KIA ORA COMPETITION

THERE was a disappointing attendance for the latest Exeter competition fished on the gold pond at Kia Ora .

Days before the event the weather forecast was for gale-force winds and torrential rain all day at a venue that is very open to the elements. Most probably that was the reason for less attending.

A catch of 5k was enough for Steve Hayman to take the £44 first prize from peg 24, near one of the floating cages. He began on a 10-metre pole and stayed on it throughout the five-hour competition. Feeding micro pellets soon attracted the resident skimmers and he caught them steadily with soft pellet hookbaits on a 16 hook. His best one was around the 300g mark. Additionally he had one tench, a 500g F1 and five crucian carp.

Runner-up was Andy Bulled at peg 25 where he put 3k 580g on the scales to win £24 prize money. He began by feeding cereal and maggots at two meters and cereal plus micro pellets at nine metres. He fished the short pole for 45 minutes with maggot baits and caught a few small roach. Switching to nine metres, with either double red maggots on the hook or soft pellets, saw him catch little skimmers, two tench and a 180g perch.

Roly Palmer, on the opposite bank at peg seven, took third place with a 3k 520g total. During the first hour he caught a dozen roach on a four-metre pole with single red maggot on an 18 hook. Changing to eight metres, with maggot or soft pellets on an 18 hook over cereal feed with pellets and casters, brought him several skimmers and some roach with the best around 120g. Paul Roach (Jinx EAC) completed the main frame with 2k 850g at peg 19 on the dam wall. He used poles at 11 metres and three, presenting either red maggots or soft pellets on an 18 hook. He caught a tench, two crucians, skimmers and roach including two of 180g each.

The next Exeter competition takes place on the Taunton to Bridgwater canal on Sunday, March 14. For details, call match secretary Mark Thorogood on 01626 889931.

NEWTON ABBOT

NEWTON Abbot Fishing Club's dores pond has started producing the first of this year's tench. Feeder tactics with a variety of baits have accounted for the odd one up to the 7lb mark.

The other main ponds first, linhay and island have not produced any tench but that should change soon. Members fishing key pond have continued to catch roach and skimmers on the pole and feeder.

The latest match held on bradley saw Mark Newman win with a 4k 850g total on the pole at peg nine. Runner-up Mark Cousins, at peg eight, recorded 2k 600g on the feeder and Rick Johnstone was third at peg seven with 2k 100g.

EXETER SWEEPSTAKE

ANY Exeter members interested in a sweepstake competition this Sunday to be held on the canal from Lime Kilns towards the M5 should meet in the car park there at 8.30am. Fishing will be from 10am until 3pm and hopefully some tench and bream will show on the day.

UPHAM FARM

ALMOST all of the ponds at Upham Coarse Fishery have been producing fish. Exeter's John Lake float-fished with bread to catch six carp up to 9lb on pond four. Float-fished maggots have tempted carp to around the 7lb mark from pond two.

George Boyes, of Exmouth, recorded a catch of three carp to 5lb and three skimmers to 1lb from pond five. On pond four, he took six carp to 9lb. And a session on pond three saw him catch a couple of carp up to 6lb. All of the fish were taken on float tackle with prawn and corn hookbaits.

Pond six has produced a few small carp to a variety of baits and tactics.

LUCCOMBE PONDS

THE odd better quality carp showed up during a midweek event held at Lucombe Ponds, Exminster.

The top catch went to Exeter's Jamie Goodfellow, who put 34lb on the scales from his peg on birch pond. He used both long pole plus rod and line tactics with float-fished maggot or corn hookbaits. Included in his six-fish catch was a carp scaling 11lb.

The runner-up was Alan Dossett, of Dawlish, who included a 9lb 5oz carp in his 31lb 8oz catch from a peg on larch pond. He float-fished with five red maggots on his hook to catch the fish.

HOGSBROOK

A VERY cold wind affected catches for Hogsbrook Fishery members at their midweek match on the top lake.

Continuing his good venue form was Jason McGrath, who had the top catch of 6lb 4oz from peg nine, along the straight bank. He fished a feeder and baited with 8mm pellets to catch a bream after 20 minutes, and one just before the end.

Runner-up Ken Cox put 4lb 10oz on the scales at peg 11. The catch was made up of five skimmers that fell for maggot hookbaits fished on a 10-metre pole over cereal and pellet feed.

