Huxster looks set to be crowned Herm champion

STEVE HUXSTER has become firm favourite to win the West Coast Sea Angling Club's Herm Championship. He caught three black bream, six garfish and a ballan wrasse to gain 85.75 points and narrowly win the fourth leg in the five-match series.

This meant that he consolidated his lead at the top of the championship where he has one of 202.5 points over second-placed Tony Barrasin.

The fourth leg attracted 12 members who landed a total of 21 black bream, 17 garfish, three ballan wrasse, two grey mullet and one bass.

The competition kitty was shared by Huxster, who had the heaviest black bream, 3-2-0, and Scott McMillan, who landed the heaviest grey mullet, 3-2-0.

One other notable fish was the 5-1-0 bass caught by Richard Torode.

While Huxster looks set to take the Herm title, he still has a bit to do to win the overall championship.

That is still led by Mark Le Page, on 732 points, although Huxster did reduce his lead by 60.75 points as a result of the Herm match and is now only 24.5 behind on 707.5. There are three shore matches remaining.

The Huxster family are likely to win the Herm pairs championship. Steve and son Shane are 229 points clear of second-placed Le Page and Tim Froome.

JACK MAUGER is the Guernsey Sea Anglers Club's junior champion and Yufuf Ikirmawi is the junior shore champion.

Both titles were finally decided as a result of the fourth and final leg in the Bachmann series.

Eight youngsters entered and were taken to St Peter Port breakwater. Ikirmawi won the match with 28 garfish and one mackerel for 13-10-0 and 116.5.

That was well clear of Mauger who landed 15 garfish for 7-1-0 and 58.25.

It all meant that Ikirmawi easily won the Bachmann shore cup with a 74-point margin over Mauger, but the latter clung on to take the overall honours by 14.25 points over Ikirmawi.

The total catch was three mackerel and 87 garfish. The president's prize went to the two heaviest bags, Ikirmawi 13-10-0 and Mauger 7-1-0.

IT'S specimen fish hunt weekend. Round two of the competition, which is organised by the West Coast Sea Angling Club, will start at 6pm on Friday.

All anglers who intend to take part, including those who fished in the first round, must register at the Brock Road Youth Centre at the former Boys' Grammar School.

The event will finish at 10pm on Sunday. There will be weigh-ins on Saturday and Sunday at 10am and 10pm.

At the end of round one, Andy Le Lerre was leading, having weighed in four qualifying fish of different species. However, six anglers had landed three qualifiers.

The competition has probably the most comprehensive range of prizes of any local open event.

There are even awards for the best fish of each species in each weekend, so it's still worth entering for the last two rounds, or even one of the remaining weekend contests.

The third round is scheduled for the weekend of 11 to 13 November.

One final point: the top prize of £1,000 goes to an angler who creates or breaks a Bailiwick shore record during the fish hunt.

THE Royal Fathomers AC's annual meeting will be held at La Villette Hotel on Wednesday, 9 November at 8pm.

The club which organises charter boat trips, is seeking comment and discussion on its future and any ideas on new activities.

Consequently, it's essential there is a good turnout for the meeting and all members and anglers interested a join the club are urged to attend.