Sunday 8th June 2008 saw the first of three Open Boat Festival run by West bay Sea Angling Club. The day dawned overcast with a breezy, chilly north westerly wind blowing. This did not deter the competitors from entering the match, twenty eight anglers signed on to fish from eleven different boats. The competition was started at 9.00am, by Maureen Jackson the chair of the club. All the boats left the outer harbour and set of to their chosen fishing spots for eight hours of trying to catch the winning fishes. As the day wore on the sky cleared and the sun shone the wind changed to north north easterly. The competitors returned to the harbour by 5.30pm, with their catches for weighing at the George Hotel Garden, the fish caught included wrasse, dogfish, bass, pollack, pouting, poor cod, bull huss & smoothound, whilst the results were being compiled the anglers enjoyed a raffle .

The top three was decided by the competitor with the best two fish of different species % of specimen, there was also a most species prize and a golden fish pool, the golden fish was chosen before the start of the match the fish being bass. Competitors were only allowed to bring one fish of each species to be weighed, any fish that were not wanted for the table were given to a local skipper for pot bait.

1st Steve Butler 141%, pout 78% & cuckoo wrasse 63%
2nd Dave Cornick 135%, dogfish 82% & cuckoo wrasse 53%
3rd James Trevett 133%, dogfish 66% & cuckoo wrasse 67%
Most Species Rod Barr with 6 species.
Best Round Fish Dave Cornick dogfish 82%
Golden Fish Robert Stephenson bass 20% (the only one caught).  

We would like to thank all the competitors for turning out for the event.

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