Issue 158 JULY 2008
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ENGLAND SHORE TEAM STRIKE GOLD
EFSA British Isles Shore Championships Report by Dr. John A. O'Connor, (Pembrokeshire)
The run up to the late May Bank Holiday saw the EFSA British Isles Shore Championships come to the beaches of Carmarthenshire for the first time. Organised by the Welsh section of the European Federation of Sea Anglers, the 3 days of matches were fished at Cefn Sidan on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd, but at Pendine on Saturday 24th. Anglers from England Wales and Scotland arrived at the event's headquarters, the Ivy Bush Hotel in Carmarthen in the evening of Wednesday 23rd for registration, a renewing of old acquaintances and a run down of the rules. Despite the bait supplied by Dragon baits, in the view of all participants, being no less than superb, catches on the first 2 days at Cefn Sidan were very poor, consisting of small Flouders, 13 on Day 1, with many anglers and one complete zone blanking and 19 on Day 2. Why this was is something of a mystery as, according to the locals , it had been fishing very well indeed prior to the competition. Perhaps it was down to that old saying "when the wind is in the East, the fish bite least" as it was on day with a bit of south in it on day 2, or were we given a bum steer, or did we fish the wrong part of the tide? However, on day 3, at Pendine, the wind had backed even more and catches improved with good Bass, bigger Flounder and Dogs turning up numbering 51 recordable fish. So, was this the weather or the venue?
What a shame that most of such a magnificent venue as Pendine is unavailable at most times due to health and safety implications resulting from previous behaviour by the idiot speed merchants we have in our society and the military training of the next batch of legalised assassins in the use and development of the next generation the weapons of mass destruction needed to continue pursuing the war against terror. However, at this point I must say I can't praise the officials of Carmarthenshire County Council highly enough for all their help in organising access for the competition in the first place and the Rangers for their help and courteousness on the days that were fished.
The International team event was won by England from Wales A, who narrowly failed to emulate the trophy holders, last years Welsh B team, in retaining it for the home nation. Third were the Irish. The winner of the individual event and thus the coveted Gold pin was Englishman and the most senior angler competing Brian "Budge" Booker with another English Angler, Dave Lovelock, in second, gaining him the Silver pin and Irishman Mick Quinn in third getting the Bronze pin.
Highest placed Welsh Angler was Haydn "howling " Cole in fifth, but only on countback from third with another English regular Reg Clough similarly placed into fourth. However, there was some compensation for Haydn as he won the pairs with Mick Quinn and was third in the team of three event with Andrew Skeels and
John O'Connor. Reg was second in the pairs with welshman and former winner, Alan Cheswick with Dave Lovelock and Irishman Warren Doyle in third. Budge also won the team of three event with Welshman Adrian Tucker and Irishman Ken Forsythe from Matthew Lustig (Wales), Brian Flack (England) and Mike Bowden (Scotland). Apart from thanking Carmarthenshire officials again for their unstinting help, as well as Dragon Baits for the quality of the bait they supplied, we must also thank our other sponsors, ABU, Daiwa and K2 Shakespeare, not forgetting the Ivy Bush Hotel and their staff for their warm welcome to all, their friendly hosting and the lovely meal on the final night at the presentation. Thanks must also go to all the EFSA Wales section members, they know who they are, without whose help the competition would not have run so smoothly and successfully.
Pictured with EFSA Wales Chairman & Shore Festival Officer and Shore Festival Officer for the Federation as a whole, Phil Lustig (Left) are (left to Right) the pin winners Dave Lovelock, Brian Booker and Mick Quinn.
POTENTIAL RECORD STINGRAY Report by Kepp Canning
Well, where do I start? I finally decided to try Pagham for some Smoothhound action so got my kit together and frozen hermits and set off to get there early and arrived around 3 o'clock via Southern Angling in Chichester to grab some rag and squid.
I set up to the right of the sailing club and commenced only to find that daylight fishing was poor. I then had a break for two hours chatting to fellow anglers whilst the youngsters from the sailing club did their thing. I finally started fishing for the hounds at around 2130 and I almost made the double figures with my first and only hound weighing in at 9lb 10oz at 2215. Such was my enthusiasm to get him weighed and released that I forgot to take a picture. Two of the other guys to the right of me got one each, the heaviest being just over 10lbs. There were also hounds caught to the left of the club.
Well, we didn't see any more hounds but this beauty showed up at 0045 caught on rag/squid cocktail on size 1/0 hook. How I managed it I will never know but I must thank Andy, Matt and Tony for their help in getting it onto the beach, advice, photographs, weighing and finally returning it to the sea. She weighed in at 65lb 2oz, a potential record. Needless to say I am still on a high!
Congratulations Kepp! Our Shakespeare shore and Sakuma prize winner this month - Ed Full SAN Competition details here
JUNIOR PRIZE WINNERS
(Left) Our Shakespeare Junior boat winner this month is 13 year old Dean Read from Buckland Portsmouth with a lovely 15lb smoothhound from a mark by the Nab Tower. Dean was fishing with brother Steven and dad Barry aboard their boat K-San and they all landed smoothhounds, Barry smashed the Fountain Lake smoothhound record with a fish of 18lbs 12ozs from the same mark a couple of weeks earlier, unsurprisingly they are keeping the exact location a secret.
(Right) Colby Clipstone, aged 15, caught this ray in Sandown Bay, Isle of Wight on Friday 9th May at 11-00pm. The ray was caught on sandeel, size verified by Scotties Angling shop Sandown 14lb. The rig used was a home made rig, rod was an Anyfish Anywhere surf rod 3-5 oz. The ray is a Junior shore record and thoroughly deserving of the Ian Golds prize this month.
Such was the quality of entries this month that Ian has generously donated a second prize to Rhys Coulson, Junior member of Brixham SAC, pictured above proudly holding his Bass 9lb 10oz 14 dr caught on a Peeler Crab bait, a potential new shore caught Junior record fish for Brixham SAC - Friday 30th May 2008 - Photo courtesy of Mike Concannon.
NFSA AGM
The AGM of the NFSA will take place at their headquarters Hamlyn House, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11 0NS at 1100 on Saturday the 19th of July 2008, papers have also been issued for a postal vote.
This is probably the most important AGM for the NFSA in modern history, please make the effort to attend or send in your proxy voting forms. There will be a vote on whether or not the NFSA joins the board of Angling Unity, the new umbrella organisation supporting all forms of angling in England. The board of the NFSA recommends that the NFSA joins Angling Unity. I personally recommend this course of action as the only realistic way forward for sea angling in the 21st century. In my opinion to not join would see the ultimate demise of the NFSA within a very short time.
Norman Berry
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