Alderney
Angling.com
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30th December I'm back!! Sorry for the delay in keeping this site up to date, a question o priorities I am afraid. However the up side is that I am back and we have a lovely new shop which is bigger and better organised than before. On the fishing side we have two additional accounts for 2007 which will be Shimano and Daiwa so look out for some good prices on their gear, also we have taken on Bayzand Sportfishing and will be supplying that stock for the new season. We will also be doing more outdoor leisure clothing and equipment as well as a selection of toys. Some pictures are attached of the shop as it stood on Monday 19th before we started filling it with stock.
My next project during the early part of the New Year is to get the two floors over the shop up to date for Bed and Breakfast so if you need anywhere to stay during 2007 then look us up. Fishing wise it hasn't been brilliant whilst the site has been down, if you go back to November we had the constant gales which made fishing incredibly difficult so very few rod hours were done. However bringing you up to date we had four anglers over from Devon during the Christmas period and although they had a few days when it was dire overall during their fortnight they picked up some good fish and at times plenty of them. They had 16 species in all which included Bass (over 80), Codling (several), Sole (some were caught during daylight! Best fish over 3lb), Plaice (only 1.......but it went 4lb 8oz), Black Bream (plenty), Red Mullet(24, best fish went 2lb 7oz I think), Grey Mullet (They were just starting to come inshore, plenty out deep being caught by the commercial boys. The party had 30 and of the four only one angler fished for them with any consistency, best fish I think went around 7lb. A couple of clonkers were lost, one of which I got the blame, apparently I was stood too close!!), Smoothounds (about ten or so of those to about 9lb, local rods have been catching them too), and of course there were other fish. They did have perfect weather throughout and now we are in another windy period when fishing is going to be difficult. Probably it will be as bad as the pictures below show. For those that know the structure of the breakwater then you'll know that those waves are pretty awesome. The boats in the foreground is a 33' Aquastar and a 27' Targa.
Anyway, that's it for now, these updates will be regular again so keep logging on. Happy New Year to you all and many thanks for your part in the success of Alderney Angling. 11th November It is still float sport doing the damage and creating the fun, plenty of fish on mullet gear with ground bait the key to it all. I even had a go myself for a couple of hours on Thursday and finished with 11 Pollack, a dozen or more Garfish and 1 Mullet which went about 4lb. Other anglers are getting Bream to 3lb 8oz and even Bass are taking the bread meant for Mullet. Baits on the bottom not doing much, Black and Couches Bream, odd Bass and bits and pieces to keep anglers amused. I managed a two hour session on the Friday at first light and had myself a Bream and a 3lb 8oz Bass on squid baits on the bottom. Several Codling have been caught from 3 different venues, just had a report of a 2lb 8oz Sole, a small Small Eyed and other bits. We need the dark nights that are about to happen and Spring tides to really spur things on.. 6th November Shore sport seems a little slow, visiting anglers catching plenty on the float for Mullet with Bream, Bass and Garfish a by product. A small Blonde reported as well as Gurnards. I unwrapped my new toy the weekend, a Hobie Mirage Kayak. It is going to take a bit of familiarising myself with it but it seems fairly cool. I've bought it primarily for exercise, as since I have been here I have managed to put on close to 2 stone, its secondary use will be for fishing! It is pedal driven, this works by using your feet in a set of pedals toing and froing which drives a pair of blades, (that look like penguin fins) that sit under the boat. It can propel you at up to 6knots and of course leaves your hands free to fish, ideal for stemming the tide for the Autumn Bassing of Winter Mulleting. You can of course use the paddles, as I no doubt will when my legs are too tired!! It is full of nik naks and storage too make life easier, the only thing I wouldn't go for was the stern and bow lockers. Way to far to move to without getting by bum out of the seat!! Watch this space, I wonder what will be my first fish?
4th November
The above pictures are the new shop as it stood at 27th/28th October and the ones below is as of yesterday. Stock room is formed, concrete in the holes to receive the posts which will support the RSJ's and bottom shelves being formed to keep stock of the floor and for storage.
Danny Le Merrier with Bella, our new puppy below, I'm not sure who was more pleased to see who!!
Oh yes, some fishing news. Bream still about to bottom baits, Bass on the plugs and plenty of Mullet around. 20 anglers over this week so lets hope something good comes from it. 31st October Some more pictures of fish from the festival. I'm dead chuffed I've got the one of the Pollack, the captor is Steve Harder (who kindly sent the pictures, many thanks Steve) and it was the fish that I would have most wanted to have caught (given the choice!). It went 11lb 6oz, some shore caught Pollack that. The two Bull Huss both went over 10lb, Steve's one which was caught before the festival and Nigel's one caught during it. You can see that by the anglers expressions, Steve is as fresh faced as a whipper snapper, and Nigel is looking like he hasn't slept for days but the muscles in his face are!!
