Once again it has been a fairly quiet week for the beach angler, the evening tides are your best chance to catch a few fish. The high pressure and hot weather have seen most of the fish move slightly further out.
The warm humid weather has seen the odd stingray turn up again and one angler fishing on Walton seafront near to the pier hooked and lost a very big stingray when his hook broke as he tried to land it on some steps. There was also a 14lb stingray caught from the lower part of Walton Pier, the pier is still seeing plenty of anchovies being caught along with a few smooth hounds. Once again after dark will give you a better chance of a few bites.
Local angler Den Doherty with a Clacton Pier smoothhound
The Walton Pier Club fished their last match of the season at the weekend, seventeen anglers turned out and with the sea gin clear and the sun shining it was not really conducive to good fishing and so it proved.
Only a few sizeable fish were caught, small dabs, wrasse and a solitary 8oz bass. First place went to place went to Tyler Bone with Glen Parker second and Graham Distil in third.
The overall standings for the season were 1st Dan Winter, 2nd Dean Parker, 3rd Joe Marvell and 4th Ian Walker.
The Walton Pier Club would like to thank Shane Swan (Pier Manager) and staff for sponsorship through the season.
Walton Pier Club members Dean Parker and Dan Winter with their overall season prizes
My trip this week was once again back to the pier, I fished small lures for the anchovies and there were plenty to be caught. I also landed a few garfish and wrasse.
The Frinton beaches have seen a few small bass and flounders being caught this week with weed still showing on the ebb tides.
Holland on Sea is also quiet, but there are bass to be caught around the rock breakwaters.
Clacton Pier has had a better week with bass being caught from around the pier piles, there has also been a couple of small stingrays caught along with some smooth hounds.
St Osyth beach is always worth a go for the bass, the nature reserve is the place to head for and fish ragworm baits on light tackle no more than 50 yards out, you will be surprised at how big the bass are to be caught.
Roger Chase with a cracking smoothhound from the charter boat Sophie Lea
The boats have fared much better with tope to 40lbs being reported for those boats that are willing to travel those extra miles for them. The Brightlingsea charter boat Sophie Lea reported some good mid double smooth hounds being caught along with bass and thornback rays.
If you have any fishing reports you can contact me at popplewell1@btinternet.com
The high tides for the weekend are Saturday 09.40 and Sunday 10.33
