Christchurch Angling Centre is owned by Tom Bagnall who sponsors some of the boat and shore competitions.  Tom participates in many club activities, is also a very good angler and on some occasions makes a very good cup of tea.     www.christchurchanglingcentre.co.uk 

Angling Trust is where you can get the latest news on all aspects of angling and the latest news about covid-19 regarding angling. www.anglingtrust.net

Lymington Harbour Commissioners a good site for local tides and weather reports.    www.lymingtonharbour.co.uk

 Loni's a good friendly shop and Garry is very helpful.  www.loni's.co.uk

Shallow Boat Competitions for 2027.

Shallow Boat Competition Rules.  100% pay out on all competitions. Now Fishing Saturdays or Sundays.   General Rules. The Shallow Boat competitions will now be fished on a Saturday or Sunday of the weekend chosen for that month’s competition.  This will be depend on the weather forecast. Entry Fees. 

The entry fee for each competition is £6.00 per person, out of which £3.00 is paid back to the angler who is 1^st on the day with the most points.  £2.00 is paid to the 2^nd and £1.00 is paid to the 3^rd on the day. 

Bad Weather for Saturday or Sunday Fishing. The Shallow Boat Commodore in consultation with various weather forecasts and some other shallow boat competitors will decide which day to fish or restrict the competition to the Solent or cancel altogether.  Then he will let all the competition members know by Thursday afternoon (through the groups WhatsApp) if it is be fished Saturday or Sunday so they can get bait for Saturday or Sunday before the competition 

Signing-on. Competitors must phone or use the shallow boat WhatsApp before 8.00pm on the Friday evening or the Saturday evening before the competition to inform The Shallow Boat Commodore that they will be fishing the next day. Starting Times. Competitors cannot start fishing before the stated time on their competition list. 

Finishing Times. These are printed on your fishing list and then you will have 1½ hours to be back in the club boat compound and hand in your results card.  

Later than this you will be disqualified.  For reasons of safety, as well as consideration for the competition organiser, competitors must inform the organiser if you intend to leave prior to the end of the competition or stay on and fish after the end of the competition. 

Tackle. Competitors can fish using 2 rods but with a maximum of 3 hooks.  Lures with only 1 hook can be used.  You cannot use lures with treble hooks. 

Fishing Rules. Stewards. All competitors are stewards.  Any problems will be discussed at the end of any competitions and the Shallow Boat Commodore’s decision will be final. 

Fishing Area. The area is from Calshot Spit across to Egypt Point on the Isle of Wight.  The southern mark is to latitude 50-31N (approximately 5 miles south of the Needles. 

Safety Measures. All competitors fishing in any shallow boat competitions are responsible for their own safety.  Each boat must have a mobile phone or a VHF Radio.  It is a legal requirement that you must display a black ball above your boat when fishing at anchor.  No boat will be allowed to enter the competitions with only one person aboard. 

Points. Competitions are fished on a points system. Points are awarded for fish that equal or exceed the minimum sizes specified in the club handbook.  (Angling Trust mini-species and mackerel are excluded from the points system).  Points 20 for 1^st, 19 for 2^nd, 18 for 3^rd, and so on down to 1 point for 20^th.  Any member after that will receive 1 point. Each species is allocated a specific number of points.  The first 5 fish of each species get full points, the next 5 receive only 1 point each and no further points are awarded for that species.  5 additional points are awarded for each species caught.   Any fish that equals or exceeds the Angling Trust specimen sizes will be awarded an extra 25 points for that day’s competition only.  They will not be added to their yearly total.  A photo of the fish next to a ruler most be shown at the weigh-in. In the event of 2 competitors having an equal number of fish points, the competitor with the greatest number of fish takes precedence.  The other competitor receives 1 point less.  In the event of any competitors tying with the same number of fish and fish points, the same number of competition points will be awarded to each competitor.  The number of competition points awarded to the following competitors is suitably adjusted (for example, 2 competitors both having 5 fish and 40 points are both awarded 20 competition points).  The next competitor will then receive 18 competition points. 

22/08/2026.

Shallow Boat Competition 9^th August report sent in by Brian Ansell.        