28th October
A few more pictures from the festival kindly emailed to me from Pete Hall. The first is his terrific looking Red Gurnard, Lady champion Naomi Flower with her Thick Lipped Mullet and of course that record Couches Sea Bream of Steve Mulllins. 27th October Here we go then, the full list of category and prize winners. Overrall UK and CI Anglers win £150 a piece, 1st in each category win £150 which decreases down to 5th place. I can't remember what the winning teams and pairs go away with but no doubt I'll soon be reminded. Total payout is in the region of £4,000 plus soome half decent prizes. Many thanks to the sponsors to whom without the Festival wouldn't survive: Jack and Daphne
BEST CHANNEL ISLAND ANGLER Dick Smith (Alderney) 4 species 273%
BEST UK ANGLER Matt Pitter (Southampton) 4 species 284%
ALDERNEY RECORD This was broken three times during the festival and every year it seems one record or another goes. This year it went three times on one species, Couches Sea Bream, Kevin Frain (Jersey), Rob Blondin (Alderney) and Steve Mullins (Jersey) whom all obviously took the top 3 places on the Couches category with Steve's fish topping out at 2lb 8oz.
LE COCQS LADIES TROPHY Naomi Hall (Bristol)
LLOYDS TSB COUCHES SEA BREAM TROPHY 1. Steve Mullins 2lb 8oz 2. Rob Blondin 2lb 7oz 3. Kevin Frain 2lb 2oz 4. Serge Keenan (Guernsey) 1lb 14oz 5. John Copeland (Alderney) 1lb 6oz
MARGOT NEWTON THICK LIPPED MULLET TROPHY 1. Martin Huddart (Alderney) 5lb 12oz 2. Kevin Marshall 5lb 10oz 3. Steve Mullins 5lb 6oz 4. Lynton 'Carrots' Carre (Guernsey) 4lb 13oz 5. Naomi Hall 4lb 9oz
AURIGNY SOLE TROPHY 1. Paul Vogwell (Bristol) 3lb 1oz 2. Darren Harding (Bournemouth) 2lb 7oz 3. Adrian Coquelin (Guernsey) 2lb 5oz 4. Rod Entwistle 2lb 4oz
HARBOUR LIGHTS CONGER TROPHY 1. Darren Harding 36lb 4oz 2. Bill Scott (Southampton) 29lb 4oz 3. Paul Bisson (Jersey) 26lb 8oz 4. Steve Harder (Southampton) 25lb 8oz
SID BOHAN BLACK BREAM TROPHY 1. Matt Pitter 3lb 12oz 2. Paul Williams (Alderney) 3lb 7oz 3. Nigel Bowditch (Southampton) 3lb 5oz 4. Andy 'Dodge' Rogers (Southampton) 3lb 5oz 5. Alan Patch 3lb 4oz
RALPH DUPLAIN BALLAN WRASSE TROPHY 1. Dick Smith 6lb 5oz 2. Jack Gavey (Jersey) 6lb 1oz
MICHAEL SOWDEN BASS TROPHY 1. Malcolm Parsons (Poole) 10lb 12oz 2. Bill Walden (Alderney) 9lb 9oz 3. Steve Mullins 7lb 10oz 4. Mookie Maurice (Alderney) 7lb 8oz
BEST FISH WITH AN ALDERNEY RECORD OVER 5LB THE ERIC BUNNEY TROPHY 1. Nigel Bowditch Bull Huss 10lb 6oz 2. Andy Hedger (Bristol) Small Eyed Ray 10lb 13oz 3. Derek Spears (Southampton) Bull Huss 9lb 14oz 4. Steve Harder Pollack 11lb 6oz 5. Graham Hazell (Southampton) Bull Huss 9lb 11oz
BEST FISH WITH AN ALDERNEY RECORD UNDER 5LB THE CHEZ ANDRE TROPHY 1. Andy Hedger Dogfish 2lb 2oz 2. Dick Smith Golden Grey Mullet 2lb 8oz 3. Matt Pitter Dogfish 1lb 14oz 4. Bill Scott Dogfish 1lb 14oz 5. Mark Bourgaize (Guernsey) Golden Grey Mullet 2lb 3oz
BEST GARFISH 1. David Mann (Bournemouth) 1lb 0oz 10 dr There were others over qualifying weight but only one prize in this section.
ANDY JAMES TROPHY was won by Nigel Bowditch for his Bull Huss.
