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Cod galore at Welsh Championships
The Annual Welsh Cod (boat) Championships were fished out of Birkenhead in the River Mersey, for the seventh year running and although numbers were down on recent years there was a real air of competition and bumper catches of cod from the three boats used.
There were 236, in all, compared to 288 in 2009, which were caught, measured and released over the two days, an average of over 13 cod per angler and although a few were small, the average size was greater than the previous year, the biggest on the first day being 50 cms in length and 60 cms on the second day, which again augurs well for future years.
Good fishing weather but bad travelling weather
The weather over the two days was excellent, with hardly a breath of wind, no rain or snow, and not too cold when the sun came out, which it did all day. What a difference to the journey up through the blizzards and icy road conditions, worst for those travelling through Wales. It took one party seven and a half hours from Pembroke Dock going up through Mid Wales and if they’d left just ten minutes later they wouldn’t have made it and maybe would have had to have spent the weekend somewhere like Builth or Llandrindod. Having forewarned the second party from Pembroke of the road conditions they made their way by Motorway as they wouldn’t have got there any other way. However, such was the road conditions even on the motorway it took them four hours to Newport and eight and a half to Birkenhead! It was a good job both groups made it as they were the organisers!
Fish galore
However, all this was forgotten as the Saturday morning dawned and the boats filled up with eager anglers. After day one last years runner-up, Kevin Preston, with 16 cod for 688 points held sway from 2009’s third placed angler, Rod Adamson, with 14 cod for 596 points. Lying in third was Phil Lustig with 12 cod for 535 points, only two points ahead of fourth- placed Mike Morgan.
But there was still a day to go and in the end the first day’s top two placings were reversed, with Rod Adamson overtaking Kevin to win by 931 points to 818, having caught a further nine cod to Kevin’s three. So Rod took the Gold Pin and Kevin the Silver.
In third position, taking the Bonze Pin, was Rolf Marshalek, the winner in 2008, who, though lying sixth after day one, like Rod, had nine fish on day two to climb in to the third pin position, and Mike managed to overtake Phil for fourth. Rolf also had the longest cod of the competition and longest cod on day two, with Rod having the longest cod on day one. The pairs section was won by Rod and Phil, from Rolf and Steve Grant, with Kevin and Tina Lustig in third.
Tuskar tops the boating challenge
Top boat was Tuskar with 84 fish for 3488 points from Ocean Star and Osprey with 82 fish for 3332 points & 70 fish for 2905 points, respectively. Our thanks go to Phil for organising it, Stan Kucyj for helping get the bait, John O’Connor for taking the photos, the Central Hotel, Birkenhead, for their usual hospitality and the Skippers, Stan Dickinson (Tuskar), Ray Spotswood (Ocean Star) and Alan Tinsley (Osprey) for finding the fish. We look forward to more and even bigger fish next year and hopefully a bigger entry.
PHOTO ABOVE: Pictured (left to right) are pin winners Kevin Preston, Rod Adamson , Rolf Marshalek, plus Phil Lustig (chairman & chief organiser).
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