Third spot went to Les Worthington, who had a 2lb 14oz net at inlet peg one. He had a fishless two hours after the start but found small roach and skimmers feeding at six metres. He fed cereal containing some pinkies and casters to hold them in the swim.

Pleasure catches from the fishery have shown some improvement for members. Two fished swims on the bottom lake dam wall and each had six carp with the best scaling 19lb. Feeder tactics accounted for them with maggot baits.

There was a net of skimmer bream for 20lb recorded by one angler who fished peg 39 on the bottom lake. He used a pole at eight metres and baited with maggots.

VAN DEN EYNDE SUPERCUP

THE Exeter team of eight anglers failed in their attempt to qualify for the second round of this year's Van Den Eynde Supercup event.

Fishing at Stafford Moor's Tanners Lake, they were beaten by the home team and Kernow match team from Cornwall. Stafford Moor had an 11-point total, Kernow had 15 points and Exeter 22.

The best weight recorded by an Exeter angler was from Gary Thornton, who recorded 46lb of carp. Zac Newton had a 20lb plus catch of carp. The winning catch of 80lb went to a member of the home team.

This Sunday, Team Jinx Exeter Angling Centre will be fishing their first round against South Devon match group. This will be held on the gold pond at Kia Ora Fishery, Cullompton.

SPIRES FISHERY

CARP to around the 16lb mark have been showing from the higher lake at Spires Fishery, North Tawton.

Leger tactics with meat hookbaits have been successful there. The odd tench to 3lb 8oz has started to show to both leger and float tactics and, if the weather warms a little, expect more sport with them.

Anglers have been catching up to four perch during a session on the higher lake. Fish to 1lb 12oz have been caught on both worm and maggot baits on the float. The lower lake produced a nice perch of 3lb 2oz for an angler legering a worm hookbait. Good number of skimmers and some bream to 4lb are being caught by anglers trying feeder tactics with maggot hookbaits. Pole tackle has also accounted for some fish. A few crucian carp are now beginning to show. Tench up to 3lb plus have been caught on both maggot and meat baits. Pole-fished caster accounted for the best roach of the week, scaling 1lb 7oz. Other fish, including rudd to 10oz, have offered good sport on both caster and maggot baits.

A mixed catch was reported by one angler who had around 40lb when he pole-fished with bread punch. It shows that it pays to try a variety of baits at the fishery. Fishery owner Barry Ware has just installed some new sheds for anglers' benefit. They can be used to store tackle or offer some shelter.

EXETER ASSOCIATION

ABBROOK pond at Kingsteignton has received a welcome injection of carp. A total of 80 commons, mirrors and leathers, ranging from 3lb to 4lb, were introduced. Additionally, there were four fish scaling from 10lb to 12lb. The association's fishery manager, Tony Osborne, described the fish as being in perfect condition having come from a Devon fish farm. The re-stocking is another part of a plan to try to offer members good fishing prospects at all fisheries controlled by the club. A work party at Abbrook have removed trees that were leaning over and have started to rebuild one popular swim just inside the entrance.

EXETER CANAL

A SWIM towards the end of the wall at Lime Kilns produced a good bream for one angler who fished a long pole and baited with red maggots.

A big bream and a small tench were caught on feeder tackle by an angler fishing from a swim below the wall. Pike anglers, fishing the same area, have managed to take small fish to around 6lb. Members looking to get back to local waters after a poor winter period and places with good access, like Lime Kilns and Swingbridge, are worth a visit.

SEA ANGLING

A FIRST all-weekend competition was held by members of Exmouth Sea Angling Association. Twenty-seven members signed in with most deciding to fish local beaches and rock marks as sea fishing in February is traditionally slow.

Members reported that fish were few and far between and only half managed a catch.

Dave Fuller fished Babbacombe Pier, catching a dogfish, rockling and silver eel with 88 per cent managing to finish third. Second was Si May, who caught two rockling for 92 per cent at Ladram Bay. However, the winner by a long way — recording 435 per cent — was Gary Bowden. He caught a number of species including bull huss, dogfish, rockling, pout andpollack from Branscombe and Kingswear. Bowden also had the best specimen, a bull huss from Branscombe of 6lb 6oz.