Pictured (left to Right) are James Lemon, Keith Stephens, Mark Bennett, Leigh Rogers, Haydn Cole, Andrew Rogers, Karen Morris, Phil Yates, Roger Harris, George Kingdom and Andrew Skeels (Picture by John O’Connor)


 
The 14^th 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.
 
Considering the lead up the weather that had been experienced locally, on the day it wasn’t all that bad, staying dry till the very end when there was just a smattering of rain.
 
However, though it started bright with a slight breeze, as the wind increased throughout the match, it became quite cold with a fresh South Westerly causing more than a good ripple and good colour in the water.
 
This should have augured well for a good catch, except that the surf was quite turbulent with quite a powerful undertow and some very long runners surging up a beach, which due to the prior rough weather, had lost a great deal of sand and exposed a lot of rather tackle-hungry stone!
 

Cole collects the cash

 
The turnout saw 91 anglers braving the elements including three junior boys, one junior girl and nine ladies and the fishing wasn’t too bad with 23 anglers, including one lady and one junior boy, weighing in 28 sizeable flounders, with others undersize and some rockling, which didn’t count, being caught.
 
The winning angler who managed to land two decent-sized flounder, for 795gms was local Lamphey rod Haydn Cole, netting him the first prize of £200. Second was Phil Yates from Kilgetty, who also managed to bag two sizeable flounder but for 50 grams less, netting him £50 and in third place was a previous winner and Cardiff regular Mike Mather, who also weighed in two flounder but a further 25gms lighter, netting him £25.
 

Other successful anglers

 
The pool for the heaviest fish and walking away with a prize of £89 was a Swansea rod, Keith Stephens whose fine fish weighed 690gms. The pair’s competition, in which both anglers had to weigh in, was won by Haydn Cole and his partner, again a local, Mark Bennett, with four flounder for 1Kg 495gms.
 
Second with three flounder for 1Kg 60gms were, Mike Mather and his partner Tom Rees and third with two fish for 985gms were father and son, Leigh and Andrew Rogers, staunch regular supporters of the event, helping to organise the event and collecting many prizes which helps make the raffle so large and such a success.
 
The Ladies section was won by the only lady to weigh in, Karen Morris from Cardiff, with a flounder of 330gms and the junior section was won by the only junior to weigh in, George Kingdom, who had one fish of 320gms. We have to thank James Lemon of Awesome Fishing for the prizes for the junior section winner who took home, a hoodie, a cap, a free guided trip out on his boat or on shore bass fishing later this year and a copy of Sea Angler in which James’s boat featured in an article.
 

More money raised for the Air Ambulance

 
However, the most important result on the day was that the event, by the time all the money is in, will have raised close to £700 for the Wales Air Ambulance, pushing the total raised over the 14 years this competition has been running, to approximately £19,000.
 
Again the competition organisers thank Roger Harris of the Amroth Arms, who always puts his premises and valued support at this event’s disposal. Lastly, we must again thank all the kind and generous sponsors of the event, including those already mentioned who donated cash, made collections and donated prizes for the mega raffle which ensured continuation of the event’s great success.
 
These were Andrew Skeels, Osprey Sea Angling Club, John O’Connor, Simon, Denis & Jasmine Nicholas, Grainger Tubolt, David Brayford, Steve Davies of Davies Decorators, Shane Tucker, Derek Gregory, Steve Parry, Tom O’Brien, Byron Jenkins of Cast’n’Craft, Howells Engineering, Glamal Engineering and Dai Etherington.
 
The next event takes place on Sunday the 7^th February, with the 9^th Felinfoel Brewery Double Dragon RNLI Annual Fishing Open, in aid of the local lifeboat stations at Angle & Tenby, where it is hoped that there is the equivalent or better weather and as good a turnout.