The Osprey Sea Angling Club, based in Pembroke Dock, recently held its annual open beach fishing competition or ‘flatfish festival’ to give it its other more descriptive name, at Amroth, with 89 anglers competing for the prizes.
 

Early hindrance to flounder catching!

 
The weather was kind and there were 12 more competitors than in 2012 but flatfish were not caught in the numbers encountered in more recent years. With a gentle south westerly, a calm sea and very coloured water the omens did look good, but maybe the warm weather and an outgoing tide for the first two hours were responsible for an awful lot of dogfish being caught at all distances, but no dabs!
 
The weed, together with crab and prawn activity in stripping hooks quickly, didn’t help and the flounders mainly turned up once this had ceased, when the tide started flooding over the sand warmed by the sun. At least that’s the theory put forward this year for the catches being much down on some previous years!
 

Dogfish galore as Chris is adjudged the winner

 
The large list of competitors came from far afield to support the club and 41 anglers, including two ladies and three juniors, weighed in 19 flounder and 41 lesser spotted dogfish, a veritable dog fest, the like of which hasn’t seen at this match for many years.
 
The winner was Chris Watkins, a local Saundersfoot club member from Kilgetty, with three flounder for 1 Kg 160gms. Second, all the way from Southampton, was Stuart Jones, with the Lesser Spotted Dogfish weighing 895gms, the heaviest fish of the day for which second prize was up for grabs. Third place was shared between Dai Davies from Neath and Gwyn Davies, from Pembroke Dock, a previous winner on the beach and Osprey club member, with two flounder each for 765gms.
 

Other successful anglers

 
The top lady was Angela McMurray with a dogfish of 755gms and top junior was local Tenby boy, Kieran Allen, with a flounder of 550gms. One other lady, Eileen Stafford and two other juniors, Shauna Machon and Sophie Barnett, also weighed in. The pair’s competition was won Haydn Cole (Lamphey and club member) and Leigh Rogers (Milford Haven) with a combined weight of 2Kg 450gms. Stuart Jones and his fishing partner, Julian Shambrook, a Devonian and England international, were second, with a combined weight of 1Kg 585gms.
Julian, owner of the Anyfish Anywhere brand name, has kindly promised to donate a rod for the Air Ambulance charity open on 19^th January 2014, again at Amroth, which he has attended for the last few years, although a long way for him to travel.
 

Grateful thanks

 
Finally, thanks must go to Roger Harries of the Amroth Arms for again accommodating the popular competition and also to our sponsors who donated raffle prizes to further help support the club. These were Shane Tucker, Mark Goodall of West Wales Angling in Pembroke Dock, Andrew Skeels, Steve Parry, Martin and Sandra Thompson of Anglers Corner in Milford Haven, Haydn Cole, James Lemon of Awesome Fishing in Dale, Pembrokeshire, Leigh Rogers, Julian & Sue from Classic Carpets in Kilgetty, John O’Connor, Roger Harries and Gerald Wickland.

 
PHOTO:
Kieran Allen in front with Sophie Barnett with (L to R) Stuart Jones, Chris Watkins and Haydn Cole behind