WCASC Herm Championship winner Shane Huxster. (0478189)
HOME angler Dick Smith had a highly successful Open Alderney Angling Festival. He won £150 for being the top Channel Island angler, won the pairs competition partnered by his son Matt, won the garfish/mackerel category and won the Ray Trophy for a 7-6-6 small-eyed ray.
He has an incredible history in this highly competitive event, as he has won the CI title six times. Strangely he has never won it in consecutive years, winning in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Without doubt the real winner of the week was the atrocious weather, the strong north-easterly winds, heavy rain and hail showers making fishing almost impossible. In fact there was so much hail on one occasion that anglers made a snowman on the rocks.
It is to their credit and perseverance that the competitors managed to find some worthwhile specimens.
However, in spite of all their efforts, the catches were the worst ever recorded in the event’s 23-year history.
Only three of the 10 categories saw the top five prize-winning places filled.
The worst categories were the black bream and plaice/sole sections. No catches were recorded in either, which meant that for the first time ever, categories completely blanked.
Many bream were caught but none were over the 3-0-0 qualifying weight.
The Couch’s sea bream section was not much better for only one was recorded, a 1-6-6 fish by Alderney angler Rod Blondin.
The bass category was a little better with two good specimens being recorded, both by Alderney anglers. Jamie Sugden won with a 9-11-0 fish while Alan Eastwood was runner-up with one of 8-0-14 which was taken on a plug.
Three conger were landed. Winner Steve Lamb from Jersey had one of 37-0-0. UK angler Pete Walker was runner-up with a 25-8-0 fish while Steve Hazell also from the UK took third spot with one of 25-0-0.
There were also three entries in the ballan wrasse section. It was won by Guernsey’s Bernie Le Gallais with a 6-12-8 specimen. Jersey’s Andy Appleby was second with one of 6-6-8 and Dick Smith was third on 6-3-12.
The grey mullet category saw all five prize-winning places filled. Jersey’s Steve Mullins won with a 5-1-12 fish, second was Steve Winter (UK) 4-15-12, third Keith Quertier (Guernsey) 4-13-4, fourth Geoff Plumridge (UK) 4-13-4 and fifth Mark Plowman (UK) 4-12-6.
As already indicated Dick Smith won the only prize given in the garfish/mackerel category. His winning fish was a 1-5-12 garfish.
Both the ‘other species over 5-0-0’ and ‘other species under 5-0-0’ categories were fully subscribed.
UK angler Derek Spear landed tope of 49-0-0 and 38-0-0. His biggest fish not only gave him the top prize in the over 5-0-0 category but also the Barbie Cosheril Trophy for the best fish of the festival and the Andy James Trophy for the best cartilaginous fish.
The remainder of this category was dominated by bull huss and the Hazell family from the UK. Son Steve was second with an 11-3-12 specimen, son Michael third 9-11-10 and father Graham fourth 9-4-2.
Pete Walker UK completed the section with yet another bull huss 8-8-10.
The other species under 5-0-0 category was won by Alderney’s Jasper Osborne with a 1-6-6 tub gurnard.
Second was Quertier with a 3-3-0 red mullet. Third place went to Jersey’s Steve Mathias with a 1-6-10 cuckoo wrasse.
Fourth and fifth places went to Guernsey anglers, both with golden grey mullet. Lee Vaudin had one of 2-1-6 and Esther Hatton a 2-0-8 fish.
Her catch also meant she won the Le Cocq’s Trophy for the best catch by a female angler.
The best UK angler award went to Steve Hazell, while the Veterans Shield went to Pete Walker.
The team prize went to Derek Spear, Trevor Chubb, Pete Walker and Derek Kane.
The event was brought to a successful conclusion with the presentation ceremony held at The Moorings Bar.
It was, in spite of the weather, a successful competition, with the final entries being 110, which was up on the previous year.
SHANE Huxster had a runaway victory in the last leg of the West Coast Sea Angling Club’s Herm Championships, and took the overall title.
Lee Gillot had gone into that last leg with what appeared to be an unassailable lead of 93.75 points, over second placed Steve Huxster and 101.75 over third placed Shane.
In view of that atrocious weather last weekend, the all night match was switched to Guernsey. All this didn’t appear to have any effect on Shane who landed two conger, three garfish, one three-bearded rockling and two lesser-spotted dogfish for 130.75 points.
Steve could only manage four lesser-spotted dogfish for 12 points, while Gillot did not figure in the result.
This all meant that Shane finished with an overall total of 255, to Gillot’s 226 and Steve’s 144.25.
Not surprisingly, due to those awful weather conditions only six members turned out and only three weighed in.
The only other angler to catch was Matt Mahy with one red mullet and one whiting for 1-12-0 and 35 points.
The competition kitty was shared between Mahy who had the best and only red mullet, a fish of 1-4-0 and Shane who had the heaviest bag.
The Huxster family had an easy win in the Herm Pairs championship with a final score of 399.25 points.
MARK Fletcher landed two bass during October and as a result has gone to the top of the Bailiwick Bass Club’s shore championship list.
His fish weighed 7-9-2 and 4-9-4. His biggest gave him the Collenette Jones Heaviest Bass of the Month award.
Altogether members weighed in eight bass during the month.
Bearing in mind the news of his untimely death, it is rather poignant that Jason Piriou figures in the catch list. He landed fish of 6-6-8 and 4-2-15 the biggest being the heaviest plug caught fish to date.
Other catches were Shane Bentley 6-13-2, Rick Le Noury 6-2-4, Des Fletcher 5-7-3 and Daryl Butcher 5-7-3, a fish that gave him the Autumn Cup.
It is very close at the head of the shore championship with only 3-3-6 covering the top three.
Bentley and Paul McLaren have retained their lead in the pairs, their lead over second placed Butcher, Colin Patch being 23-9-0.
THE angling fraternity were shocked to hear of the sudden and unexpected death of Jason Piriou at the age of 37.
Jason was a keen bass angler and was a member of the Bailiwick Bass Club, where he had enjoyed considerable success.
He was fishing with his friend Jon Collenette at L’Eree where he had caught a 6-6-0 bass the day before.
He soon caught a bass and was carrying it back to his gear when he suddenly collapsed.
His passing was a terrible shock to all who knew him, and it is certain he will be very sadly missed.
All anglers will wish to express their sympathy to his family and friends at this sad time.
Angling results Page 47
Article posted on 5th November, 2008 - 2.29pm
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