http://www.planetseafishing.com/ The freshest and most informative sea angling magazine anywhere. en admin@planetseafishing.com Copyright 2010 2010-09-01T17:04:40+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-01-09-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-01-09-10#When:16:04:40Z There were still plenty of mackerel about during the early part of last week with the North Gare producing bags of up to thirty fish on morning tides, but an easterly sea midweek soon put an end to that, and those anglers who could avoid the masses of washed out weed that always appears during heavy autumn seas were rewarded with a few decent bags of cod up to the 3lb mark, with the Durham beaches and various low water marks the more productive areas to fish.The lower Tyne and South Shields Pier have been producing some nice mixed bags with a lot of small but in size cod starting to show in the area. The club matches are starting to be won with bags approaching double figures. A recent Tynemouth retired member’s match saw eight out of twenty find fish with winner Neil Carter landing two dabs, a flounder and a mackerel for 2lb 9oz, Wilf Reed had three dabs for 1lb 10oz and Dave Hayley had one dab and a flounder for 1lb 2oz. Their most recent match saw a better weigh in with Dave Hayley having four dabs and one each of pollack, cod and one mackerel for 6lb 10oz, including the heaviest fish with his pollack of 1lb 13oz. Neil Carter had three dabs and a whiting weighing 2lb 10oz and Ken Robinson had a dab, a whiting and a coalfish for 2lb 2oz. The Wear has started to improve a little bit and a recent Eastenders club match at Panns Bank saw Mick Davison win with an eel of 1lb 3oz. The club’s open heaviest fish sweepstake match saw a tie between Jim Dobie and Brian Turnbull each with a flounder of 1lb 6oz; with Chris Stringer having the heaviest bag of sixteen fish for 10lb. Bill Gamblin won a Sunderland S.A.A. Match with a flounder of 1lb 10oz from the Wear.North of the Tyne anglers are enjoying the best summer and autumn cod fishing for years with lots of double figure bags being reported lately, hopefully a good sign for the winter to come. The final Whitley Bay Sea League match saw thirteen out of fifteen weigh in at Beadnell with winner Steve Williams having a superb bag of seven fish for 17lb ahead of Gav Owen with four for 11lb 7oz. Third spot went to Garry Appleton who weighed in four for 11lb 2oz and fourth placed Dave Cruddace had two for 9lb 15oz, including the heaviest fish at 7lb 5oz. This means that Steve Williams is the overall winner of the league with a total of 56lb 13oz. Second placed Geoff King finished with 37lb 11oz just ahead of Keith Bathgate in third who had 35lb 7oz. Bag weights taken over five matches that a lot of anglers would struggle to achieve in an entire winter.Some clubs are still travelling over to Cumbria and SW Scotland for flounder matches and enjoying some success. A recent Seaton Sluice A.C. match at Carsethorne saw Martin Pygall win with a bag of 21lb 10oz.Boats out of the Tyne have been getting some decent bags of cod, ling, coalfish, and pollack. Chris Wilson on the Sarah JFK had a superb cod of 28lb, another trip produced over 100 quality fish when Mark Skinner had ling of 25lb, 16lb and two at 14lb. Derek Wilson had a cod of 22lb and Jimmy Cassidy had coalfish of 12.25lb and 12lb. The Shady also out of the Tyne saw Bert, Kyle, and Kenny Gray and Keith Brown take sixty-three cod to 11lb. John Docherty on the Upholder out of Amble had a cod of 16lb, and Ian McDonald had one of 8½lb, both taken from the inshore ground.A charity open match for “help the heroes” is being held on Sunday September 19th fishing from 11am till 4 pm between Hendon Promenade and Horden. Basic entry is £10, register from 8am till 10am at Seaham A.C. clubhouse. Top three prizes are £500, £300, and £200.The 39th Newbiggin open is on Sunday September 26th fishing from 10am till 2pm between Seahouses Breakwater and Tynemouth Pier. Basic entry is £10, juniors £3, register at the Bankhouse Club from 8am till 10am. First prize is £500 plus a prize table of £2000. North East England, Shore Catches and Results 2010-09-01T16:04:40+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-24-08-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-24-08-2010#When:09:15:03Z Shore anglers are enjoying some decent sport at present with plenty of mackerel about from the piers and some nice bags of cod reported from the rock edge marks, beaches and various piers after dark. Cod have moved in very early this year with some anglers reporting excellent bags of up to twenty sizeable fish in bags weights over thirty pounds from the Durham beaches. Similar catches have been reported from Roker and South Shields piers when there was some movement on the sea. Sean Hildrew reports a bag of seventeen cod up to 3¾lb during a recent midweek session from a Durham beach mark. The rock venues around Northumberland have also been on top form with several double figure bags of cod, wrasse, coalfish and pollack reported. The lower Tyne estuary and South Shields pier also have numbers of decent coalies showing and there are still some in size plaice being landed. Night time sessions have also produced some nice, fat early whiting with some specimens topping the 2lb mark. The river Wear seems to be the only under performing venue with just the odd eel or flounder winning recent matches. Phil Wright won a recent Eastenders match with the heaviest eel of 14oz and Willy Rowntree another with an eel of 1lb 2oz.Ryhope fished the Business Park in the Tyne on Sunday and all twenty-two anglers weighed in. Joe Wilton won zone A with twenty-one fish for 512cm ahead of Alan Marsh with twelve for 347cm. Third placed Stu Bland measured ten at for 327cm including the longest fish with a flounder of 37cm and Bob Bland had twelve for 267cm. In Zone B Bill Bell took top spot with twelve fish measuring 310cm while runner-up Barrie Stowells had eight for 208cm. Third and fourth places went to Alan Burton with eight for 182cm and Mason Burton who landed six for 174cm. John Surtees had the longest fish with a flounder of 37cm.Dave Hayley won a Tynemouth match at Seahouses with three wrasse for 11lb 1oz; including the second biggest wrasse recorded from the region at an impressive 5lb 6oz. Runner up Steve Harper also reached double figures with two cod and a wrasse weighing 10lb 1oz. The Whitley Bay Summer League match fished at Newton also saw a good weigh in with winner Steve Williams landing four cod for 16lb 14oz; including the heaviest fish at 7lb 6oz. Andy Grief had six weighing 14lb 10oz to finish second ahead of and Adam Johnson who weighed in four fish for 10lb 6oz including a 4½lb pollack.A recent Seaton Sluice A.C. match fished in the same area also had a good weigh in with winner Micky Bell landing four cod and a wrasse for 16lb 6oz with Mal McKintyre having the best at 6lb 9oz.Richard Roll managed a short trip out on his boat Stingray during the recent heavy seas taking cod to 5lb, but he was upstaged by his mum Lynda with one of 12lb 5oz.A charity open match for “Help the Heroes” is being held on Sunday September 19th fishing from 11am till 4 pm between Hendon Promenade and Horden. Basic entry is £10, register from 8am till 10am at Seaham A.C. clubhouse. Top three prizes are £500, £300, and £200.The 39th Newbiggin open is on Sunday September 26th fishing from 10am till 2pm between Seahouses Breakwater and Tynemouth Pier. Basic entry is £10, juniors £3, register at the Bankhouse Club from 8am till 10am. First prize is £500 plus a prize table of £2000. North East England 2010-08-24T09:15:03+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/last-gasp-smoothies http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/last-gasp-smoothies#When:08:35:11Z With just over an hour to go in the latest Skegness Pier Angling Club (SPAC) match held at Drake Road, Skegness, catches had been poor, with no sign of what was to come. Then a shoal of large smoothounds turned up to feed on the local crab population and mayhem ensued, with numerous anglers experiencing savage bites from these hard fighting members of the shark family. Croxton’s Dave Burr coped best with the unexpected bonanza, managing to hook and land four of the voracious feeders weighing in at 36lb 13oz, which is the best SPAC match weight for many a day.Wrangle’s Alan Steadman would normally have expected to win the match with his two hounds for 20lb 11oz, but had to settle for second place. Kettering’s Jim Robinson also had a couple of nice hounds, filling the frame in third place with 15lb 15oz. There were five double-figure hounds caught on the day, with others lost and the SPAC Fish of the Month award changed hands with each larger fish, eventually resting with Alan Steadman, for a last cast 12lb hound. Alan teamed up with Jessica Thomas to also win the Mixed Pairs event, with Wrangle based husband and wife team Paul and Paula Cridland close behind in second place. Smoothounds do not count for the heaviest round fish prize, so Corby’s Paul Marshall was the grateful recipient, with a tiny ½oz weever. Paul also took the heaviest flatfish award, with a slightly bigger 2oz flounder!The next SPAC match will be held on Sunday 5th September from 2 till 6pm at Chapel Six Marsh, with Club members fishing for the Sheffield Cup. There is also an open section, which non-members are welcome to participate in. For further information contact SPAC Secretary Chas Tibble on 07984 967988 or chastibble@hotmail.com East England, Shore Catches and Results 2010-08-24T08:35:11+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-august-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-august-2010#When:12:40:56Z I absolutely love this time of year for fishing, the biggest problem for us is that it is our busiest time of year work wise and this limits the fishing time available.Boat sport is simply terrific; I keep repeating what a fantastic year it has been for turbot but we’re still getting a good supply of the big flatties on the banks with fish to double figures being reported. To compliment the turbot the brill are now showing in good numbers which has led to many a great day on the sandbanks. Plenty of red and tub gurnards too out on the clean, great eating if not great sport but having said that there have been some super sized specimens in among the smaller fish. The unusual species make an appearance now too with the water temperature approaching its peak. Youngster Sam Currie fishing with a shad had a cracking John Dory of 6lb 5oz when fishing barely 400 yards off the island. There have been a good run of triggerfish around the harbour and couches sea bream have been landed by pleasure anglers fishing from their moored boats. Bass are increasing in numbers, with some fantastic fishing experienced during the first set of spring tides in August. Catches of up to fifty fish provided excellent action with fish running to 7lb in these shoals. Better sized bass reported from the pluggers drifting around in the smaller boats closer to the rocks with fish to 11lb. On the rough ground the tope fishing has been excellent with fish to 50lb, together with huss and conger eel. Baited feathers have been producing black bream to 4lb and the colourful cuckoo wrasse which brightens up any dull day. There is a good chance of smoothounds and of course there are the usual other bits knocking away at the rod tip. Anchoring the banks on the smaller tides should produce some rod thumping blonde rays.While the spotlight is on the boat fishing this month the shore sport can be excellent if approached right. Species worth targeting include garfish, pollack regularly reaching 4lb and mackerel from the Breakwater. The bass sport has been strange this season with some really good catches on the plugs with up to a dozen fish in a session and then the following night nothing. The next trip will see them ignoring the lures in favour of legered worm, all very strange but very welcome too. No big fish around at present with most of the fish between 2lb and 4lb. First of the sole have been showing and a very odd plaice turned up so fingers crossed for a revival of the red spots. One or two codling are being caught and there are other species available to those willing to put in the time and effort to hunt down rays, huss and conger eels.Many of you are following the States activities regarding the consultation which is aimed at regulating our inshore fishery within the States purvey; out to three miles. Following several meetings the Islands government has produced the next stage of the consultation of which your contribution would be most welcome. You can download a copy of the consultation here, fill it out and return it to our States. The document will form the basis for the regulation of the Island’s waters. What sort of regulation / restrictions will be put in place will depend on information they collect from this consultation and debates among the affected parties. Exciting yet nervous times for those involved in the inshore fishery. If you want to see Alderneys waters protected then please do spend ten minutes to fill the form in, you never know it could affect your fishing in the future too. Channel Islands 2010-08-23T12:40:56+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/neils-knots-grinner-knot http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/neils-knots-grinner-knot#When:08:56:55Z Renowned caster and angler Neil Mackellow explains the tying of his favourite knots in the first of this occasional series.The grinner knot is one of the most flexible knots used in angling for attaching line to an eyed hook, swivel or lure. It has a substanial wet knot strength of over 90 percent of the orginal line breaking strain.It is particularly effective when using worm baits at the trimmed tag end lies parallel to the trace or main line which helps prevent the bait from bursting. It is when using monofilament or braided lines although there is a school of thought that other knots work more efficiently when using fluorocarbon.Despite what many websites and paper publications say the grinner and Uni knots are not the same knot.1. Select your hook length or main line and hook, swivel or lure.2. Thread the line through the eye and double back on itself, leaving a good length to work with.3. Make four to six turns around the main line, the thicker the line the fewer turns that are required.4. Bring the tag end back towards the eye and form a loop.5. Wrap the rag end around the main twisted section of line forming a matching number of turns the to intial wrapping.6. Apply saliva and pull gently on the tag end to start to tighten the coils.7. Slide the moistened coils into place using the thumb and forefinger while pulling on the main line.8. Trim off the tag end tight to the knot.9. The finished, neat and secure knot. Player will show here// Grinner Knot - Fishing Knots - Fly Fishing Knots Knots, Lead Feature 2010-08-21T08:56:55+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-august-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-august-2010#When:18:44:44Z Skegness Pier Angling Club (S.P.A.C) members have been enjoying better catches recently, with the fishing picking up at local shore venues. Ten-year-old Kellie Marshall was the star of the show in the inaugural SPAC Species Hunt match held at Drake Road, Skegness. The format was 10 points for each different species caught, then 1 point for each further fish of the same species. Corby based Kellie was the only angler to catch two species, taking first place with a silver eel and a weever, worth 20 points. Her dad Paul fished to his usual high standard to catch 5 silver eels for 14 points, but just couldn’t manage to extract that elusive second species to overtake Kellie! S.P.A.C’s top lady angler Rosie Jackson was on fine form, beating her long suffering husband Neil again and taking third place with 2 silver eels for 11 points. As there were no flatfish caught, the heaviest round and flatfish prizes were shared between the top 3 anglers, all with 11oz silver eels.Wrangle’s Alan Steadman left it very late to come good in the S.P.A.C RNLI/Carnival match, held from Wolla Bank, Chapel. After enduring a fishless match until the last 10 minutes, his last cast 5lb smoothound was more than enough to take top honours. Corby’s Paul Marshall was the bridesmaid for the second match on the trot, taking runners up spot with three flounders and a weever for 2lb 7½. Paul made up for the disappointment by also taking both the heaviest round and flatfish awards, with a ½oz weever and a nice 1lb flounder respectively. Wrangle’s Paul Cridland filled the frame in third place, with a silver eel and a small flounder weighing 14½oz. Away from the match scene, top Grimsby angler Karl Nangle has been in amongst the smoothounds again at Sutton-on-Sea. His last session resulted in 3 decent hounds, with the best one weighing in at 8lb 1oz, which is currently leading the August SPAC Fish of the Month competition.The next SPAC match will be held on Sunday 22nd August from 4 till 8pm at Drake Road, with Club members fishing for the Mrs Wheatcroft Trophy. There is also a Mixed Pairs event and an open section, which non-members are welcome to participate in. For further information contact SPAC Secretary Chas Tibble on 07984 967988 or chastibble@hotmail.com East England, Shore Catches and Results 2010-08-18T18:44:44+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-16-08-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-16-08-2010#When:10:24:11Z The heavy seas of late have scattered the mackerel shoals with just the odd fish reported from the north of the region. The plus side is that codling have made an appearance in reasonable numbers with the odd bigger fish to 5lb reported on crab baits from the rock edge marks, and fresh run specimens around the 3lb to 5lb mark are also evident. This is very early for these fresh fish, there are plenty of smaller fish around the 1lb mark being taken from all areas, and bodes well for the winter season.Both the rivers Tyne and Wear are full of small cod around the pound mark and match anglers are enjoying some decent results. The Eastenders sweepstake at Panns Bank saw junior Mason Burton win with a cod of 1¾lb, Lee Brown had one of 1lb 9oz and also took third place with a shad of 1lb 7oz in his winning bag of 7lb.Neil Carter won a Tynemouth Doris Pearson Cup match with three mackerel and a plaice for 4lb 7oz ahead of Brad Hill who weighed two cod for 2lb 10oz. Third spot went to Jai Thompson with a cod and a plaice weighing 2¼lb. The Tynemouth retired members match saw John Cain win with two mackerel and a plaice for 4lb 13oz, his superb plaice of 2lb 13oz was the heaviest fish. Runner-up Tony Taylor had two flounders, two dabs, a cod and a plaice for 4lb 7oz and Neil Carter finished third with three flounders and two mackerel for 3lb 5oz. Dave Heron won a Seaham A.C. match with four fish for 5.11lb, including the heaviest fish, a pollack of 1.66lb.South of the Tees the last Saltburn A.C. Summer League match saw a good weigh-in at the river Esk where Nick Westgarth won with twenty coalfish and three flounders for 712cm. Andrew Clark had nine coalfish, two eels and a single flounder for 385cm to take second. In third, Bernard Westgarth had thirteen coalies for 347cm and Michael Gray had the heaviest fish, an eel of 1lb 13oz.Boat anglers are getting some specimen cod and ling when conditions allow them to put to sea with fresh mackerel taking the bigger ling and the larger cod falling to lures. Beginners luck is not a myth, it happens quite often that an angler on his or her first fishing trip hooks into a big fish, but it is the inherent skill that lands this first time monster. Tom Lowe was the latest recipient of this accolade when fishing from the Sarah JFK out of the Tyne. After catching a few small cod he changed to a fresh mackerel bait which was immediately grabbed by a monster ling of 28lb. An unknown angler on the Miranda out of Sunderland had a ling of 29lb, John Rae on the Upholder out of Amble had one of 21lb and Matty Walker on the same trip had one of 15¾lb. Some big cod have also made an appearance; Terry Cleary had one of 16lb 14oz on the Barracuda off Sunderland.The Terry Woods Open Boat competition did not see any fish as big as these but Jason Bainbridge took a ling of 16lb 1oz to win the over 20 ft section from the Swordfish, and Richard Roll won the under 20ft section on his own boat Stingray with a cod of 13lb 1oz.There are plenty of quality fish from the inshore hard ground north of the Tyne. Walter Turnbull and Paul Conroy fishing on the Charlotte off Burnmouth had cod and ling to 8lb, pollack to 10lb, and wrasse to 4lb. North East England 2010-08-16T10:24:11+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/caithness-open-boat-competition-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/caithness-open-boat-competition-2010#When:09:33:52Z Anglers fishing the Caithness Open Boat competition enjoyed excellent fishing and two glorious days of clam, sunny weather.The event, fished a species system, was closely contested due to the strong entry field and after the second day local angler Derek Yuille emerged victorious being the only angler with the maximum 200%. Derek teamed up with second placed David Proudfoot to lift team title. Gus Mackenzie from Inverness finished in third spot and Edinburgh's Stevie Burns and Billy Murray were runners up in the pairs.A total of seventeen species were landed during the competition and while the event was catch and release among the fish weighed on board were cod over 10lb, ling topping 15lb and spurdogs in the low teens.Derek hooked a double figure spur on the first day which was followed to the surface by a larger spurdog estimated at over 20lb.The skippers and crew on board the Silverline and Stormdrift were kept busy marking score cards and the anglers all appreciated their efforts during the event.The competition will be run to the same points system next year with additional boat places