Outdoor Sports News - with PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

Annual Fishing Open competition wins hook, line and sinker!

The 4th Felinfoel Brewery Double Dragon RNLI Annual Fishing Open, organised by members from Pembroke & District Angling Club, Osprey Sea Angling Club, Haven Angling Group and West Wales Match Anglers, was held on Sunday 23rd January 2011 on Amroth beach in South Pembrokeshire.

Once again, like last year, a fortnight made a difference as just two weeks earlier, super catches of Flounder were recorded at the Air Ambulance Open, yet this time only 19 out of the 92 anglers that fished, which included 3 Ladies & 3 Juniors (2 boys & 1 girl), managed to weigh in just 31 fish. The weather and conditions were fairly similar, but this time they were even calmer, which may have accounted for the lesser catch, at least in part. Either that or they weren’t there.

Bart’s the best!

The surf and weather conditions are shown in our photo, taken towards the end of the match and the winning angler, who managed to land three smallish flounder for 1Kg 450gms, was local Haverfordwest rod and long-time South West Wales angling stalwart Bart Morgan, netting him the first prize of £250, of which he generously donated back £50 to the RNLI.

The biggest flounder, at 795gms, went to Swansea man Shaun Tucker, who took the pool of £92. In a close second was another Haverfordwest angler, Craig Thompson, also with 3 flounder but for 1Kg 310gms, allowing him to pick up the runner’s up prize of £100. Third place, by an even smaller margin, was shared between Bridgend’s Andy Bunston and Milford’s Robbie Scale, who had two & three flounder respectively for 1KG 305gms, just 5 grams less than last year, would you believe, so they took home £20 each!

Local likely lads win the pairs

The pair’s competition was won by two more local rods in John O’Connor from Pembroke Dock and Andrew Skeels from Pembroke, with only 3 flounder for 1Kg 205gms, as very few pairs had both anglers weighing in, a pre-requisite of that section. So, they picked up £70, with father and son combination, Dennis & Alex Nicholas, also from Pembroke, second with three flounder for 990gms, netting £40, which they also promptly donated back to the RNLI.

Third in the pairs were Julian Shambrook and Malcolm Stote from Devon & Somerset. The Ladies prize was won by Annie James of Newport with a flounder of 550gms and the Junior winner was Charlotte Osbourne from Pembroke Dock with one of 525gms.

Great fund-raising and thank yous

However, the most important result on the day was that the event raised just over £1,100 for the Angle & Tenby lifeboats. To thank for this sterling effort we must first go to our main sponsor, Felinfoel Brewery, along with their rep Jamie Owen for continuing to sponsor this event and 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 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, Shane Tucker, Roger Harries (Amroth Arms), Andrew Skeels, Alex Nicholas, Martin & Sandra Thompson of Anglers Corner Milford Haven, John O’Connor, Denis Nicholas, Simon Nicholas, Gerald Wickland, Ken Gainfort, The Brooke Inn St. Ishmaels, Haven Angling Group, Leigh Rogers, Robbie Scale, Bart Morgan, Steve Davies, Andrew & Wendy Luxford, Dave & Diane Lewis.

If anybody feels aggrieved that they have been missed off this list and we hope there isn’t, we are truly sorry, but thank you, most warmly, for your continued support.

PHOTO: Above, life is an Amroth beach.