UK’s biggest junior event awards £10,000 of prizes to kids
A year of hard planning went into this year’s Clyde & Western Region Open Shore Competition on Greenock Esplanade. While most Open competitions on the Clyde have disappeared, this event remains hugely popular, and can claim to be the biggest and best junior event in the UK.
Anglers from around the UK plus a contingent from Italy ensured all 165 senior pegs were taken. And a superb turnout of 81 juniors battled it out despite horrendous weather and the distraction of the Old Firm match.
The format was catch, measure and release, with a 20cm size limit for seniors. There was no minimum size for junior participants as this event has everything to do with getting young anglers out fishing and actually catching. Leading tackle companies and retailers once again committed generously with an incredible £10,000 worth of tackle for the junior prize table alone.
As expected the fishing was mixed, with mackerel featuring along the venue and a better showing of valuable dogfish for those pegged towards the east end. Top senior was Scotland youth international Scott McNicol from Kirkcudbright. Scott tallied 10 dogfish and 3 mackerel for 651 points, pocketing a cool £584 for his troubles. Newcastle’s Colin Bell was runner up with 9 dogfish for 520 points. Chris Pritchard also from Kirkcudbright landed a 65cm dogfish and £446 in pools money for the longest fish.
Scott Caven, aged 15 from Edinburgh won the junior event with 4 fish for 173 fish points from peg 26. Runner up Sophie Frayling, aged 8 from Glasgow had 9 fish for 170 fish points from peg 95, while Sam McGarver, aged 9 from Kirkcudbright came third with 4 fish for 168 fish points from peg 96. 33 juniors caught on the day, but all juniors receive quality prizes at this event.