available.Full results are available here - http://www.planetseafishing.com/downloads/caithness-open-results-2010.pdf Boat catches and results 2010-08-16T09:33:52+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-10-08-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-10-08-2010#When:12:38:38Z With continuing settled seas, mackerel remain the most common species to fish for with good numbers taken from all of the region’s piers, beaches and rock marks. The mackerel are starting to take float fished baits where this technique is possible, but elsewhere lures are taking most fish. Again anglers fishing either with float or lure have taken the rare shad and the odd bigger cod, pollack and coalfish.Cod are starting to move inshore already this year and the coming winter looks to be very promising. Some nice individual fish to 9lb and some fine bags of fish have been reported not only from the more obvious rock marks north of the Tyne but from the Durham beaches and piers and from various marks around Hartlepool when access has been possible avoiding the Tall Ships event. Roker Pier has seen lots of smaller cod around the 1lb mark showing after dark and the lower Tyne and South Shields pier have also seen similar results when the flood water is not running down the river. Some anglers are venturing north of the Firth of Forth into Fife and Angus where the shore sport for the traditional red kelp cod has been very good with mixed bags of cod, pollack, coalfish and wrasse eagerly taking float fished crab baits and lures as well as bottom fished baits.The Durham beaches are also producing thornback rays for those with the patience to fish for them, specimens to 15lb have been reported recently, and if you fish with two rods the second rod can produce the odd bass, plaice, flounder or dab, and a night time session will certainly produce some quality summer whiting.Ryhope A.C. fished the Tyne at the Copthorne Hotel and found plenty of quality flounders present. Barry Stowels won zone A with eight for 214cm, Bob Bland had six for 170cm, John Lovett had six for 162cm and Terry Mann had four for 127cm including the longest at 40cm. In zone B Stu Bland had 10 for 314cm, Bill Bell had eight for 252cm, Bob Surtees and Mason Burton tied with six fish each for 230cm. Mason was also the top junior and longest fish was a flounder of 37cm taken by Bill Kenneddy.The last Tynemouth A.C. Summer League match saw a good mixed weigh in with eight out of sixteen landing fish from Tynemouth Pier. Ken Robinson won with three cod, two flounders and a gurnard weighing 12lb 11oz, including the heaviest fish, a fine fresh run cod of 8lb 5oz. Tony Taylor had a single mackerel, flounder, coalfish and plaice for 3lb 10oz to take second spot ahead of J. Kain who weighed in two mackerel for 2lb 3oz.The fourth round of the Whitley Bay Summer League fished at Newton also saw some nice cod landed from the kelp beds where Steve Potts won with three cod for 8¼lb, best weighing 3lb 11oz. Second placed Neil Cutler had three fish for 6lb 5oz and Andy Grieff finished third with a two fish bag of 6lb 1oz, the best of which weighed 3½lb. After this match Keith Bathgate heads the leaderboard with a respectable 25lb 2oz, followed by Steve Williams with 22lb 15oz. North East England 2010-08-10T12:38:38+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/natural-england-goes-sea-angling http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/natural-england-goes-sea-angling#When:12:25:24Z Natural England’s Marine Director, James Marsden, took a crash course in sea angling on July 28th when he took to the Blackwater estuary in Essex for a day’s charter boat fishing with the Angling Trust.Mr Marsden, who is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) project in England, joined a party of anglers and representatives on the regional MCZ projects in order to understand recreational sea angling better and the concerns that many anglers have over the MCZ process.Those onboard included angling journalist and former charter skipper Bob Cox, and Angling Trust Marine Committee Chairman John Amery. They used the opportunity to make sure Mr Marsden was left in no doubt about the economic importance of recreational angling as well as discussing the fears among anglers that unnecessary restrictions could be imposed on them by MCZs.The timelines of the MCZ projects, the possibility of charter skippers having representation at management level, and how to secure appropriate representation for the RSA sector at a national level were also discussed as the group caught smoothounds, thornback rays and mackerel from Stuart Belbin’s boat, Razorbill II.The need for RSA to be represented on the new Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) and the lack of communication between Government departments and anglers was also pressed home to Mr Marsden who was given plenty of food for thought by the end of the day."It was high time to redress the balance of the many days I’ve spent with commercial fishermen by arranging for me to join the RSA sector and listen to their views, on their terms and territory,” said Mr Marsden. “We covered a lot of ground and I now have a much better understanding of the issues, concerns and psyche of sea anglers."Angling Trust Marine Committee Chairman John Amery said “It is not often that RSA representatives can have the marine director of Natural England ‘hooked’ for six hours with no escape and we took full advantage to express our concerns, which were listened to with genuine interest.”Natural England has since agreed to make every effort to engage sea anglers at a regional and national level in the MCZ projects and in developing management measures for marine protected areas as a whole.The Angling Trust is urging all sea anglers to get involved in the MCZ process and upload their own data on where they fish to the interactive map at http://www.mczmapping.org before the deadline of September 30th. News and Info 2010-08-10T12:25:24+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-028-08-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-028-08-10#When:11:53:16Z Settled conditions have led to an improvement in the shore sport improve from all areas with plenty of mackerel showing from all of the region’s piers, beaches and rock marks. Those anglers bait fishing have taken specimen plaice, dabs, flounders, cod, coalfish and good numbers of whiting are showing on evening and night time tides. All of the rivers have plenty of fish showing with specimen flounders reported from the popular marks in the Tyne and Wear. The lower Tyne has good numbers of smaller cod, coalfish, plaice and whiting present. The Northumberland rock edges are on top form with cod to 6lb, wrasse to 4lb, coalfish and pollack taking bottom fished baits. Some nice pollack are showing to lures and float-fished worm, mackerel and prawn baits with the bigger pollack showing from Eyemouth and St. Abbs. John Hepton had a personal best cod of 6lb plus another of 3lb during a recent session at Beadnell with both fish taken less than thirty yards out.Mackerel anglers have also taken the rare shad, as well as the odd codling, coalfish, and pollack on both lures and float fished mackerel strip with Roker and South Shields piers producing the greater number of pollack. At Hartlepool it is mackerel all the way with the odd shad showing from the Pilot pier, Middleton and North Gare.Those anglers travelling over to Cumbria and the Scottish marks on the Solway report good sport with plenty of quality flounders and the odd bass showing. Seaton Sluice had a match at Carsethorne where the flounders were out in force. Martin Pygall had sixteen for 12lb 2oz to finish in first place. Runner-up Chris Guthrie had twelve for 10lb 13oz, best of which weighed 2lb 2oz, and M. Bell in third had ten for 10lb 3oz.Tynemouth retired member’s fished Tynemouth pier where mackerel were even taking bottom fished baits. Wilf Reed had two plaice, and two mackerel for 4lb 5oz ahead of Ken Robinson who had a specimen plaice of 2lb 2oz, a cod and a coalie for 4lb dead. Third spot went to Dave Hayley with a plaice and two mackerel weighing 3lb 2oz.With plenty of fresh mackerel boat anglers have been taking some quality ling among good numbers of mainly smaller cod around the 2lb to 6lb mark. Keith Redden had ling of 14lb 7oz and 8lb, plus cod to 6lb while son Dean had cod of 12lb and 9lb and a ling of 9lb on their own boat For Goodness Sake out of Sunderland. Masses of mackerel off the Tyne have made getting down to the bottom for the bigger fish a bit of an ordeal but when possible some nice cod have been reported. Jimmy Cassidy had a cod of 22lb on the Sarah JFK, and the same trip produced ling of 18lb for Alan Black and Brian Warren. The Stingray has been finding the cod shoals again off the Tyne, a recent trip saw Richard Roll and friends take cod to 9lb and ling to 11lb. On another trip Bert Gray, Kenny Gray, and Keith Brown in their own boat landed seventy-six cod to 10lb together with four ling.South West Scotland is a popular boat venue for those hoping for a bit of sport with the packs of tope that have become more common over recent years. Sunderland angler Richie Porter fishing in Luce Bay released a potential record tope estimated at 80lb with rough conditions preventing an accurate weighing.August 8th sees the Ian Woods Heaviest Fish boat match being held from the Royal Quays in the Tyne, this is open to boats from any port but they must register at the Royal Quays from 7am or from selected tackle shops the week before. Basic entry is £10, fishing is from 8am till 4pm, weigh in up to 5.30pm. The categories are boats over 20ft, boats under 20ft, and kayak. Cash prizes for the first three heaviest fish plus prize table. Contact Sam Harris at samharris01@aol.com or 0191 5184561. North East England 2010-08-02T11:53:16+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/orkney-opportunities http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/orkney-opportunities#When:15:36:40Z Welsh angler John Mason visits Orkney in the north of Scotland where he discovers a world of untapped fishing.About 395 million years ago what is now Northern Scotland lay close to the Equator. Low, rolling hills separated a series of large freshwater lakes teeming with fish. Every now and then - perhaps seasonally - rainwater swept sand, silt and mud into the lakes, building up layer upon layer of sediment and desert sand dunes spread over the area. In time, the layers of sediment solidified into rocks that were later on tilted by earth movements. The end product of all of these geological goings on, after millennia of erosion, was the Orkney Islands, world famous for their fish, both ancient and modern!Continuing briefly on the geological theme, for it is directly responsible for the types of shore fishing marks you will find around the islands, we skip forward to just ten thousand years ago, at the end of the last ice age. This produced large volumes of ice melt adding to the volume of the ocean. Before the ice caps melted, the Orkneys consisted of one large landmass. By the time the icecaps had dissappeared, the sea level had risen some forty five metres, drowning parts of the landscape and splitting the islands into their current day configuration.As a consequence of these events, the visiting shore angler finds two key environments to tackle: deep water rock marks where the tilted strata slope down into the sea and extensive, shallow, weed-fringed sandy bays. Here and there, manmade structures jut out into or span the bays, to add a bit of modification to the general picture.The arranging of a family holiday on Orkney at the beginning of June 2010 provided a good excuse to explore some of the marks with a view to investigating the range of species available, although it was a bit early in the season - the best fishing seems to be late summer through autumn. So I loaded up the car with gear until the axles creaked and headed off on the long road north from Mid-Wales, to board the vehicle ferry that runs daily from Scrabster over to the port of Stromness on the largest of the islands, Mainland.Short hop to OrkneyScrabster itself deserves a mention in passing. With an hour to kill before ferry check-in, I parked up and after a ten minute walk was setting up on the rocks immediately below the lighthouse. Here, kelp-fringed rock gave way to clean ground in a good depth of water. I fished 3-hook flapper and 2 up-1 down rigs with size 1 Aberdeens and plenty of bling, baited with salted Welsh black lug and Aberdyfi mussels, the only bait I had brought with me from home. The first bite came while I was setting up the second rod and after just an hour I had taken fourteen good dabs, some over a pound, keeping a few to ensure a good family feast the following evening. That's one of the most prolific marks I have fished for dabs in terms of quality fish - highly recommended when you are waiting for the boat.Getting bait was the order of the day at the start of the adventure and a bit of research led me to William Shearer's shop in Kirkwall (71 Victoria St; Tel: 01856 873189). This is a shop that sells a wide range of stuff from food to gardening and agricultural supplies and tackle but most importantly for me, bait - namely a range of Baitbox frozen products including mackerel, squid, black lug, crab, sandeel. I found another tackle shop - Sinclairs in Stromness (27 John Street; 01856 851523) - that has a large range of gear including enough pirks to decorate a wreck like a christmas-tree, but for bait Shearer's seems to be the only option outside of chancing it at supermarkets. Indeed, my thanks are due to Sinclair's helpful staff for putting me onto Shearer's in the first place! I should add that the shallow sandy bays are packed with blow-lug casts and there are areas of mussels in places for those with the time to gather their own.Piers of plentyNext, a bit of a recce saw me trying some of the piers around Stromness and Kirkwall. Typically, you are fishing in 5-10m of crystal-clear water onto sand and stony patches with clumps of eel-grass and kelp. Now, back home in Wales, all piers and jetties carry their compliment of mini species close in around the structures, so the tactic was to bang one rig well out and drop the other close in, with size 6 or smaller hooks baited with bits of mackerel, lug and mussel. On my usual marks that would result in plenty of rattles from small wrasse, blennies, gobies, sand-smelt, poorcod and so on. Here, the baits were coming back untouched! That was a bit of a surprise. Meanwhile, out on the sand, the black lug, mussel and mackerel was attracting a steady stream of flounders, dark-backed fish the colour of plain chocolate, interspersed with the odd dab. And this pattern repeated itself from mark to mark.The weather was forecast to be dry for much of the next day so instead of flattie bashing, I decided to try some hardcore rock-fishing at Hoxa Head on South Ronaldsay. Here was a typical Orkney rock mark, consisting of those aforementioned slabs of sandstone dipping seaward into gin-clear water 20m or moredeep. Arriving at low water I set up on the slabs, but as soon as the flood kicked in then a swell got up. It's amazing how far up a seaward tilted slab even a moderate swell will reach and I soon moved to a higher platform, concerned about myself and my gear. This configuration of sloping rock and swell is a frequent feature of Orkney rock-marks and a cautious approach is recommended!Baits or lures, the choice is yoursThe fishing was not dissimilar to that at some of my favourite rock marks in North Wales. I started with feathers and straight away single mackerel, small pollack and coalfish to about a pound began to come in. I then switched to rough ground, single-hook rigs baited with mackerel and lug/mussel to see what was about on the bottom in amongst the rock and kelp. Again, the wrasse and other minis seemed absent but good sized dark coloured dogfish were taking the mackerel fillets, sent out there with the hope of a huss or even a ling. Towards high water I switched to seeking out some better pollack, tackling up with my usual 'Bardsey Sound' rig - a 6-inch 'natural sandeel' Slug-Go soft lure, rigged with Texposer-style hooks, on 3ft of 30lb clear Amnesia with a 3oz drilled bullet behind the trace swivel as a casting weight. After just a couple of casts, I had a savage take right at the water's edge and a two-and-fro scrap ensued as the fish dived into the kelp, then came out into open water just as a larger than usual swell swept it up the slabs and into a chasm. It was too dangerous to climb down to it but keeping steady pressure on the rod as the next wave rolled in had it freed and up onto my ledge where it was swiftly dispatched for supper.With conditions getting a bit rougher, making landing and returning fish increasingly difficult, with the larder full in terms of fish suppers, and rain threatening, I decided it was pub-time. In better conditions and in the peak of the season this mark and others like it must offer superb sport!The Churchill BarriersThe next full-day session was at the middle of the second of the Churchill Barriers. These blockwork structures carry road causeways linking the southern islands. Along with the nearby, deliberately sunken Blockships, they were created in World War 2 in order to prevent U-boat access via the narrow but deep sounds between the islands into the sheltered anchorage of Scapa Flow, where U-47 torpedoed the battleship HMS Royal Oak on 14th October 1939 with the loss of 833 lives. Italian POWs assisted with much of the construction.Scrambling down among the huge concrete blocks to a comfortable spot on the western side of the barrier, I was struck by the similarity of the ground to that at the big Welsh breakwaters of Holyhead and Fishguard, where baits dropped straight down among the blocks produce all sorts of mini species and bigger fish. Several hours later, I was left to ponder on what I was doing wrong! Baits were coming back untouched, both close in and further out. Perhaps the exceptional water clarity was an issue, as I had noted from online articles that night fishing is recommended here, although back home the best conditions for minis are clear water and bright sunshine. Or perhaps there was so much natural food about that my frozen baits were not of interest. Few people will stop at a kebab shop after a four course dinner at a top restaurant! Or maybe it was just that I was there too early in the season. Plenty of good fish are caught here at the right time of year.On my way back to HQ I checked out the Bay of Skaill, one of a small number of west-facing Atlantic surf beaches. The winter storms had left the surf full of weed which was over a foot deep on parts of the beach, but in better conditions this looked to be well worth fishing - not only for flatties but possibly bass which are caught of the surf beaches on the North Scottish Mainland. One to try next time.A stiff Northerly dominated the rest of my stay but it gave the opportunity to have some walks with the family along other parts of the west coast, casting a beady eye over countless slabby rock stances dipping down into deep, clear water. Again, the feeling was of tremendous potential in the right conditions, especially around the Brough of Birsay, where countless terns, puffins and other seabirds were flying past, beaks draped with sandeels. If you want to combine fishing with birdwatching, Orkney has to be right up there on the list of venues to visit.Last knockingsThe final afternoon saw a steep, short chop on the inlet by Stromness and a force 6 wind, so I drove round to Ness Point where the inlet meets the Sound of Hoy. Here it was possible to fish out of the car and sort out the tackle that after a few days had inevitably become a little mixed up. Locals catch sea trout here at certain times of year fishing belly strips of mackerel under a bubble float, something I tried without success as the wind repeatedly took my rig around into the shallow, weedy ground to my right. I switched to my flattie rig to finish off the session and was back into the flounders straight away on lug, mussel and mackerel, the final cast of the week bringing a triple shot and a mass of weed!My general thoughts? Tremendous potential with a lot of marks that are rarely if ever fished. I'd like to go back there in late summer or early autumn, waiting for a huge high-pressure anticyclone to be slap-bang over the islands for a week and no big lows way out west to generate swells. I'd then explore as many deep-water rock marks as possible. I'd also make a point of fishing the Barriers on a night-tide (in mid-June it barely gets dark at all)!What to bring? Well, the standard shore gear I use on Welsh surf-beaches, breakwaters and rock ledges did me fine. Away from the rock marks and the Barriers, I lost no tackle to snags at all. Rock anglers will combine lure-fishing with legering single hook rotten bottom rigs as standard fare. Take warm clothing with you - these islands are a long way north, temperatures are often several degrees lower as a consequence and it's breezy a lot of the time. Outside of the fishing, the Neolithic remains are fascinating, the scenery is beautiful, it's an incredibly friendly place, the pubs are great and the food is superb. It was a shame to have to come away from there.John's main site: www.geologywales.co.ukJohn's storm-photography site: www.geologywales.co.uk/storms Shore, Lead Feature 2010-07-30T15:36:40+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-26-07-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-26-07-2010#When:13:22:37Z Lots of flood water in the local rivers and a bit of a northerly wind last midweek have pushed the mackerel offshore with only the odd fish reported from the regions piers with Roker and South Shields piers seeing the better sport. Both piers are also producing plenty of fish to worm and crab baits with quality whiting showing after dark and small cod showing when there is some colour in the water. Small but