7th June 2012

WEST BAY SEA ANGLING: Boat matches finally underway

The West Bay Angling Club boat matches are finally underway.

The first match in April was cancelled due to bad weather but two matches have now been fished.

Sunday, May 6th.

Nine anglers signed on to fish the first one on Sunday May 6th, in good conditions with an easterly breeze, but fishing was poor with no specimen fish being brought to the scales.

Gerry Reed took the heaviest bag and the Boat Festival Cup, whilst most species went to guest angler Mark Probert and Rod Barr took the best fish on the day with a nice dogfish.

While pleasure fishing the following weekend, Boat Secretary James Barr caught and released a brightly coloured ballan wrasse (pictured) of 2460g (5lb 7oz.); a specimen of 108%.

The second boat match competition was a species hunt on May 22nd and won by Rod Barr with five variants.

Shore Results

Sunday Daytime match including Junior Shore Festival - May 20th West Bay

Keiran Ellison won the Junior Cup, with PJ Wheeler winning the overall competition.

Most members chose to fish from East beach where a few mackerel were caught using spinners or pop up rigs.

A few dogfish fell to ragworm baits; any undersized being immediately returned alive, as were a few undersized wrasse caught from the pier.

1st: P J Wheeler 1725grms 6 mackerel, 2nd: S Bowditch 1675grms 3 mackerel 1 plaice 1 dogfish, 3rd: D Cornick 1560grms 2 dogfish 1 mackerel, Species pool: A Cullingford – three, Heaviest fish pool: D Cornick dogfish 660grms, Junior Cup Winner: Keiran Ellison.

Thursday, May 10th Charmouth 7-10:30

A rough sea with a spring tide greeted 12 West Bay members; an ideal combination for bass.

Unfortunately, the sea was full of weed that made the fishing almost impossible. Nevertheless two were caught early on in the first hour, the biggest by

Steve Harwood, using sand eel as bait which at 2450grms won him the competition ahead of Simon Skinner.

1st: Steve Harwood 2450grms bass, 2nd: Simon Skinner 1980grms bass, 3rd: Adam Cullingford 1100grms 1 dogfish 2 pout, Heaviest fish pool: Steve Harwood bass 2450grms, Species pool: Mark Wickendon

Junior Results - Saturday, May 26th

Ten juniors fished, and although at last a warm, sunny day, a very troublesome easterly wind made fishing conditions difficult with only three competitors weighing in one fish apiece.

Bekah Hughes won with her 75g rockling that was the last fish caught.

1st: Bekah Hughes 75g (legal-sized rockling), 2nd: James Lawrence 84g wrasse, 3rd: Keiran Ellison 67g wrasse, Heaviest round: Keiran Ellison, Wooden spoon: Ollie Butler, First fish: Keiran Ellison, Last fish: Bekah Hughes

Sponsors: Watch House Cafe, Kay Guppy, Tiny, Frank Daw.

Saturday, May 12th

A good turn out with 13 signing on, but only four managing to catch.

1st: Keiran Ellison 115g, 2nd: Connor Hallett 104g, 3rd: James Lawrence 81g , 4th: Grace Lawson 33g, Heaviest round: James Lawrence 81g corkwing wrasse, Wooden spoon: Yasmin Harwood, Best Lady junior: Grace Lawson, Lightest fish: Keiran Ellison, First and last fish: Keiran Ellison, Most species: Keiran Ellison, Heaviest non-legal: James Lawrence, Best 12 year old and under: James Lawrence

Sponsors: Watch House Cafe, Kay Guppy, Tiny, Steve Harwood, Frank Daw, Mike Hallett and Dave Chidzoy.

Saturday April 28th

Not many turned out for this one with only five signing-up, and shanny, rockling and wrasse caught.

1st: Connor Hallett 384g (157g legal weight), 2nd: Keiran Ellison 241g (89g legal weight), 3rd: James Lawrence 11g, Heaviest round: Connor Hallett 120g corkwing wrasse, First and last fish: Connor Hallett, Last placed competitor that weighed-in: James Lawrence

Sponsors Kay Guppy, Tiny, Frank Daw, Michael and Connor Hallett.

The heaviest flatfish prize has not been claimed for three matches now, so the prize stands at £10 for the next match which takes place on 2nd June.

All junior matches are fished on a weigh and return basis.

PICTURE: BEAUTY | James Barr with his Ballen Wrasse