The Inaugural Blood Bikes Wales Open Beach Fishing Competition, organised by members from Pembroke and District Angling Club and Osprey Sea Angling Club was held on November 10 on Amroth beach (writes John O’Connor).

The weather on the day was balmy, reasonably warm and dry, dissimilar to that which had been experienced locally in the run up to and following the competition, so the weather gods really smiled on the day with only a gentle north-easterly breeze which meant the conditions weren’t far away from perfect with a gentle surf building as the tide flooded in with just a few rollers as can be seen in the picture.

This should have augured well for a good catch and indeed it was.

The turnout and support was good with 63 anglers, including four junior boys and four ladies and we thank them all very much indeed for their support.

Twenty-seven anglers, including three ladies and one junior, weighed in 40 sizeable Flounders along with five Dabs, 11 Lesser Spotted Dogfish and one Dover Sole, with other Lesser Spotted Dogfish, undersize Dabs, Bass and Flounders being caught, but not weighed in.

The winning anglers, a tie for the first time ever that I can remember, who managed to land four decent sized Flounder, for 1Kg 665gms each were local anglers Ben Cook (Pembroke) and Llewellyn Rose (Saundersfoot), netting them a share of the two prizes for bags of flatfish of £200 and £50.

The winner of the prize for the heaviest any fish was Andrew Rogers (Milford Haven) with a Lesser Spotted Dogfish of 825gms, netting him the £100 prize.

The pairs competition, in which both anglers had to weigh in, was won by Haydn Cole (Lamphey) and his partner Mark Bennett (Pembroke) with four Flounder, two Lesser Spotted Dogfish and two Dabs for 3Kg 430gms. Second with two Lesser Spotted Dogfish, two Dabs and three Flounder for 3Kg 045gms were another local pair and Saundersfoot club members Andy Young and Franco Attanasio.

The Ladies section was won by the partner of another regular visitor, who used to be local, Michelle Paton, who had a Flounder of 430gms.

One Junior weighed in a Flounder of 335gms, Finan Williams, who naturally took the Junior prize.

However, the most important result on the day was that the event, by the time all the money is in, will have raised £690 for the Blood Bikes Wales. This included the second pairs prize which Andy and Franco kindly donated to the charity, for which we thank them for their generosity.

To thank for this sterling effort, we must first congratulate the anglers from the organising clubs, you know who you are, together with Mr Ian Wilkinson, of the Temple Bar Inn, who put his premises and valued support at this event’s disposal.

Lastly, we must again thank the multitude of kind and generous sponsors of the event, who donated cash, together with those donating prizes for the raffle which will hopefully ensure the continuation of the event.

These were, in no particular order, Andy Young and Franco Attanasio, Ian Wilkinson, of the Temple Bar Inn, Shane Tucker, Peter Kraus, Chris Park, John O’Connor, David Omnet, Chris and Phil D, of Blood Bikes Wales, Llewellyn Rose, Cross Saws Inn, Pembroke, Andrew and Leigh Rogers, David and June Howell, Mike Rowe, of J & M Tackle, Pembroke Dock, Mark Bennett, Christchurch Angling and the Propeller Café at Withybush Airport.

If anybody feels aggrieved that they have been missed off this list and we hope there isn’t, we are truly sorry, but thank you, most warmly, for your continued support.

One final thing is that the whole shebang repeats itself early in the New Year on Sunday, January 12, with the 18th Annual Wales Air Ambulance Open, for which we now pray for at least the equivalent or better weather and as good a turnout and catch of fish.