HELD ON CHALE BEACH, ISLE OF WIGHT 16 OCTOBER 1999
We were fishing on a beach at the south-west coast of the island. There was a strong north-easterly blowing but our venue was so sheltered by high cliffs and surrounding hills that the water was almost dead calm where we were. It was also clear and as the sun shone for the first five hours we didn’t think there was much hope of landing a decent bag between us.
The cliff scenery behind us was splendid. It was from these cliffs that local paleontologists had found some of the largest fossilized dinosaur bones in Europe. Also a brand new one called Neoventenor which means “new carnivore”. Yes we talked about such things as we lay in the sun eating our packed lunch.
We exercised regularly tossing handfuls of lug, rag, squid and fish baits as far as we could. Still the sun hung there in front of us like a huge ball of fire, with out a single cloud daring to get in it’s path. A total contrast to the darkness and driving rain of Deal the previous year.
An hour into the match Barry Davies brought in a Pollack of 8oz, which he thought may win him the match. However an hour later John Downing caught two fine Pollack, one of 9oz and one of 10oz the latter of which went on to take him into joint first place for the heaviest fish.
At the other end of the beach Mark Vincent, who had been reportedly fishing in French waters had been pulling in small Wrasse by the bucket load. None of which were anywhere near size. Then he struck a two foot garfish. “It gave me the fight of my life” said Mark. It was in the same year as Barry’s fish and weighed in at 10oz to put Mark on equal top with John for the heaviest fish.
The sun sank below the horizon at last and for the last hour we thought we had more chance of landing something decent (well for most of us anything would have done). Some small Pouting decided they had held back long enough and five of these went to Mark. Graham Beck and Jerry Taylor getting one a piece to put them on the scoreboard.
The weigh in unsurprisingly did not take too long and after a grueling climb back up the cliffs (although there were wooden steps most of the way) in the dark we finally made it back to the sanity of the local pub. As Mark was IRSA champion for the second year running it was clearly his choice of venue for the year 2000 which was agreed as being Pevensey beach.
|
Competitor |
Office |
Heaviest |
Place |
Heaviest |
Place |
|
Fish |
Bag |
||||
|
Mark Vincent |
Brighton 1 |
0.10 |
1 |
2.05 |
1 |
|
John Downing |
Chichester |
0.10 |
1 |
1.03 |
2 |
|
Barry Davies |
I.O.Wight |
0.08 |
3 |
0.08 |
3 |
|
Jerry Taylor |
Worthing 2 |
0.06 |
4 |
0.06 |
4 |
|
Graham Beck |
Horsham |
0.04 |
5 |
0.04 |
5 |
Iain Colquhoun
Organiser
26 October 1999
(Now studying paleontology)