Wreck catches may not be by the boatful - but at last they are improving

AT last there has been a bit of an improvement in sport for the wreck angling boats.

The ling are in the majority and there have been reasonable fish taken. The best ling I heard of this week was a fish of 18lb taken by Derek Sergbine, who was fishing on the “North Eastern Charters” boat out of Sunderland.

Also in the catch were cod to 8½lb and pollack to 6lb taken on mackerel strip and Sidewinders.

The Sunderland charter boat “Sapphire” also got among the fish from the inshore wrecks.

They landed ling to 10lb and cod to 9lb and also took a lot of mackerel. Some of the mackerel being caught are 2lb-plus and the majority of the “Sapphire’s” catch were made on mackerel strip.

The “JFK Two” out of the Tyne had plenty of fish aboard from the wrecks. The best was a ling of 14lb and a cod of 12lb, both taken by Keith Ryder.

Apart from the cod and ling, the parties aboard also had pollock to 8lb - mainly taken on small sidewinders.

Mackerel strip-baited hokis and daylights were the most productive.

Private boats are also having better sport, although the majority of fish they are taking have been from the hard ground close in.

Jimmy Craik took a ling of 11lb on a black hoki while fishing off Cambois in a private boat.

The unpredictable weather has meant not many kayak anglers have bothered.

CVFM “Gone Fishing” Radio Programme broadcasts each Saturday from 8am to 10am with live reports from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales on all angling disciplines.

You can tune in live on www.cvfm.org.uk “Listen Live.”

This week’s special guest is Pete Davis, who is a shark angling charter boat skipper from Poole, Dorset.

He is also chairman of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain.

Another special guest on Saturday is Norman Dunlop.

For many years Dunlop was the angling advisor to the Central Fisheries Board in Ireland.

He is now retired but still fishing and is one of the most well respected anglers in Ireland.

Mackerel are being taken in fair amounts from quite a few areas such as Dunstanburgh, Cullernose Point. Lynemouth Beach, The Beacons, Blyth Pier, North Shields Fish Quay and South Shjields Pier.

Fish are being caught on spinners, feathers, float fished worm and mackerel strip.

The River Wear in the area of the Glass Centre and Rat House Corner is producing a lot of herring.

There have been odd decent codling taken from Amble rock edges.

There have also been the odd fish from the Newbiggin area and still occasional codling from South Shields Pier and Whitburn and Marsden rock edges, with crab more or less essential.