THE 4th Blood Bikes Wales Open Beach Fishing Competition, organised by members from Pembroke & District Angling Club and Osprey Sea Angling Club was held on November 17, on Pembrokeshire’s Amroth beach.

With only a gentle breeze but with very little surf, 42 anglers including two Ladies and one Junior (girl) turned up and are greatly thanked for their support. Seventeen anglers, including 1 Lady and the Junior managed to weigh in a lot of sizeable fish with 46 Flounders along with one Sole and seven Lesser Spotted Dogfish or Cat Sharks as they are now known.

The conditions on the day matched those of the inaugural competition in 2019.
The conditions on the day matched those of the inaugural competition in 2019. (Pic supplied)

The winning angler, who managed to land five decent-sized flounder above the minimum size of 28cm, for 2kg, 155g was competition regular Kevin Hughes, from Neath, netting him the £200 first prize.

Taking the £100 prize for the heaviest any fish was the angler who travels with Kevin, Peter Evans, with a Cat Shark of 990g. Winner of the third prize (£50) with the second heaviest bag of flatfish was local angler Rob Beynon with four Flounder for 1kg 995g.

The Ladies’ prize went to another local, Kirsty Culley, with a Sole and two Flounder for 985g. She also was instrumental in collecting raffle prizes from the many sponsors. The only Junior who fished - despite there being a free-to-enter prize table - also weighed in with a Flounder of 400g securing 1st place in the Junior comp. The pairs competition, in which both anglers had to weigh in, was won, not unnaturally, by Kevin and Peter with their Cat Shark and five Flounder for 3kg, 145g. Second were 3rd-placed Rob and his co-angler Simon Torr with six Flounder one Cat Shark for 2kg, 990g.

Regular Franco Attanasio won the Steward’s Draw for a thank-you bottle of gin, kindly donated by host Ian Wilkinson at the Temple Bar Inn.

However, the most important result on the day was that the event raised £700 for Blood Bikes Wales, some of whom turned up and helped during the day and brought one of their magnificent bikes with them.

Pictured are Tim from Blood Bikes Wales, John O’Connor, Andrew Jamieson, Peter Kraus, Leigh Rogers, and Andrew Skeels.
Pictured are Tim from Blood Bikes Wales, John O’Connor, Andrew Jamieson, Peter Kraus, Leigh Rogers, and Andrew Skeels. (Pic supplied)

Thanks for this sterling effort go to the anglers from the organising clubs, Ian Wilkinson who put his premises and valued support at this event’s disposal, and the multitude of generous event sponsors who donated cash and raffle prizes: Mike Rowe of J & M Tackle, Pembroke Dock; Pembroke & District Angling Club; Darren Jones, PPC Wales, Pembroke Dock; Millforge, Pembroke Dock; Ron Skinner & Sons, Neyland; The Stone Crab, Saundersfoot; Giltar Hotel, Tenby; Jewsons, Pembroke; Highgate Inn, Hundleton; The Longhouse, Freshwater East; The Vibe, Milford Haven; The Hope Inn, Pembroke; The 3 Mariners, Tenby; Dennis Café, Tenby; The Prince of Wales, Pembroke Dock; Lamphey Court Hotel; Penally Abbey Hotel; Temple Bar Inn; John O’Connor; Leigh Rogers; Andrew Skeels; Haydn Cole; Kirsty Culley; Andrew Jamieson; John Davies; Alison George and Peter Kraus, who is due big thanks on the day for all his help, also coming armed with a myriad of prizes he collected from various contacts of his.

Look out in the new year for the 21st Annual Wales Air Ambulance Open, on January 12 and the 15th RNLI Open on February 16, postponed from 2021 owing to bad weather. Dates for next autumn are November 9 for the Osprey Club Open and November 23 for the 5th Blood Bikes Wales Open, for which prayers are now being offered for weather, turnout and catches at least as good as this year’s.