Here comes summer – and weights are down

Angling

High pressure and the arrival of summer has set back both sea and coarse fishing, with weights down in both disciplines.

The Folkestone Sea Angling Veterans’ event, fished at Seabrook, saw just two fish landed.

Winner was Folkestone’s Pat Rumsey with a single dogfish of 15oz. Second was Herbie Tyler with an 8oz dab.

The Martin Walters Sea Anglers also struggled for bites in the clear calm sea. Rowan, of Folkestone, finished top with just 2lb 5oz, all pouting. Second was Andrew Gainey with 2lb 1oz and third Melvin Lee with 2lb.

The latest Dungeness Sea Anglers event which was a rover fished around Dungeness was won by local angler Dave WoodBrignall with four fish for 8lb 10.5oz.

His catch included the event’s biggest fish, a thornback ray of 5lb 10.5oz. Second was Lionel Watson, of Sheerness, with 6lb 5.5oz and third Lydd’s Steve Field with 5lb 8oz. Fourth was Colm Brennan (5lb 2oz) and fifth Graham King (4lb 3.5oz).

The Dover Sea Anglers’ Wednesday competition fished from Dover’s Prince of Wales pier was won by Martyn Reid, of Folkestone, with 10 species. The mackerel are showing from the pier, best in the evenings and morning over the high tide.

The final Willing Cup event in the major midweek series of Cinque Ports Angling Society went down to the wire with Paul Musson, of Dymchurch, finishing second at Beachborough Lake to win the series with 36 points from Wesley Shrubsole, of Cheriton, on 32 points.

Match winner was Hythe’s Laurie Webster with 13,800kg, including a best carp of 3.310kg.

Musson’s weight in second was 11.40kg. In third was Bill Usher, of Hawkinge, on 7.360kg.

Radnor Park anglers competed in their latest Folkestone and Shepway Sunday League event with winner Russ Roberts fishing the reeds at the Backshall Bench where he netted 33lb 14oz of mainly carp.

Bill Wallace was runner-up with 31lb 12oz and in third was Mickey Milton with 30lb 8oz including the pool winning mirror carp of 7lb 9oz.

At the Help for Heroes charity competition at Eureka Lake Ashford, I was the winner, helped by a bonus 5.79kg mirror carp for a total of 13.55kg. Second was Richard Yates, of St Margaret’s Bay, with 13.100kg and third Deal angler Bill Legg with 10.270kg. Fourth was Tyler Clarkson, of Ashford, with 4.300kg.

The Old Codgers midweek league match fished at Canterbury AA’s Grove Lake was won organiser, Alan Caine, of Dover, with 27lb 8oz.