Anglers who have never experienced the excellent whiting fishing from the beaches and piers at Roker and Seaham, where catches of 20-40 fish are common, are getting first-hand experience of this hectic sport.
The Tyne also has seen phenomenal catches taken on most types of bait. Paul Riches fished at the Bergen Quay to win a sweepstake match with over 33lb of whiting to 1-8-0.
Charles Wood managed to get through the whiting to land the heaviest fish, a cod of 4-4-0.
Blyth beach has also produced good catches of whiting to 2lb and Ken Pattinson won New Hartley’s match with 37 for 16-9-0, Mark Newton landing the heaviest fish of the event, a cod of 4-2-0, from Snab Point.
Good bags of whiting have also been taken as far up the coast as Amble and the few anglers fishing the rock ends have been rewarded with decent fish. Gordon Cavonor won Blyth’s Christmas match with two cod for 13-11-0, including a fish of 11-5-0 from Cambois Hole. Sean Scrimegeour, fishing Marden Rocks, Alnmouth, landed three for 12-8-0, the heaviest at 8-14-8. It was the first cast of the night that did the trick for Blyth angler Graham Robbie, fishing at Hadston. He landed a cod of 8-8-0 to a rag/lug cocktail during a pleasure trip.
As both main events over the holidays were heaviest-fish matches, codling were the target species. Keith Adamson landed one of 8-9-10 from one of Seaham’s top big-fish marks, the Green Wall, to win the Seaham Boxing Day Open.
B Taylor won the Easington Colliery Rovers Open with a cod of 5-8-0 from Blackhall Beach.
Alex MacGee won Ryhope’s sweepstake with a cod of 6-2-14 from the Falls. Generally, the Durham beaches have been producing good catches of whiting, with a few decent codling around when rough, especially from Hendon and Marsden.
South Shields pier has been producing mixed bags of codling to 5lb, coalies and whiting. Neil Cutler won a sweepstake with 17 for 12-13-12, including the heaviest, a codling of 3-12-8. With a sea running, Whitley Bay and Tyne-mouth beach has given anglers two or three fish, with the best 7lb-81b.
One nice tale concerns a Durham angler, fishing the North Tip at Lynemouth, who caught and returned a basse of 5-8-0 and a cod of 6-8-0. When asked why he put them back, he said he wanted to catch a 10lb fish.
DIARY: January 7, Redcar Navy and Gents Club Heaviest Fish Open, 1st prize £ 200, 2nd £ 100, 3rd £ 50, juniors £ 25, voucher plus prizes. Fishing 11.30am-3.30pm between Ore Terminal and Whitby East Pier. Register from 9.30am at Navy and Gents Club. Refreshments available. Entry £ 5, juniors £ 2.50. Details from Tony on (01642) 503049.
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