THE 16th Wales Air Ambulance Open Beach Fishing Competition, organised by members from Pembroke & District Angling Club and Osprey Sea Angling Club was held on January 14 on Amroth beach in South Pembrokeshire.

The winning angler who landed four half decent sized flounder, for 1Kg 465gms was visiting Swansea angler Carl Campion, netting him the first prize of £200. Second was North Pembrokeshire rod Alex Williams from Keeston, Haverfordwest, who bagged the heaviest Flounder of the day of 815gms netting him the £100. In third place was local Tenby angler Gareth Protheroe, who, like the winner also had four Flounder but for 1Kg 380gms, taking home the third prize of £50.

The pair’s competition, in which both anglers had to weigh in, was won by Gareth and his partner Mike Mather with five Flounder for 1Kg 745gms. Second with three Flounder for 1Kg 75gms were Colin Butler and Tom Fisher Pembroke and third, also with three Flounder, but for 1Kg and 35gms were Steve Parry and Mal James, with Steve Parry also winning the Stewards Draw.

The junior section was won by Jasmine Nicholas who had a Flounder of 360gms beating the second placed junior, Seth Rowlands by 20gms as he had a Flounder of 340gms.

The Ladies section was won another junior, a girl naturally, as no senior Lady managed to trouble the scales. This was Jasmine’s sister, Eden with a Flounder of 335gms.

However, the most important result on the day was that the event, by the time all the money is in, will have raised £790 for the Wales Air Ambulance pushing the total raised over the 16 years this competition has been running, probably in excess of £20,000.

Organisers thanked anglers from the clubs involved, together with Ian Wilkinson of the Temple Bar Inn.

They also thanked generous sponsors of the event, who donated cash, together with those prizes for the mega raffle which ensured continuation of the event’s great success. 

These were, in no particular order, Ian Wilkinson of the Temple Bar Inn, Shane Tucker, Wheeler’s Embroidery, Andrew Skeels, Osprey Sea Angling Club, Glamal Engineering of Cardiff, Grainger Tubolt of Pembroke Dock, Howells Engineering of Pendine, Phoenix Saxton of Cardiff, John O’Connor, Alex and Denis Nicholas, David Brayford, Jewson’s of Pembroke, Andrew and Leigh Rogers, Haydn Cole, Tony Ormond, Pembrokeshire Building Supplies of Milford Haven, Lawson HIS of Southampton, Sticks and Stones of Milford Haven, Simon Safety of Neyland, Sascha Dicks, Mark Bennett, Baron Woodward, Davies Decorators of Pembroke Dock, PMS Autos of Haverfordwest, St Brides Hotel of Saundersfoot, the Buccaneer and the Hope and Anchor of Tenby and Rhyal Engineering of Milford Haven.

The next competition will be held on Sunday, February 18, the 11th RNLI Annual Fishing Open, in aid of the local lifeboat stations at Angle and Tenby.