Pevensey Bay, near Eastbourne - 21st October 2000

There had been floods in the area in the past weeks and when I arrived on the Friday evening it looked very much like more of the same with a strong southerly wind and driving making sea conditions dangerous. However, next morning the wind dropped and the rain stopped. A generous cloud cover, light breeze and the brown coloured sea, as a result of the storm, meant we were in luck for a change and a good days sport was possible.

After meeting at the Pevensey Bay Fisherman's Club we had our peg draw and having decided, following our local organiser's advice, to start and finish the match later than planned we drove a mile or so further round the bay where we had good access to the steep shingle beach. We took up positions having a groin apiece. Our first casts for most of us produced bites if not a fish and we then knew that six hours of hectic fishing lay ahead.

Although a few small Bass showed on the very first cast these beautiful and highly prized fish soon disappeared and gave way to the expected quarry of Whiting with a sprinkling of Pouting. Although we were often pulling in two or even three at a time unfortunately not all the whiting and Pout were within the size limits and for every ten whiting caught maybe only one would be over the 11 inch size limit and hence recorded.  

The Whiting were present in great numbers, probably feeding on the thousands of slipper limpets that had been washed near the shore during the previous evenings storm. We hardly had time to have a snack or a coffee the fishing was so fast. The trace of up to three hooks was baited with worm tipped with mackerel, squid or limpet and then cast out. The line was tightened and the rod placed in the rod rest to enable the angler to bait up the second "spare" trace. However, sometimes the Whiting were taking the bait as soon as the line hit the water and it became a race to unhook the fish, re bait and cast out again. We all fished like this for six hours with only a short lull in the action around high water. During the last two hours we fished in darkness with only our "portable" artificial lights to help. these two hours proved most productive with most anglers catching two or three fish each cast.

For the last twenty minutes we were treated to a nearby spectacular firework display. The quoted reason for the display ranged from "Peter must have caught a fish" to "I am glad I didn't have what Barry had for lunch" and "we do finish of these competitions in style these days although a whistle or a gun would suffice". Pity was we didn't have a lot of time to watch the display.

Back at the Fisherman's Club for the trophies, a bite to eat and a 'dance' in our honour (bit loud though, so the speeches were kept short). 

Congratulations to Jerry Taylor who weighed in the heaviest fish and took the pool of £16. (Let me know if you need a hand spending all the money Jerry! Jerry didn't get the trophy but will do in November after it has, like the Olympic flame, traveled the country from Chichester with John leading off to Worthing via Otterspool with Mark undertaking the final leg.

Congratulations also to Mark Vincent who landed the heaviest bag for the third year in a row. we decided to let him have the Heaviest Bag trophy again as he had not only won but also proved to the organiser that he could get his name carved on it at a more reasonable price than last year when he must have bought the engravers shop (and we all thought Timpson's was a shoe shop).

Mark also deserves our thanks as local organiser for finding us all and excellent venue, perfect weather and loads of fish (still don't know how he managed the firework display and the evening entertainment - just hope it's not coming out of the IRSA budget)!

We are now all looking forward to next years championships and another adventure at Dungeness Point next November.  What will happen there who knows but just watch this space!

 RESULTS

PHOTOS

Click on the photo to view full size.

Jerry Taylor in his ticket booth.	Barry Davies concentrates on crisps.
Mark Vincent reeling them in.	And just to prove it.
Graham Beck with "crowd in awe".	Peter Gallagher in best bib and brace.
Neil Robinson concentrating on his rod.	John Downing fishing "into dark"!

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