St Serfs bosses closely watching weather

Fife-based St Serfs Sea Angling Club are keeping an eye on the weather as they prepare to host one of the biggest annual events in the calendar on Sunday.

A storm is forecast to arrive this weekend, but officials hope the weather front wil miss the Fife coast. A decision will be made sometime on Saturday.

Up-to-date details will be posted on the club’s Facebook site, but George Harris, the club secretary, hopes the Xmas Open will go ahead.

In previous years, several hundred anglers have taken part and he said: “We’re keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts, and the storm could pass further south. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

If it goes ahead it will be the 26^th competition and the anglers who hooks the heaviest cod will pocket £1,000.

Prizes are down to tenth position and all junior anglers will receive a prize.

Rods, reels, terminal tackle and bait will be available at registration supplied by Deals on Reels of Cowdenbeath. Registration is at Anstruther Golf Club between 9.30am and 11.30am and fishing is from noon to 6pm. Low water is 1.10pm.

The weigh-in is from 6pm to 7pm back at the golf club and entry is £15 for seniors and £5 for juniors.

Points for the national Penn Sea League are available and Harris said: “There is a lot of interest and I’ve had a lot of telephone calls this week from all over asking for advice on where to fish.”

Elsewhere, Match Six in the popular Edinburgh Winter Shore League, sponsored by the Edinburgh Angling Centre, Fishing Megastore and Cow & Rawle, is scheduled for Friday, December 6 on the Western end of the Newhaven Breakwater.

Registration is between 6pm and 6.15pm at Western Harbour Breakwater EH6 6PA and fishing is from 7pm to 10pm. Pre-booking only and anglers from Fife and as far afield as Arbroath and Newcastle area are listed in the field.

Falkirk angler Ian Campbell (pictured left by Nigel Duncan at a previous registration), a Scotland international, leads the race in the seven-match series with Neil Cutler from Tyneside second and Chris Empson (Dunbar) third.