Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 559 i Sea Angler

Probably the most important aspect of fishing for garfish is the method of offering the bait. Irrelevant of the type of bait, the most important thing is that it moves naturally through the water and represents the food you are trying to mimic. Garfish mainly hunt for small fish. On the Dutch coast, this is usually sandeels or sprats. I think the best bait is a small ragworm or white ragworm. Presentation is key, so only hook the ragworm through the hard part and let the rest hang down. Some unusual baits for garfish are beef heart, salmon skin and bacon. Beef heart is cut in strips to imitate a ragworm. It’s done by cutting a very thin slice of less than half a centimetre in diameter and 7cm long.…

JETTING OFF TO WARMER CLIMES for a summer holiday allows you to try something a little different with your angling. I did just that on a four-day trip to Mallorca in search of the brute ignorant and high-speed leerfish. The plan was pretty simple. I would fly out to the Spain’s Balearic Islands with my father on a Friday, fish with a guide for two days, and then return home on the Monday evening. I have been friends with Adrian Vidal Vogt, from Green Flake Tackle guiding outfit, for a few years, but we never quite managed to create any concrete plans in terms of fishing trips together, but this time I confirmed the dates and booked a flight and cheap hotel not far from the airport. This was all…

WITH THE MAY BANK holiday upon us, the Sea Angling Adventures team were off on a fun day, with Stuart Norrish leading the way to one of his favourite gilthead bream venues, down in the depths of Cornwall. Located on the Helford River, it’s one where many anglers travel to take advantage of the superb gilthead action. Stuart first visited it in October 1981, when he was deemed old enough to accompany his father and grandfather on a weekend’s bass fishing. He didn’t fish that first weekend because the rods used were far too heavy for him to carry, let alone use to cast. The young lad watched and learned. A few months later Stuart was the proud owner of a new 8ft rod, a Christmas present from his father,…

FANCY WINNING TACKLE FROM SHIMANO by catching a fish? Your target is to catch one over the weight given on our nominated species list. If you do, you automatically win a Mission Accomplished badge, as well as being in with the chance of winning a great monthly tackle prize. Each issue we award a superb Shimano reel to the captor of the best shore fish and best boat-caught fish, both chosen on merit. There is no choice of prize, which is awarded at our discretion. John Shaw, Tavistock, Devon. Fish: 40lb 10oz tope. Bait: Mackerel. Venue: Meerkat (Ryan Casey), Weymouth, Dorset. Date: June 3. Martin Logue, Essex. Fish: 4lb 8oz plaice. Bait: Prawn on a spreader rig. Venue: Sally Ann Jo (Colin Baker), Weymouth, Dorset. Date: May 13. Steven Clark,…

IN ALL THE YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN fishing, I must admit to not having caught many bull huss. I’ve been on board boats when mid-double-figure fish have been caught, but I’ve rarely deliberately set out to target these beasts myself. Give or take a couple of sessions, they’ve usually been caught as a by-catch when targeting other species, which is usually the case countrywide. Often referred to as ‘huss’, the bull huss is actually the greater-spotted dogfish or nursehound. Small huss can be confused with the lesser-spotted dogfish, the main differences being that the bull huss is larger, has bigger and more widely spaced spots on the body and has nasal grooves that do not meet the mouth, whereas the nasal grooves of the dogfish do. They are generally…

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THERE ARE plenty of species to target out of Wallasea Island, but perhaps the most dominant to be found here are thornback rays, bass, tope and smoothhounds during the summer months, plus cod and whiting in the winter. The marina is situated along the rather picturesque River Crouch, and the short journey out to open sea is worth the trip in itself. The River Thames is littered with sandbanks, gullies and other fish-holding marks, so there is no shortage of fish-holding areas to choose from. There are also numerous wrecks to be found, and these can be a haven for the bass, plus a few cod, pollack and even gurnards. It is possible to catch plaice from here too, with fish to 3lb or more a real…

Q: What headgear, if any, do you recommend I should wear on a kayak? BEN TUCKER, BY EMAIL GR says: If you are referring to helmets I leave the decision entirely in your hands. If you are fishing very close to rocks in rough water then a helmet would be ideal. However, as a beginner I doubt very much that this is the case. Helmets aside, I would advise some sort of head covering when afloat. In summer you need something to keep the sun off your face, and in winter something to keep your body heat from escaping too quickly. From baseball caps to cowboy hats, the choice is entirely yours. Q: Are there ways of keeping salt out of reels on a kayak? DEWI MORGAN, SWANSEA GR says:…

