Salcombe Halibut catch is a global hit

Angling never ceases to amaze me: I have used the phrase ‘fish of a lifetime’ several times in the five years that I have been writing this column and I can now use it again!

Last week, Paignton Sea Anglers member Mike Johnson sent me a picture of his latest catch from the shore, a Halibut weighing 6 ½ lbs caught near Salcombe. These fish are so rare in British waters that social media and the Angling world in general nearly went into meltdown when the catch became public knowledge.

These fish are caught normally in the colder northern waters of Norway and Alaska, where the world record stands at a mighty 515lbs. This fish, although a baby, is still a spectacular catch and earns Mike the Fish of the Month prize kindly donated by Sidewinder Lures and Newbarn Angling Centre.

Elsewhere, shore anglers are still finding the fishing a little difficult but a Paignton rock mark produced a 3.5lbs Ballan Wrasse for Graham B. Bronkhorst. Tony White continues catching Bass with white lures, his lates capture was on one such lure bounced along the sand bar with the tide flowing over the top of it. Ethan Hammmond continues to catch Ballan Wrasse from another rock mark in the Bay.

Boats have been a bit quiet but there a few Pollack and Bass showing from the wrecks off the south coast. Mike Spiller travelled to the north coast, where he fished in deep water and big tides, enjoying another good day on the Spurdogs, although the size was generally a bit smaller this time with fish only up to about 12lbs.

Heritage charters out of Watchet are reporting that the first of this year’s Smoothhounds are being caught, a sure sign that spring is on the way.

Newton Abbot FA’s latest matches saw Mike Hadley win the Wednesday Rover Sweepstake on Bradley Pond with a weight of 20lbs 1oz, Nigel Jeffrey took second spot with 18lbs 12oz and Gary Webber third with 17lbs 5oz. Feeder tactics were the best with maggots on the hook on this occasion.

The Saturday league match was also fished on Bradley Pond, where the winner was Sam Powell with 44lbs14oz with Gary Webber, 16lbs 8oz and Chris Gray, 16lbs 5oz taking the next two spots. Gary Webber also landed an early Tench, another sign that spring is on its way.

South West Lakes Trust have opened their flyfishing waters and on Kennick opening day some nice Rainbow Trout were landed, although with the water still cold, they were from the deeper water and with sinking line or weighted flies.

Please email any entries for our March Fish of the Month competition to johnsherlockfish@gmail.com