25th June 2001
REPORT FOR THE HUMBER TO THE THAMES
The weather again put paid to the weekend’s fishing with manyshops reporting very few anglers braving the conditions. Earlier onin the week news of two very big fish from the Essex coast. More ofthat later.
Although, talking of big fish, rumours in the grapevine of a tripout by the ministry at Hayling Island for tagging, they actuallylanded a smoothound of around 31lb, which if true would make it arecord.
One of the brave skippers who ventured out was Colin Bond fromSouthend; his parties found some roker feeding on most baits thatwere offered.
The beaches at Southend are fishing slowly for flounders and somesmall bass at night. Alan Gaskin fished form the pier at Southend for8 mackerel taken on mackerel strip. One thing that has not changed isthe number of very small bass at the end of the pier, one anglerreports that the small bass turned on 3 or 4 bass about 3lb and wereactually appearing to bite the bass, maybe in the mistaken idea thatit was food. Needless to say the bigger bass soon swum off with lotsof small fish attacking them. Goerge at Canvey Angling has news ofthe same with some small bass and flounders from Southfalls andThorney Bay, to see if things are changing ring him on 01268691542.
Stanford, Tilbury and Grays are fishing moderately for small bass,flounders, eels and a few soles, ring Barry at Stanford on 01375 676739.
Dave Godwin reporting for the Wallasea based boats informs me ofpoor fishing form outside the river, but Jeff Smith a worker fromSouthend Angling Centre landed a very good quality Crouch roker of13lb 2oz. However, better weather soon will improve catches veryquickly, but there is still plenty of small bass about.
On the flip side the fishing at Bradwell for smoothounds accordingto John Rawle is some of the best he has seen at this time of theyear. Catches of over 40-50 smoothounds over 10lb are the regular onthe right tides. The biggest fish fell on Terry Batt’s boat the VickyEmma a superb fish of 26lb 8oz to Alan Hollins, hermit crab temptedthe fish on 20ln main line on a flowing trace. Also one of thebiggest male tope to have come out of Bradwell was landed by DillonSmith a fish of 51lb caught on eel section. Dave Davies also landed abass of 6lb. John Ralwe’s parties were not far behind with TerryTurner landing a tope of 47lb and 6 smoothounds over 10lb. LloydCotter went one better with a tope of 53lb and a 18lb 12ozsmoothound. To make the most of the fishing you can book Terry on01621 786170 and John on 01621 776445.
Peter Yates fished out on his private boat the Jubilee from theWalton area and fished one of the wrecks for some double cod,pollack and bass. Richard Holgate from Metcalf’s has news of lots ofsmall bass with double and even some treble shots, plus a few eelsand pouting. Try close to Walton pier for the chance of a sole.
The St Osyth match was won by Mick Davis with a bass of 3lb 7oz ona poor evenings fishing. Bel Richard on 01255 675680 for any morenews. Lawrence tells me of eels, pouting, soles and small bass frommost beaches. Better news from the boats fishing the wrecks right outtowards Belgium, they are coming back with 4 or 5, 10stone boxes ofcod landed on pirks with some pollack as well. Dave Brown fromBreakaways will point you towards Shingle Street for bass on spinnersand Ipswich docks for eels and mullet. 01473 741393 will get you thelatest gossip.
Stuart Smalley from Aldeburgh on 01728 454030 has news of bass onmost beaches with a few soles at Lowestoft north beach. Southwoldtown beach, Benacre and Kessingland for a few soles. Sizewell,Thorpness for some bass and soles, with the river Blyth producingsome good bass between 5-8lb. Dougy at Tackle and Tide reports aquiet weekend with 2 codling caught from the pleasure beach atYarmouth, Caister being the best with dabs, flounders to 1lb andeels, also a 3lb 8oz codling was landed. Also a couple of tope werelanded from the boats, which according to Doug shows how things arechanging in the movement of fish. Trimmingham and Cart Gap for bassand smoothounds to 5lb, phone Martin at Marine Sports for moredetails.
Moving on up to the very top of our section Bob at CleethorpesAngling reports that George Smith won a small match with 4lb + offlounders, from Humberstone Creek which is about the only place thatfished at the weekend. Tony at Mablethorpe suggests Huttoff and Sandylands for bass and smoothounds, ring him on 01507 478444. Localangler Dave Dobbs up there suggests the rivers for flounders andeels, Holderness coast for roker and bass, the Lincs coast for bass,flounders and eels.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Blyth River, Southwold
Current Form
Bass to 8lb can be caught from here for most of the summer. Youcan of course get flounders and eels from here as well in this muchunder rated mark.
Bait
To target the bass you can use a variety of baits, all work well onthe day. Crab, rag and squid for the live baits. Always take some redgills, lures or spinners to tempt these superb fighting fish. Ofcourse rag, lug, and crab for the eels and flounders.
Tackle and Tactics
Use a 2-hook paternoster for the small fish with size 2 or 1 3261hooks, be prepared for a bass even on this tackle. For the bass usethe same rig but with 2/0 or 4/0 hooks at any range with the bestresults on the flood or slack water. For the benefit of those anglersthat never know what artificial lure to use it seems that here thereis no particular one to use.
Location
Take the A12 and south of Lowestoft take the turning to Southwold andfollow into the town and the river will be on your right at the endof the town.
Local Tackle Shop
Southwold Angling Centre 01502 722085
Sheppy angler Ray Jeffreys came second in the midweek openat Dover with 9 fish last week. The Sheppy Crusaders club hasa match at the Leas in Minster, Roy Ferris won with 2 eels andin second place was Paul Staples.
The Kings ferry bridge area is still producing some bass onrag and crab baits.
The middle deep water of the Medway is were the eels seemto be with some good catches, but otherwise just a few eels and solesfrom the normal shore marks on the Medway river.
The east corner of Dover Docks and the cliffs there aresome good plaice catches with fish up to 5lb 2oz. They seem to befishing half a day for the bass using sand eels and half a day on theplaice with up to 30 fish a boat. Also being caught are some roker,on the piers are good catches of the mandatory mackerel. Also fromHythe beaches are reports of up to 6 mackerel on somecasts.
CLUB CALL
The Jubilee Club based in Gt Yarmouth is over 70 years old and isone of the oldest in East Anglia. Nowadays there are about 25members, paying ten pounds a year and fishing weekly matches, alsohaving away days at Dover Breakwater. There are even better organisedwith a boat moored at Orford to take them to the island. Anotherinnotive idea is that on their weekly meetings at the social club atNorgate Hospital, they propose the next venue for their club matchand then draw their pegs.
To know more about the club phone Bob Morris on 01493 842259.