HAVING SPENT A LOT OF MY fishing time heading westwards, well away from my traditional rock-hopping haunts, a trip closer to home to one of my favourite marks along the Purbecks was well overdue. Both my enthusiasm and adrenaline were on a high as I picked up Steve Lawrence from Poole en route to what is, in my opinion, one of the most picturesque coastlines in the country. Our final destination would be Little Hedbury, a disused quarry tucked midway between Dancing Ledge and Winspit. I knew from past experience it was one heck of a walk with some steep hills to test our stamina. On this occasion we parked close to the Square and Compass pub (an excellent watering hole at Worth Matravers for those visiting the area) and…

FROM SHINGLE BEACHES TO concrete seawalls and clay cliffs, the Isle of Sheppey has venues to suit all abilities. Located on the North Kent coast, it is surrounded by the Thames, Medway and Swale estuaries. It covers 36 square miles, some of it marshland, and it was once known as the Sheep Isle. It has beaches to the north facing towards the Essex coast leading to the North Sea. This creates diverse fishing, and there is always a place to get out of the wind. 1. GARRISON POINT Situated in the north-west of the island, this is a shingle beach bordering the Sheerness docks. It rises eight to 10 metres above the seabed, which is made up of mud and sand at distance. You will find a few sandbars but…

WHEN I WAS A YOUNGSTER , if I went into a fishing tackle shop to buy hooks the person behind the counter would generally ask “freshwater or sea?” If I replied “sea” out would come a tray of crude implements with rough eyes and thick wire, all larger than a size 4 or thereabouts. Things have changed quite a lot, but there is a tendency to assume that sea fish are less discerning and easier to catch than their freshwater cousins. There’s more to it than that. Ragworms, lugworms, crabs, squid and mackerel probably make up 99 per cent of the natural baits used by sea anglers. There’s no doubt that these old faithfuls are good for many fish. Of course, there are often local specialities that do the business,…

WHETHER FROM ROCK marks, harbours, estuaries and everywhere in between, the summer species are here, and with their arrival comes some great sport. I love this early summer period – with fish all through the water column, the fishing can be extremely productive. Not only in terms of numbers, but also the added excitement lies in the possibility of catching unusual species. Over the past few years I always seem to pick up a rarity. From leopard spotted gobies and lumpsuckers, to personal best scorpion fish and squid, they always seem to happen around this time. It means every trip is tinged with a childlike excitement for catching the unknown. When it does happen, it makes for an unforgettable experience. Mostly, my tactics are to fish the different areas of…

THREE ANGLERS ON THEIR FIRST session seeking tope from the shore caught nine fish. James White, Lenny Davies and Darren Browne, all from South Shields, South Tyneside, made the trip to south-west Scotland in search of shore-caught tope. Arriving at the mark two hours before low water, they set up immediately and cast out half joey mackerel baits on pulley rigs with wire traces. Within minutes Darren landed a smoothhound, quickly followed by another five, while James and Lenny caught nothing. About two hours into the flood tide an angler fishing nearby had his rig bitten off by a tope. Once again it was Darren who had the first fish, a tope of 22lb 5oz, his first ever. “Soon we were all changing baits in the hope of some action…

BASS SHORE Richard Ayres, Redcar, 8-14*, East Newton Kevin Chillingworth, Dublin, 10-3*, Tinnaberna Karl McCullough, Carrickfergus, 7-5*, East Antrim Alan Rodmell, Fenham, 6-8*, Allonby BASS BOAT Cyril Williams, Tredegar, 12-0*, Weymouth BREAM BOAT Alan Dutton, Chippenham, 3-8*, Weymouth Terry Langlois, St Helier, 4-3, St Helier COD BOAT Ian Napier, Wimborne, 21-0, Poole CONGER SHORE Karl McCullough, Carrickfergus, 19-2, East Antrim FLATFISH SHORE Harvey Hull, Weymouth, 2-7 flounder, Portland Karl McCullough, Carrickfergus, 2-0, East Antrim FLATFISH BOAT  All caught at Weymouth unless stated Steven Clark, Norwich, 5-0 plaice Ray Gatrell, Fareham, 5-7 plaice Martin Logue, Essex, 4-8 plaice Robert Peters, Bandbury, 4-2 plaice Freddie Rostand, Bishop’s Waltham, 4-0 plaice Cyril Williams, Tredegar, 4-14 plaice POLLACK SHORE Karl McCullough, Carrickfergus, 6-4, Belfast Lough RAY SHORE John Reed, Taunton, 8-2 small-eyed*, Blue Anchor…

