Another fantastic Big Lerf Fundraiser has come and gone raising £2000 for charity. What an amazing event this is.
Sunshine, friendly faces, and one of the very best LRF / species hunting destinations in the country to go at. Weymouth has lots of options for fishing areas and as usual, 100 anglers had 9 hours to hunt out as many species as possible with artificial baits and lures.
This event was great from day one (Weymouth LRF Fundraiser Summer 2021) but there is something even more special about an event that repeats at broadly the same time of year in the same location. As a fish-geek I love seeing the year on year differences in my own catches and from the entire competitor base. Keep an eye on The Big Lerf Facebook page for any updates on this year’s fish stats.
Our own competition followed a similar path to last year that resulted in 11 species in the 2025 event. And what do you know, this year resulted in 11 too. But it wasn’t the same species.
Sand Goby were readily available this year. But Gilts were thin on the ground where we fish. Not in other areas though. The leopard-spots held up, much to my surprise and we managed one each (three), including a lifer for Chris – a real highlight to the day. Tompots were EVERYWHERE! I swear they were the most common fish for us on the day. I remember picking one up off open mud while trying to find a Black Goby and thinking to myself, what are you doing over there?!
The highlight for me though was not one, but two Baillon’s Wrasse on metal jigs. Not tipped, plain metal. These were my first ever Baillons at Weymouth and my first on metal. They were cool enough to land me the Coolest Catch prize and via the bonus fish decider rule, had me at the top of the pack of anglers with 11 species, taking third overall.
A fab day. Really is cemented in the calendar each year for me now. If you’re interested in attending keep an eye on The Big Lerf Facebook page. This one tends to sell out.
As ever, thanks to everyone involved. Of course Ben & Rich. And the long list of suppliers that support the event with prizes.