in size cod have moved inshore all along the local shoreline over the last few days with anglers fishing for mackerel reporting taking them as a by catch on both lures and float fished baits. Lots of small coalfish are evident and decent plaice continue to be taken on ragworm baits. The Durham beaches have seen whiting and small cod showing on night tides, with the occasional small bass among them. The piers at Hartlepool have seen a few mackerel with quantities of mainly small coalfish and dabs taking worm baits.The Rutherfords Conoflex sweepstake in the Tyne saw twenty-two anglers weigh in coalfish, eels and flounders. T. Tate won zone A with thirteen fish for 327cm, G. Forster had nine for 228cm and P. Wright had nine for 227cm. In zone B Jim Dobie had nineteen for 444cm, Chris Stringer had fourteen for 352cm and Andy Rutherford had eleven for 257cm. The next match is on Wednesday August 4th at the Copthorne Hotel fishing from 7.30pm till 10.30pm. For details contact Rutherford Angling on 0191 5654183Ryhope A.C. ran a match at the Copthorne Hotel which produced a few fish despite the flood water in the river. John Bryan won zone A with fourteen fish for 327cm, Andy Rutherford had six for 210cm, Bob Surtees had six for 194cm and Alan Burton had six for 157cm including the longest fish in zone A with a flounder of 40cm. In zone B Bob Bland had twenty six fish for 446cm, Paul Craig had sixteen for 378cm, John Surtees had fifteen for 345cm, best 39cm and Paul Richardson had ten for 301cm.The Amble Summer open had a good weigh in with forty-eight out of one hundred and forty weighing in ninety-eight fish for 233lb 7oz. Heaviest bag went to Chris Potts with six fish for 11lb 13oz followed by Rob Allison who weighed three for 11lb 1oz. Third placed Paul Sample had six for 9lb 14oz and Colin Bell had the heaviest fish; a pollack of 5lb 10oz. Top junior was Connor Millard with 1lb 3oz while Pauline Ferry weighed in 4lb 6oz to take the ladies prize. The best flatfish went to Jason French with a flounder of 1lb dead.The last Tynemouth A.C. Summer League match also saw fish taken from the rock edges around Seahouses. Nick Harnom won with each of pollack, coalfish and cod for 8lb 6oz taken from Newton, his cod of 4lb 6oz was the heaviest fish. Runner-up Marty Elliott fished Seahouses and had two cod for 4lb 11oz and third placed Steve Harper had a single wrasse of 1½lb from Newton.The Tynemouth retired members match fished on Tynemouth pier saw seven out of twenty-six find fish. Peter Dixon won with three cod for 3lb 1oz beating Ken Robinson, who had a plaice, a dab, and a cod for 2¼lb, into second place. Dave Bentley took third spot with two cod for 2lb 1oz and Wilf Reed and Peter Dixon tied for the heaviest fish with cod of 1lb 3oz.South of the Tees mackerel are showing in slightly greater numbers. Terry Dalton won a recent St. Mary’s match with nine for 7lb 6oz, best 1lb 2oz. The Redcar Navy and Gentleman’s Club Summer Open saw Chris Wood win with a fine wrasse of 4lb 3oz taken from Kettleness while Jamie Mullen finished one ounce behind with a cod from Hummersea. In third was Steve Williams with a cod of 3lb 1oz, also from Hummersea.As part of National Fishing Month a crab fishing match is being held at the Glass Centre in the Wear on Sunday August 1st. There are two categories and entry is free for six to twelve years and thirteen to sixteen years, those under twelve must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is from 11am till 12 noon at the Glass Centre with fishing from 12 till 2pm. All anglers must use hand lines which will be supplied. Bait will also be supplied but anglers may use their own bait and also bring a bucket to save their catch. The Wear is full of crabs as most anglers are aware, so a big bucket would be preferable. There will be three prizes in each category.The Evelynn Jane out of Hartlepool has had a few productive recent trips. The first produced a superb ling of 31lb 4oz for Paul Moore, the heaviest fish so far in the Hartlepool Charter Skippers Festival, and one of 20lb 2oz for Jason Tinham. Another trip saw plenty of cod up to the 6lb mark, but again the bigger fish were ling with best at 20lb 14oz taken by Hull angler John Byrne. North East England 2010-07-26T13:22:37+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/whitby-charter-skippers-sunday-sun http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/whitby-charter-skippers-sunday-sun#When:17:52:37Z Overall Winner of £5000 first prize – Mick Roe – Preston – Ling 26lb 2oz – Sea Otter 2Ling1. Mick Roe – Preston – Ling 26lb 2oz – Sea Otter 22. Simon England – Ling 24lb 9oz – Lone Shark3. Martin Ormerod, Keighley, ling 21lb 12oz, Stoney BrokeCod1. Guy Wrightson, Harrogate, cod 17lb 5.5oz, Shy Torque2. Guy Richardson cod –15lb 9oz – Two dogs3. Tony Baxter – cod – 14lb 1oz – Two DogsHaddock1. Robert Cooper – 1lb 15.5oz – Jean K2. Barney Burell – 1lb 14.5oz – Sea Spray3. John Wilcock – 1lb 13.5oz – Shy TorqueSpecimen – Best percentage of national record1. Trevor Linfoot - 2lb 3oz Scad – Sea Spray2. Dave Winfrey – 1lb 8oz scad – Sea Spray3. Mick Mcgowan - 12lb 14oz - Pollack – CharismaJuniors1. Declan Fusco – Ling 15lb 12oz – Sea Otter 22. Jake Sixsmth – 11lb 15oz – Cod – Shytorque3. Conner Stansfeild – 10lb 3.5oz ling – ShytorqueLadies1. Cheryl Settle – Cod – 6lb 0oz – Saxon Lady2. Cheryl Settle – Cod – 5lb 15oz – Saxon Lady3. Cheryl Settle – Cod – 5lb 14oz – Saxon Lady Boat catches and results, North East England 2010-07-19T17:52:37+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/amble-sac-summer-open-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/amble-sac-summer-open-2010#When:17:38:25Z Champion - Chris Potts - 6 fish - 11 lb 12.75 ozRunner-up - Rob Allison - (3) - 11 lb 0.5 ozPaul Sample - (6) - 9 lb 14 ozJimmy Stewart - (4) - 9 lb 11.5 ozS Alexander - (3) - 5 lb 7 ozBilly Jacobs - (2) - 5 lb 1.75 ozS Todd - (1) - 5 lb 1.75 ozM Burke - (2) - 5 lb 0.5 ozRob Thirwell - (2) - 4 lb 15.75 ozN Harman - (2) - 4 lb 13.75 ozB Clennell - (1) - 4 lb 11.5 ozT Ferrie - (1) - 4 lb 7 ozP Ferrie (L) - (1) - 4 lb 5.5 ozIan Harrogate - (1) - 4 lb 0.75 ozRichy Muir - (1) - 4 lb 0.75 ozC France - (2) - 4 lbK Brooksbank - (1) - 3 lb 15 ozT Raine - (5) - 3 lb 9.25 ozAlan O’Neill - (1) - 3 lb 5.75 ozA Eke - (1) - 3 lb 2.5 ozG Forster - (1) - 3 lb 1.5 ozM Pygall - (1) - 3 lb 1.5 ozP Short - (1) - 2 lb 14 ozP Foster - (1) - 2 lb 13.75 ozZac Ainsley - (1) - 2 lb 13.75 ozS Harper - (1) - 2 lb 8 ozT Patterson - (2) - 2 lb 4.75 ozGavin Owen - (1) - 2 lb 1.75 ozM Newton - (1) - 2 lb 1 ozJason French - (2) - 1 lb 14 ozWilliam Scott - (1) - 1 lb 7.5 ozDarren Taylor - (2) - 1 lb 4.5 ozConnor Millard (Junior) - (1) - 1 lb 2.5 ozA Naisby - (1) - 1 lb 1.75 ozR Gray (Amble) - (1) - 11.5 ozHeaviest fish - Colin Bell (Pollack) 5 lb 9.75 oz (from Newton)Heaviest flatfish - Jason French 1 lbJunior winner - Connor Millard cod  1 lb 2.5 ozLady winner - Pauline Ferry cod    4 lb 5.5 oz North East England, Shore Catches and Results 2010-07-19T17:38:25+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-18-07-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-18-07-10#When:20:06:23Z Mackerel started to move inshore again after last week’s heavy seas but gale force westerly winds may have put many off from venturing out, nevertheless the more sheltered marks produced plenty of double figure bags with all of the regions piers seeing the mackerel now well established. Those anglers bait fishing after dark continue to report quality whiting taking worm baits with the odd dogfish also showing from the Durham beaches.There are plenty of fish in the Wear to keep match anglers happy with some specimen flounders showing from most areas. The last Eastenders match at the Timber Beach saw Dave McCready win with a flounder of 1lb 11oz and their open match at the same venue saw Chris Hossack win with one of 1¾lb. A previous Eastenders match at Panns Bank saw Steve Rackstraw win with four flounders for 4lb 6oz and Lee Brown had the best at 1lb 6oz.Ryhope A.C. fished a match at the Copthorne Hotel on the Tyne where all twenty-two anglers had fish to show for their efforts. In zone A Bob Surtees had eight for 207cm for the zone win ahead of John Lovett who landed six for 131cm. In third Bob Bland had five for 122cm and Alan Burton finished fourth with three for 76cm. The longest fish in this zone was a flounder of 40cm taken by Alan March. In zone B Bill Bell had eight for 175cm to head the field. Paul Richardson finished second with six for 129cm while Bill Kennedy had three for 77cm to pip Mason Burton for fourth place. Longest fish in this zone was a flounder of 37cm taken by Bill Bell.The last Tynemouth Summer League match fished in severe gales only saw two out of seventeen land fish. Dave Hayley took first place with a nice flounder of 1lb 15oz, plus a smaller dab for a 2lb 8oz total. Runner-up Neil Garner also had a flounder and a dab for 1¼lb. The Tynemouth retired members fished on Tuesday with six out of twenty two weighing in. Tony Taylor won with three flounders for 2lb 12oz, the best weighing 1lb 7oz. Neil Garner was second with two dabs and a flounder for 1lb 11oz and Dave Collins had an eel and a dab to take third with 1lb 6oz.A recent Seaton Sluice A.C. rover match fished between Alnmouth and Beadnell saw a few decent fish landed. Martin Pygall had six weighing an ounce over 10lb to top the list. In second place was Mal McIntyre who had two for 5lb 11oz, best 4lb 6oz and Steve Todd in third had two for 4lb 1oz.A Whitley Bay Sea League match fished at Craster saw one of the better results showing how well the Northumberland rock edge marks can fish at times. Winner Keith Bathgate had six fish for 17¼lb, the best weighing in at 4lb 12oz. In second Geoff King landed five for 15lb 1oz ahead of third placed Steve Williams who weighed three for 11lb 2oz, including a fish of 5lb 10oz and Neil Cutler had five for 11lb to take fourth.Boat anglers have been getting plenty of fish in what has been a very good summer season so far. Richard Roll and Graham Napier in the Stingray out of the Tyne took over one hundred cod between 3lb and 8lb on a recent trip with most taking pirks and twin tail lures sometimes three at a time. Kayak angling is starting to become very popular along the North East coast. Billy Jacobs and Keith Armstrong fishing just off Boghall Rocks with fresh crab kept twenty out of fifty plus cod between 3lb and 5lb, both also reported lots of specimen coalfish showing.At the last Hartlepool boat owner’s heaviest fish match thirty-three anglers fished on eight boats. George Marshall won with a ling of 14.5lb on the Maximus just beating Les Arundale who weighed in a cod of 14lb on the White Dwarf. John Pattison was third, also on the White Dwarf. The match raised £33 for the R.N.L.I. The next open is on July 25th fishing from 7am till 4pm, weigh in until 5.30pm. Basic entry is £10, and all fish must be gutted. Contact Steve Ryder on 07814009701 or at s.ryder@hotmail.co.ukNote that there has been a change of date for the North East Sea Angling and Boat show at the Nissan Sports and Social Club Washington. The new dates are Saturday and Sunday November 13th and 14th. North East England 2010-07-18T20:06:23+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-july-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-july-2010#When:19:42:45Z Following recent improved results, catches were disappointing in the Skegness Pier Angling Club (SPAC) Festival match held from Trunch Lane, with Kettering’s Bob Foster needing just a couple of flounders to take first place with 1lb 8oz. His travelling companion Dave Shorthouse lost out on the bragging rights on this occasion, taking second place with a similar pair of flounders for 1lb 1oz. SPAC Secretary Chas Tibble left it very late to come good, taking third place and the heaviest flatfish prize, with a last gasp 15oz flounder. There were no round fish caught, so Bob Foster took the award by default, with the heavier of his two flounders.Away from the match scene, SPAC members having also been active recently in their annual casting tournament, held over grass at Bircham Newton, Norfolk. After a string of 200m plus casts, Kettering’s Dave Shorthouse retained the Vanguard Trophy he won at the inaugural event last year, with a magnificent 206m (225 yard) pendulum cast. Friskney’s Mark Holmes struggled to find his usual consistency in the windy conditions, but managed to hit the 185m (202 yard) mark, to finish second. Mark’s 16-year-old son Dominic built up his distances throughout the day, to finish just behind Dad with an 184m (201 yard) off the ground cast. After the main competition was over, Dominic improved his personal best with a brilliant 198.26m (216 yard) off the ground effort, which is an exceptional cast for someone of his age group.The next SPAC match is a Summer Open, which will be held on Sunday 25th July from 11am till 5pm, along the banks of the tidal River Nene at Sutton Bridge. This is a new SPAC venture to this easy to fish, short casting venue, which is teeming with silver eels and flatfish. The match is open to everyone and will be pegged on the day. For further information contact SPAC Secretary Chas Tibble on 07984 967988 or chastibble@hotmail.com East England 2010-07-18T19:42:45+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-july-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-july-2010#When:13:45:24Z I love this time of year as it marks the arrival of many different species. The diversity is immense whether you fish from the boat or from the shore but as always it is the pride of the southern flatfish, the turbot, which takes centre stage. It’s one of the main reasons that the island is visited by many anglers from the UK and Europe. After a leaner couple of years the big flatties have appeared in good numbers and over a longer period. For a second time this year they have turned up in droves with good catches reported from the charter boats. Silver Spray skippered by Sam Cumming managed to find a cracker of 23lb which is the best reported during from June. The same day the Alderney boat record for an angler fish was broken when one of 17lb was boated, fabulous fish.Brill have increased in numbers throughout the month with better fish now showing, some close to the magical double figures. Bass have been slow to appear again this year but much better than last when we barely saw a fish mid-July. As with last year there are more fish in and around the rocky outcrops instead of shoaling on the offshore banks during the warmer months. The charter vessels can’t get around the rocks so need to be content with the offshore fishing but the bass are being taken by the small boat anglers.Tope have left the more popular marks and now running around packed up, some days you hit them and other days you don’t. They’ll settle again soon on the more familiar marks. Huss and conger will also be taken on the same ground. Now, some of you are species freaks so if I mention tub gurnards it may not make you quiver with emotion. If I mention fish to 8lb it’s a different story! Lee Le Poidevin landed the monster which easily beats the 6lb plus fish reported last month; thanks to Fishing Guernsey for the photo. Species hunters will also find weavers on the same ground so watch out for the spiny brutes.While not normally targeted just now blonde rays to 25lb have been caught on the smaller tides when dragging a bait for turbot. There are also the odd smoothound, couches sea bream, black bream, and cuckoo wrasse amongst the more popular ballans, pollack and gars to be caught. It’s alive with a variety of species out there at the moment and I’m sure there is something I have failed to mention!Shore sport has vastly improved during past few weeks with good reports of mackerel to 2lb, yes 2lb on spinners. Up to thirty bass have been caught on lures in a single session, phenomenal fishing and maybe we did have a few days where we were lucky with an influx of fish but who’s complaining! Fly fishing for bass is increasingly popular and Matthew Crampton from London had fish on a fly everyday during his week long visit. Most of the fish he caught were small schoolies but he did manage three good sized fish with the best just on 4lb. Gars to 2lb also reported together with pollack hitting the 6lb mark. Again a variety of species are available at the moment although not as prolific as from the boat. Tope to 30lb caught from the bays and conger are a regular catch from the Breakwater. Dogfish plentiful on some marks, a bit of a pain when you are after some of the more favoured species but welcome none the less if things are quiet. Triggers are being caught from the Breakwater and the first of the black bream are appearing inshore as well.There have been plenty of hot, balmy days to get the kayak out. Wrasse to 6lb are easily targeted around the kelp and rocks, pollack to 6lb as well falling to spun lures. Bass to 5lb have also been taken on plugs. I focussed on catching a turbot from the ‘yak last month, so this month the focus was a decent blonde ray. I failed, but not miserably as I managed two more turbot!! This highlights the fact there are plenty of the tasty flats here around the island. They were fluked ray fishing and I have also had half a dozen on the boat when we have been bassing with live eels and long traces. Back to the kayak, immense fun especially on the lures for the species previously mentioned. I will though keep focussed on the ray but also be hoping for a tope or two.Looking ahead to next month it will only improve for every single species except the flatfish. Maybe we’ll see a few more brill but probably less turbot as the species fade away for the year. Bassing will be fantastic in the boat on the spring tides. Shore sport will see good numbers of black bream on the float, more mullet and for ground species we will see sole and red mullet making an appearance to join those species already here.With regards to the inshore fishery and conservation measures a constructive, open meeting was held last month. Held strictly through the chair to avoid any outbursts and intimidation opinions were raised and topics were discussed for the States to take on board and analyse. Subsequent meetings have taken place since and now we are at the stage where the States are taking on board expert opinions as regards the cycles and spawning stages of the fish around Alderney. It is a slow process but things are moving along in a positive way. Keep watching this space or my website in the Latest Reports section.As usual I wish to thank all those of you that do come and plough your money in to the islands fragile economy. I trust you are one of the ones that go home with the fishing experience you’ll remember for weeks and months to come, or at least till your next visit! Channel Islands 2010-07-17T13:45:24+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/increase-in-sea-angling-participation http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/increase-in-sea-angling-participation#When:22:50:17Z Angling Trust Press Release -Sea angling is a fast growing pastime in England and Wales with 1.9 million men, women and children over 12 taking part last year.In a report out this week, the Environment Agency says this is a rise of 26 per cent since the Government’s Drew Report in 2003 when the figure was 1.5 million including children under 12.In the past two years 2.8 million people over 12 said they had been sea fishing.John Amery, chairman of the marine committee of the Angling Trust, the governing and representative body for all angling, said the sharp increase would mean that the number of full-time jobs directly generated by sea angling would have risen substantially above the 19,000 in the 2003 survey.“Sea angling continues to increase its contribution to the coastal economies of England and Wales at a rather faster pace than we had expected. It has become a vital part of the much larger tourist industry and is of particular benefit to coastal economies outside the peak tourist months, as anglers fish through the winter.”The Trust would, he said, continue to lobby ministers and every MP and MEP with a coastal constituency to support measures to improve the sport, particularly by restoring declining fish stocks.“In particular we want the government to ensure sea angling is fairly represented on the ten new inshore fisheries and conservation authorities which will begin operating next year and not lumped in together with commercial fishing.