THOSE OF YOU WHO READ REGULAR catch reports may have noticed over recent years the increase in the numbers of big whiting being reported on rod and line from June through to January. This suggests there are natural events that result in an increase in overall numbers, which would allow more fish to reach a good size and in numbers. Inevitably, more fish avoiding predation by bigger predators and by commercial fishermen means they will live long enough to pack on some real weight. An increase in a particular food source could be another reason, allowing these fish to grow bigger, quicker, although this tends to be seen more on a local rather than national level. I think the main reason is that boat anglers now fish differently over wrecks…

I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES together. Who doesn’t? It was one of those rare occasions when everything was just right. I was heading down to Hampshire for a spot of summer plaice and bream action. With my good friend Jim Midgley, my destination, situated at the top of Hayling Island, was Northney Marina. Joining us were a couple of old friends, Dave Harper and Derek Norman, who are both seasoned sea dogs. If anyone could catch a few fish, it was these two. As I saw the sun pop up into the clear blue sky in my rearview mirror as we neared the island I just knew that we were going to be in for a great day afloat, and when we arrived at the marina, greeted with…

A S A KAYAK ANGLER, SUMMER ON the east coast has two main attractions for me – trolling for bass and anchoring for smoothhounds. Keen to vary my options, I tend to split my time between them, though I spend some time chasing species and drifting for mackerel. It’s the hounds I like best of all and what’s not to like? In many ways, the fishing is done in the same style as my winter cod fishing – anchoring on the usual rough ground off Corton-on-Sea in 30-40ft of water and fishing with breakout lead weights. The main variation is in the way I bait up. BAIT AND TACKLE While a peeler crab is said to be the best bait option and small live hardbacks around the size of a…

THE STRONGEST fishing knot connecting braid to leader is a substantial claim. Yet in the USA, Sport Fishing magazine’s fourth reader knot challenge compared 53 knots and, for heavier braid (50lb tied to 80lb fluoro), the Improved Bristol Knot rated 92.1 per cent. STEP BY STEP 1 Thread the leader line through the knotted loop of the braid. 2 Take the leader five to seven times around both strands of loop. 3 Now take tag end back under the loop and through above the leader. 4 Moisten the turns with saliva, pull at points marked 1 to tighten. 5 While pulling line at both ends, trim off tag end with sharp scissors. 6 Blob the tag end with a lighter flame to finish the knot. SEA FISHING KNOTS – FROM…

PAUL FENECH Sea Angler’s features and tackle editor Paul is here to solve your shore angling problems. GARY ROBINSON Galway-based Gary gets a thrill from fishing afloat on a kayak. Send him your kayaking queries. DAVE LEWIS Based in Newport, South Wales, our contributing editor Dave answers boat fishing questions. HENRY GILBEY Angler and photo-journalist Henry, based in Cornwall, will answer questions on lure angling. ADAM KIRBY & DAN SISSONS The Portsmouth-based duo fish ultra-light from shore and boat. They’ll provide answers on light rock fishing (LRF), the go-anywhere tactic where size of fish is secondary to the fun of catching them.…

WHEN WE TESTED THE RECENTLY launched Icon M-Sport Elite two-piece shore rods, we were suitably impressed. The powerful blanks are an upgrade to the hugely-popular original M-Sport blanks. Now, though, these have some added improvements such as Fuji KWAG guides, adjustable DPS reel seats as well as glass tip sections. There are three M-Sport Elite models in this range of rods – the Ultra, Power and Match models. Each rod is a 13ft 10in, two-piece outfit with equal sections and designed to be used with a multiplier reel. The trio of models in the Elite family is specifically designed for particular venues: Match for using over clean ground; Power for mixed venues; and Ultra when the ground is more testing and rough. Each rod possesses its own casting load too.…

PENN SQUADRON II SURF AND EURO RODS SSP: £79-99 - £89.99 If your budget is limited and you’re on the lookout for an outfit that falls into the sub-hundred quid bracket, then the Penn Squadron II should be on your radar. I remember when I encountered the original Penn Squadron three-piece outfit for the first time. It performed reasonably well and it cast well enough. However, its floppy feel meant that it fully loaded incredibly quickly, with a recovery that took an age to sort itself out. For what it cost, though, it was a lot better than most others in its category. Penn doesn’t rest on its laurels, though, and quickly sorted out an upgrade for the whole Squadron stable. Taking into account what the modern beach angler requires…

