Competitors
Catches
The day before this summers contest was a beautifully calm day; crossing the bridge leading to Hayling Island I pondered how pleasureable the fishing would be tomorrow if greeted with the same balmy conditions.
The day of the contest arrived and an early start meant that I was at my chosen mark at first light. Surfable waves, strong winds and a trawler working its way over my chosen ground about a mile off shore greeted me, my second mark was visible along the beach, this had three fishing boats working the area. With a heavy sigh I made the journey back towards Hayling Island, thankfully the wind had dropped by the time I was ready to launch, the sun was out and the sea in a much calmer state than the beach 10 miles east.
The fishing wasn't going to be easy, having already been told the day before "nothing much being caught", I was hoping to capture at least a couple of species before slack tide, thankfully I did... but only a couple.
David
Morris (Starvinmarvin)
First
up a mackeral, followed by a few bream which became pests in the end stripping
every bait in minutes regardless of what it was.
Total
caught: 2 x Mackeral, 3 x Bream.
Richard
Snape (Artfulfisher)
Midnight
launch in deepest Wales. Sunrise.
Mackeral
and Pollack.
Pair
of Dogfish.
Ahhh,
tiny Pollack.
Total
: 1 x Mackeral, 2 x Pollack, 2 x Dogfish.
Paul
Fennell (Darnsarf)
Day
Break over the Solent, early morning Pollack.
Late
night Sole and Starry Smoothound.
Bass
and finally an Eel.
Total:
1 x Pollack, 1 x Sole, 1 x Starry Smoothound, 1 x Bass and 1 x Eel.
Kevin
Grey (Paintfly)
Kevin
was taken ill early on in the tournament, but not before he had caught
his first Rockling.
Total
: 1 x Rockling.
Marc
Jones
Early
start, fishing till sun-down.
Pollack
and Mackeral.
Total
: 1 x Pollack, 1 x Mackeral.
Simon
Hartley (SpeciMan)
Saltwater
Species
Bleak
and Dogfish.
Cuckoo
Wrasse, female on left, male on right.
Mackeral
and Pollack.
Pout
and Ballan Wrasse.
A
couple of freshwater species, Minnow and Roach.
And
finally a Smelt which jumped aboard, sadly not caught on rod and line,
void from the competition.
Total : 1 x Bleak, 1 x Dogfish, 2 x Cuckoo Wrasse, 1 x Ballan Wrasse, 1 x Mackeral, 1
x Pollack, 1 x Pout, 1 x Minnow, 1 x Roach.
Rupert
Kirkwood
Rupert
sent in a picture of his Grey Gurnard but we were unable to open the format
supplied.
Total
: 1 x Grey Gurnard.
Andy (KayakFishingUK)
Cod
and a "whoknowswhat" which appeared onboard, possibly swam in
through the scupper hole.
Mark
Holland (Zzippy)
Saltwater
Species
Pout
and Pollack.
Dogfish
and Poor Cod.
Corkwing
and Cuckoo Wrasse.
Ballan
Wrasse.
Freshwater
Species
Roach
and Chub.
Bleak
and Dace.
Brown
Trout and Gudgeon.
Minnow.
1
x Pout, 1 x Poor Cod, 1 x Pollack, 1 x Dogfish, 1 x Corkwing Wrasse, 1
x Cuckoo Wrasse, 1 x Ballen Wrasse, 1 x Roach, 1 x Chub, 1 x Bleak, 1
x Dace, 1 x Brown Trout, 1 x Gudgeon, 1 x Minnow
HONOURABLE
MENTIONS
Stuart
Bassey (Nifty) - Fished the wrong day!
Ballan
Wrasse and Pollack.
Mackeral
and Lobster!
Geoff
Tomkinson (Tomcat) - No Camera available
40(approx)
Bream, 6 x Mackerel, 3 x Bull Huss, 2 x Wrasse, 1 x Bass, 1 x Greater
Weever, 1 x Cod, 1 x Dogfish, 1 x Garfish.
