Islands of Guernsey Autumn Angling Challenge

Final Results

By Peter Perrio

In association with Daiwa and Condor Ferries

What can I say….. Unfortunately there were no fireworks to report in November – in fact it was something of a damp squid (pardon the pun).  Despite the best efforts of all the visiting anglers, nobody deigned to enter a qualifying fish – and this at a time when prime specimens and LOADSA PRIZES were there for the taking.  The attached extract from the results for the Guernsey Specimen Fish Hunt

The third competition produced a number of good fish, including a 6-11-14 ballan wrasse, 7-15-1 bass, 3-7-1 black bream, 9-11-5 bull huss, 1-8-1 garfish, 1-14-7 golden grey mullet, 5-6-13 grey mullet, 2-1-0 red mullet and a 2-13-6 sole.

Winner of the Fish Hunt for the second year in succession and a record equaling fourth time overall was Sam Robins. Over the three legs he landed 11 different species, a record in the 13 years of the competition.

His catches made a very impressive list, for they consisted of a 4-0-8 grey mullet, 1-2-8 red gurnard, 1-2-0 poat, 2-3-12 lesser spotted dogfish, 6-7-3 ballan wrasse, 1-9-2 red mullet, 1-3-9 three bearded rockling, 9-11-5 bull huss, 7-15-1 bass, 2-7-9 black bream and a 1-3-10 golden grey mullet.

He was well rewarded for his efforts for besides taking home the Specimen Hunter Trophy, he also won £1,095 of cash, vouchers and assorted tackle.

Another big winner was Andy Gilbert. He won £1,095 for breaking a Bailiwick shore record, his winning fish being a 2-6-9 Couch’s sea bream.

This catch has also been accepted by the British Record (Rod-Caught) Fish Committee as the new British record.

The fact that 17 different species were recorded during the Fish Hunt confirms the excellent, varied fishing available to Bailiwick anglers.

Other shore catches include a 5-2-0 black bream caught in Sark by Helen Plummer, a 6-7-15 ballan wrasse by Mike Weysom and a brace of grey mullet by Tony Ozard, the two fish weighing 6-14-11 and 6-8-5 have been included (to whet your appetites for next year’s event!!) & show just what is possible here in the autumn months, but remember – if you’re not in you can’t win. 

Not to rub salt in the wound – but even a paltry pout or a desperate doggie could have put you in the money.

Or could it be that the challenge was just too tough??

 I suppose that we’ll have to wait for next year’s event for you to prove me wrong on that score!!

December

And now for something completely different (thank goodness!)

In this section a late season visit paid off in trumps for one party of anglers fishing in Alderney.  In the space of three frenzied days they virtually cleaned up the December prize table, and then some. Bob Hackworthy led the way with a fantastic thick lipped Grey Mullet of 7-12-08 which was sufficient to earn him the Monthly Section prize of £500 worth of Daiwa fishing tackle vouchers, and a mini break holiday at.  For good measure they also recorded grey mullet of 7lb 6 ozs and 5 lb 13 ozs which were just not good enough to make the grade!!

Winners of all the December designated section prizes are listed below:

For those not lucky enough to get amongst the winnings in the designated species sections, there was some small compensation to be found in the Other Species Prize Pool:

Each of the following receives an equal share of the £1000 Daiwa tackle voucher pool (£200 voucher)

That leaves it only to announce the overall Grand Champion of the inaugural Islands of Guernsey Autumn Angling Challenge

Despite the superb late challenge from Messrs. Hackworthy, Nicholls, and Co. mentioned above, our original conger king Darren Harding managed to cling on by the skin of his fishes teeth to a slender lead all the way from October, finally winning out by the narrowest of margins – less than 4%.

This means that another £500 worth of Daiwa tackle vouchers will be winging their way to Darren, along with his short break holiday courtesy of The Clubhouse at La Collinette Hotel in Guernsey, and his original £500 monthly prize, making him truly a GRAND Champion.

Thanks to everyone who has participated in the launch of this great new competition, especially Daiwa Sports, Condor Ferries Limited, Total Sea Fishing, Andrew Chambers of La Collinette Hotel, Sandra Berry of Del Mar Court Self Catering Holiday Apartments and Paul Armorgie of Stocks Hotel in Sark

Watch the web for details of the 2004 Islands of Guernsey Autumn Angling Challenge – next time it could be you!