GO FISHING!
Keen angler or total beginner? Whatever your level or ability, Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2011 has a feast of fishing events in store.
The festival, from 25th June to 3rd July, has major sea angling and coarse fishing championships, learn-to-fish days, junior fishing, and more.
Improve your fly-fishing skills, enjoy a family mackerel fishing trip from Solva or Tenby, or try a spot of kayaking and fishing on the North Pembrokeshire coast!
Coarse fishermen can pit their wits against the best in the popular FBM Holidays Coarse Fishing Championship, with a total prize money of £750. Heats will be held on each Sunday in June at Llyn Carfan Coarse Fishery, Tavernspite, Whitland. The top four anglers from each heat will progress to the grand competition final on 3rd July, with a guaranteed 1st prize £400 plus a trophy, 2nd prize £200, 3rd prize £100, and 4th prize £50. To enter contact Huw on 01994 240819 or email llyncarfan@aol.com. The competition is kindly sponsored by FBM Holidays.
Sea anglers from all over the country flock every year to the Stena Line Sea Angling Festival Open Competition on Fishguard Harbour Breakwater. This year’s competition will be held on 3rd July and is organised by the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers. The PENN Points catch and release competition has a first prize of £750, second prize of £250, and third prize of £100. The competition is kindly sponsored by Stena Line. To enter, register with Martin Thompson at Anglers Corner, on 01646 698899.
The Stena Line festival also includes a Family Sea Angling Coaching Day on 2nd July – learn to fish with your family at Fishguard Harbour Breakwater. The free event is for complete beginners to those wanting to improve their skills. Coaching is from the Welsh Ladies Team, and the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers.
Always fancied learning to fly-fish, or want to improve your skills? The Early Evening Rise on 1st July at Puddleduck Trout Fishery, Freystrop, Haverfordwest is a great chance to try. Whether you are a complete beginner, or would like to improve your fly fishing skills, professional coaches from PFAC (Pembrokeshire Federation of Angling Coaches) will be on hand to assist.
Introductory lessons in fly-fishing are also available with ‘Learn to Fly-Fish’ at White House Mill Trout Fishery Lampeter Velfrey on 3rd July. Sessions include casting demonstrations and tuition, followed by the opportunity to fish, with experienced coaches from PFAC and WLAD (Welsh Ladies Angling Development). Any fish caught can be taken home for supper!
Or come and experience the beauty of coarse fishing at the peaceful Wolfsdale Pitt Coarse Fishery, near Camrose, Haverfordwest on 2nd July, courtesy of Pembrokeshire Piscatorial Association. Trained coaches from PFAC will be on hand to help and advise.
Wolfsdale Pitt Fishery is also holding a Junior Coarse Fishing Championship on 29th June for anglers aged 9 to 16 with great prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Younger anglers can also take part in a junior dockside fishing competition on Sat 25th June at Milford Haven’s fun-filled open day at Milford Docks.
And if you’ve never fished before, this is the time to try – at Llys Y Fran Reservoir and Country Park. An introduction on fishing will be provided at two events, ‘Fishing – Why not have a go?’ on 26th June or ‘An evening of outdoors fun’ on 28th June. Coaching will be provided by PFAC. The day will include: setting up tackle, fly and bait fishing and fly tying demonstrations.
Anglers with a disability can enjoy a specialist day at Treffgarne Gorge near Haverfordwest on 29th June with Pembrokeshire Anglers Association and the Environment Agency, using a purpose built angling platform with cabin and disabled toilet facilities. There is wheelchair access to the platform and cabin. Coaching will be provided by the PFAC.
If you fancy fishing with a difference, then try ‘Kayak, catch and cook!’ organised by Sea Kayak Guides. Kayak from a sheltered harbour, pick up some lobster pots and try your luck at fishing. Pull up on a beach and cook what you catch – what could be fresher than that? Trips are weather dependent and venues will be chosen to ensure a sheltered location in North Pembrokeshire from Solva to Newport. They are scheduled for 25th and 26th June and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of July.
Or why not enjoy some fresh sea air and bag yourself the freshest mackerel, in 90 minute mackerel fishing trips from Tenby or Solva. Tenby Fishing run daily trips from Tenby Harbour during Fish Week – why not bring your catch to The Buccaneer Inn or The Hope and Anchor, where it will be cooked for you! Alternatively, hop on the ‘MV Swift’ with Solva Boat Trips from Solva Quay on 25th, 26th, and 27th June. All tackle will be provided and you can keep what you catch – or bring it to the Cambrian Inn, where they will also cook it for you.
And if you’d like to cook your haul yourself, then don’t miss ‘Cook your Catch’ with Ocean Restaurant, Tenby on 28th or 30th June. Accompany the head chef on a fishing trip from Tenby harbour, cook your catch in the harbourside restaurant, then enjoy a glass of wine!
For full details on the all the angling events taking place in Fish Week, view www.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk or look out for free Pembrokeshire Fish Week brochures, available from Easter onwards, in local libraries and Tourist Information Centres.
Fish Week is organised by Pembrokeshire County Council and has more than 250 events from celebrity chef demonstrations to seashore safaris and family fun days.
It is part funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is financed by the EU and the Welsh Assembly Government.
To find out more, view www.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk
Visit Pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk for more information.
