ANGLING

Wayne Thomas

WISTLANDPOUND Fly-fishing Club's Winter Challenge at Blakewell Fishery produced some fine winter sport.

The rainbow trout proved to be obliging, intercepting the flies and giving rod-bending tussles before reaching the net.

Despite the chill morning air, many fish could be seen rising on a mirror-like surface.

I arrived at about 10am and tackled up with a floating line paired with a long leader tipped with a green gold head damsel pattern.

Casting a line, I allowed the fly to sink before retrieving with slow twitches interspersed with long, slow pulls.

Wearing polarising glasses I was able to study the line's tip for signs of interception by the trout.

With careful observation many trout can be caught by tightening on each telltale twitch of the fly line. Many of these fish will not be felt as they have rejected the fly without the angler knowing.

After an hour, five superbly-conditioned rainbow trout lay upon the bank.

At the scales they gave a total weight of 15lb 8oz, which was not enough to get me in the frame.

The winner of the match was Peter Masters with five fish for 19lb 5oz. Second was Darren Gratton with a three-fish bag of 16lb 14oz, including a fine rainbow trout of 12lb. Colin Combe was third with five for 16lb 5oz.

Blakewell has been in fine form with trout feeding well in mild weather.

Several double-figure rainbows have been landed, including an 11lb specimen to the rod of D Bryan, of Landkey; a 10lb 8oz fish for M Young, from Bude; and a 10lb rainbow for A Rayfiled, of South Molton.

Peter Hancock landed the best brown of recent weeks at 7lb 2oz.

Two trigger fish have been found washed up on a North Devon beach.

These fish normally visit our shores in late summer and may have been unable to survive the falling water temperature.

Craig McCloughlin was fishing a local shore mark and caught a cod that had a small fish he did not recognise in its mouth.

Investigation by several anglers revealed the fish was most likely a four-bearded rockling, more often found in the North Atlantic around Norway and Iceland.

One of angling's greatest strengths is that it is open to almost anyone.

Freddie Kent, a 13-year-old who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, is aiming high in the fly-fishing world.

He recently won a trout masters competition in Yorkshire and having been encouraged by angling guide Nick Hart to compete for a place in the England youth team will be second reserve this year.

Freddie is seeking sponsorship to help him to achieve his goals.

Anyone interested can send an e-mail to dkent95243@aol.com

Diary dates

Sunday: Bideford Angling Club monthly rover.

Sunday: Appledore Shipbuilders monthly rover.

Sunday: Combe Martin Sea Angling Club monthly meeting, Braunton Cricket Club, 7pm.