This years’ annual Angling Trust Boat
Squad weekend held on 14th/15th
October saw a mixture of current
England team anglers, plus potential
new recruits gather in Weymouth to
be put through their paces ahead of
the selection of the England
International World and Home
Nations Boat Teams for 2018.
Under the guidance of team
managers Neil Bryant (Worlds) and
Steve Batchelor (Home Nations),
plus selectors Ray Ashby and Brian
Owen (Chairman of the Selection
Committee), the 2018 hopefuls were
put through their paces during two
days of intensive training.The training included advice on bait
preparation, casting, traces, team
building and a competitive team
challenge event took place on the
nal day. Although the weather
restricted the shing area on both
days around 18 species were caught
and returned.
If anyone wants to sh for team
please complete the England
application forms which are
available on the Angling Trust
website at the England marine
application forms page for 2018
selection, and remember to return
by the closing date.Angling Trust Boat
Squad announced
6 Saltwater Boat Angling
Our fourth nalist in the Snowbee
Big Fish Charter boat competition
has been drawn out. Vince Court
who landed a 6lb black bream on
Colin Baker’s boat Sally Ann Jo, out
of Weymouth. Vince joins Tommy
Calder, Barry At eld and Kevin
Rishman the two previous winners.
They’ll be shing the nal next
spring for the wining prize £1000 of
Snowbee gear.
If you want to enter your best
catch then please fill out the form
on page 31 or email us at editor@
saltwaterpublishing.co.uk with a
picture of your fish.Th e Big Fish
Competition
sponsored by
The annual Clew Bay Skate Festival
organized and sponsored by the
Helm Hotel in Westport, County
Mayo, has been running for about
twenty years and attracts around 150
anglers each year, mainly from the
UK & Ireland but also a few from
across Europe and beyond, it is held
on the rst weekend in October.The rst prize is €2000 presented by
Vinnie Keogh, owner of the Helm.
This year’s event was won by Sean
Fahey using a Penn Senator 6/0 on
a 50lb class rod. Bait was two whole
mackerel on a 10/0 hook, the sh
took the bait ve minutes before
“lines up” on the nal day of the
two-day festival and weighed 222lb.Clew bay skate festival
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