The BARBIE COSHERIL BEST FISH OF THE FESTIVAL was won by Steve Mullins for his superb Couches Sea Bream, that'll set the bench mark for next year.
THE VERMIN TROPHY FOR THE BEST PAIR 1. 'OUR SOLES' - Dick Smith and Bill Walden (that's not **soles to them, that was their chosen team name! 2. Graham Hazell and Matt Pitter
GANNETS TROPHY FOR BEST TEAM 1. Dick Smith, Bill Walden, Rob Blondin and Pete the brother in law (Sunderland I think). 2. Steve Harder, Bill Scott, Mark Plowman (Southampton) and Andy 'Dodge' Rogers.
VETERAN TROPHY 1. Jack Gavey
It is hard to pull out the best fish of the festival especially with the quality of fish landed but for me it was Steve Harder's 11lb Pollack. The quality of the fishing it has to be said wasn't up to Alderney's high standard but on and off during the week it was good, but not for all anglers. Some anglers though do only have one approach and without doubt the anglers that do best here tend to have more than 'one tool' in the box, besides where else in the UK in any given week would you find fish as varied as this with such quality, remembering too that conditions were less than perfect. Many thanks to all of you who supported the shop during the week, much appreciated. Next years dates are 6th October to 13th October.
26th October Just got back today, lots going on as usual (134 emails to start with!). A couple of photos from the Festival. Bill Scott with a personal best 9lb 1oz Bull Huss and Paul Vogwell with the winning Sole of 3lb 1oz.
As soon as I have the results I will publish them here. 21st October Cracking end to the festival. Dick Smith got another qualifier yesterday, a Ballan Wrasse of 6lb 5oz! That puts him 4-3 up, two good fish yesterday with very %'s of the local records. Other fish to go on the board were a Bull Huss of 9lb 14oz, Dogfish of 1lb 14oz, a beauty of a Pollack caught by Steve Harder of 11lb 6oz, a Bream of 3lb 5oz, a Mullet of 5lb 6oz (Steve's fish), Golden Grey of 2lb 8oz (Dicks fish). Also I failed to mention a 1lb 6oz Common Eel which was caught, it doesn't qualify for any prize (maybe a discretionary one) as there is no Alderney record for it. With one weigh in to go this is the current board. Now this is where I leave you on tender hooks. I fly out today to go to tradeshows till Thursday so I won't be in a position to do the final board but on Thursday if you haven't found out by then I will do a full list of winners and hopefully lay my hands on some photos. Conger Eel 1. 36lb 4oz; 2. 29lb 4oz; 3. 26lb 8oz; 4. 25lb 8oz; Couches Sea Bream 1. 2lb 8oz; 2. 2lb 2oz; 3. 1lb 14oz; 4. 1lb 6oz 4dr; 5. 1lb 6oz. Ballan Wrasse 1. 6lb 5oz; 2. 6lb 1oz Black Bream 1. 3lb 7oz; 2. 3lb 5oz; 3. 3lb 4oz 14dr; 4. 3lb 4oz 10dr; 5. 3lb 4oz 2dr. Plaice/Sole 1. S 3lb 1oz; 2. S 2lb 7oz; 3. S 2lb 5oz; 4. S 2lb 4oz. Bass 1. 10lb 12oz; 2. 9lb 9oz; 3. 7lb 10oz; 4. 7lb 8oz; Thick Lipped Mullet 1. 5lb 12oz; 2. 5lb 10oz; 3. 5lb 6oz; 4. 4lb 13oz; 5. 4lb 9oz. Best Fish Under 5lb 1. Dogfish 2lb 2oz; 2. Golden Grey Mullet 2lb 8oz; 3. Dogfish 1lb 14oz 12dr; 4. Dogfish 1lb 14oz 10dr; 5. Golden Grey Mullet 2lb 3oz. Best Fish Over 5lb 1. Bull Huss 10lb 6oz; 2. Small Eyed 10lb 13oz; 3. Bull Huss 9lb 14oz; 4. Pollack 11lb 6oz; 5. Bull Huss 9lb 11oz. Garfish/Mackerel 1. 1lb 0oz 10dr; 2. 1lb 0oz 6dr;
20th October Its all getting rather exciting!! Two of the top Channel Island anglers, Steve Mullins and Dick Smith, are in a right battle for the Top Channel Island Angler award. Both jointly on two fish but with Steve ahead on %'s due to his record Couches Sea Bream. Dick lands a cracking Golden Grey, 2lb 8oz which puts him in the lead. Only then does Steve land a beauty of a Thick Lipped at 5lb 8oz. So Steve still in front on %'s but Dick has clawed a few of those back. I do believe both lads will be awake all night looking for that one more species. 