Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Hogben and Morris secure festival honours
Sea angling
The Herne Bay Angling Association and the Heron Angling Society held their annual boat festivals over the weekend in good conditions and skate were the species that decided the winners with whiting yet to arrive in any great numbers.
Chris Hogben won the HBAA competition with an aggregate weight over the two days of 48.69lb while Tony Morris won the Heron’s threeday match with an impressive 155lb 6.8oz of fish.
On the Saturday Heron members chose to fish the Weir but the area was teaming with pin whiting. Fishing was frantic but little was being bagged and as a result two boats headed closer to shore in search of skate which produced the best weights of the day.
Morris led the way with two rays among 53 other fish for 39lbs 15oz, while less than 2lbs separated Ben Morris and Mick Morris in 2nd and 3rd with Mick claiming the heaviest fish of the day at 9lbs 9oz.
D Morris landed a bass of 4lbs 6.6oz to win the Derek Line Bass Trophy while the junior boat competition was won by L. Perry-french with a very respectable weight of 17lbs 14.4oz.
The weather on Sunday was less favorable with a little rain and a stronger SW wind than the previous day.
Although only six anglers ventured out, fish numbers were up with Tony Morris continuing his impressive streak bagging six rays towards his day’s weight of 68lbs 7.6oz.
Mick Morris and Ben Morris continued the tussle for second spot with their aggregate weights separated by just 2.2oz.
Day three saw the wind drop marginally but again just six anglers headed out all from the Morris family.
All managed to continue the catches of skate, dogfish, dabs and whiting but Tony Morris emerged as winner for the third straight day and the battle for 2nd was decided by a difference of just 8.5oz in favour of Ben Morris. Heron results: Class 1, Aggregate: T. Morris, 155lbs 6.8oz Class 2, Heaviest 1 day catch: T. Morris, 68lbs 7.6oz Class 3, Greatest number (1 day): M. Morris, 47fish Class 4, Heaviest catch round fish (1 day): L. Perry-french,
Class 5, Greatest No. Round fish (1day): Class 6, Heaviest catch flat fish (1 day):
Class 7, Heaviest fish:
B. Morris, 38 fish K. Morris, 2lbs Class 8, Greatest Variety (1 day): D. Morris, 4 varieties Class 9, Heaviest 1day catch by a lady: R. Gower, 12lbs
Class 10, Heaviest 1day catch by a senior:
In the HBAA competition William Weller returned the heaviest catch on Saturday, weighing 30.06lbs followed closely by J. Monk with Chris Hogben in third place with 19.56lbs.
On Sunday most of the boats fished in the inshore marks just west of the Pier Head which was where Hogben returned with five skate and a mixed bag of dogfish and whiting to take topspot with 27.13lbs, which combined with his Saturday catch gave him an overall winning weight of 46.69lbs to take the Championship Shield. Results, Class 1 (Heaviest 2 Day Catch):
Class 2 (2nd Heaviest 2 Day Catch):
Class 3 (Heaviest 1 Day Catch): Barry Day 31.73lbs Class 4 (Greatest 1 Day Number): Mick Pritchard 44 fish Class 5 (Heaviest Fish): Chris King 9.36lbs (Skate) Class 6 (Heaviest 1 Days Catch of Round fish): Joe Monk
Class 7 (Greatest No of Round fish): Class 8 (Heaviest 1 Day Catch of Flatfish): Class 9 (Greatest No of Flatfish on any 1 day): Class 10 (Heaviest Catch of Skate on any 1 day):
Class 11: Special Classes - Class 12 (Over 65s): John Hards 10.50lbs Saturday Team Drawn at Random: C.hogben, N.witton,