Seaham’s good for catches of codling

May 9 2008 The Journal

THE Seaham piers are about the only venue producing codling, with Paul Fenech taking two fish for 3.45lb to win Seaham’s Davison Cup – the biggest a codling of 2.92lb.

George Hope was runner-up with two for 2.71lb. Unfortunately with the big tides the fishing the rivers have been hard work for most anglers, except for the ladies who have certainly done better than the men.

Eastenders arranged a ladies-only match at the Wear, Business Park, all 10 anglers taking fish, including some good-sized flounders, Louise Hassock taking the biggest at 1-3-0, followed by Lizzy Hunter with one of 1-2-0 and Francy Bulmer with one of 1-1-0.

In Sunderland SAA’s match fished at the Glass Centre only one angler managed to weigh in and he was from north of the Tyne, Chris Stringer taking a flounder of 37cm and a coalfish of 31cm. The smaller estuaries have certainly given the better fishing with the Aln the best venue, where again ragworm tipped with bluey has accounted for most fish.

Darrell Taylor won Seaton Sluice’s match with eight plump flounders for 251cm with Barry Tweddle taking seven for 223cm, including the longest at 39cm, weighing nearly 2lb.

The Tyne has been very patchy with mainly small codling around the 1lb mark coming from the upper reaches, but good for the young ones, with nine-year-old Eve Keeller showing her dad Dave the way – taking several to his one. The massive tides have not helped the boat anglers, especially those wanting to fish the wrecks, with only a few decent ling and odd cod being take. The best catches have come from the rough ground, Warlord fishing out of Amble, averaged around 40 fish per day over the holiday weekend with the best around 5lb.

Bert Gray, Claire Atkinson, Kyle Gray and Keith Brown fished out the Tyne on Shady at the weekend, Gray taking eight cod and a Pollack including the heaviest a cod of 8lb, Atkinson taking seven cod and a ling and Kyle Gray taking the biggest haul of 10 cod.

Although quite a few of the fish came to squid, crab and mackerel baits close in, most of the fish came from an inshore wreck. Boat anglers fishing the inshore sand marks, meanwhile, have been taking quite a few early plaice.