Pleasures of quiet fishing on the bank

After my exertions in recent weeks fishing for the monsters of the deep, it was a pleasure to get out for a few quiet hours on the bank at Newbarn Angling Centre with friend and neighbour Tony Fordham, where, on a difficult day, we both managed to find a fish.
Mine weighed in at 16lbs 4oz and was taken on a banoffee boilie in the margins, whilst Tony found a few feeding on the surface and took his on a surface fished cut down pop up.
Alex Webb has been amongst the Carp again this week landing a fish around the 15lb mark from Spires Lake in North Tawton with sweetcorn the successful bait.
Fishing Newton Abbot’s Rackerhayes, eight year-old Harry Lovekin tried his hand at feeder fishing for the first time and found a shoal of hungry Bream eager to take his 6mm orange and chocolate pop up, with the best two weighing 6lbs 2oz and 6lbs 8oz, both fish were personal bests.
Out on the boats in Lyme Bay, a few decent Mackerel are showing now, along with good numbers of Black Bream, with many other species on the right day.
Mike Hansell fishing aboard Pegasus out of Lyme Regis landed a magnificent Red Gurnard weighing in at 1lb 4oz, along with a bass estimated at about 5lbs to the rod of Steve Bennett. The most unusual catch of the week came from the same boat, a Stingray of 4lbs.
Martin Larkin and Mitilda Bjorkland both fished South Devon estuary this week using bread for Bait searching for Thick Lipped Mullett, Martin landed one of 5lbs 4oz and Matilda’s tipped the scales at 4lbs 3oz, two good fish.
The beaches seem quiet this week with mainly small Bass being caught, although David Reynold reports of Bass weighing in at 10lbs 5oz caught on peeler crab bait from a mark in South Devon and Sid Smith fishing the Plymouth area had one around the 5lbs mark.
A reminder that the Torbay festival starts at 8pm on 3rd September and runs until 8pm on the 12th. Entry is available at local tackle shops and a top prize of £500 is up for grabs.
Entries for next month’s Fish of the month competition kindly sponsored by Newbarn Angling Centre and Sidewinder Lures please to johnsherlockfish@gmail.com.