Fine on Tyne but no feeding on Eden

Jan 18 2008 The Journal

THE recent rainfall ensured sport was once again badly hit on the region’s rivers and the Eden coarse season ended on Tuesday with frustrated anglers again cursing their luck as the river remained unfishable.

However on the Tyne, things improved midweek and on Wednesday anglers fishing the Bungalows stretch of the Federation Water saw sport with dace, gudgeon and encouraging numbers of chublets.

Further south, Barry Whitcock, who was seeking out barbel and chub from a peg on the Swale near Topcliffe connected with a monster of a fish that took his lobworm bait a 15lb 14oz common carp.

The recent bad weather has seen anglers travelling further afield in their quest for coarse fishing and County Durham specimen hunter and former Wear dace record holder Simon Ashton journeyed down to East Anglia to search out a better class of fish. He was well rewarded with the capture of a magnificent 2lb 11oz roach.

Pike fishing remains upbeat and Gateshead angler Andrew Scott had a two-day session to remember at Esthwaite, fishing from the boats.

He took a fine lure caught fish of 22lb on day one and on the second day he had a bonanza of a session, landing a quartet of pike including specimens of 19lb 10oz, 21lb and 25lb 2oz, all falling to static mackerel deadbaits. Overall the pike fishing has generally been very good at Esthwaite Water, despite the disruptive and unsettled weather and Steve Lowcock and Bill Astley underlined this by taking pike of 20lb 4oz and 21lb using static deadbaits fished from the boats.

A mixed bag of small fish totaling 6lb 4oz saw Chris Houghton win CADCAC’s Winter League match ahead on Carlton Hill, while Steve Dixon, second with 5lb 5oz, and third placed Tony Murphy with 5lb 2oz both had a 3lb bream apiece.

THE Annual General Meeting of The Tyne Anglers Alliance on Tuesday saw the present committee voted in en bloc for a further year with the addition of Neil Hunter as Killingworth representative and Steve Hoggins as River Tyne representative.

Although the TAA has had a progressive year the current executive committee are concerned that the workload does need to be shared more throughout the member clubs.

But some clubs who have not even bothered to send delegates to meetings never mind give some support will now find that they will no longer be allowed to renew their affiliation to the TAA.

Their club members will no longer be able to fish waters under control of the TAA.

Diary Dates

SATURDAY: An Open on the Angel.

SUNDAY: Durham City hold a match in their Winter Series on the Wear fishing the Prebends and Cathedral stretches, and there’s an attractive Open at Boroughbridge on the Ure, with tickets £12 from 01423 323603. There are also stillwater Opens on The Oaks, Woodlands, The Angel, Carp Vale and Raker Lakes, with an Open match on Loch Ken. Call on 07788 726495 to book.

WEDNESDAY: There is amidweek Open matches on Woodlands and The Angel.

THURSDAY: An Open on the Oaks at Sessay.