Angling: Torquay angler lands 23lb turbot

Fishing is full of surprises as Torquay’s Dean Corbett found out. He went for a day’s wreck fishing with his son on his own boat after a few tasty pollack for the table.

Using a blue Sidewinder Skerries Eel, he let the lure hit the sea bed and when he started his retrieve he felt a heavy weight not the diving runs associated with pollack.

As the fish surfaced he was shocked to see a large turbot on his hook and even more surprised to see the scales hit 23lbs - one of the best turbot from local waters for many years.

The wrecks are still producing pollack for charter boat Silver Halo and Salcombe’s Anglo Dawn found pollack and cod on the inshore reefs.

The Torbay Festival will take place this year from 7.30pm on Friday, September 1, until Sunday, September 10. Entry is £45 for the week or £7 a day for seniors, with other prices for juniors and teams. The total prize fund is over £9,000 with a top prize of £550 for the best specimen. Further details are available from local tackle shops.

Smoothhounds are still dominating beach catches with Brixham SAC holding a smoothhound-only competition. Jason Upham took the honours with a fish weighing 9lbs 7oz with Kev Madeley in second, just one ounce behind with 9lbs 6oz.

Honiton SAC fished their monthly boat competition out of Beer aboard Sambe and Orca.

Mike Spiller took the honours on this one with 12 species and 470 points, I finished a credible second with eight species for 365 points, including bonus points for a lucky pilchard. Species of gurnard were caught, three species of wrasse and it was good to see the first of the black bream now coming a bit further east.

Their juniors also fished a competition from Beer beach, four anglers caught six species and 33 fish.

Upham Farm regular Simon White fished a nice little session, landing six 20lb-plus carp with the best going 27lbs 9oz all on Bait Brothers baits.

Newton Abbot FA continue with their evening league, this time fished on Wheel Pond. First place went to Sam Powell with a bag weight of 72lbs 8oz, Dean Bradford and Andy Coxall took the next two spots with 39lbs 8oz and 36lbs 2oz respectively.

Spring Ponds have been bust this week with two matches, firstly the evening league won by Chris Packer with 44lbs 14oz, second was Maurice Glanfiel with 30lbs 9oz and third Jason Fay with 28lbs 10oz. The fish were well up in the water on a hot night so the pellet waggler was the favoured method for these anglers.

Saturday saw the other match this time won by regular Steve Barrel with 64lbs 8oz, Chris Packer took second with 59lbs 123oz and third went to Kev Wells with 26lb 10oz. Pellets and corn were the top baits fished using a variety of methods.

There is still time to enter this month’s fish of the month competition kindly sponsored by Sidewinder Lures and Carp a Diem Baits. Email me your catch reports and pictures to johnsherlockfish@gmail.com