Angling Trust – Marine – Wyvern Region

Open Shore Slapton, South Devon,

On the 5th Jan 2025.

The South West’s first major event in 2025 attracted 104 anglers, along with 20 teams to the South Hams to fish the annual Angling Trust Wyvern Open Festival, with some competitors traveling from South Wales, Hastings & Bradford the weather conditions on the day saw a Strong to almost gale South  Westerly with heavy rain,  Small Eyed Ray, Bull Huss, Pouting, Whiting &  Lesser spotted Dogfish were caught during the event, 56 competitors returned to the scales with fish to record. The results were announced within half an hour of the close of scales at the Festival Headquarters at the Stokeley Farm Shop.

The main sponsor was Julian Shambrook of Anyfish Anywhere Ltd, a major fishing tackle manufacturer, based in Torquay.  All of the sponsors for the day were thanked for their continuing support each year, also a big thank you to Stokeley for their hospitality & providing an excellent venue.

The worthy winner, of the event was Ben Bradstock from Honiton SAC, he recorded a L.S.D. of 2.095lb & a Whiting of 1.175lb giving him a total of (162.13%), he was presented with the top prize of £200 cash and the Brixham Bowl, other tackle prizes were awarded down to 13^th place, these were announced by the Chairman of the Wyvern Region Alex Parker and presented by Julian Shambrook.

The Region promotes the Angling Trust “Take Five” anti litter campaign and encourages all anglers to leave the beaches cleaner than they found them.

The first Thirteen Places are as follows:-

First :                              £200                            Brixham Bowl

Ben Bradstock                 Honiton SAC              Whiting                       1.175 lb

                                                                              L.S.D.                        2.095 lb               Total: 162.13%

Second:                           Pick of the Prize table   & Bideford Cup Cup

Archie Sweetland            Honiton SAC              L.S.D.                         2.135 lb

                                                                             Whiting                       1.13 lb“             Total: 160.73 %

Third                               Pick of the Prize table &   Appledore Cup

Damien Close                  Outcasts                      L.S.D.             1.98 lb

                                                                             Whiting           1.16 lb

                                                                                                                                          Total:  156.53 %

       Fourth                             Pick of the Prize table & Sidmouth Cup

James Madsen                 Outcasts                      L.S.D.             1.665 lb

                                                                             Bull Huss        7.875 lb

                                                                                                                                          Total:  145.35 % 

Fifth                                Pick of the Prize table

Lee Hemmings                T.S.A.S.

                                          Whiting          0.940 lb

  S.E. Ray        7.3125. lb                  Total:  143.92 %

Sixth                                Pick of the Prize table

Tom Stebbens                  Kingsbridge

                                          Whiting          0.960 lb

  L.S.D.           1.830. lb                  Total:  137.20 %

       Seventh                           Pick of the Prize table

Dave Bowering                Caerau                         Whiting           1.180 lb

 L.S.D.            1.445 lb                    Total:  136.47 %

Eighth                             Pick of the Prize table

       Till Hall                           Outcast           Whiting           1.075 lb

 L.S.D.             1.585 lb                     Total:  135.07 %

Ninth                               Pick of the Prize table

Jeff Fisk                           Wareham                   Whiting            0.860 lb

                                                                             L.S.D.             1.900 lb

                                                         Total:  133.33 %

       Tenth                               Pick of the Prize table

Dave Nicholls                  Blackdown

                                          Whiting          0.755 lb

 L.S.D.            2.070 lb                  Total:  133.13 %

       Eleventh:                         Pick of the Prize table

Joe Walton                       T.S.A.S.

                                          Whiting          0.895 lb

  L.S.D.           1.650. lb                  Total:  125.67 %

        Twelfth                           Pick of the Prize table

Andy Kershaw                 Bradford

                                          Whiting          0.715 lb

 L.S.D.            1.795. lb                  Total:  119.47 %

Thirteenth                                  Pick of the Prize table

Joe Plumstead                 Hastings

                                          Whiting          1.005 lb

  L.S.D.           1.275. lb                  Total:  118.00 %

Best Team           Team Shield:  ( Team of four anglers, Best fish by each angler)

Team:   Weston Outcast 1

       James Madsen

       Jason Brown

       Damien Close

       Till Hall

                                                          Total    290.22%.

Kindly donated by Steve Puckey from Plymouth, an additional 2 prizes were awarded for best Junior & second best junior.

These were awarded as follows:

Harvey Plumstead, Hastings, Whiting 49.07%

Chris Stokes, Weston Outcasts Whiting 43.33% 

Ends:-  Press Officer : Mike Spiller [email protected]