Devon Minnows

[Wildfisher]

Why are Devon Minnows called Devon Minnows? Were they invented in Devon, are they the cream of lures and do they clot your blood?

What is the history of the Devon Minnow?

Has anyone actually ever caught a fish on one?

[fergie]

No idea of the history of the things but ive found them useless as lures ive never even had a touch on one.
I have caught on spun deadbaits on sprat mounts . And used to have a small spinning minnow which looked like a real minnow varnished with plastic vanes this was a fantastic wee lure that caught and caught I lost it on a tree stump on inchlaggan  :x
So the spinning bait thing works but devons just dont do it for me.

[Highlander]

This link will answear your questions.
http://www.fishingmuseum.org.uk/angels.html
As to if anyone has caught Salmon on one then for me the answear is yes but river only. They are not used much for trolling, Bar Spoons, Rappala & Kynoch types being far better for that purpose.
I use them early season on the Leven when water is running high. They are really efficient hookers unlike Toby's which are poor hookers but good attractors Toby's can however be modified easily to make them a bit better. For the rivers you might fish (Bervie) I would stick to a Flying C fished upstream & retrieved fast. Hooks on some makes can be compromised with poor trebles such as the French VMC make which are too fine,likewise Rappala. I will replace them with stronger hooks. Having said that I noted last time up at GAC the Rappala lures seemed to have better hooks than they used to be.  I much prefer fly but it is nice to know that if circumstances dictate I will occasionally & this includes worming use them. Done correctly spinning & worming can be every bit  sporting as dedicated fly.Word of caution trebles can make a mess of the fish though so best debarbing before use.

Tight Lines

[Wildfisher]

This link will answer your questions.

A great article and worth a read. Nice find Alan. 

[corsican dave]

caught my first trout on a tiny metal one at burrator reservoir, Dartmoor. which is quite appropriate, I guess...

[burnie]

I used to use small Devons for Perch with great success, I have used floating Devons on the Tay with a bouncing betty but didn't get any takes.

[Laxdale]

My one salmon on a Devon was from the Graveyard Pool one April.
Had a wee silver grilse one October on a floating ruby red 1/2" Devon.
Wee Tony wont let me use a floating Devon on Murthly....apparently it lines too many fish.

[speydulika]

Devon's are fantastic for salmon fishing. When I first started out I took loads of fish on them. Fishing them correctly takes some figuring out. You need to get the weight of the drilled bullet absolutely cock on for the flow of water to get the things to swim correctly. In certain conditions I have salmon absolutely obliterate them when frankly nothing else worked. As with any method sometime they work and work extremely well. Other times fish just completely ignore them 

[shanksi]

My biggest salmon 13lb was on a devon minnow on the Clyde but it's the only I've caught using them.

[Hoolet]

Fred,

I've had plenty on a floating Devon, mostly on the bigger rivers Tay and Tummell, but here's a photo of my best Devon caught one, 19 and a half from you know where. Fought like a demon and took twenty minutes to grass, thick and deep set its just a shame it's a photo from my phone.

Hoolet.
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