Andy’s luck is in as he lands the heaviest fish
WITH quite a few days lost to the weather, Andy Faulds of Consett was lucky to get out to sea on Sea Urchin 111 on the last day of the Whitby spring festival.
And his luck carried on as he went on to land not only the heaviest fish of the day but the heaviest fish of the festival – winning £1,000 with his ling of 12lb 8oz.
Faulds also took the second heaviest fish of the day a ling of 9lb 3oz.
Colin Waugh took third place on the day with one of 7lb 10oz.
Having led the festival, Carl Farrar dropped down into second with his ling of 12lb 2oz with David Makings taking third place with his ling of 11lb 7oz.
Dave Crawford took the heaviest cod at 11lb 1oz with Richard Anscombe taking the heaviest pollock at 10lb 2oz.
There are signs that boat catches are picking up off the Tyne with a party out on JFK TWO taking decent cod, catfish, ling and quite a number of codling between 4-6lb.
Regular Mark Francis took the best cod at 11lb and best catfish of 6lb. Private boats fishing the rough ground have have taken a few codling mainly around 1lb-3lb but with the odd better fish to 5lb falling to fresh crab.
Unfortunately the west and east coast shore anglers have struggled to find fish.
In the Seaham Good Friday open only a single sizeable fish was taken a codling of 1.41lb falling to the rod of Ryan Tallantire from the north pier.
Piers have certainly been the best place to fish, even Seaham pier started fishing during darkness for dogfish, coalfish and flounder, South Shields pier gave up a few codling with the best going 5lb along with sizeable coalfish.
A few flounder have started to show in the Wear at the new bridge, Vinegar well and the Timber beach, but the normally productive beaches at Druridge, Warkworth and Embleton have produced little.
Anglers travelling to Silloth, Balcary and other Solway marks in search of rays have been disappointed, as have the locals with only the odd ray being taken, although most of the Cumbria marks are giving reasonable sport on light tackle with dab, flounder and odd plaice.
A few pollcok to 4lb have come from St Abbs and Eyemouth along with coalfish but please be careful when there is a bit of swell running.
The open rock marks between Whitby and Eyemouth have produced only a handful of codling with the best going 3lb.