Sea anglers on a hot streak with cold-water sport

ANGLING

Wayne Thomas

SEA ANGLERS have been enjoying some cold-water action with cod and spurdog from shore marks.

Daniel Benham, a Combe Martin Sea Angling Club (SAC) member, was rewarded for enduring a cold night on the rocks when a fine cod of 11lb 7oz seized his bait. Club-mate Kevin Legge landed a spurdog of 10lb 2oz.

Combe Martin SAC's Ammo fish of the month competition was won by Michael Taylor with a fine cod of 22lb 12oz.

Simon Silvester won the fish of the month pool with a shore-caught spurdog of 13lb 7¾oz and was also runner-up with a shore-caught spurdog of 10lb 6¾oz. Legge's 10lb 2oz spurdog gave him third place.

Dick Talbot won Bideford and District Angling Club's monthly rover with a rockling of 15½oz and took third place with a pollock of 2lb 7¾oz.Ricky Eavis was second with a dogfish of 1lb 14½oz.

Young Barnstaple and District Angling Club member Henry Grayling stars in tonight's episode of Mr Crabtree Goes Fishing on the channel Quest at 9pm.

Henry continues to fish most weekends with his father and caught a fine perch of 3lb 2oz on his latest trip to Stafford Moor Fishery.

Sheepy R Kriescher took advantage of a rise in temperature to tempt a fine mirror carp of 23lb from Furzebray Carp Lake.

Roach, a species that feeds well on dull drizzly days, dominated Ilfracombe Match Group's fixture at Slade Reservoir.

The winner was Kevin Shears with a 17lb 10oz all-roach bag, taken on pole-fished maggot over groundbait.

Andy Gray was runner-up with 15lb 13oz of roach, again on pole-fished maggot; in third was Kevin Wilton with 13lb 5oz of roach taken on caster over hemp; John Lisle used quiver-tip tactics to secure fourth place with 8lb 12oz of skimmers; Ken Sawyer was fifth with 7lb 8oz of roach, using sliding float tactics.

Pike caused problems for some anglers, attacking the roach as they were played to the net.

I caught my first coarse fish from Mill Pond, near Berrynarbor, almost 40 years ago but have not visited the venue for several years.

On Sunday I went there with Barnstaple angler John Shapland following reports of some excellent roach fishing.

While a great deal of work has been done to upgrade the fishery, I could still relate to the surroundings and relish the atmosphere.

We targeted the water's residents with float tackle, the method I had used all those years ago to tempt small perch – the mainstay of many a young angler's pioneering days.

We caught several handsome silver-scaled roach with crimson fins up to 12oz.

Plenty of hard work has taken place at Stafford Moor where lakes have been netted and stocks relocated. Pine's has now reopened and anglers will be hoping to make contact with some perch, the biggest topping 4lb 8oz. Ben Wright won the latest winter league match on Tanners with 77lb of carp.

Blakewell Fisheries is now due to reopen on Monday following a major refurbishment.

Diary dates

Tomorrow: Combe Martin SAC slideshow, Braunton CC, 7pm.

Saturday: Bideford Angling Club quiz night at the clubhouse.

Saturday and Sunday: Bideford Angling Club 24-hour rover.

Tuesday: South Molton Angling Club AGM, the George Hotel.