Angling: Plenty of bull huss for shore fishers

As predicted last week, the winner of our Fish of the Month competition is Torquay’s Aaron Colhoun with his shore-caught blonde ray, writes JOHN SHERLOCK.

A prize pack from our kind sponsor will be on its way to him shortly.

Please email your entries for May to johnsherlockfish@gmail.com - and don’t forget there is also a prize for the best coarse fish from Carp a Diem baits.

Shore fishing is productive at the moment with rock marks, in particular, giving up plenty of good-sized bull huss.

The notable fish this week is a specimen landed by Brixham SAC member Adrian Houghton, a fish weighing 13lbs 4oz. Other good bull huss also landed by Brixham SAC members were a fish of 8lbs 9oz to Shay Upham and a fish of 8lbs 4oz to Kev Madeley.

Young Archie Sweetland, of Honiton SAC, fished a south coast beach targeting small eyed rays and found one eager to take his bait.

A few mackerel and bass are showing from rock marks, estuaries and harbours. The first of this year's gilthead bream have been landed, also from the estuaries.

Harry Temple and Saleem Ali took a trip to the Bristol Channel, where they both landed bass to 4lbs and Harry a cod of 4lbs 10oz.

Silver Halo and Spot On, charter boats out of Torquay and Brixham, are still finding plenty of medium-sized pollack on the distant wrecks.

Mike Spiller, of Honiton SAC, travelled to Portishead for his latest boat trip, hoping to land a cod which have been showing well of late. He was not disappointed landing several, as well as thornback rays and small conger eels.

Kennick Flyfishers travelled to Blagdon Lake, high in the Mendip Hills near Bristol, for the latest round of their Snowbee Top Rod Competition. Twenty-one anglers fished landing 47 fish, with the winner being Andy Gooding of Liverton with Alec Hoare and Chris Bolt taking the next two places.

The best rainbow trout was a fish of 4lbs 14oz to the rod of Peter Brown and the best brown trout was also 4lbs 14oz falling to the rod of Stuart Robinson.

Blagdon is also known for its pike population and a prize was on offer for the best one of the day. This went to junior Max Mockridge with a fish 15lbs. A nice fish on the fly.

Spring Ponds are really coming alive now with plenty of carp being landed to all methods.

Newton Abbot AA report that some carp have started spawning, so please treat these fish with respect.