Flyfishing on the Moors

Kennick Flyfishers finished their competition season off in style with a trip to Wimbleball Reservoir high on Exmoor. Thirteen anglers made the trip with everyone catching fish.
A total of 53 fish were caught for a weight of 124lbs. The best fish of the day went to Alan Ridell and Peter Brown jointly with Rainbow Trout of 4lbs. Overall, Darren Penfold had top weight with Peter Brown and Alan Riddell taking the next two places.
The recent warm weather is helping Carp anglers and Newbarn Angling Centre continues to fish well with Billy Grant landing a fine Mirror carp of 19lbs and Ethan Gardner landing a fish known as Two Tone weighing 24lbs 6oz. Five Star Boillies baits flavours of Banana and nut seem to be catching well and can now be bought on site. A reminder that the tackle shop is open until 12.30pm and the phone number is 07848 377114.
Newton Abbot FA held the latest round of their silver fish league with Dean Bradford taking the honours with a bag weight of 76lbs 14oz. Shane Harper and Jamie Pearce took the next two places with weight of 63lbs 14oz and 61lbs 3oz respectively.
Sea fishing continues to produce some good fish, as Honiton SAC showed in their recent shore competition at Cogden. Fishing was steady for most all day with species caught including Bass, Sole, Plaice, Gurnard, Dogfish, Small Eyed Rays, Huss, Pout, Poor Cod, Conger, Pollack, whiting and Dabs (I’ve promised not to mention the pallet landed by Mike Spiller).
Best overall percentage went to Terry Hartnell with 365%, Tom Travers took the best specimen with a dogfish of 2lbs 2oz with Paul Salmon taking the pool for the days fun fish, a Cod of 6lbs 110z. Paul also won the Seaton Carnival competition the previous weekend, his two fish being a Garfish of 1lb 5oz and a Scad.
Exmouth SAC recently fished their Exe Cup competition with the honours going to Gary Bowden. Over the event, many species were caught, including Congers to14lbs and Huss to 10lbs 1ox as well as Sole and Dogfish.
Elsewhere around our coast and estuaries, Shay Upham caught a couple of Couches Bream, both weighing just under a pound, not large but welcome when targeting them. Marcus Ward from Torquay travelled east in search of dover Sole and was rewarded for his efforts with a fine fish of 2lbs 3oz.
Honiton SAC’s Wayne Hand found a double figure Thornback Ray on a pleasure session after his efforts when fishing the England Shore Fishing Team qualifier recently where he finished second and will now represent England next year. Well done Wayne, I look forward to reporting on your matches next year.
There is still plenty of time to enter our fish of the month competition kindly sponsored by Sidewinder Lures and Newbarn Angling Centre. Please email your pictures and catch report to johnsherlockfish@gmail.com