Shore angling has improved a little bit with some nice cod reported from several areas due to the continuing heavy seas. Whiting are still present in reasonable numbers from the Hartlepool piers, and most of the clean ground marks are producing good numbers of dabs, flounders, the inevitable whiting and the odd bonus bass.
South Shields pier has fished quite well for cod when there has been a sea running with several around the 4lb mark reported on the early flood tide. Coalfish, dabs and plaice have also been taken in reasonable numbers, and anglers have taken double figure mixed bags on most tides. North of the Tyne the winter like conditions have brought the cod back onto the rock edge marks with good numbers of fish to 7lb reported from Lynemouth beach and other marks. Coalies to 3lb have also been reported over a wide area.
The lower Tyne is producing coalfish, plaice and small codling to ragworm and crab baits, and recent weeks have seen several dogfish landed from the Walkway. The upper Tyne is full of flounders most of which are still taking worm and mackerel baits. Carl Bibby fishing the upper Tyne took 34 size flounders to 38cm plus a bonus bass. Another session saw Carl and friends land 19 fish between them including flounders, whiting, and cod to 2lb.
With Roker pier closed most days due to heavy seas the inner marks at Rathouse Corner have been popular. Eight year old Joe Russell landed a cod of 3lb from here. The Glass Centre marks have seen flounders to well over the 1lb mark landed plus cod and coalies to 3lb reported. Chris Stringer won a sweepstake match at Lambton with eight fish for 177cm; Colin Bell taking the best fish with a cod of 53cm at 2½lb.
Seaton Sluice had an away match at Carsethorn on the Solway and found some quality specimen flounders averaging 37cm. Chris Guthrie had a total of 14 measuring 496cm, best 45cm, Micky Bell had nine totalling 314cm, Bryan Clennel also had nine for 314cm, and Neil Lindsay had five measuring 191cm.
Heavy seas saw a recent Amble S.A.C. match being fished in the river Aln where Kenny Craig won with four flounders weighing a total of 4lb 14oz, including the best of the match, a nice specimen of 2lb.
A Tynemouth match saw Dave Scrimageur win with a mixed bag of coalfish, dabs, and flounders weighing 2½lb, including the heaviest fish; a coalie of 1lb 2oz, followed Bob Gascoigne with three dabs and one flounder for 2lb 2oz.
The Ryhope Tuesday evening sweepstake saw a few decent flounders landed. Mick Davison won with one of 1lb 6oz, followed by Gary Conlon with one at 1lb 3oz.
The Ryhope Summer league starts on Sunday May 20th with the fishing at the Copthorne Hotel from 1pm until 5pm. Register from 12 noon. Contact Bob Surtees on 0191 5237272 for details.
