The Northumberland rock edges are on top form now with some good mixed bags and quality fish reported. Dave Rogers fished at St. Abbs spinning for pollack and was snapped off by two big fish on consecutive casts, switching to stronger tackle his next cast did not produce the expected pollack but a superb shore caught cod of 14lb instead, which had the two snapped off traces in its mouth. Fishing on he landed several other cod and Pollack to 4lb, all taken on lures. Pollack to 4lb are showing on South Shields pier where anglers lure fishing for late mackerel are also landing small cod and coalfish to 3lb. Night time sessions from the Durham beaches, most of the local piers and from the Hendon Wall area have produced quality whiting to over the 1lb mark, various flatfish species and the odd smaller but in size cod. Crab, ragworm and mackerel strip seem to be the most effective baits. The Hartlepool piers are producing good numbers of mackerel to float fished baits with plenty of double figure bags reported; as long as the water stays clear mackerel may remain in the Teesbay area well into October.
The lower Tyne has a good population of early season cod that seem to have moved inshore during recent days. Chris Potts fished Haven beach landing over 20 cod and coalies with the best cod being a lovely early specimen of 10lb 9oz. John Bell fished Swine Dene and landed cod to 7½lb, Ivan Stott fished Beadnell and landed three weighing a total of 13lb 7oz with the best making 5lb 15oz.
Stan Parkin took sons James and Grant to South Shields pier where they landed 21 cod, coalfish, and dabs between them, Grant landing a surprise octopus as a bonus.
Specimen autumn flounders are out in force in all of the regions rivers. Junior angler Gordon Holland won an Amble match with 10 totalling 8lb 5oz from the river Aln. There are still plenty of flounders and coalies in both the Tyne and the Wear. The Eastenders Sweepstake of last Wednesday night was a rover with 23 entrants and 18 weighing in 29 fish, (18 flounders, six coalies, four whiting and a codling). Barrie Wright travelled to Marsden to win with a 1 lbs 6 oz codling and second place going to Gerry Kirby for a 1 lb 5 oz coalie from the same area. There was a tie for third place between Neil Cutler and Steve Rackstraw each taking whiting at 1 lb 3 oz from Shields Pier.
Ryhope A.C. fished the Copthorne Hotel in the Tyne on Sunday and reported huge numbers of small flounders with some anglers scaling their tackle down to size six hooks to try to land them. All 24 members weighed in, in zone A John Bryan won with 20 measuring 428cm, John Blayney had 14 for 297cm, Bill Bell had 14 which measured 290cm, and Alan Burton had 13 for 288cm. Bob Bland and Mark Redpath tied for the longest fish, each with flounders of 37cm. In zone B Barrie Stowells had 20 measuring 277cm, Bob Surtees and Stu Bland tied with 14 each totalling 237cm, Jordan Lowes had 10 for 205cm, and there was a tie for the longest fish again with Paul Craig and Rob Hipkin each having 34cm flounders.
Some clubs are now starting their winter matches, Cleadon A.C. results always give a good indication of what to expect and their first match saw 16 out of 32 find fish in the Tyne and off South Shields pier. Steve Gordon had a good win with a mixed bag of 15 whiting and coalfish weighing 16lb 14oz, David Carrick had six for 9lb 6oz, including the best cod of 3lb 13oz from the Tyne, and Neil Cutler was third with seven weighing 7lb 10oz.
The Evelyn Jane had a good day out before the gale force winds arrived landing several ling over 20lb, the best a nice specimen of 29lb 10oz taken by Durham angler D. Keswick. Darren Blagg landed a cod of 18lb and Shaun McCarroll netted a rare angler fish.
The 52nd Whitley Bay Open is on Sunday September 18th fishing from 10.30am till 2.30pm between Seahouses South breakwater (excluded), to Tynemouth pier (excluded). Register at the Bank House Club Newbiggin from 8am till 9.30am, weigh in from 3pm till 4pm. Basic entry is £12 plus team events and pools, juniors under 16 years are free but must be accompanied by an adult.
First prize is £500, 50%, 30%, and 20% for the heaviest fish, £100 for the heaviest flatfish, plus junior and ladies prizes, plus the usual full supporting prize table.
If you require tide information for 2012 there is a full data sheet on the Planet Sea Fishing site.