“The aspirations of commercial fishing have often been over-emphasised at the expense of recreational sea angling and the substantial economic, environmental and social benefits which it alone brings.”The report shows that even more people, 3.3 million, went freshwater angling last year of whom 940,000 or 28 per cent also went sea fishing.The social profile of the sea anglers had an AB C-1 bias with 56 per cent in those groups. Freshwater anglers were more evenly spread in terms of social group.A quarter of sea anglers live in the South East and East Anglia while 18 per cent reside in the East and West Midlands. This latter figure supports the assertion that many anglers travel to the coast to practice their sport, bringing revenue to coastal communities.The Environment Agency concludes that overall, attitudes to both sea and freshwater angling remain generally positive, and in some aspects more positive than in 2005.Higher levels of agreement were recorded for “angling is an acceptable pastime”, “anglers care for the environment” and “angling fits in well with other activities such as walking and cycling”. Lower levels of agreement were recorded for “angling is a cruel pastime”.Young people (12-16 year olds) are more likely to have positive rather than negative perceptions of angling, however they are likely to be less positive overall than adults. Perceptions of angling as an “OK thing to do” had increased since 2005. News and Info 2010-07-12T22:50:17+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-12-07-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-12-07-10#When:12:32:46Z The small tides and windy conditions of late might have put some anglers off but mackerel were still evident from all areas though in reduced numbers, most anglers have managed at least a few, with the better bags into low double figure, lures are still taking most fish. There are vast shoals of mackerel just offshore east of Teesbay and with the bigger tides this coming weekend this should see improved results if the calm conditions and lighter westerly winds persist.Increasing numbers of fish are starting to show from the Northumberland marks where pollack, coalfish, wrasse, cod and mackerel are increasingly common from the various marks. In addition the area around Eyemouth and St. Abbs, where there is plenty of shelter from the persistent westerly gales of late, is also proving productive. Beadnell has produced mixed bags of cod and wrasse and Dunstanburgh castle has seen similar results with plenty of mackerel and the odd bigger pollack showing.Tynemouth A.C. fished a summer league match around St. Abbs which was won by Steve Harper with three cod for 9lb 11oz, best weighing an ounce over four pound. Paul Wright had two cod and one wrasse from Coldingham Bay for 9½lb to take second place ahead of Marty Elliott who landed three cod for 4lb 7oz from St. Abbs.The last Whitley Bay summer league match was fished at Beadnell with fourteen out of twenty-five weighing in. Gav Owen won with three cod for 8lb 3oz while runner-up Steve Alexander had two for 4lb 14oz. Steve Potts had the heaviest fish, a cod of 3lb 11oz which also shared third spot with Steve Williams who had two for the same weight.There are now plenty of fish in the lower Tyne taking crab and worm baits with large numbers of undersize cod and coalfish showing on some tides. The last Tynemouth retired members match on Tynemouth pier saw fifteen out of twenty-two weigh in several species. Tony Taylor won with three gurnard, three coalfish, best making 1¾lb, three cod and a dab for 9lb. Arthur Smeaton had five cod and two plaice for 7½lb to finish second and Ken Robinson picked up third place with four cod, a coalfish, a flounder and a gurnard for 6lb 7oz.There are huge amounts of smaller fish in the lower Wear where picking up a few bigger flounders among them is proving difficult; again lots of small cod are evident. The Northumbria Police Bob Strong Memorial Trophy fished at Panns Bank saw Steve Elliott win with forty-two fish for 676 points, Dave Nevin had thirty-two fish, best a 32cm flounder, for 511 points and Steve Foster had fourteen fish for 215 points.Alan Burton won a recent Eastenders match in the Wear with an eel of 1lb 6oz and Barrie Robson won their open match at the Timber Beach with a flounder of 1lb 10oz.Mick Davies won the Seaham A.C. Nighthawk Trophy with three mackerel, two flounders, and a dogfish for 6.62lb. The heaviest fish was a dogfish of 3.02lb taken by Lewis Barnes.The Bob White Memorial open boat match saw some nice pollack and cod weighed in from the inshore, hard ground marks. Graham Bell won with an excellent pollack of 11lb 14oz taken from the Growler. Adam Dunn on the Natalie Kristen and Mickey Collins on the Growler tied for second place with cod of 11lb 9oz, and Michael Bold was fourth with a pollack of 10lb 11oz also netted on the Growler.The Sarah JFK out of the Tyne has had some decent sessions with quality ling outnumbering the cod. Best cod of late was one of 13½lb taken by Steve Allen, best ling are specimens of 25lb taken by Bob Butcher and one of 15lb by Andrew Hutton. Richard Roll and Graham Napier had some productive sessions on the Stingray out of the Tyne taking thirty-five cod to 10lb 7oz on one trip, then fifteen cod to 10lb the next day in addition to ling to 7lb. The Evelynn Jane out of Hartlepool had a few midweek trips taking cod to 14lb and ling to 10lb while Sean Stephenson had a nice pollack of 10lb.The Amble summer shore open is on Sunday July 18th fishing from 12.30pm to 4.30pm between Seahouses South Pier to Lynemouth pipe, all piers and rivers are excluded but disabled anglers may fish from Amble pier. Basic entry is £10; juniors under 16 are free if accompanied by a paying adult. Register at the Amble Angling Centre from 10am to 12.30pm, and weigh in at the Radcliffe club from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. There are prizes for the top two heaviest bags, heaviest fish, and heaviest flatfish, thanks to a donation by Sea Angler magazine the prize table has been increased from £600 to £1000 worth of tackle prizes. North East England 2010-07-12T12:32:46+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/latest-addition-to-the-weymouth-fleet http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/latest-addition-to-the-weymouth-fleet#When:08:58:56Z Popular Weymouth skipper Ivan Wellington has upgraded to Top Cat III this year. The new vessel is an 11 metre Blyth Cat with plenty of room for twelve anglers on board.It has an MCA 60 mile licence and will operate all year round. I've no doubt that a stereo was the first of the electronics on board so that the crew can fish to the rocking sounds of Ivan's music.For full details and booking info see the boat's page on the Deep Sea Directory.Video of the new boat under way here. News and Info 2010-07-11T08:58:56+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/home-nations-shore-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/home-nations-shore-2010#When:05:56:50Z Irish youth International Eric Gasparro reports on the the Home Nations international event held on the beaches of north east Scotland.The Home Nations event is one of the most prestigious competitions a UK or Irish shore angler can aspire too. To represent your country in any sport is honourable and I have to admit each time I put the team blazer on I feel an immense sense of pride and achievement. All the hard work and effort that was expended to earn such a right is most definitely worth it. Thankfully some 10 years ago, a decision was made to include junior and youth teams into the championships. It’s given young anglers like me the chance to fulfil our potential and make new friends from shores afar. Every year the competition is moved around to each of the four home nations. This year Scotland played the amicable host and based the championships in the Peterhead and Fraserburgh area.It was an early Wednesday morning when team Ireland made their way onto the motorway, bound for the port of Larne. I have to admit I am not a morning person; I really struggle to get out of my cot every time someone asks this arduous task of me so it will come as to no surprise that I spent the majority of the three and a half hour drive fast asleep. We made it to Larne for around half eleven and met up with the rest of the team, seniors included. After a brief ferry ride to Loch Ryan it was now time to come face to face to with the worst part of the journey. A 6 hour plus marathon to Peterhead itself was necessary to finally get to the hotel. Thankfully once again I could sleep my way through the ordeal. We finally arrived knackered at the Waterside Inn for around 9pm after one bloody long day. There wasn’t much to do now but grab a quick pint and settle in for the night.One quick glimpse out the window on Friday morning confirmed it was indeed a manky old, Scottish summer’s day filled with wind and rain. However I dragged myself out of bed as we had business to attend to; some all important practice and team tactics discussions for the days ahead. After a sterling breakfast Scottish style, we headed into Peterhead town to secure some bait for our planned practice session. Peterhead tackle shop will forever go down in my mind as one of the strangest, enough said. We had managed to obtain a few packs of blacks and mackerel, all we really needed to be honest. Our chosen beach for the day was to be Fraserburgh.Slogging to the top of the dunes I could see an absolutely stunning beach before me. The water was gin clear, the sand was golden and the surf was inviting. It was almost identical to some of the beaches we have on the west coast of Ireland. We certainly didn’t feel like strangers, so I was eager to wet a line and get to know her properly. Today was purely about getting a feel for the place, we all had a few things we wanted to try out like snood lengths, weights, line strength etc... It wasn’t long before the local flatties were busy rattling our rod tips. The standard of fishing we had for the two hours or so we were there was pretty good. Even after missing the best part of the tide and having no fresh bait we had flounder to 40cm and turbot to 30cm, with Warren Brown having the best bag of fish landing eight flats. It was definitely a worthwhile outing to glean little bits of valuable info which were secured and stored away for later.Upon return to the hotel we now had to come up with a game plan, it was clear long light flappers were the way to go. A good old rig tying session ensued making sure we had enough of what we needed. After that there was nothing more to do, we had covered every foreseeable variable we could think of. So we decided to unwind by the hotel pool for an hour or two. At 7pm it was time to don our blazers for the first time this year and attend the opening reception. With the job done we decided to call it an early night after a couple of pints and a frame or two of pool.Saturday came around and the rain had been replaced with bright sunny conditions, an even stronger wind had built up and it was clear from the offset that it might be a tough day at the office. The Home Nations is a bait provided comp and this year we were provided with fifty rag, two packs of black lug in addition to two packets of Ammo mackerel. The first session was set for Scotstown beach, with all three participating teams, Juniors, Youths and Seniors, fishing this venue. I drew peg A2, the peg nothing for my confidence at all as I was faced with a sandbank, festooned with weed all over it only waiting to be re-floated by the incoming tide. The surf was also littered with large strands of kelp. ‘Oh dear’ or words to that effect, I muttered to myself. At ten o’clock the match kicked off and I lobbed a three-hook, flapper baited with two black lug tipped with mackerel and a straight mackerel strip just past the edge of the last breaking wave.After the first cast the English and Welsh lads in my zone had each taken a flattie. The trend continued with all three anglers in my zone picking off fish here and there, including a nice double for Callum Richardson on the adjacent peg. I was really going at it hard but it just wasn’t happening. I alternated between watch leads, pyramids, balls and any other conceivable lead I had in my box. Snood lengths were varied from 18’’ to 35’’ and casts from the shallowest suds inshore to a decent belt. Try as I might all I caught was weed and plenty of it. Pretty disheartening to be honest when those around you are taking fish and in numbers too and my rod remained stationary other than the bend of yet more weed. As the tide crept up the fishing predictably died off and we were all condemned to fish a shallow, featureless sandbank. At lines up I had done the unimaginable and had blanked; the only angler out of all sixty fishing the beach! Luckily for me the scratchy nature of the venue had distributed the scores nicely with all four teams still in with a shout. So although I had let my team down there was still all to play for on day two. The Irish juniors had recorded an impressive day’s tally with four zone wins and a zone third to sit comfortably at the top. In the seniors it was the English who built up a first day lead.Sunday dawned and with it came the chance of a fresh start. I was determined to go all out and run riot to make up for the poor result on Saturday. Honestly speaking I have never been so up for a match in my life and I had it all to prove. The venue for today was to be Fraserburgh beach, the same beach we had practised on so we knew the score. The beach today was exactly as I remembered it, perfect. A gentle surf was rolling onto the sand providing what looked like ideal flatfish conditions. I really love fishing calm, balmy days when I can manipulate my baits and rigs with ease. With the sea being flat I knew that movement would be the key to searching out hungry flats. Flounder in theory would be lying waiting to ambush moving baits rather than be out actively hunting. My rig was simple, a 0.18mm diameter Grauvell snood measuring one metre and sporting size 8 Kamasan B401s, a type of trout hook used for fly tying, basically a light gauge Aberdeen pattern. 30lb test Tubertini Gorilla Fluorocarbon formed trace body and a 1 to 2 oz pear lead provided the weight. First cast I lobbed the bait out and hoped for the best. Gently twitching the bait by hand it wasn’t long before my rod gave a lovely little rattle; the sense of relief was unbelievable! After getting my next trace ready to go I reeled in and low and behold a small but perfect 19cm flounder was beached and placed into the bucket for measurement. The Scottish angler in my zone, Greig Thomson, had a fine double shot on his first cast including a cracking turbot. My next cast was lobbed into a different section of my swim at about the same distance and was twitched again, another rattle signalled the arrival of a flounder and an identical fish was landed a few minutes later on frozen lug tipped with mackerel. The competition carried on in much the same vein with a fish coming every second cast or so. Luckily for me the rest of the zone was quiet so I was merrily on my way to securing a decent lead. News from the rest of the beach was giving a strong Irish performance with Chris Feeney, Warren Brown and Paul Whelan all in command of their respective zones with Ryan Williamson pushing for top spot in his section. As with most surf beaches once the tide reached the high water mark the fishing began to tail off with no fish showing for me in the last hour and half. Fortunately my earlier efforts proved good enough to secure the zone win. At lines up a flurry of fish for Robbie Taylor took the lead off Paul Whelan and Ryan was pushed back into fourth in his. But with three zone wins to add to their supporting scores we were hopeful that we had done enough for the gold medal.Arriving back at the hotel, the scores were tallied up it was confirmed we had taken the Youth’s gold and too make matters even better for the Irish contingent the Juniors had won the gold medals too. The feeling was euphoric to say the least. Having your name called up to receive the top prize is one of the proudest moments I’ll ever experience. Ireland had never won gold at Junior or Youth level so for us to do the double this year was a fantastic achievement. I’d like to formally thank the management team of Peter Flahive, Eamon Fogarty and Phillip O’Sullivan who all did a brilliant job relaying information to us and giving participants some tactical tips when we most needed it. Also thanks to the Scottish federation for running a top championship and providing first class bait. Until next year when the Home Nations returns to Eire, slan agus abhaile!Full Results - Seniors: England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland Youths: Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales Juniors: Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales Competition fishing, Lead Feature 2010-07-08T05:56:50+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-pairs http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-pairs#When:16:21:09Z There was a three way tie in the Skegness Pier Angling Club (SPAC) Lincolnshire Pairs match held from Wolla Bank, Chapel. The top three pairs all finished up with six zone points and the final placings had to be decided on weight count-back. Retaining the title they won last year, Kettering’s Dave and Josh Shorthouse came out on top with a mixed bag of fish weighing in at 4lb 9oz. The father and son duo are hard to beat in this type of event, with long caster Dave reaching the fish that others can’t and junior Josh being expert at “scratching” out small fish at close range. Previous winners Dave Parker and Wayne Sumner came up short on this occasion, with the Skegness locals taking second place with a combined weight of 3lb 11oz. Croxton’s Dave Burr teamed up with Corby’s Paul Marshall to finish third, with 2lb 13oz. Dave Read made his journey up from Norfolk worthwhile, by winning the heaviest round fish prize outright with a 2lb 8oz bass and sharing the heaviest flatfish award with Dave Shorthouse, both with 15oz flounders. The next SPAC match is a Festival event, which will be held on Sunday 11th July from 4:30 till 8:30 pm, with registration at Mogg’s Eye. The match is open to everyone and will be pegged over two zones on beaches north of Chapel. For further information contact SPAC Secretary Chas Tibble on 07984 967988 or chastibble@hotmail.com East England 2010-07-05T16:21:09+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-04-07-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-04-07-10#When:18:13:12Z Anglers have had to put up with windy conditions over the last few days but those fishing early morning sessions and from the more sheltered piers have reported lots of mackerel showing with some anglers taking bags of over fifty fish on various lures. All of the Hartlepool piers together with the piers at Seaham, Roker and South Shields have seen some productive sessions. The later two piers have also produced some in size coalfish in addition to pollack and small cod on lures. North of the Tyne, Dunstanburgh is a popular mark for lure fishing but can be crowded at times, however there is always the chance of a double figure pollack from this area. Those anglers bait fishing have taken mainly small undersize fish with lots of small coalfish around at the moment, but the odd bigger dab, flounder and plaice are all taking ragworm baits.Jason Tinham on the Evelyn Jane out of Hartlepool reports a great session fishing a local wreck where Phil Daye landed a cod of 28½lb, the biggest fish so far in the Hartlepool C.S.A. Festival, and Paul Johnson landed a rare but regular catch; a halibut of 19lb 1oz.The Fraser’s Open Boat match on the Tyne saw forty-three entries in the various classes with thirty-five weighing in. Best fish in the over 20ft class was a cod of 14¼lb taken by Terry Senior on the White Diamond, second place went to Joe Winthorpe with a cod of 11¾lb taken on the Sarah and third was a fine pollack of 10lb 15oz taken by Stan Fee on the White Diamond. The White Diamond had a good day overall taking fifty-eight cod, three ling and one pollack. Fourth place went to Tim Swaddle-Scott with a cod of 10lb 14oz. The under 20ft class was won by Jason Watkin with a cod of 10lb 3oz taken from the Stingray. Second placed Graham Napier weighed in a ling of 7¾lb ahead of Richard Roll with a pollack of 7lb 7oz and Phil Rippon who had a ling of 7lb. Best fish landed from a kayak was a cod of 3¾lb caught by Tim Anslow.The Sarah JFK fishing out of the Tyne had ling to 17½lb, cod to 15½lb and pollack to 9lb during a recent trip.The Amble summer shore open is on Sunday July 18th fishing from 12.30pm to 4.30pm between Seahouses South Pier to Lynemouth pipe, all piers and rivers are excluded but disabled anglers may fish from Amble pier. Basic entry is £10; juniors under 16 are free if accompanied by a paying adult. Register at the Amble Angling Centre from 10am to 12.30pm, and weigh in at the Radcliffe club from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. There are prizes for the top two heaviest bags, heaviest fish, and heaviest flatfish, plus a prize table worth £600.  North East England 2010-07-04T18:13:12+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-29-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-29-06-10#When:10:33:17Z Continuing rough seas over last weekend produced some unexpectedly good sport for shore anglers in the Teesbay and Hartlepool areas. Large numbers of good conditioned fat summer whiting moving inshore, with some of the bigger specimens around the 2lb mark. Hopefully fish of this quality will still be around for the coming winter season. Colin Gordon had another all night session on the Hartlepool piers and took home three bags of quality whiting and dabs. Only the odd cod has been reported, mainly because the hordes of hungry whiting were getting to any bait before anything else had a chance. Calmer conditions midweek saw plenty of flatties and small coalfish showing and the odd specimen plaice approaching the 4lb mark has been reported taking ragworm baits. Flounders, dabs, and the odd small bass are evident from Crimdon and the Durham beaches, and all of the regions rivers now have some big flounders and eels showing. During the summer months anglers might expect a few surprises like a big bass or thornback ray, and the heavy seas of late may have been expected to produce the odd bigger cod around the 6lb mark for a lucky angler, but a double figure cod in the middle of June is a rare event. Few appear even in the winter months, and no one would expect one to show in the river Tyne either. But Russ Overton left South Shields pier during a Westoe A.C. match because of the rough seas to fish the river Tyne expecting to pick up a few coalfish. The classic lunging cod bite he had produced a fine conditioned summer specimen of 10lb 2oz, which of course won the match and heaviest fish. Mick Jewitt had three smaller cod for 3lb 10oz and Trevor Davison had a single cod weighing 1lb 10oz. Mick Davison won the Seaham A.C. Tuck Brothers Trophy with two fish for 2.35lb, including the heaviest fish; a cod of 2.00lb Some nice plaice are also showing from the lower Tyne where Dave Wood won a L.&S.B.A.C. match with a bag total of 9lb 10oz, which included four plaice, best one weighing1lb 13oz. IN the same match Steve Brennan had one of 1lb 10oz and Steve Ward had one of 2lb 7oz.  