Weather is the winner at the Whitby festival

THE weather certainly had a big say in the outcome of the Whitby Charter boats autumn festival.

With the whole of the last week canceled, Matthew Weatherhead of Wetherby picked up the £1,000 first prize with his ling of 19lb 4oz taken aboard Shy Torque 111. Second place went to Mark Farrall of Nottingham with a ling of 18lb 7oz taken on the same day as the winning fish while fishing aboard Sea Urchin 111.

Simon Wong of Manchester – the early leader – had to settle for third with his ling of 17lb 7oz taken aboard Shy Torque 111.

The best cod of the event at 14lb 1oz fell to Paul Cookson of Preston.

The weather has certainly played havoc with boat fishing with only a few boats getting out JFK TWO managed a trip out and found some decent fish the party taking around 30 fish with Mark Francis taking a ling of 13lb, cod to 7lb and around 10 pollock to 8.5lb were also taken.

Hopefully the weather will settle a bit enabling anglers to get out there and get some big baits down into the wrecks and get some of the big ling that can be taken at the end of September and early October.

As the winter club matches take off in earnest, you can see by the results there are lots of codling averaging around the 1.5lb mark being taken from the rock ends, beaches, piers, promenades, estuaries and rivers from Whitby to Eyemouth – with a few better fish to around 5lb taken from the roughest ground marks. Most anglers are taking up to a dozen fish a time with most baits taking fish, fishing over low water during darkness producing the best catches.

The recent rough weather looks to haveh ve scattered the last of the main shoals of mackerel from the piers with very few taken.

Plaice catches have also dropped off as well, a late sunny spell with settled seas could see bigger plaice taken.

However, the number of whiting being taken from some piers has increased.

Good-sized flounder have been coming from the region’s rivers with the Wear producing the bigger fish with some reaching the 2lb mark.

Good flounder should also come from the open beaches once the sea has settled a bit with worm and fish strip likely to be the best bait. And there is also a chance of a decent bass. Matthew Weatherhead with his winning ling of 19lb 4oz. Inset, Mark Farrall with his ling of 18lb 7oz and Simon Wong with his ling of 17lb 7oz