Visitors retain honours on tough weekend

From left, Kevin Oglesby (NS), Jessica Scott (NS), Brett Scott (NS), Jean Nears (DB), Gary Nears, Arynn Webster (DB) and Karl Turner (DB).

Auckland anglers continued the dominance over their Far North counterparts in the annual North Shore Challenge Shield fishing contest over the weekend.

The result left the tally in the two-day tournament hosted by the Doubtless Bay Light Line and Rod Casting Club on Saturday and Sunday (held very Queen's Birthday Weekend since the late 1990s) in favour of the visiting North Shore Surfcasting Club at 17 to 7.

On behalf of the hosting faction, Liz Virgo said the cold snap which hit the country for the long weekend produced very challenging conditions for anyone fishing from either boat or shore, and paid her respects to anyone who got out there to brave the weather.

The competition was established by a number of ex-North Shore club members who had relocated to Doubtless Bay for the lifestyle but wanted to stay in touch with, and compete against, their friends still in Auckland, Virgo said, while noting the visiting faction's dominance in the event had been earned the hard way.

Doubtless Bay club president Trevor Davidson presents his North Shore counterpart, Kevin Oglesby, with the North Shore Challenge Shield.

"Their members are very keen, experienced anglers, mostly from shore, and when the weather is rough, they don't care, they just get out there and do it."

While numbers of fish caught were not plentiful, some respectable specimens were still produced at the weigh-in at the Cooper's Beach Garage on Sunday afternoon.

Top placegetters were, heaviest snapper: 6.82kg Kevin Oglesby (NS) 1, 6.44kg Brett Scott (NS) 2, Gary Nears 6.18kg (DB), junior snapper: Jessica Scott, 5.98kg (NS). Also notable were D-Bay members Carl Turner and Arynn Webster each weighing in a 4.94kg snapper.

Despite the "awful" weather, the camaraderie between the two clubs remained evident, and there was a good turnout at the weigh-in/ prizegiving where the hosting club members served up the traditional massive banquet dinner which was enjoyed by all.

Virgo said everyone was already looking forward to next year's event.