ALAN MARTEL was able to look back over a successful year at the annual dinner and presentation night of the Sarnia Specimen Club. One measure of that success was the 33 specimen fish certificates awarded to club members by the South-West Federation of Sea Anglers.
Barry Jacobs really excelled for he had the best fish of the year in the federation for three species, a 10-6-13 John Dory, a 1-1-2 grey gurnard and a 2-14-0 mackerel.
Three club records were also set during the year - Mark Giles, 4-3-8 boat-caught Couch’s sea bream, Jacobs’ 10-6-13 boat-caught John Dory and junior member Brendon La Touche 13-10-0 boat-caught pollack.
The club champion was Jez Vaudin who amassed a percentage score of 1,228.58%, well clear of runner-up Jacobs who had 593.99%. It was the second year in succession Vaudin had taken the top honour. In fact it was a good evening for him for he took home no fewer than five trophies and two of the fish-of-the month awards.
The happiest angler was La Touche. He had a great year and caught a number of good specimens including a 13-10-0 fish that won him the Pollack Trophy. In recognition of his achievements, the club decided to award him the Arnie Brehaut Achievement Trophy.
All the trophies were presented by Michelle Robilliard on behalf of the club sponsor, Western Tackle Supplies.
TIM COTTERILL won the top awards in the March fish-of-the-month competition.
His 1-0-5 shore rockling scored 100.38% and gave him the Shakespeare Monthly Angling Award for the best overall fish and the J. Meerveld and Sons tankard for the top shore-caught specimen.
I won the Guernsey Sea Anglers Club tankard for the top boat-caught fish, my 2-6-8 lesser-spotted dogfish scoring 75.95%.
The two runner-up prizes of Bucktrout’s Bass beers went to Scott McMillan, 12-4-0 shore-caught bull huss 87.92%, and to Andrew Benstead, 8-12-0 boat-caught brill 64.51%.
The two unsuccessful entries were Mark P. Fletcher, 10-13-9, shore-caught bass, 58.97%, Colin Druce 10-11-0, boat-caught bass, 58.22%.
The Aval du Creux Hotel award for the best fish by a junior was not won.
Mark Tostevin has entered the biggest turbot of the year to date in the April competition. He legered a sandeel bait at Godine and boated a specimen that weighed 25-10-0. It will be judged against the 30-4-0 Bailiwick boat record.
An entry has now been received from John Dunne in respect of his 2-11-4 record three bearded rockling that was reported in last week’s column.
The number of entries submitted so far this year in the FOM competition have been disappointing.
Generally, fishing this spring has been better than it normally is at this time of the year. However, it does seem that the emphasis is on quantity rather than quality.
Ashore, black bream have been giving well on many inshore marks, but the fish have been modest, mostly in the 0-12-0 to 1-4-0 range.
Afloat, flatties have moved in to many of the banks but currently the number is down on the last two to three years.
Whiting are not that common in the Bailiwick, in many years anglers fail to catch any, but at the moment they are giving well at Godine. Boats have recorded catches of 20 to 30 per trip, with some specimens over the 2-0-0 mark.
THE West Coast Sea Angling Club’s Herm competition series got off to an extremely disappointing start.
Eight members went over for the first all-day event, but only two fish were caught.
Richard Torode landed two bass for 6-10-0 to score 86.5 points. The other seven anglers were fishless. Yes, it was as bad as that.
Article posted on 18th April, 2007 - 12.00am
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