Dogfish help scene stay buoyant

IT LOOKS like the dogfish are back after their winter holidays with an increasing number of the species recorded in recent weeks, writes ALAN YATES. Dogfish have take over the sea angling world and their numbers are much increased nowadays. It’s good news for novices and competition anglers who just want fish to catch but for those after better quality species and bigger fish, dogfish or to give them their proper name, lesser spotted dogfish (LSD), are a nightmare, taking every bait you cast into the sea. That apart, the increasing population of local seals is also decimating fish stocks, other than dogfish and some species are becoming rare. Seals are blamed for failing catches in Dover Harbour and in the Kent rivers, with the River Stour particularly hard hit in the Sandwich and Canterbury stretches. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. In the sea, the thornback ray and smoothhound are on the increase while the mackerel and wrasse usually turn up in numbers at some point in the summer. As for freshwater, the huge number of heavily stocked ponds ensure there is fishing for all! At sea, if you want rod tip action it’s back to the dogfish, which is why the club competition scene is so buoyant at present. The latest Folkestone Sea Angling Association beach competition was fished in The Warren and the winner was Martin Jenkins of Dover with 6.18kg of mainly dogfish. Second was Martyn Reid of Folkestone with 4.250kg and third John Wells of Hythe with 1.890kg. The heaviest fish was a dogfish of 790grams for Reid and, with no flatfish recorded, that prize went to Jenkins for the most fish – 11. The Folkestone seniors fished their event on Folkestone pier where the winner was Mick Howland with 7lb 8oz of dogfish and dabs. Second was John Wells with 5lb 7oz and third Alan Rickards with 2lb 15oz. The Fountain Sea Angling Club fished their latest competition as a ‘rover’ on the Shepway beaches and the winner was Phil Brown with 6.694kg, mainly dogfish. Second was Michael Warne of Hythe with 4.584kg and third Ronnie Warne of Hythe with 4.016kg. The next Folkestone SAA competition is a beach ‘rover’ on June 6 which has been put back one day from the original date of June 5. Meet at the Lees lifts in Lower Sandgate Road from 6pm.