On Sunday 9^th August the club held a Shallow Boat competition.  The weather was dry, with a gentle breeze and very hot.  It was a mixture of events on the day.  We should have had 11 club members fishing but unfortunately one boat had engine trouble and had to pull out.  A couple of members from the Isle of Wight fished for the first time this season because they had engine problems at the beginning of the year and it has taken 5 months to sort out.  9 club members fished the competition and caught fish consisting of bass, black bream, bull huss, conger eels, spotted and blonde ray, smooth-hound and scad.  A total of 75 fish were caught, measured and returned to the sea.  We only keep fish for the table. Results. 1^st Alan Mapes 117 points,  2^nd Ady Hulme 104 points,  3^rd Ryan Nash 78 points,  4^th Paul Watson 50 points,  5^th Charlie Nash 40 points,  6^th Jack Nash 35 points,  7^th Chris Hardy 25 points,  8^th Colin Wright 15 points, 9^th Neil Mitchener 10 points.

These are species-based boat competitions with no size limits Please contact Richard Day 0798 9282 245.

1st Vernon Everett Match League.

      On Saturday 11th April the club held the first match of the Vernon Everett  Match League aboard 'Piscary' and 'Silver Spray' out from Poole.  We left the harbour at 8a.m. with 18 club members.  The weather was not favourable and all the anglers wrapped up to combat the elements.  Despite the conditions being challenging, a respectable 17 species were caught across all the anglers.  A good day at sea despite the forecast and a lot of laughs and enjoyment aboard both boats.

Top 3 anglers on each boat.

'Piscary'  1st Chris Rogers 150 points, joint 2nd Gary Young, Russ Latimer and Mike Fox all with 135 points.

'Silver Spray'  1st Dave Cogger170 points, 2nd Garth Croft 165 points, 3rd John Bellamy 140 points.

2nd Vernon Everett Match League.

      On Saturday 2nd May the club held its second match of the Vernon Everett Match League aboard 'Piscary' and a late stand-in 'Strongbow' who offered to help the club at the last minute when another boat was unable to participate.  The 16 club members had a productive day that led to 19 species across the 2 boats.  Alively day filled with fish and laughs at sea.

Top 3 on each boat.

'Piscary'  1st Dave Cogger 307 points, 2nd Chris Ellis 300 points, 3rd Chris Rogers 284 points.

'Strongbow'  1stJohn Bellamy 375 points, 2nd George Fox 344 points, 3rd Richard Day 292 points.

CONTENTS Derek Smith President 2002-2025 Robin Lane.  Our new President Data Protection Policy, A brief guide – WhatsApp Groups Membership Renewal Date Reminder Club Minimum sizes and Specimen Weights Official Weighers – Weighing in your fish – Club fish of the month competition Other Awards: Angling Trust Specimen Award Scheme – Publicity Quick guide to Shore and Boat fish size limits in competitions Definition of Club Waters

Derek Andrew Smith 1936-2025 Derek was our longest serving and most active President (2002-2025).  A Master Thatcher by trade, his affable nature and community spirit ensured he was widely respected by all who had the privilege of knowing him.  His passion for fishing remained as strong as ever until ill-health intervened.  Sadly, he passed away in May and will be greatly missed.

Congratulations and welcome to our new President: Robin Lane.  He has been a loyal and hard-working club member since the mid-1970s, undertaking numerous official roles during this time.  After years of putting his energies into successfully developing match boat fishing within the club, he is now stepping back and taking a well-deserved rest.  Robin currently holds three, long-standing shore records, two of which (plaice and pollack) are unlikely to be surpassed.

DATA PROTECTION POLICY – A BRIEF GUIDE The General Data Protection Regulations came into effect on the 25^th May 2018, extending the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.  They require organisations to produce a Data Protection Policy and to notify its members of the personal data held and the use to which it is put.  The membership Secretary has been nominated as the Data Protection Officer for the purpose of the Regulations. Lymington & District Sea Fishing Club is committed to a policy of protecting the rights and privacy of members in respect of the processing of their personal data.   Members are required to give their consent in writing regarding how their personal data is used.  The Club will only use the data for as much as it is necessary for the functioning of the Club and its activities.  In addition, with the individual members’ written agreement, some details may be released for publicity purposes to third parties eg., photos to local and national publications.  Members’ data will on no account be disclosed to any third party for the purposes of commercial gain. Data will not be kept for longer than it is required, and members can require the club the club to erase any data at any time by writing to the Data Protection Officer. A copy of the full policy can be obtained from the Data Protection Officer upon written request.

