4th July - Paddle round the pier Competition

The book in for the Paddle Round the Pier

Exactly what organiser Sean had worked very hard to achieve came good today. An excellent turn out for the paddle round the pier fishing competition, in aid of Rockingwood and Surfaid charities and the RNLI. I recall the sum of £1300 being raised, which is a truly amazing sum, and a huge thankyou must go out to sponsors such as Penn and Perception Kayaks for donating the top raffle prize of a fishing ready Kayak. The raffle tickets are issued as per the amount of sponsorship raised, which is an excellent way to inspire people to get out there collecting sponsorship.

As for the main event, the fishing, I think i was in contention for the cup until it got dark. I had taken a few double shots of scad, lots of true mackerel, had a small sole and a hound, plus some black bream, and all was rosy in the world. Like all but one of the rest of the competitors I put out for a hound at dark, which didnt show in the numbers expected. Two did, which knocked me out of contention, but the master of the night was Brighton matchman Sammy Sampson. The sly old sea dog lowered a tilley lamp into a "V" on a rope, creating a glow that kept the scad feeding until the final bell. A well deserved win, from a man who is not afraid to resort to non-conventional tactics to secure a win. Well done Sammy. Dont forget to polish the trophy. I will be looking for it next year.....!!