Hound are back, but not the biggest sizes

IF it is a shot at the smooth hounds you are after then Hilston and Dimlington are coming back on song with quite a few fish well into double figures taken.

Sunderland angler Andy Copeland took one of 14lb 1oz, but the big 20lbplus hounds present earlier are yet to return.

Please remember all these fish are to be returned carefully. Unfortunately hounds have disappeared completely along with the rays from all of the Solway venues.

In fact most of the Cumbria marks have been fishing very poorly full stop, with very few mackerel coming from the piers, beaches producing the odd flounder, small tope, gurnard, eels and dogfish and odd under-sized bass; with some venues being troubled with lots of weed.

Marks around Kircudbright and the Mull of Galloway are certainly slow for the time of year with only a few wrasse and pollock being taken.

The Northumbria rocks marks have given a few codling but most are around a couple of pound with the best going 4lb, with St Abbs and the border marks giving reasonable sport with wrasse to 4lb and decent pollock to 7lb.

Dave Rogers had a great day using light float tackle.

Marks around Whitburn and Marsden giving a few codling to 2lb, as has South Shields pier along with a few pollcok to 3lb.

The Tyne and the Wear have been fishing well for flounder with quite a few reaching the magical 2lb mark, at times though crabs have been a problem.

Mackerel are still very inconsistent with some piers only giving very few if any at times while others giving quite a few, South Shields pier being the Andy Copeland with his 14lb 1oz smooth hound. Right, Tony Wealleans with his first ever double-figure fish – a ling of 10lb 8oz best venue, which has also given a few codling and pollcok. As well as mackerel Seaham north pier has given flounder, odd plaice and dogfish. No monster fish to report this week from the boats but with calmer conditions have seen catches improve with most boats from Whitby to The Tyne taking up to seventy fish with cod and ling into double figures, Mick Mills taking one of 18.5lb aboard Famous, Christopher Kane taking a cod of 14lb aboard JFK TWO, Tony Wealleans taking his first ever double figured fish in twenty years fishing a ling of 10lb 8oz, and angler known only as Fernando taking a ling of 16lb, with regulars Theresa Hepplewhite and daughter Catherine weighing in with around eight fish each. Sunderland boats Sapphire and Northeastern Charters also accounted for ling of 15lb, most boats have also taken pollock to 7lb and a few wolf fish.