Morris men dominate in Heron’s spring festival

Sea angling

The Heron Angling Society’s spring boat festival can often throw up a few surprises – and this year’s event was no exception.

Fished over Saturday and Sunday, 15 competitors took to their boats in steady south west winds.

Saturday saw decent catches of smoothounds and skate caught with whiting and dogfish ever present.

The biggest fish of the day fell to Mick Morris with a ray of 11lb 11.4oz while his brother Tony and Tony’s son Ben both had hounds just shy of 9lb each.

Tony Morris also had to return a nice bass of 2lb-plus under current bass legislation but led the way after day one with 29 fish weighing more than 69lb.

Sunday was much quieter for most in terms of catch rate with the flood tide especially slow. Nonetheless, there were still some notable catches made.

David Morris – Tony and Mick’s nephew – kept it in the family returning from Swalecliffe with eight rays up to 9lb and won the day’s event with 52lb 4oz while his partner R.cimino bagged a double hound at 10lbs 11.6oz, beaten only by S. Mannering’s 12lbs 5.4oz specimen.

Junior member Bradley Perry- French brought a thornback ray to the scales which weighed an incredible 15lb 0.4oz and won him a specimen medal.

The day’s results made little difference to the final standings but it was great to see some good fish weighed in. Results, Saturday top weights: 1st T. Morris, 29 fish, 69lb 1.1oz; 2nd M. Morris, 17 fish, 50lb 10.8oz; 3rd B. Morris, 18 fish, 44lb 15.8oz Sunday top weights: 1st D. Morris, 13 fish, 52lb 4 oz; 2nd B. Perry-french, 22 fish, 41lb 13oz; 3rd M. Morris, 16 fish, 38lb 2.7oz Class winners, Aggregate two day weight: 1st T. Morris, 102lb 12.1oz; 2nd M. Morris, 88lb 13.5oz; 3rd D. Morris, 73lb 13oz. Greatest number on one day:

Heaviest fish: B. Perry-french, 15lb 0.4oz Heaviest catch, skate: D. Morris, 46lb 11.4oz Heaviest catch, round fish: B. Morris, 40lb 11oz Aggregate weight by a junior: L. Perry-french,

Heaviest catch by a senior: Greatest number of varieties:

Junior Bradley PerryFrench with his specimen skate