EFSA Cod Festival
Dover
12th and 13th November
Wind from the east
The fish bite least
This year’s cod festival was fished in Dover on the 12th and 13th December with 32 entries.
The talk prior to the event was of plenty of cod around with some local entrants expecting 10 plus cod just to their rod, what a difference a few days and a change in climatic conditions make!
Day 1. Saturday saw the 4 boats heading out 2 or 3 miles off shore in a stiff breeze but with a strong wind warning issued mid morning of an imminent gale 8 it was decided all boats to fish closer inshore. All boats found some cod but nothing like the expected numbers as the results at the end of the day showed with Richard Russell on 4 cod, followed by 13 people with1 cod each leaving over half the entrants with a zero on the sheet, not the day we were expecting at all.
Day 2. Sunday and there was still a strong wind and the day came very close to being cancelled. It was decided to go ahead and fish close inshore again. With wind over tide most of the morning the boats were slewing about making it difficult to fish. When the tide turned the sea calmed down and the boats held position enabling the serious fishing to start. The day panned out similar to Saturday with few fish with 3 individuals getting most of the fish, 2 with 3 cod and 1 with 4. So bad was the fishing that 1 boat failed to see any cod landed. Total cod for the day 1 less than Saturday at 16.
Richard Russell added another cod on Sunday giving him 5 for a length of 316cm, and this gave him the winning length, this success follows his winning the Gold pin at the Line Class event in the Orkneys earlier in the year.
In 2nd place was Mick Toomer with 4 cod for 260cm, must have remembered something as Mick reckoned it was about 20 years since he competition fished.
3 rdplace went to Peter Bailey with 3 cod for 219cm. As Peter only joined us a few weeks ago this was an impressive first competition within EFSA
The Longest Cod was 86cm (in the region of 15lb) and this went to another new member Rob Shattock.
Report by Kim Bowden.
Overall
1st RICHARD RUSSELL 316pts 5 Cod
2nd MICK TOOMER 260pts 4 Cod
3rd PETE BAILEY 219pts 3 Cod
4th CLIFF NEWBOLD 203pts 3 Cod
5th ASH CURRIER 146pts 2 Cod
6th BARRY SENIOR 118pts 2 Cod
7th ROB SHATTOCK 86pts 1 Cod
8th ANDY SMITH 70pts 1 Cod
9th = MARTIN BOBBETT 69pts 1 Cod
9th = JIM PRESSLEY 69pts 1 Cod
11th ROY SHIPWAY 68pts 1 Cod
12th ROLF MARSCHALAK 65pts 1 Cod
13th CHRIS PUCHER 64pts 1 Cod
14th JAMES BOND 63pts 1 Cod
14th = STEVE GRANT 63pts 1 Cod
14th = ARTHUR BEECHY 63pts 1 Cod
17th VERNON ALLEN 62pts 1 Cod
18th GARY GALBRAITH 61pts 1 Cod
19th PERCIVAL DACK 58pts 1 Cod
20th RAY BARRON 52pts 1 Cod
All other anglers failed miserably and did not weigh in. This comment by Andy Selby who went on a boat for 2 days and who’s name is not to be seen above!