MERCURY MARINE SEAPRO 300HP OUTBOARD RRP £TBA Building on the launch of the 200hp V-6 SeaPro, the 250hp and 300hp V-8 SeaPro engines deliver durability, reliability and efficiency and complete Mercury’s full line-up of four-stroke commercial engines from 40hp to 300hp. Designed to offer higher displacement at a lighter weight, each of the Conventional MidSection (CMS) SeaPro V-8 models is the lightest in its class. They have an exceptionally compact, lightweight design with Advanced Range Optimisation (ARO) to maximise fuel economy. True to SeaPro’s workhorse heritage, the new 225hp to 300hp V-8 SeaPro models are engineered to deliver years of trouble-free performance. They are calibrated to produce plenty of torque at lower rpm levels, enabling users to work their outboards hard without placing excess stress on the engine. The new…

■ Channel Anglers SAC League and open, Bossington & Porlock, Somerset, 42 anglers: 1 Adam Farmer, Penarth, 12 fish, 12-4-9 (4pts); 2 Julian Shambrook, Torquay, 10, 25-4-0 (3); 3 Steve Liddle, Williton, 9, 25-4-0 (2). Sections – Paul Curtice, Hythe, 3, 12-4-0 & Steve Ace, 5, 19-6-0 (both 2). Heaviest fish – Andy Ellard, Weymouth, 16-12-0 blonde ray (2). ■ Furness FA Cumbria open, Barrow in Furness rover, Cumbria, 45 anglers: 1 Ged Stevens, Barrow, 3-11-0 plaice (4pts); 2 Matty Phillips, Barrow, 2-5-0 plaice (3); 3 Mark Lamb, Ulverston & Mark Worsley, Barrow, both 2-2-0 plaice (both 2). ■ North West Sea Angling Championships, Silloth, Cumbria, 69 anglers: 1 Gareth Griffiths, Barrow, 6 fish, 108pts (6pts); 2 Steve Potts, Gosforth, 4, 78.5, including longest fish, 43cm thornback ray (5); 3…

■ With £10,000 in tackle prizes spread over the two divisions, points, based on entries, are awarded to the top three, section winners and captors of the largest fish caught in each designated Penn match. Penn also awards a prize of a 525 Mag reel to the angler scoring the most points in matches shown in each issue. If there is a tie, the winner will be the angler whose total is from the greatest number of results and is then chosen on merit by the editor. An angler can win only one reel during the year. To win a prize you must be registered with the Penn Sea League – supply your name, address, phone and email. Send fixtures, results and league registration by email to the editor:…

JUNE 29: Veals Summer League rnd 6 & open, Littleton, 7.15pm-11.15pm, draw 6.15pm, pegged, one rod, three hooks, no white rag or maddies, £45 league entry, best six from seven, £15 entry all-in, book only to fish as opens, Steve 0117 926 0790. • 30: Jake and Alan’s summer open sweepstake, Carnoustie to Ferryden lighthouse, 11am-4pm, register 9.30am-10am at Victoria Park, Arbroath, weigh in closes 5pm, £15 all-in, only three wrasse (minimum size 35cm) and three pollack allowed, Federation size limits apply, Alan Combe 01592 560442. JULY • 1: Bedlington Station summer open, Steve Surtees 07888 674873. • 1: SWWASAC summer open, North Channel, 12.30pm-5.30pm, meet 11am at shoreline, Burry Point, longest single fish, longest overall length, catch & release, pegged, three hooks, 20cm minimum fish size, Peter 07599 540822.…

RESISTANCE ON THE SURFACE and a maelstrom behind the float, the garfish usually swallows its prey on the spot, but as soon as it realises something is amiss, the silver arrow will thrash around in panic. This is what makes fishing for garfish so spectacular. It’s a fish that can be caught quite easily, especially when present in large numbers (it creates lots of food envy), but there are ways to do better and garfish enthusiasts are certainly coming up with ideas easily accessible to other recreational anglers. Here’s my view on why fishing for garfish is so popular in parts of the UK, as well as across the North Sea on the coast of the province of Zeeland in Holland where I live. It’s a Dutch twist for your…

