REGARDED by many as the sea angling event of the year, the Torbay Sea Angling Festival gets underway at 8pm this evening.

The vast majority of local sea angling clubs keep their calendars clear for members to enter this prestigious event, which runs up until 8pm next Sunday, September 12.

As always, club members can ask for a weigh-in slip to record fish at their own club.

The fish being kept have to be marked by a cut on the tail to ensure the fish cannot be re-weighed — the exception to this is if a fish is to be returned alive to the sea, when the return will be witnessed by a committee member, who will be more easily identifiable this year by their wearing of a royal blue committee smock.

If you require a photograph of the fish, let the weigh-in officials know before they cut the tail, so a good picture can be taken.

The captor must then return to the scales for the tail to be cut, and to collect the weigh-in receipt.

If this is your first year of fishing in the festival, please read the rules published in the brochure.

It lists all the entry stations, and you will need to produce your entry receipt whenever you weigh-in.

You will be provided with a seal-top watertight bag to put your entry receipt in.

In the past, anglers have produced papier-mache from their back pocket that is impossible to decipher, from sitting on damp rocks all day!

To save you looking, this year's deliberate errors in the brochure are the specimen weight for a blonde ray from shore — which should be 10lb and not 5lb — and the inclusion of silver eel, which is no longer weighable due to the overall nationwide ban on silver eels that came into force this year.

This year's presentation of awards, through circumstances out of the committee's control, will be at the Half Moon, Preston, on October 2.

Due to the withdrawal of sponsorship at very short notice, a drink of wine for all attending cannot be offered.

The committee have instead organised for a free finger buffet after the presentation of the awards, and there should be entertainment.

Over this first weekend of the festival, the Wyvern Division of the Angling Trust are running the 32nd National Open Small Boat Angling Championship.

This takes place at Salcombe tomorrow and Sunday — details and entries from David Rowe on 01626 833058 (evenings).

Due to distances involved, and different methods of administration, it is unfortunately not possible to fish these two competitions simultaneously.

I HAD a message from Torbay & Babbacombe Association of Sea Anglers member Kevin Rouse, who had a very pleasant day bream fishing.

His top black bream weighed 3lb 4oz 4dr, caught from his friend's private boat Emily Jane at the weekend on what's left of a patch of rough ground approximately seven miles off Exmouth.

Rouse said: "Unfortunately this area of soft rock is constantly being breached and subsequently flattened by commercial fishing boats dredging the seabed for scallops.

"A variety of species of sea life seek sanctuary here, which has made it a popular spot for local boat anglers and commercial crabbers for many years.

"In more recent times the fishing here has dramatically declined as more and more of the rocky pinnacles are flattened.

"In my opinion this area in particular would benefit from the protection of a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), so that future generations of anglers may get to enjoy the variety of species this unique area has to offer."

He and I, like many others, have cooperated with Finding Sanctuary, so now we'll just have to wait and see what comes of these 'zones'.

Anglers have got, and are giving, the message that the devastation of large areas and their unwanted indigenous species for commercial gain cannot continue.

BAYWATER Anglers visit Hopes Nose on Sunday for a social fish and teach-in between 1pm and 6pm.

Baywater's Martyn Green said: "This time of year, there should be the usual mackerel and garfish on float, but ledgering could also produce a few fish of other species.

"Dogfish should (inevitably) be around for those using squid or mackerel strip but there may perhaps be a few flatfish, gurnard or red mullet responding to peeler crabs, rag or lugworms.

"You could also spin with dexters or cebars, or put on a light arlesey or pierced bomb and try some rubber eels.

"For those who like to experiment, you could try some ragworms on the pole, having some fun with the wrasse."

Baywater Anglers' next date is at Goodrington Promenade next Friday, September 10 (5.30pm to 9.30pm).