl Jones (L)
and Bill Morris hold up
a fine trio of Pollack which they caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Wednesday 11th
December 2011
Wednesday 11th January -
Mid Channel wreck fishing for
Cod and Pollack
aboard "Samuel Irvin 3" - Ian Noble has been at sea aboard his local
charter boat, the big white and blue Blyth 33 catamaran, "Samuel Irvin 3".
Ian Emailed his fishy tale and photos
for your interest
and enjoyment. Many thanks Ian, your input is much
appreciated. Here's what Ian wrote:
Sunday was the first day for a while that the weather was
half decent and so with a group of local anglers we set out for the Channel
wrecks to the south of Dartmouth.
The fish came mainly to Sidewinder soft lures with Rob West sticking to his
favourite white one throughout the day. Fishing was not easy though
and several wrecks were visited during the day, but the anglers stuck to
their task and were rewarded with some nice fish.
Dave Quigel
proudly holds up his fine
Pollack
which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 8th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Mark Painter
proudly holds up his fine
Cod
which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 8th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Dave Murray
proudly holds up his fine
Cod
which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 8th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Rob West
proudly holds up his fine
Cod
and Pollack which he caught from
the mid
Channel wrecks aboard Ian Nobles
Dartmouth
charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3"
Sunday 8th
December 2011
Photo
courtesy of Ian Noble
Updated catches from Brixham SAC members -
Brixham SAC member Dave Fortune very kindly emailed me with some of the
latest catches of Brixham SAC members. Thank you Dave, your input is most
appreciated. Here's what Dave said:
Brixham SAC members have
been out and about from the shore over the Christmas and New
Year break. The best fish was a very nice Whiting of 2lbs 5
ozs 8 dr from Berryhead for Jason Upham. Darryll Farley had
a 3 Bearded Rockling of 1lb 11 oz from the same spot, while
brother Russell had a good Pout of 1lb 10 oz 6 dr. Junior
angler Ciaran Farley fished Berryhead to take a good Pout of
1lb 5 oz 6 dr and a Whiting of 1 lb 2 oz 12 dr. Dave fortune
fished the Kingsbridge estuary and had a number of
flounders, with the best 2 weighing 2 lbs 8 oz and 2lbs 15
oz 14 dr.
Rob Marshall fished from
Chris Martins boat"charlotte lee" to take a good cod of
24.0.0 (story below)
Dave Fortune
proudly holds up his fine
Flounder of 2 lbs 8 ozs which he caught
from the Kingsbridge Estuary on a recent
trip.
Photo
courtesy of Dave Fortune
Jason Upham
proudly holds up his fine
Whiing of 2 lbs 5 ozs 8 dr which he
caught from Berryhead on a
recent trip.
Photo
courtesy of Jason Upham
Dave Fortune
proudly holds up his fine
Flounder of 2 lbs 15 ozs 14 dr which he
caught from the Kingsbridge Estuary on a
recent trip.
Photo
courtesy of Dave Fortune
Monday 9th January - Brixham SAC's, Rob Marshall
gets a new PB Cod - At last some good news that fish are being
caught. I received a very welcome email from Brixham SAC member Rob Marshall
who ventured out to the mid Channel wrecks. Many thanks for your input Rob.
Here's what Rob said:
Happy new year to you. Just to let you I went wreck
fishing with my mate Chris (ralph) Martin on his boat 'Charlotte Lee', out
from Dartmouth on Sunday. We were after Pollack but could not find many at
all. Then with a change of wreck & tactics I managed two Cod in three
drifts. The smaller went 10 lbs 14 ozs & the other a new personal best for
me with a fine Cod of 24 lbs exactly .
We caught a few more pout & some small Pollack before the wind freshened
signalling it was time to go home, a great day out.
Rob Marshall
proudly holds up his fine Cod
and a new PB for him with a fine specimen
of 24 lbs. He caught them from a mid Channel wreck on a
Chris Martins boat
'Charlotte Lee'
8th January
2012
Photo
courtesy of Rob Marshall
Bass
fishing on my own private boat - On Friday 23rd I decided to take
an 'on the spur of the moment' trip out in search of Bass. The XC weather
forecast was good and my eldest son, Lewis, had a non pupil day, so all the
gear was made ready. Due to the tide it was an early start and we launched
from Paignton harbour at 6.30am. We arrived at our mark and got the Mackerel
feathers down to catch our livebait. On the first drift Lewis was set up and
lowered his Mackerel to try and tempt a take from a Bass. And what normally
happens when you've rigged your son up and he's fishing while you're still
setting up. Yep, his rod starting bouncing around to indicate a bite and the
next thing he's into a Bass. He played his fish well and after around five
minutes I slid the net under his fish, a very nice Bass of 5 lb 6 oz.
