There are plenty of flatties in the Teesbay area with some nice dabs amongst them, but the bigger plaice have yet to appear in numbers. The local Hartlepool piers, Parton beach, and Crimdon have all produced mixed bags with ragworm tipped with mackerel taking most fish. The Durham beaches are generally quiet with the odd size flatties being taken at extreme range, some anglers have taken a very scarce size cod, and whiting are showing after dark.
The river Wear is improving slightly with flounders to 1lb 8oz from the upper river, and cod to 1lb around the Glass Centre. The Tyne however is still the best place to fish for a bit of sport with the Walkway proving to be very popular with small cod being landed two at a time. The odd bigger ones to 1lb 8oz are taking crab baits and a few size coalfish are also showing. The Groyne has produced small cod, coalfish, and plaice to crab and ragworm baits, and South Shields Pier has seen very similar results.
The Eastenders sweepstake in the Wear saw 3 out of 14 weigh in 6 fish. Paul Wright had 3 flounders for 85cm, Alan Welsh had 2 for 63cm, and Chris Hossack had 1 for 39cm.
The East End and Hendon sweepstake fished at Lambton Drops saw 4out of 11 landing 5 small codling. Barry Robinson had 2 for 60cm, best 32cm, Tommy Tate had 1 for 26cm, and Jim Ford had 1 for 22cm.
A Seaham match on Sunday saw Owen Barrass win with a lone cod of3.10lb.
North of the Tyne sport is quiet with summer cod, wrasse, and coalfish yet to show in any numbers from the rock edge and kelp beds. The Eyemouth and St.Abbs area has however started produced small Pollack, coalfish, and cod.
The last Amble A.C. match on Sunday only saw 2 members weigh in a single flounder each. Norma Urwin had 15oz, and L.Weller had 14oz.
There are plenty of flounders over on the West coast with most of the shallow ground Solway marks producing plenty of fish to crab baits with the bonus bass and plaice also likely.
Sunday June 7th sees a junior, (under 16 years),open match organised by the Marine Angling Trust (N.E. division). Fishing is from both banks of the Tyne from 10am till 2pm. Basic entry is £3, register at the Ouseburn Regeneration Centre, Newcastle Quayside from 8.30am. Further details from Sam Harris 0191-5184561
