The 22^nd Wales Air Ambulance Open Beach Fishing Competition, organised by members from Pembroke & District Angling Club and Osprey Sea Angling Club was held recently on Amroth beach in South Pembrokeshire. – and another £642 raised takes the total over 22 years to a remarkable £26,000!
 
The weather on the day was better than that which had been experienced locally in the run up to the competition, but it was very cold but mainly dry with only a slight southerly, so, conditions were very fishable with only a light surf running.
 
39 anglers, including three ladies and two juniors entered and the fishing was quite good, for flatties and the doggie bashers. 13 anglers brought 12 flounder to the scales along with six doggies and a dab. There were other fish caught but they were either, undersize and returned, or considered too light to threaten the weighers.

 

Adam takes the first prize

 

The winning angler, who managed to land three flounder, for a winning bag of 1Kg 780gms was Adam Roberts, netting him the first prize of £200. Second was local Osprey club member: a regular and one of the organisers, Haydn Cole, with a cracking Flounder of 1Kg 70gms, over 2 pounds (907gms) in old money, netting him the £100 second prize for the heaviest single fish.
 
Third prize went to Martin Wilson with two flounder for 1Kg 115gms. In the pair’s competition, in which both anglers had to weigh in, first were Haydn and his partner, Paul Curtice, with three flounder and two dogfish for a bag of 2Kg 755gms. Second were local anglers, Rob Collins and Ben Cook who had two dogfish and a dab for their bag of 2Kg 5gms.
 
The Ladies’ prize was won by that great collector of prizes for the grand raffle, Kirsty Culley, who also won the Stewards draw, with a flounder of 590gms. The two juniors also caught fish: Rhys White won with a flounder of 470gms and Wynter Protheroe was second with a flounder of 230gms..

 

Great thanks due for their efforts

 

To thank for this sterling effort ,we must first congratulate the anglers from the organising clubs, together with Mr Ian Wilkinson of the Temple Bar Inn, who put his premises and valued support at this event’s disposal as well as providing the prize for the Stewards draw.
 
Lastly, we must thank the many sponsors of the event; Milforge, Osprey SAC, Darren Jones, Shane Tucker, EFSA Wales, John O’Connor, J & M Tackle and Bait, Pembroke Dock, Broadside Charters of Dale, Peter Kraus, Kirsty Culley, Alison George, Andrew Jamieson, Simply Landscaping, Mobility Wales, Oriel Johnson, Phil Dury, Yolanda Williams, Katie Finnegan, Will Hodgens, Daniel Tucker, Mike Williams, Chris Wynn and the Dial Inn in Lamphey
 
One final thing is that the whole process repeats itself in 3 weeks on Sunday the 1^st February with the 16^th RNLI Annual Fishing Open, for which we now pray for good weather and at least as good a turnout and catch.


 

 

Pictured are some of the winners (L to R) Kirsty Culley, Rob Collins, Haydn Cole, Adam Roberts, Wynter Protheroe and Rhys White (Picture John O’Connor)