Lewis Miller
proudly holds his
fine Bass of 5 lbs 6 ozs
which he caught on
a local wreck mark out of Torbay
on live Mackerel.
Friday 23rd
September 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
Unfortunately, after what seemed to be a very promising
start, everything ground to a halt. The Mackerel were hard to come by and
despite live baiting with the odd Mackerel, as we got them and Scad,
swapping to various lures when the bait had gone and moving to two other
wreck marks we failed to get anymore Bass. That's fishing.
Thursday 15th September -
'Rich pickings' on a Bass fishing trip - With perfect weather
conditions and good tides I managed a day afloat with two of my mates,
Richard Parsons and Andy Smith out on my own private boat. We left Paignton
harbour around 8.00am and headed for a mark that's produced some nice Bass
for me in the past few weeks. Fishing was a bit slow but finally Richard
bent his rod into the first fish which turned out to be a nice Bass of
around 4 lbs. Andy followed this a bit later with a nice take and judging by
the bend in his rod was a decent fish. Unfortunately, around half way up
Andy's line parted and the fish was gone. When his line was retrieved a very
scuffed end to his trace and no weight probably meant the fish had got back
to the wreck and this had weakened the line by rubbing it against the
structure.
Having identified the place where the Bass were hanging we repeated the same
drift. Just as I said we were reaching the 'mark' Andy and Richards rods
both bent over. After a little confusion it seemed that Andy had got the
fish but tangled with Richard so Andy reeled in 'his' fish. Stood ready with
the net I saw 'colour' down deep and it appeared to be pretty big. As the
fish got closer I could see it was in fact 2 fish so both of them had got a
fish on. I netted the bigger one first and then scooped up the second. Now
it was time to find out who had the very nice 7 1/2 lb'er or the still very
nice 4 lb'er. After carefully unravelling the traces Richard came out the
captor of the bigger fish.
Things went very quiet after that. We eventually tried two other wrecks but
again very quiet with no action at all. We returned to our original mark on
the way home for the last hour. Richard decided to get his 'hat trick' and
bent his rod into another Bass and landed a good fish of around 6 lbs. For
me it was a very quiet day with only two 'investigations' on my Mackerel
bait but I put in some good practice on netting some nice Bass :O). Richard
was definitely the man of the day and a pretty good day at that for his
first ever Bass trip.
Richard Parson
(L) proudly
holds the best
Bass of the day with a nice fish of around
7 1/2 lbs and Andy & Richard proudly show
off the 4 Bass of the day.
Thursday 15th
September 2011
Photos
courtesy of Rob Miller
Saturday 20th
August - A day to remember fishing aboard our own
private boat - Personally, I think of all the fishing trips
you can have you can categorise into the following: Bad trips where you
blank or things go seriously wrong and hopefully they don't happen too
often. Reasonable trips where you catch an amount of fish and this
tends to be the 'norm'. Or you get the exceptional trips when the real
memories are made. Friday 19th August was a day of the latter for
us. I was out on our own private boat with my youngest daughter, Charli
and mate Richard Gauge. We were in search of Bass but when we got to our
mark the Mackerel we intended to use as live bait seemed hard to get.
That soon changed. With the arrival of literally 100's of seabirds
(Gannets, Guillemots, Shearwaters and Gulls) we were surrounded with a
scene from David Attenboroughs 'Living Planet'. Birds were diving all
over the place and the sea was 'full' of very large Mackerel. I can only
assume a massive shoal of Sprats or similar was around.
8 yr old
Charli Miller holds her first Bass
of the day and a fine specimen at that of
6 lbs 10 ozs she caught on live mackerel
while fishing on our own private boat.
Friday 19th
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
Richard Gauge
proudly holds his fine
brace of Bass of 3 lbs 8 ozs and 4 lbs
8 ozs that he caught on Sidewinders
while fishing on my own private boat.
Friday 19th
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
3 large
Mackerel that 'hung' them selves
on my weight while fishing on my own
private boat. For scale to show the size
of the Mackerel, the weight in the middle
of the picture is a 6 oz seabomb.
