25th September 2001
REPORT FOR THE HUMBER TO THE THAMES
Southend pier is still very much in the summerwith Mark Allington taking 30 mackerel the other day on mackerelstrip and other anglers taking them on feathers and hockais.
On the end of the pier mullet are still there to be caught onmaddies or mackerel flesh using size 6 short shank hooks. The boatshere in Southend have located some whiting, a few more dabs showingand also some dogfish. One report from the trawlers is of a triggerfish taken from the outer Thames Estuary, which is news in itself.Early morning or late evening tides, try Leigh cockle sheds withcockles for difficult to catch a late mullet.
Using lugworm, Canvey sea wall is fishing for some small bass, atnight I am sure the first whiting should not be to far away. StanfordTackle boss Barry on 01375 676739 reports some good flounders andeels at Grays by the yachts. His own patch at Stanford for floundersand Tilbury for eels and flounders, a tip from Mick Gridley is that alot of the fish have been caught on lug.
The open match at Grays was won with 11 flounders for a weight of6lb 10oz an obvious improvement. The bad weather has kept the boatsin the river Crouch fairly close to home for some bass, the besttaken was by Carl Mason, a fish of 5lb 4oz taken aboard the Predatorrun by Dave Godwin, eels, dogfish and small tope. A 7lb 8oz bass wasthe best fish of the week from the shore of the river Crouch althoughit is unconfirmed; one angler had 11 eels from Fambridge on wormbaits.
John Rawle from Bradwell tells me that one advantage of therougher weather has been the bass inshore have concentrated more inthe deeper water in the river, so the bass fishing has improved witha few more better sized fish coming to the net on ragworm. John thenfished for whiting with rag and squid (not the best whiting baits)and still managed 70 plus fish in two hours. This many fish thisearly bodes well for the coming season. John however did tell methat the trawlers are netting a few cod now, but I am afraid that isstandard for this time of year.
A 7lb 8oz bass was landed form Walton pier last week. Andy Piggottlanded 24 whiting from the pier in a daylight tide, which is good forany time of the autumn, Richard also tells me that half a dozen or socodling have also been caught, with some big pouting and the odd solestill. The river Stour I hear, is full of small bass, obviouslyfeeding up to swim to warmer climes, best bait will be ragworm.
Breakaway manager Dave Brown showed he can actually catch fish aswell as talk a good story, he landed a quality 9lb bass from theFluges area of Felixstowe. Viscount Tackle boss Vic will point youtowards Orford Island for some good whiting fishing or the Dip atFelixstowe, 01473 728179 will get you in contact with him. DaveBrown, Breakaways manager, also backs up Orford as a hot tip for thisweek; his other tip remains East Lane for bass and soles.
Our old friend Stuart Smalley from Aldeburgh Tackle has news of a6lb bass from his patch at the Dirty wall as well as whiting and afew soles. Please note that you can only get to the Dirty Wall by a4-wheel drive car only if you join Orfordness Angling Club, phoneGordon on 01728 668268. The birds eye factory at Lowestoft is theplace for whiting according to Lyn from Sam Hooks on 01502 565821. Infact most of the beaches round here are fishing for dabs and whiting,as one would hope for now.
Just up the coast at Yarmouth Doug at Tackle and Tide tells methat every cast you will fill up with pin whiting, with only a fewbetter ones, plus some dabs. The boats fishing one mile off are nowfinding some better-sized cod. Ring Doug to see if they have startedto move inshore on 01493 852221 or for his best tips of Hazebourgh,Cart Gap and Winterton for a good sized bass.
The weather has made life very difficult on the north Norfolkcoast to fish, with just a few bass on the ebb, on the flood there isto much weed so Martin Steward reports to me on 01263 513676. His toptips are Mundesley and Trimmingham.
Catch of the week in this area was Paul Tovell’s 7lb 8oz bass fromEccles, which Tackle and Tide boss Doug witnessed with disgust as hewas fishing next to Paul, Doug catch for the evening a 6oz bass.Cromer pier, the bass appeared to have got smaller but have beenjoined by some codling to create some interest, Sandylands usingsquid or lug you will attract a smoothound, bass or a big flounder.Cleethorpes for plenty of small whiting, eels and flounders, phoneBob Tarvet for more news on 01472 602002. Head towards Barton forsome eels and soles, or try Immingham for more flounders and eels,most marks further up the Humber for again flounders and the odd feweels.
To the north of my region and beyond, Spurn head is fishing forbass, inside the Humber most places in the river producing someflounders and eels. Whitby to Filey Bridge there are codling to 6lb,with the boats finding some haddock, Hessle for some eels, floundersand soles. Beyond that try Marine Drive at Scarborough for somecod.
RESULTS
Essex Beach Open Grays Wharf, 9/9/01
1st Gary Lloyd 6lb 1 1/2oz
2nd Dion Mcfayden 5lb 10oz
3rd Dave Macken 5lb 6 3/4oz
Heaviest Round
Martin Lee 2lb 3oz bass
Heaviest Flat
Ian Reynolds 1lb 2oz
Good results after a very poor summer, with far more floundersshowing.
