Big cash prize up for grabs in Irish festival
The 25th Irish Winter Shore Angling Festival is set to start next week and the overall winner is set to bag a cool €1,000 cash prize.
Hundreds of anglers are expected to descend upon the beaches of County Wexford between January 24 and 26 to target the huge variety of species and try to get their hands on the big money bounty.
Tickets costing €150 are still available and you can secure your spot by emailing warrendoyle@iol.ie
Prolific cod sport continues
THE prolific cod sport off the south coast has continued with Rupert Harris catching this 33lb 2oz specimen.
After taking a spot aboard the Fair Chance charter boat running out of Dungeness, Kent, the keen sea angler was taken to a deep mark two miles offshore from the Kerton Road hotspot.
In the opening stages his tip refused to budge, but it eventually wrapped round when the large specimen – which is the biggest taken on the vessel in over 12-months – fell for a cuttlefish hookbait.
To book a trip on the Fair Chance call 01797 363544.
Species hunt success
AFTER four years of trying John Shapland has achieved his target of catching 50 different species of sea fish in the space of 12 months.
Following an amazing show of dedication, commitment and raw determination the 37-year-old from Barnstaple in Devon recently completed the challenge with the capture of a thornback ray.
As well as catching more common species such as smooth hounds, dover sole and trigger fish he also banked species often overlooked by the every-day sea angler including the three bearded shore rockling, sand goby and long spined sea scorpion.
He said: “I was first inspired to try and catch so many species after hearing about a chap called Mike Thrussell who achieved a similar feat. It was a bit of a mad idea, but I have really enjoyed doing it as not many others have done it. I’ve come close in previous years but until now always fell just short. It is really hard because some of the more elusive species have to be targeted at a specific time of the year.”
37lb 8oz cod taken off the Hampshire coast
THE unprecedented glut of big cod being caught from the UK coastline has continued this week with the capture of this 37lb 8oz giant.
The fish, which is the biggest to be taken from angling boats out of Portsmouth for as long as the skippers there can remember, is one of five 30lb-plus fish taken in a a golden seven-day period for the species.
It fell to the rod of Eric Binding, who set a new cod record for his local Fountain Lake Angling Club, after picking up a large double squid hookbait in 90ft of water at a mark south of the Nab area on the Isle of Wight. After a 15 minute tug of war in a strong current, skipper of the Sea Juicer, Rob Hickin, was able to net the fish.
“I honestly thought it was over 40lb, it looked a massive cod,” said Rob. “Eric was chuffed to bits. This is the biggest one from this end of the Isle of Wight for quite some time. There have been several between 30lb and 33lb recently - it’s the prime time for them,” he continued.