Friday 19th
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
One of the
things that had to be seen to be believed was after putting a live
Mackerel down I gained extra weight and a jigging feeling you get
when feathering for Mackerel. I wound back in to find 3 large
Mackerel 'hanging' from my weight. With all 3 Mackerel the weight
had come out of their gill cover. I followed that later with a
single Mackerel 'hanging' from the weight and another had noosed
it's tail on my mainline. Richard then bought up a large
'Herring like' fish. Unfortunately, it got off the hook before
being landed but as it was around the 2 - 3 lb mark it was too big
for a Herring so I can only assume it was an Allis or Twaite Shad.
Sadly I didn't get a good enough view to see if it had a black mark
behind the gill plate to positively identify it. Amongst all this
action Richard had 3 Bass up to 4 lb 8 ozs and I managed them to 2
lb 8 ozs.
Later, when the tide started to Ebb, the Mackerel disappeared. We
also then had a situation of wind against tide which made the drift
a little awkward. This was when Charli, my 8 yr old daughter showed
her true colours. After a long wait she had a good 'take' on her
live Mackerel and this resulted in a very spirited fight with a good
fish. With a little help and tuition she bought up her first Bass of
the day with a fine specimen Bass of 6 lbs 10 ozs. A great
result for an 8 yr old.
8 yr old
Charli Miller holds her second Bass
of the day and a truly exceptional specimen at
that, weighing an impressive 12 lbs 8 ozs.
She caught this fish of a lifetime on her third
ever sea fishing trip on live Mackerel
while fishing on our own private boat.
Friday 19th
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
Then came
her pièce de résistance. About an hour after her near seven pounder
she had another almighty take on her live Mackerel bait. This fish
took off like a train and Charli needed some real help stopping this
fish getting back to the wreck and from having the rod ripped out of
her hands. After an exceptional fight of crashing dives and head
shaking a large Bass surfaced a long way from the boat. This
cracking fish wasn't ready to be netted yet. After another 5 minutes
of diving away from the boat and thrashing around on the surface
violently shaking it's head we were able to slide the net under the
cracking Bass. Once laid in the boat Richard commented "Look at the
size of that *!&"^$ fish". Out came the digital scales. I was quite
shocked at the size of this Bass and to see the scales reading 12
lbs 8 ozs it bought a lump to my throat. My 8 yr old daughter,
Charli, had caught a fish of a life time on her third ever sea
fishing trip. A true memory for life for a fishing mad Dad.
Well done Charli for showing us the way to catch Bass.
11 yr old Lewis Miller lands 9 lb Bass -
Saturday 6th August was one of those day's where all my regular
fishing buddies were away on holiday, partying or working, so I decided
to take four of my children out for a spot of angling instead. The
XC weather forecast had been good for days right up till the moment we
left. Instead of the wind freshening in the evening it had moved
forward to early afternoon. As I'd already got the kids up at
6.30am and the boat was ready I decided to go anyway with the
updated forecast in mind. Lewis caught the first fish (or should I
say two) as he reeled in a nice Bass of 2 1/2 lbs on the hook and a
large Mackerel that had gone for his weight and that had come out of
it's gill cover. We had a few other nice Bass up to 4 lbs when Lewis
hooked into a much better fish. With a bit of coaching and clutch set,
he lifted the rod and wound down very smoothly and slowly pumped the
fish to the surface. After a few hairy moments as the fish dived
for safety, the result was a safely netted 9 lb 1 oz Bass. A great
result for 11 yr old Lewis, well done.
Lewis Miller
plays the much better fish
with a nicely controlled 'lift and wind'
while fishing on our own private boat.
Saturday 6th
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
The result for
Lewis for his excellent
concentration was a lovely 9 lb 1 oz
Bass he caught on live Mackerel
while fishing on our own private boat.
Saturday 6th
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
Charli (L)
and Baylee Miller look
very happy catching Mackerel
while fishing on our own private boat.
Saturday 6th
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
Wednesday 3rd
August - Bass fishing with Charli and Alana
Miller - With perfect weather conditions and good tides I
managed a day afloat with two of my daughters, 8 year old Charli and 10
year old Alana on their first ever fishing trip on our own private boat.
On the first mark we visited, Mackerel, which were intended for bait
seemed to be absent. After 10 minutes or so of trying for them the
reason became clear as a pod of Dolphins surfaced. So after a few
minutes of the girls watching them playing in the mirror smooth sea we
moved to another of my favoured marks. Once we were there the
Mackerel seemed to be everywhere and the live bait buckets were full in
no time.
