SEA ANGLING
AT last there have been some good fish taken from the boats. The best cod weighed in at 20lb and was taken on Allan Skinner’s “JFK Two”.
The lucky angler was Bob Holden from South Shields. Bob took his fish on a red and yellow Sidewinder Lure (Rhubarb & Custard).
Another South Shields angler, Grant Taylor, was out on the Sunderland wreck boat “Sapphire” and, using a mackerel-baited flowing trace took a 17lb ling.
An exceptional pollock for the North East area weighed in at 16lb and was taken from the Tyne charter boat “Mistress” by Bob Watson, who was using a ragworm and squid cocktail fishing close in on the hard ground. The North Eastern Charters wreck boat out of Sunderland had cod to 16lb and ling to 14lb from an inshore wreck.
It still seems that the hard ground close inshore is producing more fish in quantity, but the quality, even though the fish are fewer, are from the wrecks. I was told about a private boat out of Blyth at the weekend and one angler aboard took a cod of 18lb only a matter of 300 yards from the end of Blyth Pier.
Scientists are saying that cod and haddock in particular are moving further north due to the warming seas around the UK. They say that Britain must prepare itself for ‘invasions’ of growing numbers of foreign sea creatures attracted by our warming waters.
“Some newcomers could have devastating effects and others could be beneficial,” say the researchers.
The team’s research stresses that Britons will have to change their ideas about the seafood they eat, as favourites will disappear from UK waters.
Haddock and cod are being forced northwards as ocean temperatures rise, while flatfish like sole and plaice have nowhere suitable to go. At the same time cuttlefish and sardines are being caught in rising numbers and are destined to become the fish of the future for Britain.
A special Open Shore Competition is being held this Sunday. This is the Frank Oldham Memorial Match. Frank was one of the “gentlemen” of angling and sadly passed away recently. Fishing is from 10am to 3pm and entry is £10 with a 100% payout. Tickets are available from Ollies Bait & Tackle, Whitley Bay and on the day of the competition from the General Havelock Pub. Juniors may fish with an adult.
There will be a raffle with the funds being given to the Fisherman’s Mission. There are some excellent prizes to be won and the boundaries are from Tynemouth Pier (excluded) to Seahouses Harbour.
Anyone wishing to donate a prize can hand them in at Ollies Tackle or the General Havelock on the day.
Rock edge marks from Blyth northwards, especially the Amble area, the Private Beach. Cresswell, Cambois Rocks have all produced lots of codling, the majority of which are undersized but there have been a few better fish to 4lb+. Strangely the smaller fish are being taken on crab baits with the better fish going for mackerel strip.
The rivers are producing the better flounders as the beaches are not fishing well at all, with only small flatfish being taken, again mackerel strip is working best.
The first of the Whitley Bay AS Winter League matches had an entry of nine rods, of which three weighed in. The winner was Paul Brown with six fish from Rocky Island for 8lb 3oz. Second was Ken West with one fish from Hartley for 3lb 4oz, which was the HSF. Third was Gary Wilson with three fish from Rocky Island for 3lb 3oz.