The 15th Wales Air Ambulance Open Beach Fishing Competition, organised by members from Pembroke & District Angling Club and Osprey Sea Angling Club, was recently held on Amroth Beach in South Pembrokeshire.

The catch was as good as the previous year despite the weather prior to the event and the turnout and support was better than 2016 with 94 anglers including four junior boys, three junior girls and four ladies. In the final analysis 23 anglers, including two ladies, one junior boy and one junior girl, weighed in 24 sizeable flounders, with a few others that were undersize and lots of rockling, which didn’t count in this competition, being caught.

Local anglers pouch second and third places

The winning angler, who managed to land two flounder for 755gms, was Gwent SAC angler Zak Williams, all the way from Newport, netting him the first prize of £200 whilst in second was local rod Tony O’Neill from Saundersfoot, who managed to bag a flounder of 495gms which netted him £75 second as well as the pool for heaviest flounder of £94.

There was a tie for third place between two local people in John Nicholas from Tenby and David Elworthy from Pembroke Dock, who both had a flounder of 475gms. The pair’s competition, in which both anglers had to weigh in, was won by Zak and his partner Craig Maddock with three flounder for 1Kg 210gms. Second, with two flounder for 905gms were, John Nicholas and his colleague Alex Nicholas (Pembroke Dock), and third with two fish for 660gms were visiting anglers Paul Gregory and Mel Botterfield.

Other winners

The ladies’ section was won by ladies international angler Sally Owen from Cardiff with a flounder of 400gms and the junior section was won by Harvey Jones who had a flounder of 380gms, beating Eden Nicholas (Alex’s daughter and first time fishing) into second place with  a fish of 330gms.

The organisers would like to thank James Lemon of Awesome Fishing for one of the prizes for the junior section winner who took home a free guided trip out on his boat or on-shore bass fishing later this year, as well as the cash prize, sponsored by Shane Tucker; the second junior also getting part of the cash kindly put up by Shane.

However, the most important result on the day was that the event, by the time all the money is in, will have raised over £600 for the Wales Air Ambulance pushing the total raised over the 15 years this competition has been running, close to £20,000.
 

Special thanks

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.
 
Lastly, we must again thank all the kind and generous sponsors of the event, including those already mentioned who donated cash, made collections, ran a quiz 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 and Denis Nicholas, David Brayford, The Brook Inn St Ishmaels, Jewson’s of Pembroke, Marks and Spencer, Leigh Rogers, Haydn Cole, Tony Ormond, Alan Turnbull and Rhyal Engineering,
 

Pictured are John Nicholas, Craig Maddock, Mel Botterfield, Andrew Skeels, Zak Williams, Eden and Alex Nicholas (Picture by John O’Connor)

 
 
*A reminder that anglers are also invited to the RNLI Annual Fishing Open on the 12th February, in aid of the local lifeboat stations at Angle & Tenby, for which the organisers hope for at least the equivalent and as good a turnout!