After some tuition Charli started the day off well with a nice Bass of
just over 3 lbs. She continued the trend with another 4 Bass with the
biggest going to a very nice 5 lbs 4 ozs. Poor Alana only had 1 bite all
day which turned out to be a truly big fish. Unfortunately by the time I
got to her to help out the fish had made valuable ground. I tightened
the clutch to slow it down and with the rod hooped over the fish still
managed to make 2 more unstoppable runs and made it to the wreck where
it snapped her tackle. Personally, having had Bass to just under the 10
lb mark, the way this fish fought it was every bit as good, if not
better, than the one's I've had, I was truly gutted for her. Hopefully
there'll be a 'next time'.
After some
tuition Charli Miller carefully
brings in her first ever Bass, caught on live
Mackerel from our own private boat.
Tuesday 2nd
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
Charli Miller
beams with pride while
holding her first ever Bass, of 3 lbs 4 ozs
caught from our own private boat.
Tuesday 2nd
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
Charli Miller
(L) and Alana Miller proudly
hold Bass of 5 lbs 4 ozs and 3 lbs caught
on their first ever sea fishing trip.
Tuesday 2nd
August 2011
Photo
courtesy of Rob Miller
In amongst my fatherly duties of
re-rigging (countless times :O), catching bait and re-baiting I did
manage to wet a line about half a dozen times with a Sidewinder and
caught a couple of Bass to 3 lbs and a couple of small Pollack.
Overall a very good day's fishing with excellent weather.
How to Remove a Fishing Hook from your Flesh - This Email was
forwarded by my good pal Grahame Garry, who hails from Torquay, but is
now a resident in Perth, Australia. Thanks Grahame. Much
appreciated. I've used this technique myself in the past to remove
hooks from your body. I'm not sticking hooks into myself to show
you how to do it, but this video makes it very clear.
Filleting Fish - Paul Whiting, (what an appropriate name), of
the Milnrow Sea Angling Club was telling me about a really useful web
site, with concise instructions and videos about how to fillet the fish
you catch for your family table.
I took a look at www.filleting-fish.com
and I'm quite impressed. It's another useful web site well worth
adding to your "Favourites".
Some parts of the sound track is in Dutch - I think -
but the step by step videos make it look very easy and are simple to
follow.
I was amazed at just how much flesh the guy doing the
filleting saved from the cheeks and head of a Cod.
A Dutch guy makes short work of filleting and
skinning a big Ling, complete with a step by step commentary in English.
There's a video with a Canadian narrative which shows
several ways to fillet a Pout. The flesh is clean, white and
appetizing, with few pin bones remaining. It makes excellent fish
cakes and fish pie, but can also be deep fried in batter. Much of
this is what you allegedly buy as fried fish.
This is too tasty and valuable to allow to go to
waste.
Bream, Plaice, Turbot, Dab, Sole, Bass, Whiting,
Pollack. Ray,
Mullet, Monkfish, Lemon Sole, Gurnard, Dory; they are all on here, with
step-by step "how to" video instructions.
There are videos and step-by-step instructions on
this site for every variety of fish you are likely to catch and some
that you are not.
My own filleting looks presently as though the fish
has been dismembered by a rabid dog. Fortunately Patsy, my long
suffering Wife, owned restaurants for 23 years and that's why you see me
sometimes take a couple of fish home, gutted but not filleted. I
could learn a thing or two from this web site myself.
MC Commented:
Please catch and release any fish which you do not require for your own
family table. Many species can successfully be returned alive to
breed, grow and fight again another day. Use these videos to make
the very best of those fish that you do retain to enjoy.
Wednesday 17th February -
New Accurate 2-Speed BX2-400 Reel -
Yesterday, I popped down to Snowbee (UK) Ltd, at Plympton, on the
outskirts of Plymouth. Snowbee are the UK importers of Accurate
reels. I bought myself the very latest model Accurate 2-speed
reel. Those of you who know me well, will be aware that I
generally only use the USA manufactured Accurate brand of reels, in
various sizes, for all of my angling. They are by far the best
that I have ever encountered. I have been a consistent user of
their products for the past 14 years.
The model I chose is the Accurate BX2-400 which is
approximately equivalent in size to an Abu 7000.
The two-speed version has its own internal gearbox.
With the press of a single button, you can change for 6:1 to 3:1
retrieve ratio.
