ANGLING

Wayne Thomas

MARTIN SHORT has secured a double victory.

He took first place in both Appledore Shipbuilders' and Bideford Angling Club's monthly competitions with a superb specimen wrasse scaling 6lb 1oz.

James Atkinson was runner-up in Appledore's match with a thornback ray of 8lb 13oz and in third was Steven Ford with a flounder of 1lb 10oz.

Cleo Babb took the junior section prize with a whiting of 14oz, beating Chelsea Babb's dogfish of 1lb 11oz.

In the Bideford monthly rover, Nathan Clements was runner-up with a fine pollock of 4lb 1¼oz. In third was Phil Vanstone with a pollock of 3lb 14¼oz, and John Cardew was fourth with a whiting of 1lb 6¾oz.

The junior section mirrored the Appledore competition, with Alan Piper in third with a whiting scaling 8oz.

Kevin Legge won Combe Martin Sea Angling Club's December competition with a specimen whiting of 2lb 1½oz. Simon Silvester was second with a boat-caught spurdog of 14lb. Matt Jeffery was third with a whiting of 1lb 10oz.

Several Combe Martin members joined a boat trip off Ilfracombe aboard John Barbeary's Bluefin.

Silvester landed specimen spurdog of 13lb and 12lb 8oz. Craig Mcloughlin and Dave Shapland both landed spurdog of 12lb. Conger to more than 20lb, bull huss and whiting were also caught.

Strong onshore winds have hampered efforts to fish many shore marks.

Those who have ventured forth have landed several whiting, dogfish and conger.

A small-eyed ray weighing more than 10lb was reported from Ilfracombe Pier.

Cod close to double figures have also featured in catches, with codling numerous at many marks.

Steve Baker won Rod 'n' Reeler's first match of 2012 with a dogfish scaling 2lb 8oz. Darren Short was second with a cod of 7lb 13oz and Julian Stainer third with a dogfish of 2lb 2½oz.

Whiting and rockling were also brought to the scales on a night when a large swell made landing fish difficult.

Carp were once considered a fish of the summer months but this is no longer the case as they are caught all year round.

Six carp anglers fished a fun match on Stafford Moor's Joseph's Lake and landed more than 250lb of double-figure carp.

Brian Hutchings came out top with six carp totalling 80lb, the best a mirror of 17lb 14oz.

A bass-angling enthusiast told me he has landed bass on lures off the North Devon coast in every month except February.

Such a feat shows determination to try techniques few others have considered, as most would regard the lure-fishing season as running from April to October.

Bass are present all year but most winter bass are caught on baits intended for other species.

The belief that success will come motivates anglers to try something different. When others hear of success they too cast their lines and so new techniques and tactics evolve.

Globe-trotting Zyg Gregorek, of Angler's Paradise, ventured to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal in search of dogtooth tuna.

Despite difficult conditions caused by the tail end of a hurricane, his party landed 21 species but no dogtooth in five days' fishing.

En route back to the harbour they had a few last casts and were rewarded with a couple of bonita and their sought-after dogtooth.

Stillwater trout anglers are enjoying fine sport with winter brown trout and rainbows at fisheries throughout the area.

At Simpson's Valley Paul Gould started the year in style with a cracking rainbow of 11lb 10oz. Malcolm Stone landed a brown trout of 6lb.

Diary dates

January 21 and 22: Appledore Shipbuilders night rover, fishing 6pm to 7.30pm.

January 21 and 22: North Devon League, fishing 6pm to 7.30pm.