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN NO self-respecting cod angler would consider fishing a rough mark consisting of rocks and kelp without a rigid pole of a rod and a chunky tank of a multiplier. Things changed with the advent of longer rods coupled with some seriously good fixed-spool reels loaded with braid, rather than mono line. An early adopter was Paul Medd, a successful cod angler, who is also a top rod on the Yorkshire match scene and winner of Sea Angler’s Penn Sea League in 2014. Here’s his assessment of how tackle and tactics have evolved over the years and a guide to some great marks for you to try right now for cod. “Over the past 10 years more anglers have moved from multipliers with mono to fixed-spools…

WHEN CONDITIONS SEEM perfect, you can’t help but run down to your fishing spot. Gorgeous green water is just starting to fizz up in that way it does before the forecast storm arrives to mess things up for a few days, and with the tide starting to flood, you are feeling about as confident as it’s possible to be. If there aren’t a few bass on the feed then there’s something wrong, so after half-an-hour or so of fruitless fishing and working through your regular lures, you wonder what’s wrong. Enough is enough! Away go the regular lures and out comes a soft plastic that doesn’t do nearly as much in the water. After a couple of casts you finally strike into a bass – they’re here, but they don’t…

SATURDAY, MARCH 31 WAS Clive Vedmore’s last day working at Garry Evans tackle shop in Redland Street, Newport, where he has been the manager for more than 20 years. One of the most experienced and successful sea anglers South Wales has ever produced, Clive has a well-deserved reputation for always being keen and willing to share his wealth of knowledge with anyone prepared to listen. Many times when I’ve been in the shop, I have listened as Clive patiently explained the intricacies of a certain rig or piece of tackle to a customer or, for the umpteenth time that day, answered the ever-ringing phone and reported with enthusiasm on just where is fishing well at that moment. Like so many anglers of a certain generation, Clive began fishing at a…

■ This rig works well, even over rough ground, because the hook is protected from snags by being behind the lure when retrieved. ■ Positioning the hook up the lure’s body helps it remain snag-free. ■ When used on sensitive LRF tackle, it is possible to gently work the lure through rocks and patches of kelp by feeling your way through it. Not winding into snags and just gently teasing the lure through works well. ■ Like the dropsdhot rig, when you feel a bite, momentarily drop the rod back towards the fish, giving a little slack line before striking. The pause before striking is only about a second, but this, along with the soft tip of the rod, allows the fish to inhale the bait fully.…

Boat anglers have got among the tope too. While fishing from his own boat off the Gower Peninsula, Lee Smith, below, caught a personal-best tope, estimated at 60lb. The angler, from Swansea, caught it on a dab bait. A 54lb tope fell to Matt Phillips while fishing out of his local harbour at Pwllheli. He fished a mackerel bait. Tim John smashed his personal best for a tope with this superb 50lb 7oz fish. The angler, from Bridgend, was fishing on his own boat, based in Monkstone Sailing Club at Swansea, when the fish took a whole mackerel on a running leger rig. His previous best tope was 33lb. ■ This impressive ling bottomed out Paul Cullianane’s scales at 48lb. Estimated to weigh 50lb, the fish fell to a tail…

BASS ■ Shore: 19lb 13oz 8dr John S Locker ■ Boat: 19lb 4oz Wayne Milton BLACK BREAM ■ Shore: 5lb 5oz 1dr C Le Monnier ■ Boat: 6lb 6oz Tony Heart COUCH’S BREAM ■ Shore: 2lb 15oz 1dr Lynton Carre ■ Boat: 6lb 9oz 7dr Ray Fallaize GILTHEAD BREAM ■ Shore: 9lb 8oz Scott Smy ■ Boat: 10lb 2oz Roger Simcox PANDORA’S BREAM ■ Shore: 1lb 2oz Baz Wheater RAY’S BREAM ■ Shore: 6lb 1oz Jordan Colwell RED BREAM ■ Boat: 6lb 4oz Patrick Meegan BRILL ■ Shore: 6lb 12oz Mark Griggs ■ Boat: 13lb 10oz Tony Hayward TURBOT ■ Shore: 20lb 2oz Eddy Barham ■ Boat: 32lb 1oz Steve Scally BULL HUSS ■ Shore: 21lb 9oz M Urquhart ■ Boat: 23lb D Nicholson COD ■ Shore: 32lb Adrian Lloyd…

