Smoothhounds Dominate At Trunch Lane

Skegness Pier Club Match 14 - The Mrs Wheatcroft Shield

by Paul Coulthurst

Skegness Pier Angling Club fished their latest match at Trunch lane on Sunday 30th June. Eleven anglers fished the match in overcast condition with a light northerly breeze. Fishing was tough despite almost perfect conditions and a band of coloured water stretching out for a couple of hundred yards out before turning clear.

The 105cm hound which won him the match

The 105cm hound which won him the match

By high water hardly anything had been caught with just two flounders to Tracey Cooper who took the lead for most of the match, these were caught on straight lug and maddies fished at 60 yards. Chris Allsopp, Dave Shorthouse and Karl Nangle also had a flounder each and most anglers where alternating tactics between fishing for a smooth hound or scratching around close in for an eel, flounder or sole.

In second place John Spalton, with a nice 99cm smoothhound

In second place John Spalton, with a nice 99cm smoothhound

Dave Shorthouse had a flounder first cast close in so continued to target them for most of the match, with the intention of trying for a hound in the later stages. As soon as he saw Tracy catch her second flounder, he decided to switch over straight away to a single long distance crab bait to search for a smooth hound. He thought the chances of catching a decent hound were better than fishing for small stuff close in and just one could win the match today. Within ten minutes of casting a fresh peeler he was proved right as his rod tip pulled right round and a nice hound of 105cm had hooked itself on his circle hook, this fish gave Dave the win with 136cm total length.

Ade Cooper in third place with a hound late in the match

Ade Cooper in third place with a hound late in the match

John Spalton was fishing at the far end peg to Dave and was using the same tactics, As bites where non-existent close in, John stuck it out at long range with a single small crab bait. It was only in the last minutes of the last cast that his rod tip ‘pinged’ back, and a slackline bite resulted in a lovely smoothie of 99cm which put him straight into second place.

Adie Cooper persevered over the entire match fishing at very long range looking for the hounds and again in the last half hour of the match caught an 84cm hound again on fresh peeler cast an impressively long way out on his Zziplex M4 GT. This put Adie into third place.

Karl Nagle with the longest flat of the match, a 33cm flounder

Karl Nagle with the longest flat of the match, a 33cm flounder

Karl Nangle, casting miles, was unfortunate not to pick up a hound but won the longest flatfish prize with a 33cm Flounder. The other five anglers blanked in a very hard match.

Tracy had two flounders at 27cm and 30cm and was in the lead for most of the match until the hounds turned up right at the end

Tracy had two flounders at 27cm and 30cm and was in the lead for most of the match until the hounds turned up right at the end

Many thanks to Adie for pegging out the beach and to Russ for running the match on the day, to Tina, Tracey and Chas for the great photos and to everyone travelling to fish with the club today. The next match is in two weeks at Sandilands and we all look forward to seeing you there.

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