Tony Taylor won a Tynemouth A.C. Match with four dabs and a plaice for 2¾lb, Dave Bentley had the biggest plaice at 1lb 5oz. The settled conditions saw the odd mackerel start to move back inshore with some anglers taking bags of seven or eight fish, the bigger shoals should start to appear if the calm weather continues. The improved sea condition also saw the summer cod start to be taken from the Northumberland rock edge marks where specimens to 4lb have been reported; as well as quality wrasse, coalfish and pollack. The last Whitley Bay Summer League match was fished at Newton in heavy seas but six anglers still managed to weigh in. Mick Clark won with two cod for 4lb 9oz while Adam Johnson took the heaviest fish prize with a cod of 3¾lb and Steve Williams had a cod of 2lb 15oz. There are plenty of smaller fish in the Wear for match anglers to target and there is always the chance of a big specimen flounder amongst them. A recent Eastenders sweepstake at Panns Bank saw Steve Williams win with thirty fish for 694cm, Ernie Hunter and Chris Hossack tied for the longest fish each with a flounder of 35cm. The Eastenders club match at the Business Park was won by Dave Raymond with a flounder of 1lb 6oz and Paul Lobley had the heaviest bag with sixteen fish for 6lb 6oz. Boat anglers have been finding plenty of cod around the 5lb to 10lb mark from all areas when conditions allow and fresh mackerel has taken some specimen ling, the best reported lately being 19lb taken by an angler aboard the Swordfish. Geoff Ayre and Jason Bainbridge owners of the Swordfish have had some good results lately, Geoff took sixteen cod and fourteen ling and Jason had twelve cod and six ling on a recent trip with the biggest specimens just into low double figures. North East England 2010-06-29T10:33:17+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/captain-ricks-does-the-mexico-trick http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/captain-ricks-does-the-mexico-trick#When:22:00:55Z Steve Parker describes a recent fishing excursion to Mexico as "Simply awesome". With fabulous species variety, sob stories and a personal best to round it all off it's no wonder he was bowled over.I am not an experienced big game angler, and despite catching a number of small Barracuda over the last 10 years I have always yearned after catching a Sailfish. My research suggested that Mexico's Caribbean coast at Easter represented the best mix of fishing potential and opportunity. Enquiries also suggested that the demand for fishing charters during this period can be very high, so I set about planning and organising the fishing trip way back in November 2009. A previous visit to Mexico 11 years ago suggested that a charter outfit  based in  Puerto Aventuras named Captain Rick's would best suit my aim of boating a biggie. A quick Google on the ‘net established that the business was still in operation, and from the testimonials on their informative website, it looked fab. I booked two separate full day trips on 6th and 13th of April. My early booking also meant that I had choice of boats... I plumped a 35ft Luhrs sport fishing boat appropriately named 'My Obsession'. The lovely Glenna at Captain Rick's also fixed up transport to pick me up from the hotel each day. The whole experience of arranging this was very straightforward and left me with a high degree of confidence that things would go to plan.Captain Rick's operate sixteen boats from 23ft to over 50ft in length, with various price points. They own all the boats and employ experienced local skippers and crew to operate them. I get the impression that the crews are fiercely competitive with the seasonal boats that come from the USA and other parts of Mexico each spring in search of sailfish, and rumour has it they usually better their results by some margin. Captain Rick's is also committed to conservation and they make it very clear in their highly professional start-of-trip briefing that all billfish will be returned alive. They also clarify that if a fish is in good enough condition they will allow it to be brought aboard for a photo, but if the skipper deems that it too tired or stressed then it stays in the water. There is no discussion on this point and the skipper's decision is final. For more details about Captain Rick's have a look at their website here www.captricksfishing.comEARLY STARTThe taxi picked me up from the hotel at 6.20 am and got me to the charter office at 6.45, where Glenna introduced me to the crew of 'My Obsession'. I struggled to pick up the skipper's name which sounded like Robot'... just as well then that Glenna added that I wouldn't be talking to him much! The crew were Pepe and Jesus who were busy rigging baits and lures ready for the day when I reached the boat. And my confidence soared knowing that I would be fishing with the messiah.The moorings were slipped and we headed out of the Marina and in to the open waters of the Caribbean just as soon as I stepped aboard. Many places I have visited boast fantastic fishing within yards of the harbour but it's certainly true here. Deep water is found within a 1/2 mile and the rods are set within minutes of leaving the harbour. With the rods out for just two minutes, a sailfish jumped clear of the water three times in a row, some seventy yards to starboard. All the pictures I have seen of sailfish represent these fish as being a fairly dark colour however this fabulous specimen had a beautiful metallic blue sheen that I could never reproduce digitally.Two 30lb class rods were fished wide and long on the outrigger, while a third 30lb rod was fished directly behind the boat and short. A fourth was fished from the flying bridge skipping the bait along the surface. A fifth heavier rod was fished on a down rigger to set a bait deep. The lighter rods were matched up with Shimano TLD 25's, with the 50lb set-up sporting a Penn International. All the outfits were in excellent condition and spooled with new line. Despite the early jumping sail, the next hour and a bit were quiet. The time was spent admiring the first flying fish I'd seen and a couple of large sea turtles.The first run came out of the blue; Jesus grabbed one of the port side rods and struck repeatedly into a fish. I jumped into the fighting chair and Pepe fitted a fighting belt around my middle which, to my relief, fitted despite all the beer and food I'd consumed. The run was short, and I winched in a smallish barracuda of 15 - 20lbs. I have often compared these 'cuda to our dogfish; easy to find and taking every bait in sight. And a lack of enthusiasm among the crew seemed to bear out this theory. I would, however, change my mind later in the trip.ZIG AND ZAGAfter a two-and-a-half hours steam we turned and started to run back up-coast in a zig-zag pattern, sometimes doubling back when we had hits on baits or when the skipper spotted 'signs' from the flying bridge. During this time there was a much stronger run, but after fighting what felt like a substantial fish for a few minutes everything went light and it was gone. Pepe and Jesus looked at me incredulously, openly hypothesising that it was probably a sailfish, and likely quietly thinking that I had donkey paws. From the action I experienced on a later trip I now doubt this was a sailfish but could have been a big 'cuda.As we neared Puerto Aventuras we had a couple of hits on lures without hook-ups before one of the reels screamed... but only briefly. I was handed the rod and I realised that this was not a large fish. I was being encouraged to wind faster to get the fish in so the lures could be reset. Modest fish or not, it still seemed like hard work. The result was a beautiful Spanish mackerel which would grace the dining table of the salivating crewmen.We cruised past the entrance to the marina and continued for about half a mile before taking a long turn back towards home. Here I saw another one of Captain Rick's boats locked in a battle with a big fish. I then saw the lucky angler land a fine sailfish of around 50lbs. But there was no time for admiring other peoples' work as a large splash and a screaming reel let us know we were in to another fish. Jesus struck the fish - a kingfish he thought - and passed me the rod. I managed to lose this one immediately, again to the consternation of the crew. The day finished with me doubting my ability to land one of these bluewater monsters, but I was still itching to get back out there and try again in a week's time.ARIAL ACROBATICSMy second outing began in similar vein to the first. We sped from the harbour and immediately set the rods and there on the starboard side of the boat the surface exploded. Once again a sailfish - bigger than the previous one - was performing arial acrobatics within touching distance as my fingers twitched and my eyes lusted after it or one of its majestic brethren. What I didn't know at this dreamy juncture was that I was about to learn just how difficult this type of fishing can be. Hits came on three of the five rods which had been set up as before. Each had the bait neatly severed just behind the hook suggesting attacks by small predatory fish. We fished on, and after an hour came the first serious run... a real hard screamer. A large sailfish had smashed into the bait and taken off at speed. Settling into the fighting chair I received the rod from the crewman who had assuredly set the hook.  I held on for dear life as the fish powered off on a long, line-tearing run. I was being urged to wind and keep tight to the fish but was unable to do anything as it tail-skipped across the surface before diving. After what seemed like minutes, but was probably seconds, the sail slowed and I started to successfully jockey with it, winning back as much line as it was taking. The fight tipped to-and-fro but I seemed to have the upper hand... but only just. In the midst of this exhilarating torture I realised that nothing in British angling had prepared me for the sheer physical and mental battle. I was surprised that it was not the bicep or shoulder on my left arm that ached, but rather my gripping hand and forearm which were afire - symptomatic of slouching at a desk all day I suppose. Now call me thick, but I was so busy staring at the spool of the reel to see if I was gaining that I was oblivious to the big fish on the surface, or the hollering of the crew. The sail instantly tensed and affected an almighty leap which threw the hook and left me dumbfounded, distraught, deflated and a whole host of other horrible words that collectively added up to GUTTED!Silence reigned in the aftermath of that near thing, but we dutifully set the rods again and continued trolling. I necked a can of Pepsi, more for energy than refreshment, and silently prayed that we wouldn't hook up again too soon, as my lame left arm was next to useless at that juncture.ANOTHER CHANCE, ANOTHER BANANA SKINSome 45 minutes later and the skipper struck a fish from the flying bridge. He handed the rod to Jesus who struck again to make sure of the hook-hold, and then I was back in the fighting chair and a world of pain. This time I watched the water and just hoped I was gaining. I started to make some steady progress on the fish - I suspect the skipper was also slowly reversing towards the fish to make it easier on me! Minutes later, the line angled almost straight up and down. Pepe saw the fish, a sailfish of around 65lbs, he said. But as he turned around to begin clearing  the deck for unhooking - POP! The sail was gone. I still don't know what went wrong, and asked Jesus whether the problem was mine or the fish’s and he smiled and said: "I think the problem is you". I could only agree.I could sense the disappointment in the crew that they had connected me to two good sailfish and I hadn't landed either of them; perhaps worse than that was that the bragging rights would belong to another boat. If the second sailfish was 65lbs I cannot imagine how big the first was as it had fought significantly harder. And after two battles I was definitely feeling the effects. Further less committed runs came to nothing with the late exception of a tiny 2.5lb bonito which earned hardly a glance from Jesus, Pepe and Robocop or whatever his name was! I couldn't help wondering if this was the firmest indicator yet of my level in the world of sport fishing.With about 40 minutes left the deep bait on the heavy outfit screamed off. The tension was palpable as the crew willed me to land the fish. The fight was reasonably brief - two or three minutes maybe. This fish smaller than the two escapees and stayed deep the whole time. When a fine 30lb wahoo surfaced there was a deal of excitement and relief, not least from me. I brought wahoo to the side where Jesus took the rod and instructed me to go to the back of the deck. Pepe grabbed the trace and went for the fish with the gaff. As he tried to set the gaff the fish kicked and the trace slipped through Pepe's hands embedding an exposed sharp tag on the swivel clip in his finger. Naturally he had to let go and the fish ran. Jesus tried to reset the hook but by the time the rod was back in my hands the fish was gone. The crew were despondent but I have rarely seen such a beautiful fish and felt privileged to have done so.We headed in fish-less.. but, so what. It had been amazing day's sport that fully demonstrated the potential of this location. Despite not actually landing a dream fish this was one of the most exciting days on the water I have ever experienced and I can only feel sorry for the crew that I did not reward their expertise with a catch. I suspect a more experienced bluewater angler would have been rewarded with a stack of wonderful fish pictures.DELAYS AND CUDA MAGICS!The UK return flight was unavoidably delayed due an ash-spewing Icelandic volcano. We were moved to a really crappy hotel on the third day of our overstay. The family were so down that I suggested an afternoon fishing trip to alleviate the boredom for my eight and ten year old daughters. A quick call to Captain Rick's confirmed they had one boat left for the afternoon and I booked it. By 12.30 we were on our way to the Marina. Our boat for this trip would be the "Wild Bill" which is a single decked 31' sports boat that was very comfortable.The skipper was surprised and horrified that we wanted to go bottom fishing in the middle of the peak sailfish season. "Nobody bottom fishes in April", he said. After a short discussion we agreed to troll for an hour to a bottom fishing spot, and then if the bottom fishing action was no good after a couple of hours, we would try trolling again at the end. The reason I didn't want to troll is that it is a patience game and without a rod to hold the kids would soon be bored stiff. Polly was starting to feel sea sick and our sympathetic skip set up for bottom fishing sooner than intended. I had assumed we would just fish for small snappers etc and the skipper set up a couple of rods with lighter reels and slivers of ballyhoo fillet as bait for us to hold. The skipper and crew had various tricks up their sleeves however, and first set two rods up with whole ballyhoo dead-baits suspended off the outriggers. These the crew regularly agitated to give them movement. They then set up two rods with triple snoods and fish fillets on each hook which the skipper and the senior crewman worked up and down over the reef.We had only been at it for five minutes when one of the outrigger suspended baits took off. The skipper hit the rod and handed it to my eight year Maddy, who was sat in the fighting chair at the time. With the rod butt secured in the fighting chair, her feet braced against the fish box, and the skipper supporting the rod when required, she started to reel. After a short sharp fight I was astonished to see the fish turn 'flank on' to the sunlight - a barracuda in double figures! The smile on Maddy's face was magic, and sensing everyone's delight, at this point the crew's enthusiasm definitely improved.10-year old Polly had been bravely struggling with sea sickness, but he sight of her younger sister landing a large fish soon perked her up though and she was determined to take the next turn in the chair. Meanwhile, I was handed a triple-hooked rig and reeled in a small strawberry grouper of only a couple of pounds. This was a stunning little fish and good eating  apparently.When the bites dried up the skipper wasted no time in moving to another mark. Almost instantly the port side whole Ballyhoo that was hit and Polly was attached to a good fish. With excellent supervision from the crew Polly was able to bring her fish to the boat and I was even more astonished to see this was another Barracuda but this time 25lbs in weight! It was larger than the one I'd caught on my first trip. Was I jealous... of course! I landed a snapper on the three-hook set-up before the skipper whisked us off to another spot.ACTION IN A SNAPThe fish obliged straight away. Maddy managed a strawberry grouper while Polly landed a small snapper. The port side whole ballyhoo went again and I leapt in to the chair and took the rod. I worked the fish to the surface and the gaff flashed in the hands of the crew. We were all urged to step away from the back of the boat and then over the gunwale came the fish that I had longed for. The barracuda of around 40lbs was taken on a 30lb class outfit. It is undoubtedly my best foreign angling achievement in the thirty-three years to date.We tried a couple of other spots but found no more big fish. Polly rounded off a fantastic family outing with another small snapper, and I must applaud the boat crew for their outstanding help which ensured the kids had a trip that will live long in their memories. The final icing on the cake was being able to take our snapper, cleaned by the crew, to a local restaurant on the quay. Gringo Dave's is a locally renowned watering hole. We met Dave, and he had the chef prepare the snapper as a starter for the four of us. My kids are not normally big fish eaters but they picked this guy clean. We followed up with the superb Surf 'n' Turf, and the ice cold beer my wife and I supped was the perfect end to fabulous family day.So thank-you Captain Rick's, thank-you Gringo Dave and thank-you Icelandic Volcano for making all this possible. We will definitely return one day and I will have another crack at those damn sailfish with Captain Rick's. I think I will pump some iron and work on my technique between now and then though. Boat, Lead Feature, World fishing 2010-06-28T22:00:55+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/snowbee-magic-line-fluro-tec-fluorcarbon http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/snowbee-magic-line-fluro-tec-fluorcarbon#When:21:59:16Z Tackle junkie Des Westmore runs his eye over two new low-vis line products from the Snowbee stable.A couple of interesting new lines from Snowbee could be set to cause a stir. Snowbee Magic line is a clear, incredibly limp monofilament that they claim remains very strong and abrasion resistant even after sustained use. Though not the cheapest mono around, this new product is very hard to fault. It provides superb bait presentation from a rig building perspective, while also serving as an excellent mainline for spinning or float fishing. Bass anglers should take note of Magic Line.When non-intrusive stealth is more important than suppleness, there is Snowbee Fluoro-Tec fluorocarbon. This is an excellent Fluorocarbon that can be treated very much like mono in use. Again, it doesn’t come cheap but quality seldom does. Fluro-Tec knots extremely well, where lesser, more wiry fluorocarbons tend to be poor. I will be frugal with it at that price - probably only using it when I need the edge such as bass fishing with cut baits in the summer and float-fishing live-baits.Snowbee Magic Line: 100m of 15lb, 20lb or 25lb Magic Line mono costs £6.00.Fluoro-Tec: 50m of 15lb, 20lb and 25lb comes in at £14.00, £16.00 and £18.00 respectively. For more detailed information visit www.snowbee.co.uk Line, Lead Feature 2010-06-28T21:59:16+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/perfect-spooling http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/perfect-spooling#When:21:58:17Z Correctly judging the amount of expensive braided line required to fill a reel is a source of frustration for a huge number of anglers, but you don't have to be a magician to call this right. There is in fact a very simple way to get it spot on every time, as Dave Proudfoot shows here...Getting a reel spooled with the correct amount and profile of line is a task which frustrates many anglers who are not fortunate enough to have an unlimited supply of expensive braid, or either two identical reel spools or indeed reels of the same capacity. However with the help of an empty spool or coke bottle of two, anyone can produce a correctly filled fixed spool or multiplier reel. This tutorial shows the procedure for filling a fixed spool reel but the process can also be applied to any multiplier reel.The first step is to choose your braid for the 'top shot'. I use Daiwa Accudepth braid for most of my reels. The reasons for this are several fold: firstly the braid is among the very best (although not the cheapest), and the round profile ensures excellent profiling on the spool. In addition, the measured markings allow the angler to easily split the line over two or three reels.Although it may seem like a good idea to use thick diameter nylon as backing line under the braid, this will not provide the best profile and it is better to use a decent quality soft and fairly low diameter line for the backing. This will ensure a better line lay, resulting in a smooth casting profile on the filled spool. My favourite mono for the purpose is Ande Tournament but any of the soft, quality line will suffice.WORKING IN REVERSEOnce the braid and backing have been selected, the braided line should be wound onto the empty reel spool first... the tutorial example uses 150 metres of the braid by counting off the marked colours on the Accudepth. Next, the backing is attached to the braid with an Albright or J knot, and the line loaded to the safe casting level. It’s recommended to slightly under fill the spool