Branquet storms back to snatch bass shore title

HE DID it. In the last month of the club's competitive year, Shane Branquet came through to overtake Paul Clark and claim the Bailiwick Bass Club's shore championship. It's been a battle royal between the two anglers throughout the year. Branquet had a modest lead to top the championship list up to July, but Clark fought back to retake that top spot, a position he held from August to January.

In fact at the end of September his lead had grown to a very respectable 38-0.9.

Undaunted, Branquet chipped away at Clark's lead and by the end of January, it had been reduced to just 7-7-14.

In February Clark landed a 4-2-8 bass but Branquet landed four for a total of 25-8-2. His catches included a 8-10-6 fish, which gave him the heaviest-bass-of-the-month award.

The only other member to weigh in during the month was Mick Damarell with a 4-7-14 specimen.

So, in the final analysis, Branquet won with 24 bass for 142-6-15 to Clark's 23 for 128-9-3. Clark did gain some revenge, for along with Martin Millman he took the pairs shore championship with 36 bass for 189-13-4. This meant that Branquet and Mike Damarell had to be content with second spot with 31 bass for 181-3-14.

There was no such excitement in the junior championship. There was only one entrant, Ivan Donaldson winning with two bass for 13-4-2.

In common with most of the Bailiwick's angling clubs, the BBC re-elected the whole of their committee at its annual meeting.

The positions are: president Mark Fletcher, secretary Des Fletcher, treasurer Jon Collenette, fixtures secretary Mark Amies, junior secretary Shane Branquet, committee members Nigel Mahy and Mick Damarell, delegate to the Bailiwick of Guernsey Record (Rod-Caught) Fish Committee Nigel Mahy, NFSA rep. Jon Collenette.