Outdoor Sports News - with PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

Superb fishing and huge sum raised for Air Ambulance funds!

The 9th Wales Air Ambulance Open Beach Fishing Competition, organised by members from Pembroke & District Angling Club, Osprey Sea Angling Club, Haven Angling Group and West Wales Match Anglers, was held on 9th January 2011 on Amroth beach in South Pembrokeshire.
Just like the previous year, the weather was good with a variable westerly wind that prevailed all day. These mild conditions, together with the positive weather forecasts, were almost certainly the reason entries were very good at 100 anglers exactly, which included 4 Juniors, 4 Ladies and 1 Junior Lady. We thank them all very much indeed for their support.
Together with the nice weather, the sea conditions looked nigh on perfect, with a low, though quite long rolling surf caressing the sandy beach, there having been a bit of a blow the previous day. 27 anglers, including 3 Ladies, 2 Juniors and the Junior Lady, weighed in 85 Flounders, with many more sizeable and undersized fish being caught with quite a few anglers not bothering to weigh in as they had, despite what could in the past have been thought of as decent catches, no chance of making the prize table.

John wins with 12 flounder

The winning angler, who managed to land 12 decent-sized flounder for 5Kg 805gms was John Lintern from Axbridge in Somerset. This netted him the first prize of £200. Second was local Milford Haven angler, Bernie Davies, with four flounder for 3Kg 315gms, allowing him to pick up the runner’s up prize of £100. In third place was another Milford lad, Tim Ramsey, who had three flounders for 2KG 775gms, to get him the third prize of £25. The pool for the heaviest fish, netting him £100, went to Andy Bunston from Bridgend. The pairs’ competition, in which both anglers had to weigh in, was won by Saundersfoot pair Dan Eddison and Rob Collins with 12 flounder for 4Kg 850gms, from Milford boys in second and third. Bernie and Steve Forest with 11 flounder for 4Kg 330gms, from Leigh and Andrew Rogers with 7 flounder for 3Kg 215gms.

Evie stars in ladies’ section

Unfortunately, John Lintern’s partner, Julian Shambrook, also from Somerset, failed to land a sizeable fish. The Ladies’ section was won by the Junior Lady, Evie Williams from Tenby, with 2 flounder for 1Kg 80gms and once again the Junior section was won by Milford Haven boy Daniel Tucker with 5 flounder for 2Kg 695gms. This followed on from his win the previous year, whilst 2nd junior was Stackpole lad Ieuan Nicholas with 2 flounder for 770gms. We have to thank Daniel’s father Shane and Pembroke & District Angling Club member Alex Nicholas, for sponsoring the Ladies and the junior prizes. Thanks must also go to Leigh Rogers’ wife Angela and her employers, HSBC banking corporation, as she helped run the magnificent raffle following the competition and her bosses agreed to match fund it with a donation equivalent to the raffle takings, which was excellent indeed!

Thanks due for magnificent sum raised

However, the most important result on the day was that the event, by the time all the money is in, will have raised over £1,560 for the Wales Air Ambulance, pushing the total raised over the eight years this competition has been running, to approx £13,000. To say thanks for this sterling effort we must first congratulate the anglers from the organising clubs, together with Roger Harris of the Amroth Arms, who always puts his premises and valued support at this event’s disposal. Also we must mention local Air Ambulance contact Peter Kraus, who always turns up on the day and cajoles along other Air Ambulance members. Lastly, we must again thank all the kind and generous sponsors of the event, who donated cash, made collections and donated prizes for the mega raffle which ensured continuation of the event’s great success. These were, HSBC Bank, West Wales Match Anglers, Roger Harries (Amroth Arms), Haven Angling Group, EFSA Wales, James Skeels, Simon Nicholas, Pembrokeshire Tackle Terminal of London Road Mall Pembroke Dock, Pembroke & District Angling Club, Pembroke Haven Motor Boat Angling Club, Osprey Sea Angling Club, Denis Nicholas, John O’Connor, Haydn Cole, Dilwyn Mason, Robbie Scale, Gerald Wickland, Ken Gainfort, Martin & Sandra Thompson of Anglers Corner Milford Haven, Chris Wynn, Andrew Jamieson, Leigh & Angela Rogers.

More top fishing soon

One final thing is that the whole show repeats itself a fortnight later on the 23rd January with the 4th Felinfoel Brewery Double Dragon RNLI Annual Fishing Open, in aid of the local lifeboat stations at Angle & Tenby, for which we now pray for both the equivalent weather and just as good a turnout.

PHOTOS: Above, Mike Ashbridge, John Lintern, Pter Kraus and Daniel Tucker (front).
Andrew Skeels relaxes on the beach.

The official presentation party.