WHAT an incredible week it has been. It started off with Andy Wilkinson leaning over the barrier on Roker pier to grab Chris Hossack’s cod of 16lb 8oz, a new personal best, just as a wave lifted it up.
Hossack had intended on returning the fish, but unfortunately it received a bump during weighing. Another personal best and the fish of the week, a cracking cod of 17lb, went to Tony Hindmarch, fishing the lower Tyne, after a hectic struggle.
On the same night, not far from Hindmarch, Garry Appleton landed his personal best cod which after being deftly scooped from the water by Simon Todd weighed in at 15lb 8oz.
Big fish just kept coming. Alan Robinson took a 12lb 8oz cod from Seaham Pier, his 11-year-old son John – who had just joined Seaham SAC and was on his first trip – landed a rare specimen thornback ray of 5lb.
Brian Hudson, also fishing Seaham, took a personal best cod of 12lb 2oz, while Stu Carr took his first double in 15 years’ angling – a cod of 11lb 10oz from Roker pier.
After four years in sea angling James Binyon finally caught a cod, weighing 8lb 9oz – not bad for your first.
Garry Humphries, fishing at Cambois, took a cod of 10lb 6oz, while Paul Gallon landed one of 9lb 9oz from Cullercoats.
Ian Galbraith, who has been fishing for 35 years, landed his best two cod ever from the Tyne – weighing 9lb 8oz and 6lb 10oz in a four-fish bag for 20lb.
Don Nicholson had a cracking bag of three fish for 24lb 5oz, his best 11lb 3.5oz from Cullercoats – the week’s best bag of cod taken in club matches – while Chris Stringer took three for 16lb 6oz from Whitley Beach.
Ivan Stott took a nice cod of 8lb 2oz in a two-fish bag of 11lb 1oz from Newbiggin to win Seaton Sluice’s match.
Some huge bags of whiting have come from Hartlepool, Dave Littlewood taking 63 for 55lb to win Hartlepool OMAC’s match, while Bill Bradley won Hartlepool Pirates’ match with 46 for 38lb 13oz. The Tyne estuary is giving a decent mixed bag. Steve Elliott won Tynemouth’s pier match with 13 whiting, three coalfish, and two dab for 10lb 7oz, while Tony Taylor triumphed in their retired members’ match with nine whiting, five coalfish and two flounder for 15lb 14oz.
Mark Shotton won Cleadon’s match from South Shields pier with six codling and a coalfish for 11lb 11oz.
