Whitby prize remains there for the taking

THERE have been plenty of fish taken at the start of the Whitby uptiding festival but there has been a lack of big ones with Andy Dickinson in the running for the £1,000 for the heaviest cod with one of 5lb 7oz. With a long way to go anyone could take the prize.

Matthew Breen leads the heaviest bag section with 20 cod for 35lb 7oz.

When not competing in the festival Shy Torque has been taking some reasonable fish from the wrecks with cod and ling into double figures.

Only a few boats have been off the Tyne and Sunderland, and private boats that have been able to pick the suitable weather. Although quite cold out there anglers have been able to keep themselves warm with plenty of fish of around 2lb not far off, with the odd one around 4lb.

Fishing at anchor with a big cocktail bait fished hard on the bottom could attract one or two bigger fish.

The better shore caught fish have have come from the Whitby area with Dennis Thompson taking the last two Whitby AS matches with four cod for 12lb 5oz, his best 7lb 9oz, and nine cod for 20lb 20z – the best 5lb.

Other marks that have seen a few codling to around 5lb are the rock marks at Marsden, Souter, Ryhope, Newbiggin, Seaton Sluice. Surprisingly the rock edges at Seahouses, Craster and Newton have seen very few decent fish, but I suspect this will change soon.

Piers have proved productive with Tynemouth’s giving decent catches of coalfish. Nine-year-old Matthew Robson won BOTAC’s match with eight for 7lb 7oz. Seaham north pier has given anglers good catches of codling to 4.5lb, and South Shields pier taking good numbers of codling to 3lb, but a long cast is needed to reach the fish.

The Walkway has also seen decent catches of codling with the upper reaches of the Tyne giving the better catches, but as like elsewhere getting a fish over 2lb is proving difficult.

The upper reaches of the Wear have seen the better catches of flounder on the bigger tides with Claxheugh the top mark. Down at the Rat House Corner codling and whiting have been taken in reasonable numbers but at times small fish have been a problem.

The best beaches for flounder and the odd bass have again been Warkworth, Embleton, Druridge and the old favourite Druridge producing the best catches.

Last week I said it is not really worth a trip over west, well I have been proved wrong.

Brian Scott – during a calm sunny spell – managed a few hours while over at his caravan at Kirkcudbright, and took dogfish and strap conger. Andy Dickinson with the codling which leads the Whitby uptiding festival