RETRIEVING A MASSIVE COMMON skate from the depths has been described as the equivalent of hauling a grand piano up a lift shaft. I’ve never had to battle with a Steinway, but I can vouch for the struggle needed to boat a big-winged ray. Many anglers dream of catching such a fish, and one of the best areas to find them is in the waters off the west coast of Scotland. This region also offers countless opportunities for sea anglers to fish afloat and from the shore and, as a result, many anglers travel to the area to fulfil their dreams of catching a fish weighing more than 200lb. It’s an opportunity not to be missed. I’d like to spend a lot more time exploring the west coast of Scotland…

Kelley’s Hero III is skippered by Bex Florence and Ian Dale. The boat is an 11-metre South Cat with twin Iveco 330hp engines, which cruises at a comfortable 18 knots and has a top speed of 26 knots. The vessel is fully coded to MCA Category 2 and has an impressive galley with oven and electric kettle. There is also a toilet on board. Prices start at just £30 per person for a half day/family trip, £50 for a full day inshore, up to £80 per head for a day’s offshore wreck fishing. To book a trip, tel: 07795 538933.…

I MAX fishing lines have long been admired be sea anglers all over the world. Ranging from mainlines for shore and boat, shockleaders plus the tapered versions and tapered mainlines, they all possess superb design, strength and abrasion resistance. The Imax Ocean Scout tapered mainline 250m spool and 10 tapered shockleaders normally cost £34.99 each. The Imax Mimicry Surf Visual and Boat Mono would usually set you back £29.99 per 600m spool, while the Mimicry Shockleader mono is priced at £9.99 per 100m spool. This month’s deal is a cracker because we’re offering you the chance to select any five spools for just 20 quid. Not only that, it’s free postage too. That means you could save up to £155 on your order. Simply choose any five items from the…

OVER THE YEARS I HAVE REVIEWED many models of Beneteau boats and always I have been impressed by their design, superb build quality and, most of all, their exceptional sea-keeping qualities. Recently I was given the opportunity to put the entire Beneteau Barracuda range of fishing boats through their paces on their home water, so to speak, during the Beneteau Barracuda Tour, which is based near Arzon on the Brittany coastline. Launched in the autumn of 2017, the Beneteau Barracuda 6 is one of the most recent additions to an already extensive range of fishing boats. This is also the smallest model within the range and it only takes a quick glance to confirm that here we have a boat that has been designed and built primarily for fishermen, by…

HOLT SAC NORTH NORFOLK BASS FESTIVAL Cley and Kelling, Norfolk, 114 anglers each day Overall winner of this popular two-day festival was Sussex angler Darren Bond, who returned the perfect result of section wins in both matches. Day 1 winner was Rob Tuck with a superb 38 fish, including two 12lb smoothhounds, for 58-1-0. He was second overall in the festival and won the heaviest fish prize. Day 2 winner was Mark Gooch with 22 fish for 27-8-0. It was agreed in advance that each day would be a separate Penn points event. However, because the event had eight zones each day, rather than the permitted five, it was agreed that zone points would be halved and rounded up. ■ Result: Overall – 1 Darren Bond, 2 zone pts; 2…

SIX FOR WINNER ■ The North West Sea Angling Championships at Silloth produced flounders, dabs, plaice, dogfish, school bass and a ray. Winner with six fish was Gareth Griffiths, of Barrow, with 108 points. IT’S HIM AGAIN! ■ Penn Sea League final winner Steve Williams won the Rutherford’s Anyfish Anywhere open at the River Tyne with 20 fish for 492cm. Longest fish was Bob Gascoigne’s 52cm codling. DEBUT VICTORY ■ In his first-ever match, Paul Stanley won the round 4 of the Veals Summer League at Littleton upon Severn. Paul landed six fish for 6lb 10oz. His catch included a 2lb 1oz bass and a 1lb 13oz silver eel.…

JULY 2008 ■ Builder Colin Wyatt was the talk of the Isle of Wight after catching a big bass from Chale beach. The 17lb 2oz fish beat the Western Wight AC club record by 2lb 2oz. He caught it on a sandeel meant for a ray. ■ It was with much sadness that we reported the passing of angling writer, Bob Gledhill. He was one of the greats of his era. ■ Holyhead ABC SAC member Paul Whittle caught a potential Welsh record spurdog of 19lb 13oz on a double squid bait while fishing on Gethyn Owen’s charter My Way, out of Holyhead. ■ David Rowe, who died in April 2018, retired, aged 66, as chief executive of the National Federation of Sea Anglers after 20 years with the organisation.…