FOR the second time in less than a month a Couch’s sea bream record has been broken. At the beginning of August Lynton Carre broke the Bailiwick, Channel Island and British records with a 2-15-1 shore-caught fish.

Now Colin Truffitt has beaten the boat-caught records for the Bailiwick and Channel Islands.

He was out with Alan Broe Bougourd on the Prowler on a mark near Anfre.

His scallop frill bait presented on paternoster tackle was taken by a 4-8-2 fish.

That beat the 4-7-9 previous record which was caught in the north end of the Little Russel by visitor David Buckle in September 2002.

Truffitt’s catch did not manage to beat the national best of 4-14-4 caught off Cornwall in 2001.

Not surprisingly Truffitt has entered his catch in the August fish-of-the-month competition.

With this species producing bigger specimens each year, the chances of the new records lasting for a considerable time would appear to be unlikely. They could well be broken again before the end of the year.

AT PRESENT the Huxster family are dominating the West Coast Sea Angling Club results.

Shane won the club’s Herm all-night match, while his father Steve came second.

Shane tops both the overall and Herm championship lists, with Steve runner-up in the overall and third in the Herm competition series, while together they are leading the Herm Pairs championship.

To crown it all they even shared the competition kitty in the Herm match, awarded for the top two heaviest bags.

Only seven members turned out for the all-night event. The match was dominated by bass, 12 being landed. The only other fish were one pollack, one red mullet and two lesser-spotted dogfish.

Shane’s winning catch was five bass and one pollack for 19-0-0 and 230 points.

As a result of his win Shane consolidated an already impressive lead even further. He now leads his father by 308.25 points in the overall, and is 137.25 points ahead of Richard Torode in the Herm list.

In the pairs the Huxsters lead is now a massive 375.25 points over Richard and Ian Torode in second place.

MIKE WEYSOM won the Guernsey Sea Anglers’ Club’s Olympic Trophy all night roving shore match with a very unusual catch.

Fishing for common eels in St Peter Port Harbour used to be very popular some years ago, but this species has been almost completely ignored in more recent times.

Not daunted, Weysom decided to try for some eels and found three, including a club record fish of 3-1-6. His total catch weighed 5-3-0 and give him 56.75 points.

His big eel also gave him the competition kitty for the heaviest fish of the night.

Overall the catches were very disappointing. The event attracted 12 members but only four weighed in.

John Davey had two black bream for 1-11-0 and 26.75 points to finish second. Zahrah Nicolle had a black bream of 1-5-0 to gain 15.25 points for third, while Lee Vaudin had a mackerel to score 6.75 points for fourth spot.

The club did a lot better in the annual match for the Olympic Pairs Trophy, even though it was fished in torrential rain.

Nine members entered the four-hour evening event and they landed a total of 131 fish, 90 mackerel, 34 scad, two pollack and five garfish.

The winners were John Davey and Lee Vaudin who landed one garfish, 29 mackerel and 15 scad for 23-7-0 and 299.75 points.

The top individual catch was achieved by Jason Sangan, who was fishing alone in view of the odd number that had entered. He had 18 mackerel, three scad and one garfish for 191.25 points.

The club completed its busy week when the junior section fished an all day on Herm match, the second leg in the four match Bachmann series.

The event attracted eight youngsters and six found fish. Fishing was below par and they only managed to find two black bream, 15 garfish and two mackerel.

Winner was Steven Teed who had the two bream and a garfish for 3-0-0 and 34 points.

The award for the heaviest bag went to Brendan Zabel who landed seven garfish for 3-13-0.

Teed had the best fish prize for his 1-10-0 black bream.

ANGLING is no longer permitted from the rocks at the entrance to Beaucette Marina.

Anglers have always been banned from fishing in the marina itself, although on occasions some have ignored this ruling.

On the other hand, access to the rock mark has never been questioned or denied, and it was a very popular spot that has given good catches particularly of mullet and bream.

The marina’s owner has now decided to prevent access to parts of the property and numerous signs have been erected stating that swimming, dogs and fishing are no longer allowed.

Naturally anglers are extremely annoyed and disappointed that they cannot fish from a spot they have visited and enjoyed for very many years.

Sadly, as the land is privately owned, it seems little can be done to change the current situation.

NINE-year-old Callum McLaren has made an entry in the August fish-of-the-month competition in an attempt to win the Aval du Creux Hotel junior award.

He caught a 1-4-4 golden grey mullet at an unusual spot for this species, the St Peter Port Breakwater. It was caught on float tackle and a sandeel bait. It will be judged against the 3-0-4 Bailiwick shore record.

Sam Robins has submitted a Couch’s sea bream caught on a Guernsey north coast shore mark.

He ledgered a cocktail bait of lugworm, ragworm and verm that tempted a 2-5-13 specimen that will be assessed against the 2-6-0 current Bailiwick shore record.

As from tomorrow, entries will be welcomed for the September fish-of-the-month competition.

Prizes at stake will be the Shakespeare Monthly Angling Award for the top overall fish, the J. Meerveld and Sons Tankard for the best shore-caught specimen and the Mick’s Fishing Supplies Tankard for the top boat-caught fish.

There will be the two runner-up prizes of Bucktrout’s Bass beers, the Aval du Creux Hotel award for the best fish by a junior and the Megabite Tankard for the top fish by a visitor.