Angling By Chris Bowman

Last updated 05:30, Friday, 23 May 2008

DAVID Rowe had a fantastic weekend at Silloth, convincingly winning the Penn Sea League final on Saturday, then following up with first place in the Silloth Championships on Sunday.

The Irishman landed a total of 28 dabs and flounders to beat 40 of the country’s top sea anglers and win over £1,000-worth of fishing tackle in the prestigious Penn competition.

Then the following day he beat an 81-strong field that included many top names who had stopped over after competing in the previous day’s Penn Final.

In Sunday’s match David landed 23 dabs and flounders for a total length of 574cm.

In second place was Ian Brookes of Birkenhead with 22 dabs and flounders for 538cm. Jeff McAllister of Maryport was our top local angler in Sunday’s match tying with Colin Bell of Newcastle for third place, Jeff landing 15 fish and Colin 19 for a total length of 512cm.

Top lady was Michele Smith from Whitehaven with eight fish for 263cm and top junior was Michael Brookes of Birkenhead with 11 fish for 264cm, junior runner-up was Aaron Holt of Maryport, four fish for 128cm with Silloth’s James Griven third with two fish for 74cm.

North East angler Ian Stenhouse caught the days longest fish a 45cm flounder in a competition that saw 71 seniors and 10 juniors catch a total of 436 fish made up of 237 dabs, 157 flounders, 40 plaice, a dogfish and an eel.

This year’s tremendous run of big River Eden salmon continued this week with Roger Marvin from Derbyshire landing a 20 pounder in the Gravel Bed on the Yorkshire Fly Fishers water near Wetheral last Wednesday, the same day Hugh Anderson landed a 7 pounder at Island Foot.

Roger was back in action on Thursday when he landed an eight-pounder at Island Foot, Roger’s and Hugh’s salmon were taken on the fly and all three fish were carrying sea lice.

YFF’s Fishery Manager Mike Grimes landed a fly caught brace at 18lb and 9lb in the Hole in the Back on Saturday.

Downstream at Warwick Hall David Bamford also landed a brace of salmon, David landed one of 10lb in Coops Stream and one of 11lb in the House Pool both fish accepted Flying Cs and both were carrying sea lice.

Reports of the first Eden sea trout of the season are now being received.

The second leg of the £7,000 Broom Series at Broom Fisheries, Annan on Sunday was won by J B Angling’s Nigel Faulds of Glasgow.

Nigel was on Queensberry water’s peg 62 his bag of 20lbs 8ozs pipped Mick Ezard’s of Dumfries on peg 83 by just one ounce.

Thirty-six anglers from Cumbria and Scotland competed in the match in bright sunshine and with hardly any wind, making it a pleasant but challenging event.

Nigel fished the pole with caster and worm, his winning bag consisting of two carp including a 3lb Ghostie and around 70 chub. Nigel and other section winners Mark Trueman, Mark Cook, and Brian Cochrane were awarded ten points each to be added to their running total.

The current point’s leader for the series is Mark Trueman with 19 points. The next leg; sponsored by Preston Innovations, Queensberry Arms Hotel of Annan, and EPS of Workington will be held at Broom Fisheries on Sunday, June 1, draw at 9.15 am.

Broom Fisheries, has been invited to join an elite UK business group - Premier Fisheries. The group, which comprises the top 16 UK fisheries, including Cudmore (the venue for this year’s Fishomania final) has approached Broom owners John Wright and Carole Lloyd and offered them a highly prized and extremely prestigious membership.

John said: “We were delighted and proud to accept this membership.

“It is an excellent opportunity for us to bridge the North South divide that exists in the UK angling community, and to gain recognition of Northern angling facilities in the national forum.

“This move has positive potential for increased tourism revenue, not only in Cumbria and Dumfriesshire but throughout Northern Britain.”

Amongst other things the new membership involves a massive £50,000 sponsorship deal with bait manufacturers Cotswold Creations and Browning for an initiative soon to be launched nationwide to encourage new people of all ages into angling.

Cyril Brewster, a Premier Fisheries director, said “We are pleased to welcome the Broom as our most northerly member.

“We have been watching the growth of coarse fishing in their area with great interest, and John & Carole at the Broom have spent many years building an excellent facility for pleasure and match anglers alike.

Further details are available at www.broomfisheries.co.uk