Smoothhounds Move On To Fylde Coast

Lancashire fishing is steady at the moment with Dover sole, tope pups, smoothhounds and bass being the main target species. Ragworm and peeler crab are the best baits at the moment.

If a smoothhound is on your hit list then now is your time but if your after the bigger ones July normally produces them in numbers at high water although low water is more prolific in the right conditions and size of tides.

Fleetwood and District Angling Club were out at Five Bar Gate where 15 of the 23 anglers fishing caught fish. Tope pups were the most prevalent species with 21 being landed, caught next were bass followed by dogfish, sole and whiting. A single codling and one smoothhound were carded.

Craig Orrit with a smoothhound caught on the Gynn Wall

After the last few days producing plenty of smoothies expectations where high. The change in the wind direction and strength must have seen them move a bit off shore.

Results

1^st Dave Wilson four fish bass dogfish tope and sole for 54 points

2^nd = Mark Taylor 6 tope 53½ points

2^nd = Mark Broadhurst tope sole and bass 53½ points

3^rd Bob Egan tope codling bass for 40 points

4^th Hughie Porter smoothhound 36 points

5^th = Frank Towne dogfish tope 32 points

5^th = Dave Brown dog whiting 32 points

6^th Andy Eccles tope 27 points

7^th John Hodgson tope bass 20 1/2points

8^th Alan Smith tope 19 points

9^th Ray Rodger tope 18 points

10^th Dave Stockton bass 17 points

All different baits worked, crab was good also sandeel and squid for the tope. Next week’s match will be on the Gynn Wall.

Dave Brown with one of nine hounds from a session

Leyland and District Sea Angling club fished their match on the Gynn Wall.

1. Peter Pilkington with 307cm, 9 tope pups and 1 ray
2. Fred Howard with 252cm, 7 tope pups and 1 ray
3. Norman Pilkington with 68cm, 1 tope and the biggest fish, a 36cm bass
4. Paul Pilkington 60cm, tope
5. Brian Nixon 58cm with a tope and a sole

Brian also won the Golden Peg card and Alan Slater won the raffle. 10 members turned out for this night match.

Blackpool Federation Sea Angling Club fished their fifth match of the league on Gynn Wall, fishing from 9:00 to 12:00 with high water at 11:00.

Guy Shaw with a smoothhound from south shore

The fishing was disappointing given recent catches with only three anglers managing to weigh in.

The match was won by Pete Fleetwood with five tope for 102 catch points. Second place went to Jim Gross with three tope and a flounder for 59 catch points and third was Bryan Horrocks with a tope and a sole for 22 catch points.

The largest fish was the tope (36cm) caught by Pete Fleetwood Hewitt worth 24 catch points.