Ray of success for Chris after years of trying

The mild weather has helped coarse anglers with some nice carp being caught at Newbarn Angling Centre including a 17lbsCommon and a 16lbs Mirror for Scott Bryant. Newbarn are now the sole Devon stockist of Five Star Baits, which are excellent quality and seem to producing fish.

Whiting are still being caught from the beaches and rock marks along with a few late Mackerel. Some nice Rays are showing along with the first reports of Spurdogs and the estuaries are still producing Flounders.

The Christmas Fayre competition fish at Exmouth SAC produced good catches of Flounders along with a few Bass. Pete Clarke won with a two fish percentage of 142%, Neil Yeandle second with 114% and Junior Kerrie Browning taking third place with 114%.

The Angling Trust Wyvern shore competition fished at Slapton saw 115 anglers stretched out along the beach. The honours were taken by Julian Shambrook of Torbay rod producers ‘Anyfish Anywhere’, who were also one of the sponsors. His percentage was 207.14%.

Second place went to Claire Loder with 204.91%, who also took the pool money for the best specimen, a Small eyed Ray, and third went to Tony Honeywell with 194.87%.. The team shiels went to the ‘Anyfish Anywhere’ team of Rob Marshall, Julian Shambrook Marcus Ward and Ben Bradstock. The organisers would like to thank all sponsors who enable this popular event to continue.

Pleasure Anglers finding fish include Gareth Dellar, who landed a surprise Black Bream from Babbacombe Pier, using squid on a 3/0 hook. Reef, on another session on an open beach landed his first Bullhuss using a squid /cart wrap on a 4/0 pulley pennel rig.

Tony White, a lure specialist, found both Whiting and Bullhuss. Jason Upham fished Beesands and found plenty of Whiting and Dogfish, whilst Shay Upham visited one of our estuaries and found some hungry Flounders. Lee Algar found Whiting to 1lb 14oz and Si Boeree found Flounders.

Anyfish anywhere team winners of the team shield at the Wyvern Shore Open (Image: John Sherlock)

Julian Shambrook winner of the Wyvern Shore Open (Image: John Sherlock)

Scott Bryant 17lb Common Carp from Newbarn Angling Centre (Image: John Sherlock)

Shay Upham with a Flounder (Image: John Sherlock)

Gareth Dellar with a Black Bream from Babbacombe Pier (Image: John Sherlock)

Si Boeree with a Flounder (Image: John Sherlock)

Lee Algar with some Whiting (Image: John Sherlock)