Fishing Wales: RNLI Annual Fishing Open - Fishing Visit Wales

The 5th Felinfoel Brewery Double Dragon RNLI Annual Fishing Open, organised by members from Pembroke & District Angling Club, Osprey Sea Angling Club, Haven Angling Group and West Wales Match Anglers, was held on Sunday 22^nd January 2012 on Amroth beach in South Pembrokeshire. Unlike last year, a fortnight did not make much of a difference in catches compared to two weeks earlier, good catches of Flounder being recorded at both the Air Ambulance Open and this match. This time 39 out of the 96 anglers that fished, which included 8 Ladies & 8 Juniors (6 boys & 2 girls), managed to weigh in 74 fish as compared to 2 weeks earlier when 37 anglers weighed in 130 fish, the only difference being this time the size limit was increased to 30cm as compared to 25cm as advised by the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers the National Governing body for Recreational Sea Angling in Wales. The weather and conditions were fairly similar, which may have accounted for the equality of catches, as in 2011 the weather calmed down between the two annual events.

The winning angler who managed to land 5 flounder for 2Kg 350gms was Cwmbran angler Neil Evans, netting him the first prize of £250. The biggest flounder at a very respectable 970gms went to a Geordie now residing in Maenclogoch Bryce Cochrane, fishing only his second Open Competition, the Air Ambulance being his first; he took the pool of £100. In a close second was Neil’s pairs partner from Kenfig Hill Mike Mather, who has won and featured high up in previous opens held at Amroth. He had 3 bigger flounder for 2Kg 015gms, allowing him to pick up the runner’s up prize of £75. Third place, by an even smaller margin, was Air Ambulance winner Haydn Cole (Lamphey), who had 5 flounder or 2KG 005gms, just 10 grams less, just 5 grams more than the separating margin last year would you believe!!! This won him £50. Obviously the pair’s competition was won by the first 2 Neil & Mike with their 8 flounder for 4Kg 365gms. So, they picked up £80, with father and son combination, Jeff and Chris Stephens (Bridgend), second, as they had been 2 weeks earlier in the Air Ambulance comp with 6 flounder for 2Kg 870gms again netting them £40. Third in the pairs were Steve Jones & Stuart Billings, but I’m afraid I didn’t catch from where they came, sorry. The Ladies prize was won by Sandra Thompson of Milford Haven with a Flounder of 670gms and the Junior winner was Cameron Pritchard, who’d been 3^rd junior 2 weeks earlier with 2 Flounder for 1Kg 040gms, the only Junior to catch.

However, the most important result on the day was that the event raised just over £1200, over £100 up on 2011, for the Angle & Tenby lifeboats. To thank for this sterling effort we must first thank our main sponsor Felinfoel Brewery along with their rep Jamie Owen for continuing to sponsor this event and congratulate the anglers from the organising clubs, you know who you are, together with Roger Harris of the Amroth Arms who always puts his premises and valued support at this event’s disposal. We must also mention Saundersfoot Angling Club who once again supported our Charity events by holding a club match within this match, thanks. Finally, 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, in no particular order, Shane Tucker, Roger Harries (Amroth Arms), Andrew Skeels, Alex Nicholas, Martin & Sandra Thompson of Anglers Corner Milford Haven, John O’Connor, Denis Nicholas, Haydn Cole, James Skeels, Ken Gainfort, The Brooke Inn St. Ishmaels, Haven Angling Group, Leigh Rogers, Chris Winn, Robbie Scale, Bart Morgan, Mervyn Davies, Andrew & Wendy Luxford, Dale Sailing, Consort, The Lobster Pot, Marloes, Chris Griffiths, Grainger Tubolt, Simon Safety, Brown MacFarlane, Travis Perkins, Talbot Timber, Phoenix Saxton, Rhyal Engineering, Lawson HIS, Pembrokeshire Recycling, Glyn Edwards and Tenby RNLI.