Cod are starting to move inshore in small numbers around the Teesbay area. Odd fish from Hartlepool promenade and nearby low water marks given movement on the sea. Best sport has been between the Wear and Tyne, and from the lower Tyne estuary where reasonable numbers of smaller fish are present. North of the Tyne, Gary Kislingbury, Craig Fuller, and John Douglas fished Lynemouth Beach taking 9 cod to 5 – 08lb. The local piers have produced mainly small dabs and whiting in daylight, but there are still some quality plaice to 3lb falling to ragworm ragworm, with an odd better bass to 4lb reported also. Whiting moving inshore after dark with the Durham beaches and Roker Pier giving best results. There are quality flounders in the Wear where Paul Hossack won the Eastenders match with one of 1 – 13lb from the Timber Beach. Unusually there seems to be a lot of weaver fish around. If you are unfamiliar with weavers then be very careful as poisonous spines on their dorsal fin as well as the gill covers mean they should not be handled.
The North Region C.I.U. Open was also fished Sunday with 10 out of 62 weighing in 9 cod, 2 wrasse, 1 bass, and 1 flounder. Dave Swift had 3 cod for 9 – 06lb from Cresswell Carrs; Steve Potts had 1 cod and the h.s.f. for 4 – 04lb; John Jennings had 1 cod of 3 – 11lb taken from the West End Pipe; Colin Errrington had 2 cod for 2 – 12lb.
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The Tynemouth Winter League match on Saturday was fished in dead calm conditions with only 5 out of 12 weighing in. Steve Ellliott had a pollack and a pouting for 2 – 05lb; Doug Spivey had 2 pouting and 1 whiting for 1 – 15l; Kenny Patterson had 1 cod and 1 pouting for 1 – 09lb.
Last Tuesdays Ryhope sweepstake saw 34 fishing with Seaham Hall beach producing several cod on the night. Gary Warwick fished Ryhope for a cod of 1120 grammes; Chris Hossack fished Hall Beach for a cod of 1020 grammes; Kevin Waters also fished here for one of 820 grammes, as did Arthur Mordicai for a cod of 665 grammes.
Cleadon A.C. got among the fish again last week when 16 out of 29 weighed in mixed bags of cod, whiting, and flounders. Steve Elliott fished the reliable lower Tyne to land 11 cod for 12 – 06lb; Terry Wood fished the upper Tyne to land 9 flounders for 12 – 02lb; Billy Lea was third and had the h.s.f. with a beautiful red autumn cod of 8 – 14lb taken from the Wherry. Jamie Brennan had 11 whiting for 7 – 08lb from S.Shield pier; Norman Spour had 6 cod for 7 – 03lb from the Tyne; Adam Johnson had 6 cod for 7 – 00lb from S.Shields pier.
South of the Tees, Redcar Navy and Gentlemans A.C. had a h.s.f. match with 4 out of 15 weighing in. Dave Allinson won with a cod of 1 – 01lb taken from S.Gare; Ross Taylor had a pouting of 0 – 11lb from Redcar Groynes; Alan Oliver also had a pouting of 0 – 10lb from S.Gare.
The Ryhope Open on Sunday saw most fish coming from the lower Wear with only 65 out of 265 weighing in 10 whiting, 3 wrasse, 3 coalfish, 2 cod, and lots of flounders. First prize for the h.s.f. went to Carl Foote with a cod of 1530 grammes taken from Marsden; Gary Walker had a wrasse of 1200 grammes from Whitburn; Keith Robinson had a wrasse of 1100 grammes also from Whitburn. Top lady was Hartlepool’s Jackie Feeney with a flounder of 550 grammes, and junior winner was Adam Harriman with a flounder of 530 grammes. Jim Dobie had the h.s. flatfish with a specimen flounder of 935 grammes, and he also won the superpool and heaviest bag with 4 flounders and 1 eel for 3215 grammes. Joe Wilton and Ken Hailey won the team event with 9 fish for 3525 grammes, and Jim Dobie and Paul Short were second with 5 fish for 3215 grammes.
Boats: Settled conditions have allowed boats to fish well offshore where fresh mackerel baits have taken some quality ling. Jimmy Cassidy had ling of 25lb and 19lb; Ian Houghton had one of 22lb, while Reg Lewis had a cod of 11lb and a Pollack of 8lb all on the Sarah JFK out of the Tyne. Sean Bell fishing on the Warlord out of Amble had a ling of 24lb, and Walter Turnbull fishing on the Charlotte off St. Abbs had pollack to 8 – 08lb on light tackle.
The Ian Woods H.S.F. Boat Open was fished Sunday with 35 fishing. In the over 20ft section, Brian Wilkes had a good ling of 19 – 08lb aboard ‘White Diamond’; Norman White had a cod of 16 – 08lb ‘Slinky Kate’; Bill Campbell had a ling of 16 – 07lb on ‘Star Dance’. In the under 20ft section, Gareth Thomas fished on ‘Dani-K’ to land a cod of 8 – 14lb; Ronnie Duell had a ling of 5 – 12lb on ‘Reiver-1’; Arthur Smeaton had a cod of 4 – 04lb on ‘Whiplash’.
