Mini sharks on the line for local anglers

It seems that mini sharks are everywhere this week, by mini sharks I mean lesser spotted dogfish, bull huss and everyone’s favourite summer species, the Smoothhound.

They all seem to about in good numbers and many reaching specimen size. Firstly, the lesser spotted dogfish which are probably everyone’s least favourite fish, with the exception of Michael head of Brixham SAC, who landed a specimen fish weighing a shade under 2lbs 9oz.

Tom Stebbens got amongst the bull huss with fish weighing 9lbs 12oz and 9lbs 10oz and Luke Rossiter managed one of 8lbs 11oz from Hallsands. The best of the smoothhounds fell to the rod of a regular in this column, Newton Abbot’s Chris Wagstaff, it was returned without weighing but was estimated to be around 11 or 12lbs.

Mitch Floyd Freeby also had one from the south coast shores as did many members of Exmouth SAC. Members of Honiton SAC didn’t fare so well this week on their monthly competition fished at Branscombe, where the best fish landed was a lesser spotted dogfish of 1lbs 15oz landed by Colin Berry, the expected species failed to show on the night. One other notable fish this week was a thick lipped mullet of 6lbs landed by Taye Mallett.

Charter boat are still producing pollack, bass and the occasional cod. One angler who deserves a mention this week is Mike Spiller of Honiton SAC, who fished out of Ilfracombe targeting Tope for the club boat species competition and succeeded with plenty of fish up to around of 30lbs.

Then, the following day, fishing a species hunt aboard Sambe out of Beer, he decided to try something a little different whilst fishing on the drift. He baited with Lugworm and landed the surprise fish of the day, a nice cod. Although not big, it was very welcome.

Matt Wattis fished at Newbarn Angling Centre and landed the recently stocked grass carp named Mellow, this is the second time she has come out recently. Kye Locke fished over a few days and landed many good-sized carp.

We have had some good fish entered for our fish of the month competition but there is still time this coming weekend to get out and catch something really good. This competition is kindly sponsored by Newbarn Angling Centre and Sidewinder Lures, remember it is not always the biggest fish or the best specimen that wins, it could be something different or a decent fish caught in exceptional circumstances.

As always, email your entries to johnsherlockfish@gmail.com with the weight of the fish, plus any details of its capture, bait, rig method etc.