Angling is all about timing

Some months picking the winning fish in our Fish of the month Competition kindly sponsored by sidewinder Lures and Newbarn Angling Centre is very easy - November was not one of them!

Some quality fish were entered, from Smalleyed Rays weighing up to 11lbs 8oz, Bass of 12lbs 9oz and Whiting of 2lbs 15oz but I feel that due to the sheer commitment to angling in picking the right time to fish, the winner must be Luke Rossiter with his shore-caught Spurdog of 15lbs 5oz which was one of three caught, all weighing over the magical 10lbs.

A prize pack will be on his way to him shortly.

A few Anglers did manage to get out in a rare weather window and managed to find few good fish. Scott Harris of Dawlish fished locally in difficult conditions and with no bites to show for his efforts, moved to a different spot to fish and was rewarded on his first cast with a decent bite.

This resulted in two plump Flounders of 1lb 7oz and 1lb 5oz in taking his peeler crab baits on a two-hook running ledger rig. This puts him in the lead in The Honiton SAC Flounder competition with all to fish for this coming weekend.

Brixham SAC’s Dan Patrick went out in the Kingsbridge area and came back with a surprise Bass of around 5lbs. Bass, as usual, were the target for Totnes angler Tony White, who continues to catch from both estuary and open sea.

Grant Hilliard went out targeting Conger eels with his reward being a nice shore caught fish of 20lbs.

Newton Abbot Fishing Association reported that many of the ponds in the Rackerhayes complex were virtually unfishable with only Wheel Pond having every peg clear of the water.

They did, however, manage their Christmas match on Bradley Pond, where the winner emerged from a closely-fought contest. Well done to Lee Dance with 12lbs 7oz, Gary Webber was in second with 12lbs 6oz and Mark Cousins third with 12lbs. Jamie Pearce had the biggest Perch, a fish of 1lb 8oz.

The Wednesday Rover Sweepstake was also held on Bradly Pond, where the winner was Gary Webber with a bag weight of 27lbs, which included a Carp of 13lbs 10oz, hooked and landed light gear on a pole. Second was Tony Potter with 7lbs 2oz and third Daryl Pattie with 6lbs 7oz.

Entries are now being taken for our December fish of the Month competition, please email your pictures and catch reports to johnsherlockfish@gmail.com and please remember to take care in these stormy conditions, no fish is worth a life.