if using braid for casting to help prevent wind knots. The reel used here provides a great line profile on its own but with some reels it may be necessary to hand profile the line and any high or low spots should be noted at this stage.If you have a second identical reel then the task is completed by simply winding the backing and braid onto the empty reel. Many people won’t have a spare reel for the purpose, so there are two methods which can be used to reverse the line. The line can be wound off onto a second reel with an equal or larger diameter spool which leaves the braid on top and the backing below. A third empty reel can then be used to bring the backing back to the outside before re-filling the target reel.DRILLER FILLERIn the absence of spare reels and spools there are simpler and quicker ways to reverse the line. Using the drinks bottle method of line-stripping - as described in a previous tutorial - is perhaps the most effective way of working with the line, but an empty spool with a centrally secured bolt will also do the job.Attach the empty spool or adapted drinks bottle to a battery powered drill, and then strip the line from the reel. Once the braid is back on top, swap the spool or bottle for an empty version and re-wind the braid and backing onto this container.You should now have the bottle or spool with the backing on top and the final task is to rewind the line back onto the original reel, hand profiling the backing nylon if necessary before attaching your leader length. You may wish to secure the backing with tape as shown here.This procedure can also be used effectively for a nylon-on-nylon top shot or a braid on nylon one. Reels, Lead Feature 2010-06-28T21:58:17+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/monster-isle-of-wight-plaice http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/monster-isle-of-wight-plaice#When:13:56:12Z Fishing from his own boat, Fish Ard, Isle of Wight angler Mike Mowbray smashed the island record for plaice with an amazing 8lb ½oz specimen. Builder Mike sailed from Sandown and fished at the back of the Wight using a ragworm baited spoon rig to lure the red-spotted, monster flattie on Saturday the 26th. This is the second time in a fortnight that the IOW record has been beaten and the fish was officially weighed at Scotties tackle shop in Newport.The British record for this species has stood at a fraction over 10lb 3oz since 1974. Boat catches and results 2010-06-28T13:56:12+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/new-interactive-marine-map-launches-online http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/new-interactive-marine-map-launches-online#When:21:13:46Z A new interactive map has been launched by the Marine Conservation Zone Project, to create an insight into how the sea is being used, and to build upon what we know about existing marine species and habitats in our seas. Anyone who uses the sea is invited to contribute to this initiative, which will help to identify potential sites for Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). MCZs are a new type of Marine Protected Area (MPA) which will conserve nationally important marine species and habitats, and will become part of a network of MPAs that the UK is committed to establishing by 2012.This interactive map has been specially developed for the Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) Project, a partnership project which is working with people who use the sea ̶ for their livelihood or leisure pursuits ̶ to identify MCZs in English inshore waters and offshore waters next to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. People can take part in two ways: either by uploading information about their marine activities, and the location of marine wildlife, notable habitats and geological features they have seen; or by just looking at the layers of data out of personal interest to discover more about their region’s sea.All data will be analysed and will inform recommendations for potential MCZs as part of the work being delivered by four regional MCZ projects covering the south-east (Balanced Seas), south-west (Finding Sanctuary), Irish Sea (Irish Sea Conservation Zones) and North Sea (Net Gain).Tom Hooper, project manager of Finding Sanctuary said: “We’ve been using a regional version of this interactive map in the south-west for just over a year now, and it is fantastic news that it is now being rolled out nationally across all of the MCZ projects. All of us involved with the MCZ Project want to ensure that these important decisions are based on the best data; not just from marine industries, but from individuals who use the sea. Together, with information from face-to-face interviews that all four regional MCZ projects have been conducting, it will help to build up a detailed picture of the ecological value and use of our seas.”He continued: “It is easy to use – you follow a series of simple steps showing you how to upload your information onto the map, or how to just browse and have a look around. It is a window into what exists under the waves, easily accessed easily from a computer, without having to don a wetsuit and mask.”Tom Hooper concluded: “It is easier to obtain data from sectors that have a national body, for example, the cables industry. But it is more difficult to collect information on activities such as sea angling, diving and other recreational activities as they are more dispersed. It is crucial that people get involved at this stage so their voices can be heard. The maps of anonymous data that we have gathered over the past couple of years have already been tremendously valuable.”Using this exceptional level of public participation and the best evidence available, the MCZ Project is working with sea users and interest groups to plan Marine Conservation Zones for a healthy, sustainable marine environment. The interactive map is at www.mczmapping.org and the deadline for uploading data is 30 September 2010. News and Info 2010-06-26T21:13:46+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-26-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-26-06-10#When:10:55:14Z As well as the sharks landed by Dave Brown, reported here, this is the time of year to target tope from the boat particularly off the DZ buoys.Next Wednesday the HCA boat angling section hold their presentation night in the social club on the docks during the regular monthly meeting. There are loads of prizes on offer and if you have come in the top twenty you should pick up a decent tackle prize. Go along and have a fishy and world cup chat a few drinks and most of all have a good night.Moving onto the shore side of things Humber SAC wisely moved their proposed match to Woods on the Humber Bank Wall, top man was the legendary Jack Barlow who is making good use of his retirement; spending more time going fishing and it is starting to pay off. He was top on the night with three fish for 1lb 10oz just ahead of second placed Steve Robinson who weighed in four fish for 1lb 8oz. The club’s next match is on Sunday at the woods fishing 5.30 to 9.30pm. Hopefully the smoothhounds will out in force. East England 2010-06-26T10:55:14+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/consultation-on-proposed-regulations-for-the-protection-and-conservati http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/consultation-on-proposed-regulations-for-the-protection-and-conservati#When:14:33:50Z The Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have issued a consultation paper covering measures for the protection of bass caught within NI waters."The proposals arise from various discussions during and following the Review of Inshore Fisheries. The Department’s response to the review stated that there would be “merit in harmonising regulations to protect Sea Bass throughout the Island” and that DARD “proposes to bring forward proposals for new Sea Bass regulations in the Northern Ireland zone”. The introduction of regulations would also tie in with similar proposals being progressed by the Loughs Agency. The result would be a coherent conservation policy that would better protect Sea Bass throughout our coastal waters.The state of the Sea Bass stock around the Irish coast is scientifically unknown, because it is not a commercial species and data is sparse.  However the stock around Ireland is considered to remain depressed since overexploitation in the 1980s.In recent years there have been increasing reports of Bass being caught around the Northern Ireland coast. This may be an indication of the stock moving northwards, possibly as a result of climate change. This raises the possibility that in future significant stocks of Sea Bass could develop in Northern Irish waters. However since the species is vulnerable to over fishing due to its slow growth rate, regulation is being proposed now to ensure that any potential growth in the stock is fully realized.Within the UK commercial fishing for Bass is currently permitted subject to certain local conditions, but the only regulation that applies here is a minimum landing size of 36 cms. Sea Bass is not thought to be a targeted species within the Northern Ireland fleet and is only landed as a by-catch.Sea Bass is important to our angling community and is considered a prize fishery by this group and sea angling for Sea Bass could provide an additional opportunity for the development of angling within some parts of our waters and could enhance income to our coastal communities through chartered fishing trips for both local and European fishers and an increase in angling tourism."The consultation paper is avaialable for download in Acrobat format here and the pro-forma response paper in Word format here.The full details of the proposals can be found on the Government website here. Ireland, News and Info 2010-06-25T14:33:50+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/shy-torque-hits-the-porgie-jackpot http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/shy-torque-hits-the-porgie-jackpot#When:21:57:23Z Hull based boat angler Dave Brown booked the charter of a lifetime when he contacted Richard Ward and arranged for shark trip aboard the Bullet DS38 Islander “Shy-Torque III” out of Whitby last week.In recent years Richard has pioneered the Yorkshire summer shark fishing and every season is proving better then the last. The trip produced three hard fighting porbeagles weighing in at 300, 275 and 200 pounds respectively. Dave fished with balanced 50lb class Shimano gear and the marathon fights tested every muscle and sinew in his body. The photographs in the gallery clearly show the stresses and strains that this powerful member of the shark family subjects both the angler and his gear to during the struggle. Several times Dave was on tip toe over the gunwales as the sharks made line stripping runs. The successful baits were massive bridle rigged mackerel. After landing and unhooking all the sharks were safely returned via the boat’s custom built transom gate.Another four fish were hooked and lost during this exceptional day of North Sea sharking.It would appear that Scrabster's title as UK porbeagle capital is under threat. Anyone wishing to a arrange a charter to challenge these magnificent beasts can contact Richard on his website. Boat catches and results, East England 2010-06-24T21:57:23+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-20-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-20-06-10#When:11:55:16Z Continuing rough seas have kept any mackerel well offshore with none reported from any of the regions piers at the time of writing. On the plus side, increasing numbers of smaller cod are moving inshore looking to feed on freshly peeled crab. In addition there are quality dabs showing from all the clean ground areas and night time sessions have produced some big summer whiting from several of the regions piers. At Hartlepool, Colin Gordon and an angling friend had an all night session and reported cod up to 2lb taking crab baits together with some big dabs and good conditioned whiting on worm. They also had a rare species for the area, a small smoothound around the 2lb mark.Flounders are the mainstay of match anglers and the Cumbrian shoreline continues to be a popular location for travel matches. Seaton Sluice had a match at Port Carlisle and found plenty of flounders feeding. Martin Pygall won with twenty-one for 694cm, Chris Guthrie had nineteen for 646cm, including the heaviest fish at 2lb 2oz, Mal McIntyre had sixteen for 530cm and Andrew Stanford had ten for 308cm.Ryhope A.C. fished a club match at the Copthorne Hotel on the Tyne and struggled a little with lots of fresh rain water in the river but still managed a few bigger flounders. Stu Bland won zone A with ten fish for 259cm, including a fine flounder of 44cm. Second in the zone John Lovett had six for 223cm ahead of Alan Marsh with five for 195cm and Andy Rutherford who had five for 192cm. In zone B Paul Richardson had twelve for 420cm to take top spot ahead of runner-up Bill Bell with fifteen for 366cm. Third place went to Joe Wilton with eight for 177cm and Derek Ross had five measuring 163cm. The longest fish was a flounder of 42cm taken by John Robson and top junior was Mason Burton with five for 125cm.S.B.R.A.A.C. also fished at the Copthorne Hotel where Kevin Moffat won with nine fish for 236cm, Steve Alexander had seven for 194cm and Phil Smithson had three for 73cm.Tynemouth retired members fished Tynemouth pier for mixed bags of dabs and plaice. Tony Taylor had four dabs and one plaice for 2¾lb while second placed Dave Bentley had three dabs and a plaice for 2½lb, best 1lb 5oz and Neil Garner had a dab and a plaice for 1lb 7oz to take third.Heavy seas forced the last Saltburn A.C. match into the Tees estuary where Nick Westgarth had a run away victory with twenty-three coalfish, four flounders and a bass for 653cm. Runner-up Bernard Westgarth had eighteen coalfish, two flounders and two bass for 431cm ahead of third placed Dave Thompson who measured eight coalfish, two bass and a flounder for 238cm. Steve Aldred took the longest fish with a bass of 35cm.The St. Mary’s rover match saw thirteen out of seventeen find fish. Darren Lister won with two cod, two flounders, two eels and a single pouting for 5lb. Craig Dalton had four eels, best 1¾lb, for a 3lb 10oz total and second place and in third Mick Smith had two flounders for 2lb 1oz. North East England 2010-06-20T11:55:16+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/at-national-boat-championships-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/at-national-boat-championships-2010#When:13:17:50Z The 1st Angling Trust National Boat competition was fished at Minehead in the Bristol Channel on the 11-12th June 2010 and hosted by the Severn Division. The organisers had booked good weather well in advance and for once it turned up!Catch and release, points per species, and bait restricted to ragworm, mackerel, squid, crab and sandeel were the rules for the competition. With water temperatures improving after an unusually cold winter, the fishing prospects had recently improved and the boat skippers had reported better recently.Fishing in the Bristol Channel is a challenge for anglers with strong tides and shallow, coloured water testing even the very best rod. The channel though is a massive feeding zone attracting different migratory fish according to season. The strong tides restricted the boat mainly to the inshore waters apart from the occasional foray out to the harder ground around the period of slack water.Day one saw a light north westerly breeze and plenty of sunshine for the anglers as they assembled on the quayside adjacent to the Ship Aground Hotel, our headquarters for the event. The vessels steamed down channel into Porlock Bay, relatively close to shore and the fishing commenced with the standard species for the location, poor cod, pout and dogfish putting in an early appearance. After a quieter spell all the boats bar one moved off to try fresh areas. Before long most were well spread with the very experienced skippers doing their level best to put anglers in the right spot. The main event took place on each boat with good humour, sharp wit and the occasional fish being the order of service. The anglers had to work hard for their fish, this is not a venue where success is achieved by hanging a bait down the side of the boat and those willing to cast and uptide showed at the top of the list.When the results from the first day were posted in the Ship Aground that evening it was obvious that the boat which had stuck it out in Porlock Bay for most of the day had made the correct decision. As well as having the best catch on the day Cliff Newbold, had stormed the fishing with a massive total in a superb exhibition of angling, reducing the second placed person to 68% of his total. The other boat winners were Colin Searles, Dave Mann and Rolf Marshalek.Day two weather repeated day one. The areas in Porlock Bay that had produced for the successful boat were now congested with four vessels, all seeking the elusive quary. Unfortunately the fish had obviously had enough and catch returns were lower than the previous day. Again the boats dispersed to their favourite alternative locations as the tide slackened. Species over the harder ground changed from those in Porlock Bay to the more substantial rays, eels, smoothounds and the omnipresent dogfish, but as is nearly always the case here the fishing dropped off with the advent of the flood tide.On return the results were calculated as quickly as possible and the presentation commenced under the watchful eye of Geoff Knight, AT Competition Secretary and Avril Withyman, Severn Division Chairperson. Two anglers had recorded a boat win on each day and Colin Searles came out on top on numbers of fish count back with Rolf Marshalek in close second. Third place was awarded to Dave Mann after his boat win on day one and a strong performance on day two followed by Cliff Newbold and Andy Deavin.The winning pair were Andy Deavin and Cliff Newbold, followed by Colin Searles and Rod Adamson. The drawn four man team of Phil Clark, Colin Searles, Andy Deavin and Dave Mann just pipped the quartet of Cogger, Oliver, Bowden and Senior into second. The top scoring skipper prize went to Dave Sheath. A full list of results can be downloaded here.Many thanks to all those who took part, some travelling from as far afield as north east England and the north of Wales to compete. Your company, good humour and friendship was appreciated for the two days and we hopefully look forward to a repeat performance next year. Boat catches and results 2010-06-19T13:17:50+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/abu-soron-fixed-spool-reel http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/abu-soron-fixed-spool-reel#When:10:06:59Z Abu have put much fresh thinking and bundles of new technology into there latest Soron range of fixed spool reels. Under-spool bearings and a special braid-specific spool are just a couple of the forward thinking features that impressed reviewer Des Westmore.From the outset the ABU Soron STX70 is pleasant on the eye and the weight of 21.7oz underlines quality. Though the dark blue finish does feel a bit rubbery, the Soron is not a plastic reel, with Abu’s trade marked ‘X-Craftic’ aluminium alloy used for the body, body cover, rotor and bail arm. The Soron also contains 10 corrosion resisting HPCR (High Precision Corrosion Resistant) bearings plus a one-way roller bearing. A heat-treated Duragear gear-train runs on a stainless steel main shaft with a ratio of 4.8:1, which is very good for small fish or working lures. With its capacity of 300m of .35mm mono and a sealed waterproof Carbon Matrix drag rated for a maximum of 30lb, the Soron should inspire confidence if you are lucky enough to hook into something big. The bail spring is the weak link on many fixed spools but Abu have addressed that potential issue with the use of their ‘Everlast’ bail system, while the bail’s roller incorporates one of those ten HPCR bearings to keep things turning sweetly.While I didn’t strip the reel completely, you do not have to look far to reveal some unique features. The drag is front mounted, easy to adjust and has a wide range of settings. I had no problem fishing for bream using the new 15lb Fireline braid and a delicate drag setting. I later spooled up with some hairy old 30lb original Fireline, locked the drag down hard and went speed jigging. The drag soaked up the punishment meted out but it won’t be soaking up any water, as there is a rubber seal under the drag wheel. The seal also protects two more of the HPCR bearings… the ones that mount the spool. Yes, a fixed spool with a spool running on ball bearings. Another seal is mounted below the bearings on the spool shaft so no water is getting in that way either. A deal of thought has gone into this reel for sure.SPECIAL SPOOL FOR BRAIDThe Soron comes supplied with two spools, both of which are aluminium. One incorporates the Superline Spool System, which is a shallower spool for use with braid and has two rubber O-rings mounted on the arbour. The idea here is to stop braid line from revolving around the spool and to do away with the need for tape. It may well do this, but I am not sure how much use this will prove to be as the majority of anglers spooling with braid will need some mono backing anyway. The other spool is of a conventional design, but line lay is excellent in terms of profile and prevention of braid biting whichever spool is used.Another notable external feature is the handle. This can be mounted on the left or right side of the reel thanks to left and right-hand threads of differing diameters. The handle on the STX70 is a substantial one-piece affair but unfortunately it brought the testing to a premature end because one of the reviewers lost it! Dale Edmunds is a good angler and likes to use fixed spools, so I gave him the reel to use for bassing aboard his Warrior 165. The idea was to give the reel a good workout and especially test the Soron’s claims