It has no level wind, which suits me just fine.
It's something else which cannot go wrong. I can easily lay the
line flat on the spool as I retrieve, using my left thumb.
The body and spool are both machined from solid
blocks of aircraft grade aluminium. It's weight is 20 ounces,
which balances any rod perfectly.
Accurate's main manufacturing business, which is
based in Corona, California, USA, centres around the production of jet
turbine blades, so you can be certain that these reels are manufactured
to the finest tolerances. All major components are machined
in-house, so spares are readily available, though rarely needed.
The spool holds 275 metres of 20 lb BS Monofilament
line, or 411 metres of my preferred braid line. I will fill it
with with 300 metres of 30 lb BS braid line over around 150 metres of
mono backing.
It features the Accurate world patented twin drag
system. There are titanium disc and fibre washer clutches on both
ends of the spool, which make the drag very smooth, with absolutely no
jerkiness whatsoever. The drag is pre-set by the user and operated
by a very solid lever on the end plate of the reel, as is the case with
all Accurate multiplier reel models.
It has 7 class 5 ABEC stainless steel bearings.
The gears are machined from stainless steel.
The entire gear train has been beefed up from previous models to easily
deal with the most aggressive and hard fighting fish species you are
ever likely to encounter anywhere in the world.
The blue anodised crank handle is very comfortable
and solid. It feels very secure and "chunky". This model is
available in a choice of left or right hand handle, which suits all
comers perfectly.
This beautiful fishing reel retails in the UK for
£489 inclusive of VAT. If you are really serious about your
angling, whether that is for Tuna, or other hard fighting tropical
species, or big fish in our home UK waters, I know you will consider it
excellent value once you have handled and used it.
My current favourite reel is the predecessor to this
model, the B2-270 which has been superseded by this more recent model.
Yes, I'm a tackle tart, I already own 8 other Accurate reels across
their range of sizes for different angling applications. At one
stage I owned well in excess of 100 reels. To date, I have not
used any reels which come close to matching the quality of the
"Accurate" range.
I intend to fill the spool with some 30 lb
class mono backing, topped off with 300 yards of 30 lb B.S. Tuf-Line XP
braid line which is also distributed by Snowbee (UK) Ltd, and is
available in yellow or dark red. I use the dark red version, which
disappears to become almost invisible within 10 feet of the surface of
the water. The 30 lb B.S. has a line diameter of just .28 mm,
which really is very fine.
Tuf Line XP
30 lb B.S.
.28 mm diameter
Braided Line
You can be certain that I will give you an honest
review of both these products, when I have used them for several serious
angling adventures.
Another good friend, Graham Dryer, Chairman of
Brixham SAC and Proprietor of Brixham Bait & Tackle has also bought
himself an Accurate BX2-400 reel in the left hand wind version. I
shall be sure to seek his view, before I finally tell you our verdict.
Wednesday 5th August -
Snowbee "Offshore" Sea Angling Clothing Update - Back in
mid-April 2008, more than a year ago, I reviewed the range of breathable
Snowbee "Offshore" Sea Angling Clothing. I purposely used it for
several weeks and wore it hard, interspersed with frequent
washing, to keep it looking fresh and new; that was before I reviewed
it. You can read my original in-depth review on my web site at
www.fishingdartmouth.co.uk/tackle_tips_22.htm
Mike Concannon
poses
wearing Snowbee Offshore
Over-Trousers with 5/8ths
length Jacket
Wednesday 16th
April 2008
Photo
courtesy of Patsy Concannon
I have worn it every time I have been to sea since
then, that's more than another 15 months of hard use in some appalling
conditions. This Summer has been one of the wettest on record,
with more than three times the average rainfall for this time of year.
I have worn the Salopettes every time I have been to
sea, which has been often, as I have spent this Summer crewing aboard
Ian Noble's Dartmouth charter boat "Samuel Irvin 3", plus numerous
"Fishing Dartmouth with Mike Concannon" days aboard Dave Harrison's
Dartmouth charter boat "Gemini", and other days aboard numerous
different local boats.
I didn't realise how much I would love the side holster
built into the Salopettes with a "D Ring" where I can attach and access
my "Accurate" pliers and cutters, ready for instant use. Snowbee
really have thought of everything.
I have worn the 5/8th length jacket far more than the
blouson jacket. This has been entirely the fault of
circumstances. I love the "Bomber Jacket" style blouson top.
