European Open Beach Championships
2023
Paul Roggeman European Open Beach Championships 2023
Six members of the club travelled down to the Holderness Coast to fish the championships over 3 days. Basing ourselves out of Withernsea for the event. Flattie Bash on the Friday 3rd March, Main events on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th March.
Flattie Bash 3rd March 2023
We drew Zone C, Fraisthorpe beach, just South of Bridlington. All 6 members in the same section. We split up with Dave Wood and Steve Robson fishing the central section. Mark Igo, Dave Connor, Connor Dickinson and James Grandini fishing the Northern Section of the beach. 4 Hour match from 10:00 to 14:00.
Early Start, with the booking on for the Flattie Bash starting at 07:00. A lengthy queue already when we arrived at 06:50 at Hornsea. About 1 hour as we eventually made it inside to Draw our peg. Sections A and B were at Hornsea. Steve Robson Drawing Zone C for us at Fraisthorpe.
Speaking to locals. Zone C Fraisthorpe was a Flounder Venue about 20 minutes drive North away. Just South of Bridlington. Pretty Flat beach with sand bars running parallel to the shore.
Mark Igo, Steve Robson and David Wood.
David Connor, James Grandini and Connor Dickinson.
Connor Dickinson with a a 3lb Bass, 2nd cast. Sadly only Flatfish count in the flattie bash. If he would of caught it a day later he would of been in the prizes.
Connor also managed a decent flounder 33cm and another high twenties I believe. Mark Igo managed a couple of flounders, biggest going 29cm. James Grandini managed one 30cm but Dave Wood stole the show, probably one or two fish from being in the top 3 in the 147 person section.
Main Event Day One.
Saturday 4th was the start of the main event. With so many anglers fishing, you need to be up early to get a chosen spot. 3am alarm clock to be on the beach at North Withensea for 4am. Even that early, we had a 200m walk to find a spot. Fishing times are from 9am till 3pm. Arriving we could see a big sea running as forecast. Hopefully the Cod or Bass would play ball.
As can be seen in the video above. Conditions were against us, but everyone was in the same boat. Unless you were willing to travel down to Spurn Point or Bridlington in the North. Big Northernley swell running into the Beach.
As soon as the rods all went in at the start of the match, it was clear holding bottom would be an issue. Line immediatley swinging around to the right.
Dave Wood fishing as you would in the North East in a big sea. Holding the rod.
Everyone struggled to hold bottom. Unless you were fishing the gutter at close range looking to pick up a Bass.
We didn’t see another fish all day. The weigh in that night, only 30 anglers out of 1500 had managed to land a fish. That made all of us feel slightly better after a blank. It was about a 50/50 split between Codling and Bass. Winner on the Saturday was Pippen Moore from Hartlepool with a 5lb 5oz Cod from Spurn Point. A 2lb Codling or Bass would of got you on the board for the day and a prize. After a couple of beers and a good laugh, everyone was looking forward to Day 2 of the main event.
Main Event Day Two
With the sea expected to be bigger than the Saturday. We decided as a collective to fish North towards Bridlington. You are sheltered by Flamborough Head from the worst of a North Eastly swell. 3am alarm clock to be on the road by 4am heading North. We decided to fish Fraisthorpe Beach, the venue of the Flattie Bash and also where Connor Had managed his 3lb Bass. The Beach gave a good chance of heaviest flat fish, a 40cm Flounder was recorded in the Flattie bash from Fraisthorpe. The main aim was for a Bass or a slight chance of a Thornback Ray. Quick stop on route to a petrol station and a McDonalds breakfast in Bridlington. We stopped off to take a look at South Bridlington Beach. Mark Igo chatting to another angler from Ireland who was looking at fishing the beach. We decided to stick to the main plan of Fraisthorpe, slightly South of Bridlington. With a bit more surf on for the Bass. Later to find out at the weight in that the very same angler who we had been chatting, had recorded the only Thornback Ray for the weekend and taken 3rd place on the Sunday and 5th overall in the competition.
Davey Wood and David Connor fished the South end of the Beach, Mark Igo and Steve Robson took the long walk North to the far end of the beach. There was a decent sea on but we were fine holding bottom. Nothing like the previous day. Speaking to other anglers, plenty had looked at the sea further south and gone back to bed. About 45 minutes into the Match, I look over and Steve Robson looks to be playing a big fish, rod bent and wading deeper into the water. Ran over to find he had had a good bite and whatever it was had hung him up. He could still feel the fish nodding away. Gave it slack, went one side and then another to try free it. After a good 15 minutes, with pressure it comes free, minus the fish. Steve was gutted. It was either a bass or thornback the way the thuds could be seen on Steves rod. Plenty of Flounders start coming in, with the odd small bass. Steve had four nearly at the 30cm minimum size for the competition. I had one which was just shy and plenty under the 30cm limit. Sadly no Bass or Rays recorded.
Before we knew it, 15:00 arrives and competition ends. Long drive back to the accommodation, get changed and travel to Sand Le Mare for a few beers. The winner ended up with £7250. A 5lb 5oz Cod on the Saturday and one of 2lb odd the Sunday. The event pays out about £35 000 in money and prizes over the 3 days. Positions down to 20 each day get prizes and 30 overall on the Sunday. It is a really well run competition, it is hard work and long days though. All in all, it was a brilliant weekend, great laugh and good company. Learnt an awful lot about the area and marks. I will be doing it again next year.