of corrosion resistance. Dale lost the handle (and perhaps the plot) while underway on the reel’s first outing. The reel never even left the rack. I couldn’t see anything wrong with the attachment method so can only presume it was loose and the motion of the boat rotated it free. Pure Fishing did promise to send a replacement handle but it never arrived.To try and test the reel’s corrosion resistance, I carried on taking the reel afloat and just to get it wetted. There are no signs of corrosion after several trips, but I would be the first to admit that this was not the test I would have hoped for and many questions of actual fishing performance remain to be answered. I also have a baby brother for the STX70 in the shape of the STX40 (180m of .30mm mono). This is a smaller clone of the STX 70 but it is the handle again that gets a mention. On the STX40, the handle is of a folding design and it is the folding joint that has been the only part of the reel to show any signs of corrosion. Washing down and a bit of lubrication should hopefully control this.A LOOK INSIDEWhile checking the reels over for corrosion, I decided to take off the silver plastic cover at the rear of the reel. Though some anglers thought the plastic detracts from the reel’s impression of up-market quality, it does serve a purpose in that it is this part of the body that is vulnerable to knocks and so it actually protects the metal part of the reel. I was pleased to see that ample grease had been applied under the plastic cover to prevent corrosion setting in. It should also prevent water entering the gearbox via a slot concealed by the cover. Though narrow, this slot is actually useful for applying some lube to the gears.Despite the test being cut short, I think the Soron still came through well. I do not use fixed spools that much but the silkiness of operation and the excellent drag leave me impressed. And from an engineering perspective, there are features in the Soron that are just not normally found in a reel of this price, which is £119.99 for the STX 70 and £99.99 for the STX40. An STX60 (190m of .35mm) comes in at £114.99. The Soron is the most impressive Abu fixed spool I have seen since the Suveran… pretty good considering that reel was Swedish and this one is Chinese. For more details go to www.uk.purefishing.com  Reels, Lead Feature 2010-06-18T10:06:59+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/caithness-shore-fishing-june-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/caithness-shore-fishing-june-2010#When:20:27:00Z Fishing has picked up on the north coast shoreline in particular from the surf beaches.Recent sessions have produced some decent bass up to around 2½lb along with hosts of smallish flounders. The flounders can be a pain when targeting the bass as even the smallest flattie will attempt, and occasionally succeed, to impale itself on a lug stuffed 4/0 hook.Several good seatrout to 5lb have also put in an appearance from the beach and the seasonal mackerel and pollack are showing up to the anglers fishing the rockier marks. The settled spell of weather should bring the ballan wrasse in to the shallower kelp beds. This month should also see the first of the shore caught spurdogs being taken from the deeper water. Scotland 2010-06-16T20:27:00+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/mark-hardings-alderney-report-june-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/mark-hardings-alderney-report-june-2010#When:22:28:31Z Fishing has been top notch since spring; none more so than the turbot which have shown in excellent numbers despite the past couple of years being quiet. A week or so ago after two months of first-rate angling the signs were of a drop off in numbers as expected, but after a ten day lean period the prized flatfish returned with a vengeance on the offshore banks. Visiting anglers have enjoyed sport landing a fish they rarely see in their home waters. Size wise we’ve not seen the bigger specimens but I do think they will come as numbers thin out. What we have seen are plenty of fish over the six pound mark. Anglers also take a slating for taking more than their share sometimes but with the skippers of the visiting charter fleet sending the message out many fish have been returned to breed an fight another day. Maybe, just maybe that is why we are having the success that we are currently having.If you are a regular reader of this column then you would know of the problems we have had here during the winter with inshore netting of spawning bass. Also there are other problems which need to be rectified; fortunately we do have a meeting that takes place on the 24th June to air our views to our States members. Hopefully from this and one or two individual meetings thereafter we can look forward to regulated waters to help fish stocks and therefore give a secure future to both our local commercial fleet and that of tourism related fisheries which rely on a sustainable inshore fishery. Alderney is very lucky in that it has the last say on its 3 mile limit.Staying with the bank fishing, the brill are conspicuous by their absence and it may be that there is not enough room on the banks for both species. They should start to appear in good numbers from the end of the month and run well into September at least. Bass are getting themselves in to gear now with fish to 6lb easily attainable on the banks. Get in close around the rocks and expect bigger specimens. Launce and mackerel are pretty easy to find most of the time and make an idea bait for these silver torpedoes. One or two blonde ray are being caught as well whilst drifting on the smaller tides, adds to the confusion when hooked as the angler is hoping for the turbot of a lifetime. If you are on a boat whereby the skipper is prepared to anchor then give it a whirl, plenty down there if you can get through the doggies.Moving away from the banks there is plenty of frenetic action with the tope. Plenty in the 20lb to 45lb range with reports of fish up to 60lb caught. Best bait again is a live bait but fresh flappered mackerel will also produce. Put on a bait that is too small and it is very likely you’ll meet a bull huss. We see plenty of double figure fish and this last month has been no exception. If you are ambitious it is always worth a go for the porbeagle which show up around the Islands.Wrecks have been producing well when fishing for pollack; still some good fish to 17lb caught on the wrecks in Hurd Deeps. Slack tide drifting with fresh mackerel is likely to result in a decent ling or two. Cod are well off shore in the Channel and are worth targeting on the trip over to Alderney in the visiting vessels.Kayaking in Alderney is following the trend in the UK and proving popular here as well with several of us owning now a piece of plastic. Alderney is not a place for the faint hearted but given some knowledge of the waters and of course the utmost regard for safety it is proving to be very enjoyable and rewarding. The local guru in the ‘yak at present is Dicky Smith who during a recent session with jellies had ballan wrasse of more than 6lb, several bass to 4lb, as many pollack as he wanted in addition to massive mackerel and garfish to 2lb.Shore sport is improving all the time. Still waiting for the mixed species that should start to appear in July but we are seeing bass increasing in numbers with fish taken on spinners, plugs and fly. The fly fishing is getting ever more popular as the stealth approach is a real challenge to anglers and of course the sport can be phenomenal. As usual the bigger fish will come to baits fished on the bottom in the harbour. Thick lipped and golden grey mullet are all over the place with good reports of shoaling fish. Again easiest place to locate and catch is in the harbour area. The pollack fishing has been great, with the fish now starting to congregate inshore along with the mackerel and gars. Double figure huss have been caught at night with the best rod catching five during one session. Congers are also showing when aiming for the huss with fish into the teens. A surprise brill caught too whilst a local lad was trying his luck with a mackerel bait on an 8/0 hook.Thanks once again to those of you that have sent in letters of support to try to push the conservation side of things here. Also many thanks to the many of you that visit and plough your hard earned money in to Alderneys economy, it is much appreciated by the many guesthouses and hostelries. Channel Islands 2010-06-15T22:28:31+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/cahirciveen-sea-angling-club-50th-anniversary-boat-competition http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/cahirciveen-sea-angling-club-50th-anniversary-boat-competition#When:21:52:12Z Cahirciveen Sea Angling Club hosted a special 50th Anniversary competition during the June bank holiday weekend. Over 40 anglers travelled from all over Ireland to take part in this, what proved to be a special, event. The competition was advertised as being different; weather permitting anglers were promised that the boats would travel away from the ground normally fished in competitions. The venue would either near the Blasket Islands; out for bluemouth haddock or to one of the banks a few miles off the Kerry coast.The weather turned out to be absolutely perfect and most skippers went to the Wild Bank, about three-quarters of the way between the Blaskets and Cahirciveen. The fishing proved to worth the long journeys (some boats didn’t arrive back in the marina till 19.30 hours). All anglers enjoyed superb fishing with over twenty species being caught. Main targets were coalfish, cod, pollock and wrasse with most anglers filling their quota on these. The skippers put in special effort in trying to get us to the best ground, setting the drifts again and again over the marks and therefore providing us with the best fishing Cahirciveen has experienced for a couple of years.The BBQ provided to all anglers by the Anchor Bar on Saturday night was enjoyed by everybody after a very long days fishing.Heiko Dreier won the individual event with 781 points (104 fish) followed by Paul Hutchinson with 776 points (89 fish) and Tony Santry.The four man team event was won by Paul Hutchinson, Tony Minto, Jimmy Jones and Tony Santry.The skippers’ prize was won by Adrian Hanley of the Wey Chieftain. His anglers managed an average score of 373 points over the two days.Many Thanks also to all the sponsors, especially the Kerry Coast Inn, The Killarney Heights Hotel and Des O’Connell of Kerry Sea Angling Charters. The prize table was impressive and events like this could not be fished without generous sponsorship. Boat catches and results, Ireland 2010-06-15T21:52:12+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-dodsworth-cup http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/skegness-pier-angling-club-dodsworth-cup#When:05:07:51Z Bass were again the feature specie in the latest Skegness Pier Angling Club (SPAC) match held from Chapel Six Marsh. Wrangle’s Alan Steadman caught seven of the silver bars, to finish way ahead of the rest of the field with 7lb 5½oz. His best bass was a decent 2lb 8oz (46cm) specimen, which took the heaviest round fish prize. After a couple of matches break, Croxton’s Dave Burr returned to the fold in style, to take second place with 3 small bass weighing 1lb 10½oz. Filling the frame in third place was Skegness local Dave Bradley, whose tiny bass and small flounder had a combined weight of just 8oz! His 3oz flounder was quite valuable however; as it was just good enough to beat off Barry Roper’s miniscule dab, to take the heaviest flatfish award. Credit goes to all the anglers who caught, as every fish was returned to the sea to fight another day.The next SPAC match is the popular Lincolnshire Pairs event, which will be held on Sunday 27th June from 5:30 till 9:30 pm, with registration at Wolla Bank. The match is open to everyone and will be pegged over two zones on beaches north of Chapel. For further information contact SPAC Secretary Chas Tibble on 07984 967988 or chastibble@hotmail.com East England 2010-06-14T05:07:51+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-13-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-13-06-10#When:11:02:18Z Mackerel sneaked inshore last weekend under cover of a northerly swell, normally the conditions that produce the opposite effect and few anglers were expecting them. As the sea was still clear they were taken in large numbers from all of the region’s piers and those who were out reported bags of over one hundred fish from Roker pier and bags of over fifty from the Hartlepool piers. As usual most of these early fish are taking lures but a few have been taken on float tackle. The next day the sea picked up and they were gone as quickly as they arrived with just the odd fish reported from South Shields pier where the water is generally more settled. The plus side is that the rough seas produced cod up to 3lb from Seaham, Roker, South Shields and Tynemouth piers with crab the top bait. Until the sea settles down again and the mackerel return those anglers using worm baits have reported the ever present flatties out in force with the odd decent plaice amongst them, undersize coalfish, whiting and codling have been the other main species reported. There should be some decent eels in the dock and marina channels at Hartlepool but be aware that new rules mean they must be returned immediately.There are plenty of sweepstake and club matches being fished now, and the rivers are the main venues for catch and release matches. The Wear has some big flounders showing, as does the Tyne, where there are also greater numbers of smaller cod present. Northumbria police fished the first leg of the Bob Strong memorial trophy at the Copthorne hotel on the Tyne with flounders, eels, coalfish, codling and whiting all showing on the day. Winner Steve Elliott had fourteen fish for 213 points ahead of Dave Nevin who had thirteen fish for 201 points, including the longest fish with a fine flounder of 41cm, and Steve Foster with five fish for 73 points.The Tynemouth Sunday League match fished on Tynemouth pier saw Dave Hayley win with two plaice, one cod and a dab for 4½lb. In second, Ian Brown had a single cod of 3lb 12oz and Wilf Reed finished third with two plaice and a flounder for 2½lb.St. Mary’s A.C. had a monster rover match with members travelling to Cumbria, S.W. Scotland and Filey. Alec Gate went to Scotland and won with six dogfish, four wrasse and a single pollack for 12¼lb, Mick Smith targetted the flounders at Silloth and landed six for 7lb 10z, George Wilson had six dogfish and one wrasse for 6¼lb and Paul Lobley took the heaviest fish with a cod of 4lb 4oz from Filey.The Silloth Open last week saw twenty-eight out of sixty-six weigh in 253 flounders, 8 plaice, and 3 dabs for a total length of 8746cm. First place went to Brian Carter with twenty-six fish for 800cm while runner-up Simon Hartley had twenty-one fish for 609cm. In third place Steve Litt had nineteen fish for 580cm. Paul Lobley had the longest fish with a flounder of 44cm, top lady was Michele Smith with seven fish for 210cm and top junior was Mason Burton with eight fish for 279cm followed by C.Atherton with five for 175cm. Jim Dobie won zone A with thirteen fish for 403cm, Tom whitehead won zone B with sixteen fish for 541cm and Alan Burton won zone C with nine fish for 309cm.Whitby is starting to establish itself as a shark venue with two porbeagles estimated at 300lb each landed recently. Another relatively unusual catch was a halibut of 37lb taken by Steve Green off Skinningrove.Laurence Douthwaite fishing on Newcastle Quayside retrieved a lost rod and reel, if it could be yours contact him on 07584 414994 North East England 2010-06-13T11:02:18+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-12-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-12-06-10#When:09:34:17Z The final leg of this seasons HCA winter boat league was held last Sunday and with smoothies not counting a number of anglers targeted the humble flounder. Mark Taylor landed fifteen flounders which earned him second on the day and secured the points to top the league this year with 209 points. Tim Burgess was second with 203 points; finishing fifth on the day. Third place went to Paul Secker with 194 points ahead of John Pile who was top weight on the final day of the competition, John had 187 points.The fishing during the league was generally poor and there have been many matches when anglers have not weighed in. The cod in particular were hit and miss. The distribution of points certainly opened it up and made the competition for the final match a lot more closely than it usually is. The presentation of prizes will take place on Wednesday 30th June at the HCA social club at the marina at 7.30pm. It is a good night and Chris Banks will ensure that there is a quality prize table.The club goes to Skegness this week to take on the Boston Pirates for the thornback match. There are plenty of rays down there at the moment and weather permitting, it will be a good day out.On to the shore, Humber SAC were at Humberston creek on the Sunday and the fishing was slow for most of the competitors. The exception was Simon Drayton who had seventeen fish for 9.7lb . Second place went to his travelling partner Richard Leek with six fish weighing 3.15lb. There was a tie for third with Garry Hutson and D. Jackson on weight but Garry just edged it on numbers of fish.The club’s next match is on Sunday and it is an open match all anglers are welcome. It is £15 to enter . The match is on the Humber Bank Wall and registration is at the Haven Car Park at 3pm. The match times are 4.30 to 8.30pm.Catches have improved dramatically in the last couple of weeks for Skegness Pier Angling Club (S.P.A.C) members, with some exceptional fish being caught from venues to the north of Chapel. Top Grimsby angler Karl Nangle took a break from match fishing to catch a superb 16lb 14oz smoothound. He returned to the same venue the next day to catch a 9lb 10oz smoothound, then followed this up with a magnificent 8lb bass, taken at distance on fresh peeler crab. Big fish specialist, Hull’s Chris Mack, has also been in amongst the smoothies, but it was a pair of bass taken on consecutive casts that were the talking point of a recent session. The first bass weighed a respectable 5½lb, but the next one tipped the scales to a level 9lb, which is a truly excellent fish for this area. Hats off to both anglers, for returning all their big fish to the sea to fight another day.Prospects are now looking really good for the next S.P.A.C match on Saturday 12th June from 4:30 till 8:30 pm at Chapel Six Marsh, with Club Members fishing for the Dodsworth Cup. There is also an open section, which non-members are welcome to participate in. For further information contact SPAC Secretary Chas Tibble on 07984 967988 or chastibble@hotmail.com East England 2010-06-12T09:34:17+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/shetland-wrecking-trip http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/shetland-wrecking-trip#When:11:32:06Z The members of the Shetland sea angling club enjoyed an excellent day out over a wreck off Eshaness following their return from Iceland.Among the top class specimens was a ling of of 9.708 Kg (21lb 6oz) landed by Mark Duncan and a pollack of 6.578 Kg (14lb 8oz) taken by Alistair Fullerton. Boat catches and results 2010-06-10T11:32:06+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/sandown-bay-protection-forum http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/sandown-bay-protection-forum#When:09:19:28Z Sandown Bay Protection Forum has launched a new website to publicise their concerns and are appealing to local residents and businesses to sign their online petition at www.sbpf.co.uk. The results will be used to pressure the Isle of Wight Council and the Portsmouth Harbour Authority to pass a bylaw to restrict netting activity within the Bay area.With its picture postcard Blue Flag beaches, Sandown Bay is one of the Isle of Wight’s most popular tourist destinations. The bay is also famous for its excellent fishing for many species, but in particular for bass... one of the most sort after and valued UK sea fish. The ease of access for beach and boat fishing make Sandown Bay a popular destination for both local and visiting anglers.To bring the plight of the Sandown Bay’s dwindling fish stocks to the attention of the public and the “powers that be”, a group of anglers have organised themselves as the “Sandown Bay Protection Forum” (SBPF). Their aim is to bring the excessive netting in the bay under stricter control. The forum is not looking for a complete ban, just the preservation of fish stocks for the benefit of all. It is also felt that sheer density of Set Nets present in the area pose a safety threat to all water based leisure activities, not just angling.A presentation to the Sandown Council by the forum has already begun due process which may lead to the creation of a new bylaw to restrict netting activity. The SBPF has now set up an on line petition which can be found at the Forum’s web site http://www.sbpf.co.uk . In addition to this the SBPF is now also looking to gain pledges of support from local businesses and all other interested parties to help them in their quest to maintain Sandown Bay as a premier destination for anglers and tourists.What are 'Set Nets'?In inshore waters set-nets are mainly fished by small boats for a variety of species, but because they are inshore they are also a hazard to others users of Sandown Bay that once was one of the safest bays for swimming and other inshore water sports in the country.Set-nets are long walls of netting which trap fish by the gills or by entanglement. The netting is mostly woven from fine nylon twine, which is practically invisible underwater, and is hung on ropes with plastic floats which is attached to the headline to keep the netting upright, whilst the bottom line is weighted to ensure contact with the sea bed. Moorings