I anticipated it would be ideal during the Summer months. Indeed,
had we enjoyed a normal Summer, that would have undoubtedly been true.
Consequently, I have made more use of the 5/8th length
jacket, which has an integral hood and storm cuffs. It has
afforded the best protection from this Summer's frequent driving rain
and high winds.
The outside of my suit is a little marked by stains
from hard use, but is otherwise completely in-tact and thoroughly
waterproof. The seams do not leak. There are no loose
threads. It is comfortable in use and does not trap perspiration,
quite unlike so many other suits I have owned over the years.
It is not a cheap item of clothing, but in my view it
has been worth every penny. It's the best weatherproof clothing I
have ever owned. I thoroughly commend it to you.
You can
contact Snowbee (UK) Ltd at Drakes Court, Langage Business Park,
Plymouth, PL7 5JY, telephone +44 (0) 1752 334933
or Email
flyfish@snowbee.co.uk for details of your nearest retailer.
Wednesday 29th July -
"Channel Cut Pro" High Tech Dyneema Braid Line - Those of you
who fish with me will know that I have for many years been a strong
advocate of braid fishing line. It's far thinner than its
monofilament equivalent, which reduces the profile against the pressure
of the water, particularly at greater depths, where more line is let
out. It has virtually no stretch, which means that you can feel
every touch and can set a hook at distance with no problem. My
only caveat is that you need to use a softer tipped rod to introduce a
spring cushioning effect and please set the clutch on your reel properly
at between 33% and 70% of the stated breaking strain of your chosen
braid line.
I was looking for a thinner braid for my preferred 30
lb b.s., for use for general wreck fishing. I chanced upon a new
High Tech Dyneema Braid Line, "Channel Cut Pro", which is plain grey in
colour, and has a stated diameter for 30 lb bs at just 0.23 mm,
(comparable to around 8 lb bs mono in diameter). I compared this with
Berkley Fireline Crystal Braid line, which has a stated diameter for the
same bs of 0.38 mm, (and is directly comparable in diameter to 12 lb b.s.
mono line).
Channel Cut Pro Braided Line is advertised as being 4 x
thinner than its monofilament equivalent.
It is available in b.s. of 15, 20, 30, 40, and 50 at a
cost of just £19.99 for 300 metres (328 yds).
It arrived in a very neat package, on a wide plastic
spool.
I loaded it onto my "Accurate" B2-270 2-speed reel,
over a couple of layers of 30 lb b.s. monofilament backing and attached
5 metres of monofilament leader to the end. It filled the spool
perfectly, without cutting into itself.
I looked closely at its construction. As I said,
it's colour is a pale grey. It is noticeably very supple and it
was easy to attach the leader and backing with my usual "double grinner"
knot.
I looked closely at its unusual construction. It
does not appear to be twisted as is the common practice, but appears to
have a woven construction, which is good, as it was noticeable that it
does not unravel itself where it is cut. I took a very close look
with a magnifying glass to confirm this.
My overall first impressions are most favourable.
Over the coming weeks I will get my pals to try it out on my rod and
reel and seek their opinions. I'll let you know how it goes when
we have used it more in all conditions and have given it a very thorough
work-out.
www.rodringsandthings.co.uk offer a wide range of lines, hooks,
guides, whipping threads, reel seats and other assorted goodies. I
shall be shopping there myself again.
Sunday 17th May - How
to Successfully Tie a Braid Line to a Monofilament or Fluorocarbon Line
- I am often asked to show fellow anglers a successful way of tying a
braid fishing line to a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader line.
I recommend and use the "Double Grinner" knot, which works and has never
let me down.
The "Double Grinner" knot is what is known as a 100%
knot, which means that because it does not cut into itself, it is 100%
as strong as the breaking strain of your line. Many other knots
will weaken the integrity of the lines by as much as 50% of their
breaking strain and I do not use them for that reason.
Watch this video clip which I have recorded for your
information and learn to tie this useful knot in the comfort of your own
home, until you can tie it without any problem, particularly when you
have to do so on a rocking boat in a rough sea. It lasts around 7¾
minutes and is easy to view on a Broadband connection.
How
NOT To Do It
- I have also shown you in my next video clip, a superficially similar
knot which is NOT a 100%
knot, and which I actively discourage you from using. Watch,
learn, and understand why. This clip lasts around 4¾ minutes and
is easy to watch on a Broadband connection.
I want to see you all catch very big fish, without any
tears and troubles. Preparation goes a very long way towards
eventual success.
