Weymouth was the venue for this year’s English boat championship held on the 2nd and 3rd of July. Unfortunately, we were unable to have the usual registration on the evening before the event. The first opportunity to meet up with most of the other competitors was at The Sailors Return on Saturday morning where breakfast was available, and competitors could finalise teams etc.
DAY 1 Four boats set off from the harbour with thirty anglers aboard. The strong South Westerly wind made for a choppy and damp ride for the boats that headed out to sea straight away for the spoil grounds with a couple opting to try inshore for fresh mackerel first and search for pollock and wrasse. Fishing was a bit uncomfortable with the boats swinging around in the small tide. There were not a lot of fish, and it was often awaiting game. Bream, dogfish, strap conger, gurnards and one or two ray made up the catch on the spoil grounds for most anglers. A move to a different part of the grounds saw more of the same. In the afternoon, some boats went more inshore to anchor up on the mud looking for dogfish gurnard and rays with the occasional conger finding the baits.
Boat winners on day 1 were Gary Galbraith on Snapper with 107 points, Mark Smith on Al’s Spirit with 88 points, Kevin Preston on Offshore Rebel with 82 points and Gary Geoghegan with 58 points.
DAY 2 With the wind having eased and gone more Westerly the fishing was going to be easier. The boats stopped off outside of the harbour for fresh mackerel for bait and then it was drifting the Hood and other parts of the harbour wall area for pollack. This was followed by most boats going out to the spoil grounds to anchor up for similar fishing to Day 1. Then as yesterday boats came inshore to fish the mud.
Boat winners on day 2 were Gary Galbraith on Meerkat with 68 points, Martin Bobbett on Snapper with 82 points, Ash Currier on Al’s Spirit with 92 points and Rolf Marschalek with 80 points on Offshore Rebel.
Weymouth Angling Club was the venue for the presentation. Following the raffle, Vice Chairman Ray Ashby presenting the awards assisted by Kim Bowden.
With two boat wins for 200% Gary Galbraith was top angler and gold pin winner. In second place with 190.66% taking the silver pin was Matt Osborne. Third spot and bronze pin winner was Martin Bobbett with 186.21%.
Four Man Open was won by the team of Gary Galbraith, Gary Geoghegan, Brett Lomas and Matt Osborne
Two Man Open was won by Martin Bobbett and Ash Currier
Four Man Drawn was won by Gary Galbraith, Jon Law, Colin Searles and Barrie Senior
Top Senior was Barrie Senior
Longest Bream was caught by Ray Barron a fish of 38cm
Links to the full results can be found below.
Many thanks to the skippers for all their efforts to find us fish, to Weymouth Angling Club for allowing us to use their clubhouse for the presentation and to Andy Selby for arranging the bait and all the organisation to make sure the event went ahead following the issues with covid.
Results
Gallery
