CONNOR Hallett was top of the class in the first match of the juniors’ Saturday League season, clinching the Fred Tolley Memorial Trophy on the East Pier at West Bay.

Only nine juniors signed on to fish but hopefully numbers will start to build as the season progresses.

The fish were also a little scarce, with only crabs showing for the first half of the match.

Aaron Chambers finally landed one, a small but welcome flounder, which unfortunately dropped off halfway up the pier.

However, Hallett managed to bag a 17g flounder in the last hour to give him the trophy and all the other prizes on offer as well.

The junior section would like to thank sponsors Watchouse Cafe, Kay Guppy and Richard ‘Tiny’ Daw for their support, while additional prizes on the day came from Style Tiles, John Coombs and Mike Hallett.

The next junior match will be held on April 26 at East Pier, West Bay (noon).

Overall winner: Connor Hallett Heaviest flatfish: Connor Hallett (17g flounder) First, last, smallest and most species: Connor Hallett Wooden spoon draw: Danny Cowburn

SHORE REPORTS

Andy Neal Rover

ANGLERS fished from Portland to Eype, with the island producing wrasse while Chesil was very slow.

Heaviest bag: 1 O Mears (5,640g), 2 C Horton (2,215g), 3 S Skinner (1,400g)

Most species: PJ Wheeler 3 (ballan wrasse, dogfish, five-bearded rockling)

Heaviest fish: P House (shore rockling, 320g)

Seatown

A PLEASANT evening and gentle breeze saw a good turnout for the first spring match of the year.

1 S Bowditch (930g), 2 L Windsor (710g), 3 Lynn Mudford (590g)

Heaviest fish: L Windsor (dogfish, 710g)

Most species: PJ Wheeler 2 (dogfish, five-bearded rockling)

West Bay

POOR conditions led to only a few anglers fishing the match and only eight fish came to the scales.

1 P House (710g), 2 O Mears (355g), 3 S Fowles (45g)

Heaviest fish: P House (dogfish, 710g) No outright winner for species pool

Bexington (daytime)

FOURTEEN anglers fished this daytime match with only five weighing in – PJ Wheeler and Ollie Mears caught their full house of dogfish again.

1 O Mears (4,920g), 2 PJ Wheeler (3,320g), 3 A Cullingford (990g)

Most species: P House

Heaviest fish: O Mears (dogfish, 855g)

Andy Neal Rover

A DECENT night’s fishing was had with seven different species coming to the scales. Adam Cullingford set a new club record with a 220g five-bearded rockling.

1 S Harwood (3,940g), 2 A Cullingford (3,890g), 3 L Windsor (3,875g)

Most species: D Cornick 3 (dog, pout, 5b rockling)

Heaviest fish: O Mears (ballan wrasse, 1,015g)

* West Bay SAC will be running their annual Chesil Championships on April 27.

There is a guaranteed first prize of £225 plus pools.

See the website for details or contact Steve Fowles on 01297 443544 (evenings only).

PORTLAND AC
ONLY four members fished their latest shore match at West Bexington – even though the weather was hot and sunny. Although weather conditions seemed ideal, only three anglers brought fish to the scales.

Noddy Coan won the match with 13 points for first on specimen, species, weight and numbers of fish.

Dave McCune was second with nine points for second in each category while Jake Butcher
was third with five points for taking third place in each category.

After six rounds, McCune leads with 27 points, Dave Vye is second (23pts) and Coan is third (18pts).

Ian Youngs, from Loders, landed two personal best fish while fishing at anchor on a bank to the east of Weymouth on aboard Flamer IV.
Youngs bagged an undulate ray of 17lb and, later in the day, a spurdog of 15lb 12oz; both fish were returned alive.
He landed his personal bests using 20lb class tackle with a pennel rig of Sakuma 6/0 and 4/0 hooks baited with a cocktail of squid and mackerel.
DIARY DATES
Sunday, April 20

Portland AC – shore match 2 – 8pm

Friday, April 25

Frome, Piddle & West Dorset Fisheries Association – AGM – 7pm at River Laboratory, East Stoke, Wareham.

Weyrad AC – shore match at Abbotsbury 7-11pm.
 

Saturday, April 26

West Bay SAC – Saturday junior match 12-3pm at West Bay.

Dorchester SAC – shore match at Burton Bradstock 7pm-midnight.

Weymouth AS – shore match – Portland Rover, 3-9pm

DDAS - AGM and presentation evening on Saturday, April 26 at Weymouth Angling Society, Commercial Road, Weymouth.

Sunday, April 27

42nd Chesil Championships, hosted by West Bay SAC , 11am-5pm , sign on from 9am at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park. Penn points match.

For more information telephone Steve Fowles on 01927 443544 (evening only).