Photos of Antony Stanyon left with Competition Secretary Russell Catling me with sweep winning Flounder and Junior winner Callum Knight
Machine Shop Beach Fishing Club hosted the first open competition of 2008 which proved to be a resounding success for Antony Stanyon and myself. Stanyon the clubs Chairman and Webmaster returned 4lb 9oz to the scales and was presented with the first prize of £190. I picked up a total of £205 with one Flounder of 2lb 6oz which took the sweeps for best specimen, heaviest fish and sixth place overall. Second place went to Richard Smith who received £120 for his weight of 3lb 6oz and third was Dave Snook who picked up £95 with 2lb 13oz. Out of the 100 entrees only 21 returned fish or weigh in slips to the scales and as Callum Knight was the only junior to catch he was given the pick of the table. The pairs sweep went to Dave Snook and Dave Jupe with a combined weight of 5lb 5oz.
Gareth Croft took first place in the 2007 Scotties & Ammo winter league with 142 points. Croft picked up £250 and the £88 drawn pairs prize with Damian Geldard who ended third with 128 points. Lee Smith won £150 for second with 135 & Geldard received £100. One of the league sponsors Dave Fishburn owner of Pryde of Cowes won the best specimen sweep with a Dog fish of 2lb 2oz and Andy Wenden won the heaviest fish with a Bass of 6lb 4-1/2oz. The best Flat fish was a Sole of 4lb 1-1/2oz won by Steve Barnaby.
Western Wight AC
82 anglers entered the Christmas pegged competition with 24 returning 51 fish of which most were released back to the sea. First place overall went to Rob turner who had seven fish for 10lb 11oz. The zone winners were Dave Snook with 2lb 7oz, T Willier with 3lb 2oz, Kevin Sampson with 3lb and t Griffiths with 4lb 11-1/2oz. The first club competition of 2007 will take place this Sunday 6th fishing from 8am until 1pm.
30 members fished the Ventnor ASC Christmas competition and 19 returned fish. Most opted to try for Flounders but Damian Geldard had a winning bag of Pouting, Whiting and a Pollack totalling 9lb 6-3/4oz. Alan Bravery took second place with a Flounder bag of 8lb 9oz and Debbie Burt was third with 4lb 12-1/4oz. Debbie also won the Sweep for best specimen with a Flounder of 3lb 1-3/4oz. The second best specimen went to junior member Daniel Farrow with a Flounder of 2lb 7-1/4oz which is also a new junior club record. A reminder to all members that the club AGM will be held at the club house on Thursday 17th January starting at 7:30pm.
Western Wight AC had the highest open sign on of the year with 150 attending the full competition and 25 entering the junior fixture. In the main open the top prize of £250 sponsored by Contract Distribution Services went to Richard Smith who returned a weight of 8lb 4-1/2oz. Smith also won the pairs sweep with Bill Barnaby on a combined weight of 10lb 1oz. The £125 runners up prize went to Matt Brook with 7lb 0-1/2oz and Pete Turner had first pick of the table with 6lb 9oz. Scotties donated the Jack Waterhouse Bass Rod for the heaviest fish which went to a Flounder of 2lb 11-1/2oz for Dave Snook along with the best specimen prize. The Veteran walking stick went to Steve Cooke with 5lb 4oz and Mick Young had the second best specimen with a Flounder of 2lb 6-1/2oz. 13 year old junior angler Joe Winchcombe won the third specimen prize in the main open and took first place and the sweep in the junior competition with 5lb 14-1/2oz which included a Flounder of 2lb 1-3/4oz. Jade Goodall was second with 4lb 8-3/4oz and Daniel Farrow was third with 2lb 8oz.
New island and British record Steve Cave a plumber, gas fitter from Sandown landed the fish of a lifetime last Saturday on Sandown pier. Cave a committee member of Sandown & Lake AS opted not to fish the clubs competition last week as he was using two rods and hooked into a Bass of 19lb 11-1/4oz which will take the Island and British record. The previous island record of 15lb 6oz has stood since1998 and the British record of 19lb caught at Dover has been held since 1988. The fish was identified by Alan Bravery and weighed by Scotties on Sunday morning.