Tuesday 11th March -
New Address for PENN & SHAKESPEARE
Servicing - Please note the new address and contact details
if you have any Penn or Shakespeare reels for servicing, or require
spare parts through the official supplier. They have moved,
following their amalgamation:
Penn / Shakespeare UK Ltd Unit 15, Evans Business Centre
68 - 74 Queen Elizabeth Avenue Hillington Industrial
Estate Glasgow, G52 4NQ
Saturday 28th April -
DEFRA "Fishing Focus" Journal
- Here's a link where you can read all issues of DEFRA's regular
magazine "Fishing Focus" on-line. You can see the current
issue, published today, in addition to all the back copies too.
We have a good working relationship with Dr. Marilyn Rawson of
DEFRA, and if you want to be fully in the picture as to progress and
current affairs as reflected by the relevant Government Department,
this is your best source. It is well worth keeping up to speed
on such matters. Just left click your mouse on the hyperlink:
An Email received from a good pal
said: I spoke to some guys coming ashore in a 12ft dinghy in
at Stoke Gabriel on Sunday. I asked them if they had any luck?
They told me they had caught 8 Bass spinning from a boat in the
river by Dittisham. They said they had returned 3 but kept the
rest that were each about 1 1/2 pounds. I thought that taking
Bass from the river was banned?
Here's my reply: The River Dart is a designated Bass nursery
area. You are not allowed to catch Bass from a boat within the
River Dart and outside, to an imaginary line drawn between Inner
Froward Point and Coombe Point, about ½ a mile outside the Castles,
although you may do so from shore.
I suggest you might like to call
Devon Sea Fisheries Office at Brixham on
01803 854648
to report what you saw direct to them. I'm not absolutely certain
who has the final jurisdiction over Bass Nursery areas - whether it
is the local Devon Sea Fisheries Committee, or whether it falls
within the Environment Agency's remit - DSF would be able to tell
you for certain - I'd be interested to know.
PLEASE KILL FISH HUMANELY
Bob Elley Emailed from Bath today. Bob is a keen sea angler
and regular visitor to the Dartmouth area.
I was down on Slapton Beach last
weekend.
Sunday evening the Mackerel were
about in numbers and lots of anglers were enjoying catching them,
can I ask some of these 'anglers' after catching Mackerel to KILL
THEM QUICKLY.
I saw Mackerel being chucked live
on to the beach to gasp to death or seemingly worse put live into a
plastic bag to die just as slowly. I wouldn't want to die that
way and I suspect neither would they.
I fish and I kill the fish I want
to keep quickly.
Break the neck or use a rock on
the back of the head to kill it quickly and as humanely as possible.
It's not nice for non anglers to see live fish being chucked into a
plastic bag to flap around until they die.
Patsy showed a couple of youngsters on
Dartmouth Embankment last Monday how to quickly kill live Mackerel by
breaking their necks. You put your thumb into their mouth and bend
their head straight back, thus quickly and cleanly breaking their neck.
We prefer to return fish that are not
wanted for the table alive and unharmed, but agree that if a fish is to
be retained to eat, then it is only proper to quickly and
sympathetically dispatch it with the minimum fuss.
To fail to do so provides ready made
ammunition to the anti-fishing lobby.
Thanks Bob for focusing renewed
attention on this unpleasant annual phenomenon.
CARELESS
CASTING - SOUTH EMBANKMENT - DARTMOUTH
Monday 17th January 2005 - Today I met, together
with Tim Bird (Paignton SAA); Mervyn Yalland & Dave Drury (Dartmouth
Angling & Boating Assoc.); David Pakes (Dart Angling Assoc.); Mike
Spiller (NFSA Wyvern Division); a member of Dartmouth Town Council; two
representatives of the operators of the River Dart Castle Ferry, (one of
whom is Julian Distin, Chairman of Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority);
and the new Harbour Master, Captain David White. No representative
appeared from South Hams District Council although their Property
Manager had been made fully aware of the meeting in advance.
The meeting had been convened by Julian
Distin, Chairman of DHNA at our collective request.
The sole purpose was to discuss the
danger to vessels, their crew and passengers, and pedestrians caused by
alleged unskilled and indiscriminate casting of feathers and leads by
anglers from the South Embankment at Dartmouth.
All parties were unanimous in their
view that the problem is not caused by experienced and responsible sea
anglers, but in the main, by occasional fishermen, particularly holiday
makers with limited skills, during the busy summer months when the
Mackerel are in the river and many people vie to catch them.
