News reached us last week that an angler from Ventnor had recently become the British Cod Champion.
The British Cod Champion! Of course ours ears pricked up immediately, so we got onto Kevin Basham from the Ventnor Angling Society for more details.
Kevin tells us that in November, 230 anglers from all over the UK gathered at Yarmouth Quay to fish the two day British Cod championships hosted by West Wight Chartered Skippers Association.
On the first day, the weather allowed all 24 boats to fish the back of the Wight and with some good fish being reported over the last two weeks hopes were high for a good result.
At 9am all the boats left Yarmouth Quay and by 10.15 were at anchor.
The call to start came over the radio at 10.30 and 230 big fish baits were sent to the bottom.
Within the first half hour Cod were being reported and by the end of the day 48 were returned to the scales and Garreth was up with the leaders returning two fine Cod for a total weight of 29lb 14 ½ oz.
The championship is awarded to the angler with the most Cod over the two days and with four anglers on three fish each the overall weight was taken into account.
Garreth had returned yet another fish on day two taking his total weight up to 39lb 13oz crowning him champion.
Up until this years championships, Garreth had only ever caught one small Codling before and was over the moon when Mr. Arthur Taylor chairman of the Isle of Wight Council presented him with the trophy as well as a £1000 prize.
Other club members in the prizes were Tony Burt for upper Ventnor who returned two fish for a total weight of 16lb 5-1/2oz taking 9th overall and Alan Bravery also from upper Ventnor who had a fish of 11lb 14oz.
Well done to you all.
