Following blizzards and gale force winds, the two days before the competition, competitors had great expectations of catching some winter fish. However, we awoke at the Portland Heights Hotel to a beautiful sunny day with virtually no wind although a few hangovers were evident.

After an arduous walk along the pebbles we found the water gin clear and flat calm. It seemed certain that very few codling or whiting would show up and unfortunately this proved to be the case.

Having adopted a measure and release system at least there were some fish to measure and quite lengthy ones at that - Garfish!

[Photo copyright & courtesy of The Aquarium Project]

(Click here for more photos and help with identifying fish species)

Once anglers, especially those from 'up north', who had not previously fished for Garfish, (and were not prepared) realised the techniques involved, they were extremely inventive in putting together makeshift floats. All manner of flotsam and jetsam washed up on the beach was recycled into a fishable float. There were sticks, corks, empty plastic drink bottles and Derrick Anderson even managed to make one from a rubber glove and top off a DW40 can (and it worked). [Sorry Derrick you should have got a prize for that bit of ingenuity!]

Others who wanted to continue trying bottom fishing slid a baited hook down the line and this also proved to be a excellent method with some of the fish almost taking off from the water to attack the bait.

The best fish of the day went to Steve Ives (Hull Prison Service) with a Garfish measuring 27.5 inches.

The best bag of the day went to Dave Gravett (although shown as a guest in the results is in fact a member of the Post Office Sports Club and is soon to be a CSSC member) with a whopping 15 fish to his credit and a total length of 294 inches!

All fish were returned to the water alive in the interests if conservation and our competition will be fished in this way in all future years. A beautiful Shad of about 16 inches was caught and returned to the water but did not count.

Back at the hotel old friendships were renewed and new ones cemented following our meeting, raffle and awarding of prizes and the talk soon got around to 2002 when we visit Pwllhelli, North West Wales and to 2003 when we head north of the border to Oban on the west coast of Scotland.

Special thanks go to the Weymouth Angling Centre who supplied quality bait to our competitors and who were very generous in sponsoring the event by giving generous discount on tackle for our prizes! (Click here to visit the Weymouth Angling Centre web site)

Thinking of our friends!

We were sad to learn that James Marshall (Greenock) and Adrian Horner (Hull) have been very ill recently and could not attend this years competition. We wish them both a full and speedy recovery and hope to see them both back next year.

On a brighter note Derrick Anderson (Scarborough) was back with us following a successful heart bypass and was seen skipping about like a six year old! Nice to see you back Derrick!

Iain Colquhoun

Organiser

13/11/01

Please note that Barry Davies (I.O.W.) will be organising next years event along with local organiser Graham Land (North Wales) however, I won't be far away! :-)

RESULTS - Individual longest fish - Individual longest bag - Team longest bag

Fist photos here now!!

Back to CSSC NOSAC home page

Home