20th October It is harder to get fish on the board at the moment, very windy conditions yesterday forcing anglers to the less productive marks..........and the pub! Also for most of the categories now to get on the board you need a really good fish, however there are still a few weights of certain species where all you need is still the qualifying weight. A Bass of 7lb 8oz was added and a Bream which is the best Bream of the week at 3lb 7oz. Both fish fell to local anglers, Mookie Maurice and Paul Williams. I made a little mistake yesterday, Steve Mullins has two species, not three. It created a little stir, shows I should stick by what I read and not what I am told! The Top angler for both UK and CI is still all too play for with 3 or 4 anglers in each category vying for that top spot and doing their best to fish 24 hours solid. The top teams and pairs are also calculating their own points and of their competitors to formulate their plans for today , tonight and tomorrow morning when it is all over for another year at 12.00pm. If your reading this and thinking it all sounds too competitive, there are those that are here for the craic too and not so serious. As anywhere there is a right cross section of anglers, some have been coming for 20 years and just like to meet up with old friends and some are just here for the fishing, if they get on the board then that is a bonus. Others also know that this is the place you need to be to have a chance of that fish of a lifetime, or simply the fishing is better here than on their own doorstep. Whatever they're here for in the main most have a great time. 19th October A few more additions to the board. Dave Mann got the Garfish off and running with a fish over a 1lb, Steve Mullins has added a Bass of 7lb 10oz taking his tally to three qualifying fish. A 5lb 10oz Mullet got added to the board last night. All spaces now taken up for Black Bream. Jack Gavey had a cracking Wrasse too, 6lb 1oz. We have got 30 to 35 mph winds here today from the South so fishing won't be easy, there will even be a big swell on the north side too because we are moving on to Spring tides. Full board to date below: 18th October I messed up a bit this morning by not writing down any more additions to the board so this is from memory (you'll see how small that is), there wasn't many anyway. One definite was my brother Darren with a 36lb 4oz Eel from the harbour! That's his second fish on the board, one more and he will put himself in contention for Top UK Angler. A Red Gurnard went on the board caught by Bristol angler Pete Hall, that went around 1lb 8oz, and that's the whole of my memory log....shame eh!. There were a couple more so I'll update those tomorrow. Tides are getting bigger and there have been more Bream, Gurnards and Red Mullet caught. High winds tomorrow for 24 hours so we'll see plenty of anglers in the pub and then there is just two days to go. A lot of the more competitive anglers are 'power' napping, dead tired most of them and not as coherent as they were last Saturday! 17th October Pictures below are of Bill with his 29lb Eel, Andy with his near 11lb Small Eyed Ray, Darren with his 2lb 7oz Sole and the Dogfish swimming away is Matt Pitters qualifier, Matt was a little shy to be seen having his photo with it ("What a dogfish????")!! Incidentally the Sole swam off as did the Ray.
More quality fish added to the board, two Small Eyed Rays have gone on, Matt Pitter (Southampton) had one of 9lb 15oz and Andy Hedger topped that with fine of 10lb 13oz. Local lad Martin Huddart got a cracking Mullet of 5lb 12oz to top that group, Couches Sea Bream is now full up, plus there has been other fish added to the full list. The Conger category has been topped of by a fish 29lb 4oz caught by Bill Scott. Still four days to go. The full list of qualified fish below, top 5 in each category will win cash prizes, where now there is a full category to get on the board you must beat 5th position and not the qualifying weight. Just side stepping the festival I've mentioned the new shop a few times. I've started knocking out a few walls so I thought I'd start putting some pictures up to see if you can get an idea of the size of it. We also intend doing B&B for next year as it is 3 storeys, these pictures though are of the bottom only which will be the shop. The first picture is weekend before last when we started, the last is last weekend, and now the wall you can see in the background, that's gone as well!
