Unlike the previous couple of years the weather allowed the EFSA Wales Shore Championships for the year 2011 to actually be fished in that year on December 27th & 28th at Aberavon beach and Freshwater East. Unfortunately, once again the entry was not high for various reasons, it seems that no time of the year is ideal to get maximum attendance at these events, a shame really.
The first day, at Aberavon saw all anglers catch with good numbers of fish over the 20cm minimum size being caught measured and released, out of the 84 recorded 74 were Whiting with 7 Dabs and 1 Flounder, Dog and Rockling. The leader after this first day was in fact last years winner Steve Tucker (Skewen) who had 14 sizeable fish, to put him on 479 points, there being one point per centimetre of length and five points per fish. This was a good lead of 116 points over Haydn Cole (Lamphey) with organiser and EFSA Wales Chairman Phil Lustig (Stackpole) only 16 points behind in third. So, it was all still to play for on the second evening at Freshwater East, where it would either be feast or famine, knowing this beach ,but if the fish did turn up there would be plenty of them especially Dogs and especially once it went dark.
The weather on both evenings was reasonably pleasant though a bit windy at times, more so on the second evening, though luckily the wind was from behind so fishing conditions weren’t too bad. Freshwater East that evening, for once, as can happen, fished its head off, there being 133 fish recorded, 115 dogs, 12 Whiting, 4 Ray, 1 Pollack and a Coalfish. The overnight leader Steve managed to record another 16 fish (13 dogs & 3 Whiting) to take his total points to 1117 but it wasn’t to be enough. Steve Lewis (Llangunnor), lying in fifth on 286 after the first evening had a blinder catching 21 Dogs and 2 Whiting to take his total to 1187 to get him the coveted Gold Pin which is awarded for first place. Steve had to be content with the Silver Pin for second, with Haydn back in third with 1024 points to take the Bronze pin.
So the final placings were:
1st & Gold Pin winner Steve Lewis 32 fish for 1187 points
2nd & Silver Pin winner Steve Tucker 30 fish for 1117 points
3rd & Bronze Pin winner Haydn Cole 28 fish for 1024 points
Longest Flatfish Steve Tucker Dab of 30cm
Longest Roundfish Phil Lustig Whiting of 41cm
Pairs event Steve Tucker and Shaun Tucker (Father and Son)
Pictured is the winner Steve Lewis (right) receiving his Gold Pin from organiser, EFSA Wales Chairman and EFSA Shore Festival Officer Phil Lustig.