WHATSAPP GROUPS WhatsApp is a convenient way of sending and sharing messages, photos or videos instantaneously and directly to members.  Only Club members can apply to join one or more of the following groups: Match League Boats, Large Boats and Recreational Boat trips, Shallow Boat Competitions and all Shore Leagues and Competitions. A Key Administrator is appointed to each group to monitor the postings and remove inappropriate content and to delete persons from the group if necessary.  Postings should be limited to pertinent items relating to the club’s or an individual member’s fishing activities.  To apply to join, contact, preferably by text, giving your name and mobile telephone number to Marc Duncan 07810 876281 for Large Boats & Recreational Boat Trips, Brian Ansell 07395 265175 for Shallow Boat Competitions, Richard Day 07989 282245 for Match League Competitions, Roland Blomfield 07731 373119 and Malcolm Stote 07894 902254 for Club Shore Competitions, Colin Saunders 07802511522 and Garry Mann 07970 283581 for Win-Sum League.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

Membership Subscription Renewal due 1^st December 2026.

Annual subscription fees are due for renewal by the 1^st December and must be paid directly to the Membership Secretary. Any member who fails to renew their subscription shall cease to be a member. They shall have until the 31^st December to renew their subscription and shall not be liable for payment of a joining fee. Until subscription fees are renewed, they are no longer a member of the Club and may only take part in Club events as a guest and will not be entitled to any privileges conferred by membership of the Club, including the awarding of points in competitions or claiming records and associated prizes.

If the subscription fee has not been received by the Membership Secretary by the 31^st December, they shall be required to reapply to join the Club and be liable for the payment of the joining fee in addition to the membership fee.

CLUB MINIMUM SIZES AND SPECIMEN WEIGHTS  

Please note Allis Shad, Common Eel and Tope are now protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and must be returned if caught.  Skates and Rays to be measured across the wings. Area D = the Wessex Regional and Specimen Area and includes Dorset, Hampshire & I.O.W. OFFICIAL WEIGHERS Name                                                                                                                           Tel No Christchurch Angling Centre, 7 Castle Parade,                                      01202 480520 Iford Roundabout, Bournemouth BH7 6SH                                              R Davies Robert Flicos                                                                                           01590 676785                       Loni’s Angling Centre, (fish up to 20lbs), 119 Old Milton Rd,                 01425 616323 New Milton BH25 6DP Steve Monckton

WEIGHING IN YOUR FISH Members are reminded that fish caught at other times than in competitions are eligible for Fish of the Year, and Fish of the Month prizes. Take your catch to an Official Weigher, fill in the Official Weigh in form, which must be signed and forwarded to the Docket Steward, not later than the third day of the following month. N.B.  Fish caught in Club waters whilst freelancing or taking part in events organised by other clubs are also eligible.  Simply obtain a completed docket form from the organisers of the event, or if freelancing, from the local tackle shop, official weigher of the club or any shop that has certified scales and is prepared to weigh your fish and provide a signed receipt stating, weight, date, your name and place of capture (please include whether boat or shore and your signature). NOTE: All weighing-in dockets, MUST state place of capture. Mutilated fish, eg gutted, or fish that have been frozen are not eligible for weighing in.

CLUB FISH OF THE MONTH COMPETITION The Club awards prizes each calendar month for the best fish caught (based on Angling Trust specimen weights). There are separate categories for boat and shore sections with prizes for both adult and juniors. Fish must be 50%or over specimen weight to be eligible for the competition (N.B.  this only applies to adults). Engraved Medals will be presented to Club members who set a new Club record or break an existing one. Trophies are presented to the adult and junior who have attained the most number of “fish of the month” awards during the year.  A Club member may use 2 rods with 3 single hooks or 2 pennel-mounted baits between the 2 rods.   Only 1 pennel-mounted bait is allowed on each rod and so constructed that the measurement between the eyes of the 2 hooks do not exceed 20cm for boat angling and 10cm for shore angling.