16th October Steve Mullins from Jersey who broke the Channel Islands Tope shore record two years ago has only gone and done the same with the Couches Sea Bream. The fish weighed 2lb 8oz and would break the existing UK which has two fish pending from earlier this year. Congratulations Steve. Other fish to have been added top the board is an Eel of 26lb 8oz, Bream of 3lb 4oz, Mullet of 4lb 9oz and another Bull Huss of 8lb 5oz. A third Bass has been added to but I never wrote the weight down?? It went about 6lb 8oz I think. I have also heard of Tope picking up baits and biting off so expect to see one or two of those landed during the week. Bigger tides on the way so we'll see more of the unusual species I believe although I have to say there has been quite a bit of fish caught and returned due to the high qualifying levels. Predominant species seem to be Sole (I have heard of a dozen or so fish over 2lb), Bream, Wrasse, Garfish and Bass. Conditions still aren't favourable, the wind has been strong over the last 24 hours making many fishing marks unfishable and of course this is cutting down on the marks available to fish. Heavy rain and thunderstorms this morning. Winds are swinging to the SE and then S over the next couple of days so we will see better fishing, expect to see Ray as it opens up at least one of the marks, and then late Thursday and Friday we have atrocious conditions, we'll have winds approaching 50 MPH by the looks of it! I'll do a full board listing tomorrow. P.S. I have just found out that there is a 2lb 15oz Couches caught earlier this year which will be the new Channel Island record, not Steve's as I thought. Great fish though and it will be a new Alderney record. 15th October A great start in unfavourable conditions, stiff Easterly winds! First weigh in saw a Couches bream of 1lb 4oz, a Black Bream of 3lb 1oz and a Thick Lipped Mullet of 4lb 7oz. The next one at midnight saw a lot of fish go on the board. If you are unaware each species has a minimum weight it needs to attain, in the aid of conservation this weight is high and comparable to local records. If it beats this weight it goes on the 'board', if when the first five places are chalked up to then get on the board later in the week the minimum weight is then the weight of the fish in 5th place. There are prizes for each fish on the board at the end of the week and the angler with the highest %'s of fish that have made the board added up is the winner. So the midnight weigh in...........3 Bull Huss were added, 10lb 6oz, 9lb 11oz and 9lb 4oz. 2 Sole 3lb 1oz and 2lb 4oz, another Thick Lipped of 4lb 13oz, 2 Bass, one at 10lb 12oz and 9lb 9oz, another Couches at 1lb 5oz and a Dogfish of 2lb 2oz. I think there is about 110 anglers that have entered. 14th October Here we go then, today is the day...............that is day one of the Alderney Festival. Fishing starts at 12.00pm today and doesn't finish till 12.00pm next Saturday, glorious. Weather is ok at the moment although the wind will get to a stiffish easterly by midnight and due to last till tomorrow night. Fishing has been ok, some of the lads have pre-fished Thursday and Friday and have already had Bullhuss well in to double figures, Bream have been about in good numbers and there has been some stonking Mackerel. Plenty of Golden Grey Mullet too which I think for most anglers will be the target species to start with. I will be reporting daily on here during the festival so keep logged on. Unfortunately I'm not fishing myself as I am getting another shop ready to move in to, gutted but then when I get back in to my fishing routine I'll realise how lucky I am to be here. 5th October I couldn't resist the drop in wind for a bit of plugging last night from the boat, definitely in need of a break of some sort had to be done. I took Glen Cairns skipper of Valkyrie with me as he was in port. Between us we had 3 Bass and 2 Pollack with the pictures of our best fish below, Glens was around the 7lb 8oz mark and mine went 10lb 8oz. Cracking bit of fun for a couple of hours.
3rd October If there isn't no fish about then there is always a chance of a decent lobster, this one went 3lb 8oz. Fair play to Des as he returned it.
Interestingly it looks as if the water temperature is dropping The last 24 hours has seen a definite decline, it's now close to 17C, lets hope this kick starts the fishing. 2nd October Below is a cracking Bream caught by Ian Harris and beneath that is an extract from an email he sent, that then gives you an idea of the sort of fishing that is available at the moment, however ................................ some anglers are really struggling as well. The windy weather over the weekend hasn't helped and made marks restrictive and I guess when its not going for you you tend to ease of with the effort.
The 3lb 7oz fish was one of the 40 or so bream myself and fellow pals Graham Stott and Ray Cartwright caught during our 10 day holiday. We also caught Bass, Pollack, Wrasse, Garfish, Conger and Mullet during our stay - nearly all of the fish were safely returned. All of the Bream were caught on coarse fishing float rods and 6lb line - they really scrap on this gear. On top of this though Bass are still coming out to plugs, the better fish in the 5lb region. Boat sport for those that nip out between the blustery conditions or stick to The Swinge have found plenty of Brill and Bass, and probably what will be the last of the Mackerel. You'll notice that my own sport has been curtailed by one thing and another, a combination of a busy summer and also the amount of traffic that the Consultation Document for the Proposal of Bag Limits for the visiting charter fleet has generated has been phenomenal to deal with. The next thing now that will stop me for a bit is the impending move to the new shop, bigger premises with a better shape to it but a large amount of work to take place to get there, shucks. I'll keep looking at the boat swinging about on the mooring and wondering what that Bassing is like!! The festival is due to start in 12 days. There are still plenty of places available but I suggest get your entrance forms in ASAP to prevent any last minute rush. |
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