Sunday, October 6, once again, as in recent years, saw the weather gods in benevolent mood, the anglers turn up (15 more than 2012), but not the flatfish, at least in the numbers encountered two years ago and more.

For this was the day that the Osprey Sea Angling Club, based in Pembroke Dock, held its annual Amroth open beach fishing competition, or flatfish festival, to give it its other, more descriptive name.

With a gentle south-westerly, a calm sea and very coloured water, the omens did look good, but maybe the warm weather and an outgoing tide for the first two hours were responsible for an awful lot of dogs being caught at all distances, but no dabs! The weed, together with crab and prawn activity in stripping hooks quickly, didn't help and the flounders mainly turned up once this had ceased, when the tide started flooding over the sand warmed by the sun.

At least that's the theory put forward this year for the catches being much down on some previous years.

Eighty-nine anglers, including five ladies and five juniors, from north of Cardigan to east of Swansea, turned out to support the club, for which the Osprey club members are very grateful and the organisers thank them one and all. Forty-one anglers, twice as many as 2012, including two ladies and three juniors, weighed in 19 flounder and 41 lesser spotted dogfish, a veritable dog fest, the like of which we haven't seen at this match for many, many years. More dogs were caught, but not weighed in, as the anglers either realised they were on the small side or, if their pair's partner had not caught, then they were out in that category, as both anglers had to weigh-in for their score to count.

The winner was a local Saundersfoot club member from Kilgetty, Chris Watkins, with three flounder for 1 kg 160 gms. Second, all the way from Southampton, was Stuart Jones, with a lesser spotted Ddgfish weighing 895gms, the heaviest fish of the day, for which second prize was up for grabs. Third place was shared between two Davies's, though not relations, Dai from Neath and Gwyn, from Pembroke Dock, a previous winner on the beach and Osprey club member, with two flounder each for 765gms.

Top lady was Angela McMurray with a dogfish of 755 gms and top junior was local Tenby boy Kieran Allen with a flounder of 550 gms. One other lady, Eileen Stafford, and two other juniors, also ladies, also weighed in, Shauna Machon and Sophie Barnett.

The pairs competition was won by Haydn Cole (Lamphey and club member) and Leigh Rogers (Milford Haven) with a combined weight of 2 kg 450 gms.

Stuart and his fellow fishing partner, Julian Shambrook, a Devonian and England international, were second, with a combined weight of 1 kg 585 gms. Julian, owner of the Anyfish Anywhere brand name, has kindly promised to donate a rod for the Air Ambulance charity open on January 19, 2014, again at Amroth, which he has attended for the last few years, although a long way for him to travel, for which we, as one of the organising clubs, thank him very much.

Finally, thanks must go to Roger Harries of the Amroth Arms, for, once again, accommodating us and also to our sponsors who donated raffle prizes to further help support the club. These were, in no particular order, Shane Tucker, Mark Goodall, of West Wales Angling in Pembroke Dock, Andrew Skeels, Steve Parry, Martin and Sandra Thompson, of Anglers Corner in Milford Haven, Haydn Cole, James Lemon, of Awesome Fishing in Dale, Pembrokeshire, Leigh Rogers, Julian and Sue from Classic Carpets in Kilgetty, John O'Connor, Roger Harries and Gerald Wickland.