OTHER AWARDS ANGLING TRUST SPECIMEN FISH AWARD SCHEME Only open to Direct Members and Members of Affiliated Clubs. If you wish a specimen fish to be registered with the Angling Trust, contact Docket Steward as soon as possible. Weighing at Sea The Angling Trust now accept registration forms for fished weighed at sea provided this fact is indicated on the form. Any certificate awarded will indicate that the weight was estimated, and the fish returned. N.B.  This does not apply to fish entered for the club prizes, fish of the month etc.   They have to be weighed on land on certified scales. IMPORTANT: A member can use not more than 2 rods with 3 single hooks or 2 pennel-mounted baits between the 2 rods.  The rule above is in force when fishing for Angling Trust specimen awards. The competition runs from 1^st December to 30^th November. Angling Trust website address: www.anglingtrust.net Angling magazines and some national newspapers award prizes for noteworthy catches.  Check press for details.

PUBLICITY The Club’s Publicity Officer is Brian Ansell (see back page for contact details) and he is the first point of contact for sending in match reports, photos, etc.  He will ensure that any information is subsequently passed on to the Newsletter, Media etc. CLUB WEBSITE: www.ldsfc.co.uk The Club’s website manager is Brian Ansell (see back page for contact details).   He can upload photos and information etc.  NEWSLETTERS SENT BY EMAIL Emailing the newsletter result in significant savings for the Club and members are encouraged to receive it in this format.  Email newsletters have the additional benefit of being able to include colour photos.  If members who have elected to receive their newsletter by email and are not receiving it, please check that: i) the Membership Secretary has your current email address. ii) that your newsletter is not being diverted to your junk/spam mailbox. Please contact the Newsletter Editor if further assistance is required.

QUICK GUIDE TO SHORE & BOAT SIZE LIMITS IN COMPETITIONS

Bass               42cm                          Pollack                                   30cm

Black Bream 24cm                          Poor Cod                               18cm

Coalfish         35cm                          Pouting                                  18cm (Boat 25cm)

Cod                 35cm                          Rays (across the wings)     41cm*

Conger           58cm (Boat 120cm) Rockling                                18cm

Dab                 23cm                          Scad                                       25cm

Flounder        27cm                          Silver Eel                               38cm

Gurnard          28cm                          Smooth-hound                      51cm

L.S.  Dogfish 38cm (Boat 46cm)    Sole                                       25cm

Mullet             42cm                          Whiting                                   27cm

Plaice             28cm

*Note.  Rays are measured from nose to tail in the Win-Sum League.

UNCLASSIFIED: 20cm.  WEEVERS DO NOT COUNT

(except in Boat Match League matches)

NOTE: ON CLUB COMPETITIONS ONLY (NOT OPENS) ALL MACKEREL CAUGHT BY ANY METHOD EXCEPT FEATHERING CAN BE WEIGHED IN.

DEFINITION OF CLUB WATERS

Shore.  Eastern Boundary: Emsworth inclusive to western side of Lyme Regis, Dorset and all beaches, piers and jetties on the Isle of Wight.  The above includes Poole Harbour and Southampton Water.

Boats.  Those waters accessible to all Club members within the Angling Trust Marine Regional Group Wessex area D and extending south to latitude 50⁰29’N (approximately 10 miles south of the Needles).

 JUNIOR MEMBERS’ SECTION Angling Trust Junior Specimen Award Scheme – Junior Shore Records Junior ‘Catch & Release’ Shore & Boat Record Lists: Introduction Junior Shore Trophies & Prizes – Junior Shore Fish of the Month Junior Shore Competition Dates Junior Boat Records – junior Boat Trophies & Prizes Junior Boat Fish of the Month Junior ‘Catch & Release’ Boat Record List JUNIOR CLUB MEMBERS’SECTION Welcome to the section of the handbook specially for the junior members of the club. (A junior member will be any juvenile under the age of 17 years at the time of application (or renewal) of membership.  Any junior reaching the age of 17 years during a Club year will still be considered a junior for the duration of that year.) The Angling Trust has recently introduced a separate Specimen Award Scheme for junior anglers.  The specimen weights are approximately 70% of those in the Adult Specimen Award Scheme.  If you catch a fish that qualifies, contact the Docket Steward (back cover).

ANGLING TRUST JUNIOR SPECIMEN AWARD SCHEME: QUALIFYING WEIGHTS