The fifth Felinfoel Brewery Double Dragon RNLI Annual Fishing Open, organised by members from Pembroke and District Angling Club, Osprey Sea Angling Club, Haven Angling Group and West Wales Match Anglers, was held recently on Amroth beach.

Unlike last year, a fortnight did not make much of a difference in catches compared to two weeks earlier, good catches of flounder being recorded at both the Air Ambulance Open and this match.

This time, 39 out of the 96 anglers that fished, which included eight ladies and eight juniors (six boys and two girls), managed to weigh-in 74 fish as compared to two weeks earlier when 37 anglers weighed in 130 fish, the only difference being the size limit was increased to 30cm as compared to 25cm, as advised by the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers, the national governing body for Recreational Sea Angling in Wales.

The weather and conditions were fairly similar, which may have accounted for the equality of catches, as in 2011 the weather calmed down between the two annual events.

The surf and weather conditions are shown in the photograph on the right. The Tenby lifeboats, offshore and inshore, also trained on the day in view of the anglers

The winning angler who managed to land five flounder for 2kg 350gms was Cwmbran's Neil Evans, netting him the first prize of £250.

The biggest flounder at a very respectable 970gms went to a Geordie now residing in Maenclochog, Bryce Cochrane, fishing only his second open competition, the Air Ambulance being his first; he took the pool of £100.

In a close second was Neil's pairs partner from Kenfig Hill, Mike Mather, who has won and featured high up in previous opens held at Amroth. He had three bigger flounder for 2kg 015gms, allowing him to pick up the runner-up prize of £75.

Third place, by an even smaller margin, was Air Ambulance winner Haydn Cole (Lamphey), who had five flounder or 2kg 005gms, just 10 grams less, and just five grams more than the separating margin last year, would you believe! This won him £50.

Obviously the pairs competition was won by the first two, Neil and Mike, with their eight flounder for 4kg 365gms. So, they picked up £80, with father and son combination, Jeff and Chris Stephens (Bridgend), second, as they had been two weeks earlier in the Air Ambulance competition with six flounder for 2kg 870gms, again netting them £40.

Third in the pairs were Steve Jones and Stuart Billings, but I'm afraid I didn't catch from where they came, sorry.

The ladies' prize was won by Sandra Thompson, of Milford Haven, with a flounder of 670gms, and the junior winner was Cameron Pritchard, who had been third junior two weeks earlier, with two flounder for 1kg 040gms, the only junior to catch.

However, the most important result on the day was that the event raised just over £1,200, over £100 up on 2011, for the Angle and Tenby lifeboats.

For this sterling effort, we must first thank our main sponsor Felinfoel Brewery, along with their rep Jamie Owen, for continuing to sponsor this event and congratulate the anglers from the organising clubs, you know who you are, together with Roger Harris, of the Amroth Arms, who always puts his premises and valued support at this event's disposal.

We must also mention Saundersfoot Angling Club who once again supported our charity events by holding a club match within this match, thanks.

Finally, we must again thank all the kind and generous sponsors of the event, including those already mentioned, who donated cash, made collections and donated prizes for the mega raffle which ensured continuation of the event's great success. These were, in no particular order, Shane Tucker, Roger Harries (Amroth Arms), Andrew Skeels, Alex Nicholas, Martin and Sandra Thompson, of Anglers Corner, Milford Haven, John O'Connor, Denis Nicholas, Haydn Cole, James Skeels, Ken Gainfort, The Brooke Inn, St. Ishmaels, Haven Angling Group, Leigh Rogers, Chris Winn, Robbie Scale, Bart Morgan, Mervyn Davies, Andrew and Wendy Luxford, Dale Sailing, Consort, The Lobster Pot, Marloes, Chris Griffiths, Grainger Tubolt, Simon Safety, Brown MacFarlane, Travis Perkins, Talbot Timber, Phoenix Saxton, Rhyal Engineering, Lawson HIS, Pembrokeshire Recycling, Glyn Edwards and Tenby RNLI.

If anybody feels aggrieved that they have been missed off this list and we hope there isn't, we are truly sorry, but thank you, most warmly, for your continued support.

J.A.O.