Carl leads the way in race for £1,000 prize

THE Whitby charter boats spring fes- tival got under way last weekend with h some decent fish coming to the scale.

Two of them were pollock of over r 7lb, but it is a ling of 10lb 14oz taken n by Carl Farrar that has taken the lead d for the £1,000 top prize.

There is still plenty of time to go. Anyone wishing to take part should d contact the skippers direct.

The best of the shore catches have come from around the Seaham area with bags of up to 20lb with the pier producing decent catches.

Danny Swan took eight codling for 18.42lb in Seaham’s nighthawk match.

Before the match George Hope made the fatal mistake of saying “his wife had never beaten him for a year”.

George took nil, while Sue Hope was third with three for 5.69lb, with Stephen Laverick taking the best at 4.58lb.

The pier has also produced whiting and dogfish during darkness. Ryhope and Hendon have also produced some decent catches of codling to just over 2lb.

A few marks between Newbiggin and Hauxley have produced Graham Foster taking six for 11lb from Hauxley, best 3-14-0, before the sea lifted a few codling to around 3lb where taken at St Abbs, Eyemouth, Craster and Seahouses.

The Tyne has been fishing well for flounder with anglers fishing the upper reaches taking three at a time with some going well over 1lb.

There have also been the first of the smelt taken, remember these are a protected species and must be returned.

The fishing over the Cumbria Coast has been very slow but there are signs that things are picking up. A few trave-

Tony Kingsley with a nice pollock of 7lb 9oz taken in the Whitby charter boats festival ling anglers fishing at Balcary and Silloth have reported a few rays with the best around 11lb from Balcary.

Brian Jackson took two rays and a few dogfish, but I have been informed that these marks are quite packed at times.

When conditions have been calm a few plaice have been taken at Maryport and Whitehaven the best going 44cm (1lb 13oz).

The flounder fishing at Silloth has been surprisingly slow with only a handful being taken in matches.

However Port Carlisle has given a few nice fish. Unfortunately further down the coast all the way to Whitby shore catches have been poor with only a few codling taken with the best around 2-3lb. Carl Farrar with the leading fish in the Whitby charter boats festival