Welcome back to the beaches of North Norfolk with the Norfolk Angling Club at its 1st match of the 2022/2023 Winter League, it’s been a great summer with excellent weather and reasonable fishing during the summer months, buts it’s time to get serious. Nathan Drewery who picked up both last winter and the summer league titles is the man to beat, who is going to challenge him, who’s going to get the silver ware at next years presentation? Great to see the Gus forecast setting the weather/tide scene earlier in the day (thanks John).
Cart Gap Beach
20 anglers met in the Cart Gap car park all keen to get started and discussing likely strategies. Or really, we should say 20.5 as we were also joined by Rob Ford’s match winning daughter Olivia, who was there to show how it’s done. We also welcomed Chris Gates and Kevin Spencer who’ve joined the merry band of anglers having enjoyed some of the summer pleasure season with the club. Enjoy the beaches I feel it’s going to be a special league with some good catches.
Thanks to Eamon for not only making a magnificent set of peg markers but also for pegging the beach (with Neil Rowe). Pegging does make life easier on the beach. We pegged either side of the slipway. With everyone arriving on time, and ready to go we kicked off fishing at 6:30pm into an ebbing tide (LT 21:00 ish) with a light wind and a threat of some showers.
Ian with a brace of bass
Early casts suggested there was a wee bit of weed about and there was a bit of a pull on the tide, or was that Nathan trying to out gun Cain in the casting department? As the light started to drop a few fish start to be caught with flounders and bass making an appearance. On the right of the slipway, you could see the movement of white buckets for carrying fish and weighing, so the match was taking off and as the night progressed the talk shifted from will be catch fish to who will catch the biggest smoothhound, flat or round fish.
At the end of the night 35 fish caught which averaged nearly 2 fish per angler. Of 35 fish caught 15 were bass all good size (some for tomorrows supper), 11 plump flounder, three smoothhounds, three eels, two dabs and a single sole (falling to Pond Pete).
Eamon with his codling
Great to see Chris Gates picking up a 32 cm flounder and sharing the Biggest Flatfish with David Mathers. The Biggest Round Fish went to, again a share between the big casting boys of Cain and Nathan – both catching 76cm smoothhounds. As we did with the Summer League the biggest round (not a dog fish or hound) fell to Ian Childerhouse with a 53cm bass. A creditable mention for picking up a codling must also go to Eamon Finch.
As usual there were a few eels about, and the normal query of how to score as there are very wriggly and tricky to manage. The Venue card (side B) states “All eels must be kept in water, eels smaller than 45cm = 25 weight points, if bigger than 45 weight points. Must be measured, witnessed on match card” . Very simply if the eel is less that 45cm then scores 25 weight points, if bigger than 45cm then it scores 45 weight points English. If there is a better way of managing eels let me know. Dave Sickelmore – hopefully this is clearer for you.
Overall, a fine night, we stayed dry and with some fine fish. Big congratulations to Ian Childerhouse who scored a magnificent 616 weight points ( adjusted by + 5 to correct eel weight points). See you all next week at Heacham (see match event for post code). A also amended Cain’s score as smoothhound which was incorrectly recorded.
Match Result
- Ian Childerhouse Peg 20 8 fish 616 weight points (12lb 13/16oz)
- Cain Plumb Peg 2 2 fish 324 weight points (6lbs 12/16oz)
- Pond Pete (Simmons) Peg 15 4 fish 223 weight points (4lbs 10/16oz)
Match average 35/20 = 1.75 per angler
Biggest smoothhound/dogfish 76cm hound Cain Plumb/Nathan Drewery
Biggest round fish 53 cm Bass Ian Childerhouse
Biggest flatfish 32 cm Flounder David Mathers / Chris Gates
Lucky peg Peg 5 Roger Cunnington
