Three record specimens take top prizes for June

THREE new record fish won top awards in the June fish of the month competition. The Shakespeare Monthly Angling Award for the best overall and the Fletcher's Freesias Tankard for the top boat-caught specimen went to Jonathan Beck for his 16-5-0 bull huss, which scored 113.973%.

The J. Meerveld and Sons Tankard for the best shore-caught fish was won by Shane Huxster for the 1-0-4 shore rockling, which was worth 101.165%.

The Aval du Creux Hotel award for juniors went to Ryan Ozard whose 19-4-8 boat-caught turbot scored 63.737%.

Anglers will have sympathy with Bob Bannister. Not only was his record 14-15-10 boat-caught bull huss beaten by Beck's 16-5-0 fish within 24 hours, it also relegated him in the FOM to a runner-up prize of Bucktrout's Bass beer, even though it scored 104.639%.

The second runner-up prize of beer went to Barry Jacobs for his 10-6-13 John Dory, which was worth 94.612%.

The Megabite Tankard for visitors went to Angelo Rombouis for his 9-14-11 boat-caught brill, worth 73.127%.

The unsuccessful entries, all boat-caught fish, were:

Kevin Dunn, 9-12-0 John Dory, 88.479%, Chris Smith, 9-5-13 John Dory, 84.970%, Colin Druce, 24-0-0 blonde ray, 66.385%, Neil Corbet, 19-8-0 turbot, 64.462%, Len Le Page, 3-11-5 black bream, 55.692%, and 16-12-7 turbot, 55.462%, and Derek Mayle, 15-5-2 turbot, 50.645%.

TERRY LAWRENCE has caught a 4-12-15 red bream. He hooked the superb specimen when he presented a squid bait on paternoster tackle over a reef mark south of Guernsey.

It's the biggest red bream recorded on rod and line for many years and it's no surprise it has become a July fish of the month entry where it will be assessed against the 6-13-5 Bailiwick boat record.

It was the second red bream to be boated by the party of anglers from the same mark in successive trips, the first being a more modest fish of 1-4-0 boated by Bob Elliston.

This species, along with the black bream, practically disappeared in the early 1980s. In the 1990s the blacks returned in great quantity, but the reds did not follow suit.

In 2005 a few small specimens were caught and it is hoped these two are yet another indication of their pending return.

Black bream are now being boated on a number of widespread marks, the catches including many in excess of 3-0-0.

The party of anglers who boated the red bream also had 71 in the two trips, with fish up to 3-8-0.

Positive signs that we can look forward to a good bream season in the coming autumn and early winter are further confirmed by the arrival of the first Couch's sea bream.

Some have already been boated but now Jason Le Noury has found one from a shore mark at Fort Doyle.

The 1-14-8 fish took a ledgered mackerel strip and has become a July FOM entry where it will be judged against the 2-6-9 Bailiwick shore record.

BAILIWICK Bass Club members entered 29 fish in the club competitions in June, 25 shore caught and four boat caught.

Top of the list was Andrew Brown, who landed four for a total of 24-12-15. His catches included his 9-6-2 winning fish from the Bailiwick Bass Challenge, which gave him the Collenette Jones heaviest-bass-of-the-month award.

Richard Exall was second with three for 16-11-10 and Nigel Mahy third with two for 13-15-11.

In spite of having a blank month, Mick Damarell retained his lead at the top of the shore championship.

The four boat-caught fish were Simon Rowe (9-15-10), Paul Berry (9-14-12), Roger Berry (9-12-6) and Dennis McKane (7-10-0), which now constitute the top four places in the boat championship.

In the boat pairs, Rowe/Paul Berry have two bass for 19-12-0 compared to Roger Berry/McKane who have two for 17-8-10.

Junior angler Ivan Donaldson had a 3-15-8 fish and now tops the junior championship over Ed Downing who is on 3-10-11.

JUNE was a bumper month for the West Coast Sea Angling Club's Summer League with no fewer than 39 qualifying fish being entered by the members.

Star of the month was Geoff Le Page. He caught six, a 11-5-12 bull huss, 3-0-9 black bream, 1-1-8 cuckoo wrasse, 1-5-9 pout, 3-8-4 tub gurnard and a 1-0-2 red gurnard. This strengthened his lead at the head of the league table for he now has nine entries for 452.96%.

Dan Slimm remains in second place with 321.62%. He had four qualifiers in June, an 11-13-4 pollack, 11-5-12 turbot, a 10-2-7 bull huss and a 2-7-12 black bream.

Third placed Andy Le Lerre on 306.76% also had four qualifiers and one - a 14-7-7 bull huss - was a new club record. His other three were 7-4-9 John Dory, 1-2-0 garfish and a 1-2-2 cuckoo wrasse.

Tim Froome landed a 13-13-9 pollack, 2-12-9 lesser-spotted dogfish, 8-0-15 brill and a 10-4-3 bull huss and is now fourth on 290.30%.

George Jennings is fifth on 204.13%, his latest entries being a 1-9-13 garfish, 6-9-0 pollack, 1-15-7 lesser-spotted dogfish, 9-6-0 turbot and a 1-2-4 mackerel.

Geoff and Michael Le Page lead the Summer League Pairs with 12 fish for 597.40, but they are being pushed hard by Tim Froome and Andy Le Lerre who have 10 entries for 591.06%.

EVEN though he had a black month in June, Karl Le Prevost has hung on to top spot in the Guernsey Bass Anglers' Sportfishing Society's shore championship.

During the month, five members entered 14 shore-caught fish. Top of the catch list was Simon Russell who had four for 22-10-7, which included the best fish of the month, an 8-5-3 specimen.

His overall total for the year is now eight for 43-7-7, which means he holds second place in the championship behind Le Prevost who has 11 for 60-1-0.

Gavin Arnold also had four in June for 19-12-0, his heaviest being a 6-0-0 fish.

Brian Montgomery had three for 12-3-8, Dean Tulie two for 10-5-12 and Martin Millman one of 5-14-2.

Four fish were entered in the club's boat championship. Annette Slimm had the heaviest, a 7-13-11 fish which enabled her to take the lead in the championship.

Other boat entries were Jean Prout (5-8-0), Dan Slimm (3-7-0) and Gary Le Cloarec (3-3-5).

A minor change has been made to the GBASS Open Bass Festival which will be held from Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 August. The evening weigh-ins will now take place from 9-9.30 and not 7.30-8 as previously published.