After much heated and prolonged,
sometimes vociferous discussion, we all agreed on common ground.
DHNA will approach South Hams District
Council, asking that they will erect notices on the South Embankment
with a simple message to all anglers such as "Please Cast with Care."
We agree that leaflets will be prepared
and distributed during the height of the Summer via local Schools, Guest
Houses, Tourist Information Office, etc. advising on safe sea angling
practice.
We all realise that those few
irresponsible anglers who cast into the path of boats, or without due
regard for pedestrians or vehicles on Dartmouth Embankment could
jeopardise future access for the responsible anglers who are the vast
majority.
Dart Harbour Navigation Authority staff
will also distribute the leaflets to casual holiday anglers and dispense
friendly advice where needed.
We all know that those people who cast
dangerously, or leave litter and discarded line, or dead and dying fish,
do a great disservice to every caring responsible sea angler. It
is up to every one of us to actively discourage such bad practice
whenever we see it. Set a good example to others and please speak
to anyone you see doing these unhelpful acts.
In return, we are hopeful that a new
permit system may be introduced by DHNA to allow responsible local sea
anglers, who can prove they are insured by schemes such as the NFSA
automatic £5,000,000 cover against injury or damage to 3rd parties while
fishing, to gain access to the Dart Harbour Pontoons where all fishing
is presently forbidden. This would be a great asset for our local
Mullet chasers in particular.
Access to pontoons by permit holders
would mean that dedicated and responsible anglers would be around the
moored boats alongside the pontoons late at night, which would prove a
great deterrent to marine crime. Only last summer several boats on
the "walk on" pontoons off Coronation Park had their windows broken by
untraced offenders; some on more than one occasion. The presence
of sensible anglers may just help to prevent such destructive behaviour.
If any permit holder was ever found to
have acted irresponsibly, then DHNA would be able to withdraw their
permit from that person.
We have no desire to see any angler
jeopardising boats , pedestrians, or vehicles on the River Frontage at
Dartmouth. We abhor such practice.
It's true that when interested parties
can gather around a table for a frank, honest and open discussion about
problems which exist, so very much can be achieved towards common
understanding and clearly thought out solutions.
The lesson learned for the future is to
approach and deal with such issues at a far earlier stage. It is
not beneficial to let such issues ferment. Neglect generates far
more heat than illumination.
My thanks, and those of every thinking
sea angler go to all those people concerned in addressing this matter.
UNUSUAL FISH REPORTS
Wednesday 6th August -
Email received from Charles Sayers - thank you Charles - your
information is much appreciated:
I had a fantastic day on the Skerries.
Spotted a huge shark 1 mile south east of Dartmouth. I passed a
local fisherman who was laying his pots when I saw what I thought was a
Dolphin off my port bow.
I slowed down and saw two fins
gently thrashing ,one being its dorsal, the other its tail. It
then swam right under the boat; that's when I got a good look at it.
IT WAS A SHARK and must have been at
least 12 foot long with a wide body and pointed nose. I'm sure it
was a Mako, as I've seen several whilst fishing off the Canaries.
It certainly wasn't a Blue and I've never heard of a Porbeagle on the
surface so close inshore.
Ed: This info has been passed to Dr
Douglas Herdson at Plymouth.
Coincidentally Doug Emailed me on the 7th Aug, requesting any info ref.
Shark sightings.
November 2008 - Doug has since Emailed me again :
Unfortunately, financial difficulties at the National Marine Aquarium
have lead to restructuring, and in the process, my post has been chosen
for redundancy. Hence, I will be finishing here at the end of November.
I still intend
working in marine biology, fisheries and conservation, environmental
education where I can, probably on a freelance basis. I want to remain
active in the rare fish work, so please keep me in touch and let me know
what turns up. If anyone knows of any work going I would be grateful if
you could let me know.
Although I shall no longer be working at the National Marine Aquarium, I
will continue to maintain my interest in unusual fish and changes in
their distributions.
I am still prepared to try to identify uncommon or problem fish, BUT
please contact me first on 01752 405155.
Also, please realise that the time I am able to dedicate to this work
may be limited.
I would be grateful if you could
use your website to alert people to the fact that I am interested in any
reports of unusual fish; including Sunfish, Triggerfish, Seahorses, Red
Band Fish and all the Sea Breams except Black and Gilthead.