Wayne Thomas

IT WAS good to be stood upon the familiar rocky shoreline on the first day of a new year.

After a rigorous scramble involving slippery rocks, narrow cliff ledges and steep inclines, I paused to get my breath before assembling the rods and tackle.

I cast my eyes across a bleak seascape, the rocky headlands appearing almost black between the dull green of the hillsides and the murky grey of the winter sea.

Yet despite the gloom there was a comforting familiarity in being there again, despite the years that accumulate in life's mileage.

Far out to sea I glimpsed the pure white wings of three gannets scanning the water, an unusual sighting in the depth of winter.

Later, as dusk began to descend, the clouds broke and the sky was briefly illuminated in shades of red by the setting sun.

My companion, Kevin Legge, noticed a strong movement of his rod tip and picked up the rod.

Moments later the rod was bent over as something far out in the water pulled back, resisting the strong line that was dragging it towards the shore.

I stood beside the water's edge, waiting for a glimpse of the prize.

A large conger eel appeared and I helped Kevin lift the 6ft creature from its watery home. The eel pulled the scales to an impressive 28lb 15oz.

After a few quick photos, Kevin slipped the eel back into the murky depths. A great start to another angling year.

A new year always focuses the mind on possible angling targets for the coming months.

There are many exciting developments in the sport, including lure fishing gaining in popularity.

I am sure this will continue as more anglers target bass, wrasse and other species.

The internet is awash with talk of new lure fishing techniques that are well worth looking at.

It is a new approach that involves the use of ultra-light tackle to tempt a wide range of species, including pollack, wrasse, pout, whiting, codling, bream, flounder, plaice, rockling and even gobies.

I have not seen this practised in North Devon but feel sure it will be experimented with this spring and summer.

It has great potential for young anglers as it involves constant working of the lures with light, fun-to-use tackle.

Sea anglers enjoyed some great sport over the festive period with whiting and codling falling to baits at many marks.

Kevin Legge landed a fine specimen whiting of 2lb 1½oz and fellow Combe Martin Sea Angling Club member Matt Jeffery a fish of 1lb5oz.

Jazzer John caught a fine whiting of 1lb 9oz to win Bideford Angling Club's Boxing Day match. Runner-up was Martin Short with a dogfish of 2lb 1oz and in third was Terry Dymond with a whiting of 1lb.

Nick Job won the club's midweek rover with a whiting scaling 1lb 6oz.John took second and third places with a whiting of 1lb 3oz and a dogfish of 1lb 11oz.

Spurdog are abundant offshore where a party fishing from Ilfracombe boat Bluefin landed seven specimens of more than 10lb. Alec Griffen caught the biggest of the trip at 14lb 8oz.

Combe Martin SAC member Simon Sylvester caught specimens of 14lb and 12lb 8oz.

These toothy predators should be caught from shore marks in the next few weeks. Anglers targeting them should consider using a tough trace of wire or heavy mono.

Bideford Angling Club's game section match at Bratton Water was fished in cold, wet and windy conditions. Martin Turner landed the best brace of the day, weighing 6lb 1oz. Dave Johns was runner-up with a brace for 5lb 8oz and Bob Langmead third with 4lb 6oz.

A cold north-westerly wind failed to deter 35 keen competitors in Stafford Moor's Christmas match.

Top spot went to Martin Lenaghan who had travelled from Bristol to land 13 carp and a few silvers for a bag of 86lb.

Bri Shanks was second with 76lb. Tony Rixon had a bag of 68lb and Gary Cross landed 67lb 2oz.

The top silvers bag went to John Paige who used maggot and caster on the pole to land 32lb of roach and tench.

Diary dates

Sunday: Bideford Angling Club rover.

Sunday: Combe Martin SAC monthly meeting, Braunton Cricket Club, 7pm.