Bexhill Angling Festival, new name, new competitions; the biggest angling event in the South East expands to incorporate charter boat, freshwater events!
After the successful establishment of the Bexhill Sea Angling Festival since 2012 the event has now expanded to incorporate more competitions over a longer time period. For the first two years the competitions were held across ten days in September – in 2014 the whole of September will be devoted to angling competitions and events.
Run in conjunction with local clubs and tackle shops and supported by the Bexhill Sea Angling Club, the Angling Trust and Sussex Angling Media, there are now 14 events (and counting) each once catering for different aspects of angling in the area. The sea angling events will be hosted by the Bexhill Sea Angling Club who are also sponsoring one of the competitions.
Angling Village on the Lawns
During the Festival weekend on the 6th and 7th of September the Metropole Lawns at the De La Warr Pavillion will host a much expanded angling village with the presence of a number of local tackle shops and clubs plus we are expecting the much missed angling simulator to return. Master-classes, coaching from the Angling Trust, fly dressing, rigs, tackle and many other angling goodies will be on show. Heroes on the Water, the angling charity for injured forces veterans, will also be present.
Charter Boat Challenge Monday 15th September 2014
The most spectacular new addition is the Eastbourne based Charter Boat Challenge featuring all the Marina based Charter boats. The competition format is a team species hunt – all fished within in a specified area with 6 miles of the coast line. Deep Blue, Misty Blue, Katrina, Panther, Aladard and Excalibur are all taking part with a total of 13 teams participating. The winning team will be the one with the most species caught.
The prize pool will be £1000 plus tackle prizes for the angling teams and there will be a trophy for the winning boat skipper.
New Freshwater Competitions
Wylands International Angling Centre have also joined in holding a series of angling events throughout the month including a special species hunt and a parent and child match. There are ongoing discussions with a number of other clubs and venues to hold events and competitions during the month. In addition the Angling Trust are planning to run a Bass Fly fishing Master-class during the Festival month. More details of that will be announced in the next few weeks.
Angling Festival Committee Chair, Barry Bertin, said of the newly expanded festival “We wanted to offer more competitions for anglers and in order to accommodate everything we felt covering the whole month would give angling in Sussex a massive boost. The committee is particularly delighted about the Charter Boat competition. Our thanks go to angling writer Jim Whippy, and local tackle shop owners Kevin and Glyn Morgan for organising it. The Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club are also involved having agreed to allow us to use their facilities before and after the event. We are also pleased to introduce coarse and game angling events particularly with the help of Wylands International Angling Centre”
For more information about the angling events and how to book please go to www.bexhillseaanglingfestival.co.uk or call Sussex Angling Media on 01424 892287
A full calendar of events is as follows:Â
6th – 7th September Angling Village on the sea front at the De La Warr Pavillion
6th September Kayak Competition – Bexhill
7th September Young anglers pegged match – Bexhill
8th – 12th September Rother beaches Species Hunt
8th – 30th September Wylands IAC Species Hunt
13th September Pegged Beach Open
14th September Bass Specimen Competition
15th September Charter Boat Challenge Species Hunt
21st September Species Hunt – Private and Club Boat Match
Entry forms and more details on the website.
