Source: Graham Broach / Plymouth Herald
The first Plymouth Lure Festival (PLF), sponsored by Plymouth’s Seaview Angling tackle shop, will run from 6am on August 30 to 3pm the following afternoon and will be fished using only artificial lures, with all fish measured, photographed and returned alive, rather than being killed; contestants may fish from the shore or from a kayak anywhere between Salcombe and Looe in one of three categories: kayak, general lure fishing and LRF – light rock fishing.
Contestants will be issued with an official tape measure and laminated identity card, which must appear in each photograph of their catch and species expected to be caught include bass, wrasse, pollack, mackerel and a host of lesser species.
Seaview owner Andy Copley said:
“Lure fishing is becoming very popular, and clubs from all over the country are coming to take part. We particularly hope to appeal to juniors, and hope to have up to 200 anglers fishing and bringing business into Plymouth.”
Andy added:
“People can come along to let their kids have a go with the kits and we will lend them tackle to use.
In the last six or seven years kids have shied away from fishing but with LRF more seem to be getting back into it. Major tackle companies such as Pure Fishing, Tronix and Kiddy are among the sponsors, and there will be hundreds of prizes at the fun event after the fishing.”
There will be prizes for different species, but each entrant will be limited to one prize and there will be a host of events to encourage children to take up the sport, as well as family fun with a bouncy castle, hog roast and raffle – they can even borrow kits to give sea fishing a go themselves.
Sarah O’Leary, waterfront manager for Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said:
“It’s great to see people really making the most of our fantastic waterfront and learning more about the life that inhabits our seas.
Plymouth Sound is a protected European Marine Site with three Sites of Special Scientific Interest, more than twelve miles of accessible shoreline and is one of the most highly studied waterways in the world, befitting of Britain’s Ocean City.
This kind of event encourages more people to visit the Waterfront which is ultimately great for local businesses.”
Tickets for the event, planned to become an annual contest, cost £20 for adults, £10 for juniors, and are available from the tackle shop on 01752 269698
Read the full story via the Plymouth Herald HERE
