Warm weather and clean settled seas have seen the mackerel moving inshore in ever increasing numbers with some tides producing bags of over 50 fish from Seaham, Roker, and South Shields piers, along with the bonus of a bigger pollack, coalfish or even a cod. Down at Hartlepool the mackerel have moved well into the dock channel with the Pilot pier, Banjo pier and Ferry Steps all producing double figure bags, mackerel have even been reported from inside Middleton harbour. Early morning tides continue to be the best, later tides have been a bit hit or miss with some days only producing the odd fish to float and lure tactics. The lower Tyne has seen pollack showing; Steve Ward won a Longbenton match with one of 2.09lb in a 8.12lb bag total, and Kelvin Davison had a pollack of 3.15lb in the same match.
There are plenty of opportunities for cod, pollack, and coalfish from the Northumberland rock edge marks in the calm conditions which favour these marks. Stephen Hepple won an Easington Social Welfare A.C. match at Dunstanburgh Castle with 48.75lb of coalfish taken on float tackle and a cod of 3.6lb saw Dennis Haliday lift the heaviest fish prize.
The river Wear is reliable as always with more eels starting to show amongst the flounder and coalies, and on a night tide the inevitable hordes of whiting from the lower river marks at the Glass Centre and Rathouse Corner. The last two Ryhope evening sweepstakes saw some nice flounders landed. In the first Chris Hossack won with one of 1lb 15oz, ahead of John Lovett with 1lb 7oz and Paul Hossack with 1lb 5oz. The last match saw Bob Surtees take the top two fish with flounders of 1½lb and 1lb 7oz, just ahead of Jim Dobie with one weighing 1lb 6oz. You don’t just need crab bait to catch any fish in the Wear, Paul Phillipson had 32 flounders to 2lb on ragworm and mackerel bait during a recent session, all taken on sporting light tackle.
In the Tyne, Gary Wilson won a sweepstake with 18 flounder for 501cm, and Chris Stringer won a Rutherford’s sweepstake match with 16 for 352cm at the Copthorne Hotel.
Tyne and Wear County Angling Action Group will be hosting a junior sea angling competition on Sunday August 19th in the river Wear. Chris Clarke the England junior and youth sea angling team manager will be in attendance to look out for future talented team members. Entrants must be aged under 17 on August 31st 2012. A small entrance fee of £2 will be applicable on the day which will be donated to the R.N.L.I. Those wishing to take part must fill in an application form and submit it to the organisers before Friday August 10th, they must also be a member of the Angling Trust of which membership is free for those under 18 years. Register on the day from 12 until 12.30pm, fishing from 2pm until 6pm in three zones. The top three places in each zone will win £50, £30, and £20, plus spot prizes for specimen fish etc.
A competition application form and further information is available at the Fishing North East – fishing coaching for all, and the Angling Trust web sites.
