Hounds Abound on Lancashire Coast

The fishing is very productive at the moment, all along the Lancashire coast. A huge number of smoothhounds have arrived over the past few days, mainly at Clevelys. We always see one or two double figure fish landed each year but these are now nothing out the ordinary with people having multiple catches of the bigger fish from shore and boat.

There are still a large number of bass around, mostly smaller fish but with fish over the 5lb mark fro the Gynn Wall. Gareth Gardiner had the best bass reported last week, a fish of 7lb 6oz. There are plenty of sole about off the Wall and in other areas.

Gareth Gardiner with his Cavendish Steps bass

Without fail ragworm is out fishing any other bait for the better fish including hounds where it us even out fishing the normal favourite crab.

Fleetwood and District Angling Club fished their latest match on the new prom Cleveleys on a perfect evening. The fishing was a bit patchy but a number of fish were caught. These were mainly small tope, bass and small smoothhound. Fish bait produced the tope while crab and ragworm seemed to work best for the bass and hounds.

8 year old Emily Walls with her first ever fish

Winner on the day was Craig Thompson with an impressive ten fish, almost doubling the points of the second placed angler.

Results

1^st Craig Thompson 8 tope 1 bass1 smoothhound – 147 points

2^nd equal John Hodgson 2 tope 1 smoothhound and Trevor Barnett 3 bass 2 whiting 1 tope – 71 points

3^rd Alex Garden 2 tope 1 whiting 1 plaice – 42 points

4^th Roy Slinger 2 bass 1 tope – 40 points

5^th John Hughes 1 smoothhound – 26 points

6^th Ray Rodger 2 tope – 21 points

7^th Andy Eccles 2 tope – 19 points

8^th Steve Lee 1 sole -14 points

9^th Hughie Porter 1 bass – 13 points

A couple of good smoothhounds were lost at the edge. All other competitors blanked.

Leyland and District Angling Club fished their Conway boat match. The Presidents Trophy went tot Andy Adderley with 50lb of pollack and coalie. Second placed Nigel had 32lb followed by Craig Hastey on 30lb, Norman Pilkington 29½lb and Fred Howarth with 25lb.

The heaviest fish was Martin Darwin’s 8lb pollack. All agreed it was a good trip and with an excellent skipper.

The author Jordan with a double figure hound from his dinghy