are used at each end of the net which are weighed down by anchors heavy enough to hold the net in place and at the top end a buoy or buff which floats on the surface. If the buoy is too small it may not be clearly visible, and is subject to be hit by other vessels sometimes with catastrophic results. If the rope which attaches the buoy to the anchor is too short then at high water the buoy will be submerged often just under the surface creating an invisible hazard. If the rope is too long then at slack water (when there is no tide) the excess rope floats on the surface of the water creating a virtually invisible hazard to other users.These nets may be used singly or a number joined in fleets with suitable moorings to hold them in place. There is a risk of catching sea birds and large mammals in larger mesh nets in shallow water. If the nets are not hauled quickly, the fish die and spoil. When the nets are hauled, spoilt and undersize fish are usually thrown back often dead. News and Info 2010-06-10T09:19:28+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/why-bother-with-norway http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/why-bother-with-norway#When:15:00:34Z Boat anglers fishing out of the north east of England ports at Burnmouth, Blyth, Hartlepool and Sunderland have been having great sport recently including a 19lb halibut landed by Bob George fishing on the Dunlin.Check the gallery for photos of some great fish including catfish and cod to 27lb submitted by Alan Charlton. North East England 2010-06-08T15:00:34+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/ssacn-sharkatag-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/ssacn-sharkatag-2010#When:14:16:37Z Ten days to go until Sharkatag 2010 when anglers will be fishing marks around the Solway looking to catch, tag and/or record data regarding a variety of shark species including tope, smoothound and spurdog.As you know, Sharkatag is part of SSACN's campaign to highlight the urgent need for shark, ray and skate conservation in Scottish waters, as well as aimed at raising the public awareness of sea angling and its contribution to the economies of many coastal communities.We are hoping to build on last years successful event when Sharkatag attracted over 200 volunteer sea anglers fishing from the shore, kayaks and boats.The response so far has been terrific as lots of last years participants and many new ones, are expected to come from all over the UK. This represents a tremendous commitment to sea angling and to conservation, especially so given the current economic situation.If you haven't already signed up You can still take part - just register at http://www.tagsharks.com/tagging-programmes/sharkatag News and Info 2010-06-08T14:16:37+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/bream-are-in-at-weymouth http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/bream-are-in-at-weymouth#When:17:22:05Z Regular contributor Steve Parker took his family afloat with Dave Pitman on the Atlanta where they enjoyed an excellent session on the bream.As usual the youngsters stole the show with bream to 3lb 8oz along with wrasse, gurnards, dogfish, mackerel and an assortment of other species.Full story of the family day out here - http://www.madpolka.co.uk/4june2010.html South England 2010-06-07T17:22:05+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-07-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-07-06-10#When:17:16:51Z Rough seas continued to keep the main mackerel shoals offshore for most of last week but when conditions allow fish have been reported from most of the regions piers with some anglers reporting up to five or six of these early fish during early morning sessions from Roker pier. Cod up to 3lb are starting to show from the Northumberland rock edge marks around Seahouses, Beadnell, and Dunstanburgh Castle and those anglers spinning for mackerel and pollack continue to pick up the odd smaller cod to 2lb on lures and jelly worms. There are now plenty of fish in all of the local river estuaries with quality flounders showing in all of them on most tides as well as large numbers of mainly small coalfish and cod, particularly in the Tyne. S.B.R.A.A.C. had a catch and release match in Blyth harbour and found plenty of coalfish present. Gary Wilson had twenty-six for 575cm to take top spot, In second Kevin Moffat had twenty-four for 518cm just ahead of Steve Alexander who had twenty-four for 516cm. This week’s Amble Summer League match saw some quality flounders taken from the river Aln where Michael Connor won with four for 3lb 2oz, best 1lb 5oz. Ash Gray had three for 1lb 14oz and Eddy Ide had three for 1lb 11oz to finish second and third respectively.The Tynemouth Summer League match fished at Seahouses saw some nice mixed bags taken from the kelp beds where Paul Gallen won with four coalfish, a pollack and a cod for 7lb 10oz. Joint runner-up Dave Hayley had a single cod for 3lb 9lb to tie with Dave Keeler who had two coalfish and one pollack and Neil Garner finished fourth with a cod of 1lb 9oz.The last Tynemouth retired members match saw Tony Taylor win with two coalfish for 3lb, best 1¾lb and Dave Bentley had two dabs and a flounder for 2lb 5oz, all taken from Tynemouth pier.For those of you who travel over to S.W.Scotland to fish please note that due to unacceptable behaviour by visiting “anglers”, the marks at East and West Tarbet on the Mull of Galloway have been closed by the land owner, and there will be no parking or camping allowed. Problems have persisted for several years, the landowner has been very sympathetic to visitors, and it’s amazing that action was not taken sooner.The Amble Summer Open is on Sunday July 18th with fishing from 12.30 till 16.30 between Seahouses South pier (excluded) and Lynemouth pipe. All rivers are excluded and all piers are excluded except for Amble pier which is reserved for disabled anglers only. Basic entry is £10, juniors under sixteen are free if accompanied by a paying adult. There is a £600 prize table plus guaranteed prizes for the top two heaviest bags, heaviest roundfish and heaviest flatfish, other prizes depend on entry. Weigh in at the Radcliffe Club from 4.30 till 5.30. Contact Jim 01665-711007 for details. North East England 2010-06-07T17:16:51+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/efsa-european-boat-angling-championships-dalvik-report http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/efsa-european-boat-angling-championships-dalvik-report#When:10:30:42Z EFSA European Boat Angling Championship competitor Geof Carlin delivers his report and insight into the recent event fished out of Dalvik on Iceland's north coast.Despite the travel chaos sparked by a moody volcano, EFSA Iceland staged a successful European championship from the northern port of Dalvik. The event was dominated by Eyjafjallajökull, the troublesome volcano to South, with concern generated over getting to the venue and more again on getting home. Thankfully the competitors made it in and out, although some problems were experienced by the visitors on the return journeys with 48 hours of hell in reported in some cases.The quality of fishing during team practices and through the event was generally excellent but the action waned in some areas as they were repeatedly pressurised. The competition was fished in the mouth of Eyjafjörður with boats based in Dalvik. Eyjafjörður is the longest fiord in north central Iceland, the name, meaning ‘island fiord’ and derived from the presence of Hrisey Island (the pearl of Eyjafjörður). The surrounding area is the second most populated part of Iceland, with 24,000 inhabitants. The valley of Eyjafjörður is one of Iceland’s largest agricultural areas. And like everywhere in Iceland, fisheries and fish processing form the largest part of the local economy.Akureyri is the main airport town airport, and is set to become the key hub of future development as tourism in the area expands. There is a need for direct flights from UK locations like Glasgow and a re-thinking over prices - for example the boats were very expensive to hire (up to €800) and alcohol was prohibitive in cost (though the local pub sold half litres of beer at £3.50 equivalent for the championship duration). Hotel costs were expensive and food choice was restricted - unless you like eating seagulls, whale and what was probably horse meat. Needless to say that many of those slumming it in self-catering accommodation lived almost exclusively on fish. Local accommodation was basic with 4 star prices being charged for 2 star facilities. FACT-FINDING PRACTICE SESSIONSMost practice sessions for all competing nations were conducted within the Eyjafjörður; only the odd boat ventured out beyond the HrolfsSker lighthouse. These long distance ventures did not prove to be as fruitful as first thought with fishing more productive inside the Fjord where both the quantity and quantity of the fish improved. Reports from various nations' practice sessions indicated how varied the fishing was and how dependent on the skipper’s knowledge competitors would be. It was important to learn the areas by landmarks and to contribute to discussions before any decision on the first fishing location was taken by the often clueless boat stewards.There were reports that small codling, and decent whiting and haddock were numerous over some of the marks. Other areas such as the HrolfsSker lighthouse and the Longubodi pinnacle yielded better quality cod and coalies. Nearly every deep water mark produced red fish, cod and haddock. And several deeper marks saw anglers fill up with double-shots of whiting as soon as the baits hit bottom (this is a two-hook event). Most inshore waters close to the harbour produced plentiful amounts of dabs, whiting and haddock with occasional patches of cod and wolfish located over the clean ground. There were very few reports of plaice, long rough dabs or scupins from the anglers who ventured out for the practice sessions. These proved to be the very valuable bonus fish to catch during the competition.The pre-event practice sessions proved invaluable, providing the basis of team fishing plans. It was also apparent from the practice that specifically targeting wolf fish wasn't the best plan of attack as they were haphazardly coming to all sorts of different rigs. Bait selection and the ability to decipher and react to a wolf bite was more important.EUROPEAN BOAT ANGLING CHAMPIONSHIP OVER 4 DAYSMost anglers began with one up/one down rigs. The most successful anglers were tackled up with light tackle, match tips and fairly basic rigs. I found the superb Daiwa Alltider rod with its interchangeable tips and the bomb-proof Saltist 30 reel ideal. Some Icelandic anglers foolishly opted for the butt pad, harness and broom handle approach. A successful ploy was to try and catch as many species as possible in the first 30 minutes then bulk up on quantity; then repeat the process at the next mark. The surprising thing about this competition and venue was the amount of undersized cod that were around; it took the eventual winner twenty-nine cod to get two in size on the first day. There were also plagues of undersized coalies and haddock in most areas.It quickly became clear that some skippers knew the venue better than others, with the bulk of the fleet made up of whale-watching operators who hadn’t fished the area for years. All that competitors could do was to catch what species were available and try to win boats as often as possible. Over the course of the week, because of the species-based points system, there was the odd upset with a fluky species or two helping win boats even though the angler didn’t catch the most fish. This could have happened to anyone no matter how good an angler they were. This rogue luck did tend to balance out over the four-day piece however. Overall the top anglers were the anglers who consistently landed the most fish on their boats to maintain boat wins or high percentages.  The main competition was close with very little separating the top three rods. Scott Gibson won the event with three boat wins and a 96.5%. Ray Barron from England was second, just 0.55 of a percentage point behind Scott,  while Ireland’s steady Heiko Drier was third. Individual results1/ Scott Gibson 100%, 100%, 96.5%, 100% = 396.5%2/ Ray Barron 98.82%, 100%, 97.13%, 100% = 395.95%4/ Heiko Drier 95.22%, 100%, 100%, 97.19% = 392.41%International teams1st England A (Russell, Searles, Smith, Barron and Galbraith) 1508.832nd Ireland B (O’Connell, Dreier, O’Neill, Hutchison, Jones) 1478.043rd Ireland A (Doyle, Gough, Squires, Slipway, Robinson) 1470.32This was a successfully organised event by and large. Conditions were cold but calm except for Thursday when some boats did not venture to the outer fiord due to rough seas and high winds.LIGHT LINE CHAMPIONSHIPAt the end of the week came the light line day which is a separate competition where only a single hook is permitted. There was excellent sport from coalfish and jumbo haddock. A number of the anglers fished all day with simple a flowing trace either baited with bluey or a rubber worm.There were 13 different species caught during the Championship and generally the points system meant that the anglers needed to catch six or seven species to score well.  Fish were of generally good quality; coalfish in particular running up to about 10 or 11 lbs (best 4.92 kg). Dabs, rough dabs and plaice were all good sizes (best 1kg, 0.42kg and 2.23kg respectively). The largest plaice was landed by England’s Colin Searles and is to be ratified as a new Icelandic record. Cod were prolific but the largest went only 11kg. Sea scorpions to 0.460kg and a single thornback ray of 0.860kg were taken. The biggest wolf fish of the competition was 6.6kg. Redfish were encountered in the deeper water on baited pirks. Haddock and whiting were present on certain marks, with haddock running to 2.365kg and some specimen whiting recorded up to 1.590kg.A single tusk of 1.285kg and a single ling of 1.005kg were landed. No halibut were caught.All fish were killed as required by Icelandic fishery laws... the fish are counted towards the quota for the catching vessel. Daily landings varied from 3 tons to 8.5 tons among the fleet.Light Line Event result:Roy Slipway (Ireland) won this with 64 fish and 423 points, beating Ken Smith of England. Joe Gough of Ireland was third.Full results: Boat Championships / Line Class ChampionshipsThanks to the competitors Facebook pages for the photos and to EFSA Iceland for allowing photos from their website to be used. Boat, Competition fishing, Lead Feature 2010-06-06T10:30:42+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/irish-Twaite-shad-fishing-secrets http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/irish-Twaite-shad-fishing-secrets#When:09:30:37Z Irish shore angler Eric Gasparro takes a break from the beaches and heads inland to beautiful St Mullins in County Carlow, where he and his regular fishing buddy, Conor go in search of rare Twaite shad.“Time for a change of scenery”, muttered my pal Conor as we plotted our next weekend shore fishing session. I had a good idea what he was leading up to as late April to mid May heralds the arrival of the Twaite Shad and rarer Allis Shad into the Barrow river system… and I too was considering targeting them.  The Barrow is one of the three rivers that feed the productive Waterford Estuary. The shads, which were once numerous throughout the southern rivers, now mark the Barrow as their final stronghold due to commercial fishing pressure. There is some hope that the current drift netting ban for salmon will have a positive impact of the likewise migratory shad stocks in future years however. Like the salmon the Twaite shad spends most of its life at sea; only returning to the rivers of their birth to spawn. Hatchling shad eventually emerge from the upland gravely river stretches to reside in the respective estuaries for twelve months or so before heading out to sea to continue their life cycle. Little is known about their habits beyond this point, and they remain fish shrouded in much mystery.St Mullins in County Carlow is considered Ireland’s Twaite shad Mecca, and every year it attracts hundreds of anglers from the country over to try and catch one of these sparkling, silver beauties. The river Barrow scours out a lovely deep valley through the village and such beautiful surroundings are part and parcel of the Irish shad appeal.St Mullins is over 40km from the sea but the river still tidal this far inland. And getting the tides right is crucial to a successful shad session. Shad can be caught at sea, and they are indeed considered marine species… but here we are deep in the heart of river country. Flounder also venture this far up the river and are not an uncommon by-catch on the lures used to target the shad. Brown trout are also caught here and there’s bream, rudd and dace for course anglers… a positively strange concoction of species in anyone’s book.The first big spring tide at the beginning of May usually triggers the arrival of the shad. But oddly this year, despite a vicious winter, they were early arrivals in the river system and in good numbers too. Our shad sortie coincided with the second set of spring tides in May.SIMPLE SPINNING TACKLE Tackle for shad is simplicity itself. I opted for a 4000-sized Abu Cardinal spinning reel carrying 6lb maxima chameleon, and an eleven foot Abu Premium Spin rod capable of tossing a 12gr lure about 40 yards or so. At the business end it’s widely recognised that there is only one lure to use and that’s the excellent Tasmanian Devil. The consensus seems to be that blue and silver are the best colours, though I’ve seen a change to brighter, gaudier colours in tough conditions get immediate results. Shad don’t actively feed once they enter the river systems; they like much salmon once their spawning head is on, and it’s merely a instinctive display of aggression that anglers need to take tap.After leaving Dublin around 2 o’clock on a gorgeous afternoon, we headed to a mark at Carlow. A lack of rain and perfect tides made for a positive frame of mind. We spent 90 minutes on the motorway before hitting the back roads that we hoped would take us to where we wanted to be. Call me daft but I choose switch off annoying Sat Nav woman, opting instead to trust to my own directional sense to navigate the maze of little roads. Needless to say that proved a mistake that cost 15 minutes, and we had to turn the bloody woman back on again for a bit of help.There were already a number of anglers dotted along the river bank when we turned up. Waders and jacket were swiftly thrown on, and we made our way down to our location of choice with little in the way of tackle to burden us. Conditions were better than good… the water was gin clear and the ridge of high pressure meant it was almost windless.PERFECT CONDITIONSAs so often is the case no one had bothered to tell the fish that the conditions were perfect, and quick conversations with those anglers we passed revealed a severe lack of them. Bags of forty fish or more were landed the previous week by all accounts… but just not today. Our enthusiasm was soon dented and we wondered if the main run of fish had passed us by. Thirty minutes elapsed, and the tide had barely begun to creep up the bank, when the first fish of the day came to an angler just down-river. This was clearly a decent fish, but as it was drawn towards the net disaster struck and it threw the hook. Such occurrences are common with shad as they have mouths of steel and getting a good penetrative hook-hold can be difficult. Additionally they are like mini tarpon… tremendously acrobatic with spectacular aerial antics sure to test any hook-up. One quick jump out of the water and your hook can be shaken off before you can yell “Twaite!” or a very similar word! Indeed, it is generally accepted that more shad will lost than successfully banked.Conor and I were struggling to find any sort of action. Rising brown trout were busily taking flies on the surface when my devil received such a clobbering wallop that I almost dropped the rod. Such a ferocious take resulted in a good firm connection, and I played the fish confident that the hook was well bedded. It fought well and craftily hung in the flow for a time before I eventually managed to get its head up and steering towards the net.NUTTY NETTINGNot being river folks our repeatedly pathetic, if not farcical attempts to net the fish with a ‘toy’ net ended in shattered dreams. Given our hysterical efforts I am actually surprised how the shad didn’t fling the hook earlier. It is only fair that I blame Conor whose final attempt to slide the fish into the net effectively unhooked it, and I watched in almost horrible slow motion my first shad of the session swim lethargically away.Another violent take saw Conor engaging what again looked a good fish. A short fight ensued and this one didn’t get away. The net and netter did their jobs well enough this time and perfectly formed shad was deposited on the grass for us to marvel at. They really are stunning fish, almost like a giant herring, with iridescent scales of shimmering silver and shades of purple and gold.Conor slipped it back after shooting a few quick photographs and it was good to see it swim strongly away. Despite appearing powerful creatures, shad can be very spent after the tussle and it is important to handle them delicately. To ensure survival, hold them in the current for a few moments before gently letting them go under their own steam.HIGH WATER SHIFTWith the tide rising quickly we moved to another spot nearby which typically fishes better towards high water. My first cast here was hit twice by marauding shad but I failed to make good a connection, while Conor suffered a similar ordeal. It is fair to say that shad can be a most frustrating adversary. Very few fish were being caught by the other anglers around us in what was shaping up to be a fairly indifferent day all round. Just as Conor was commenting “Maybe we should try a change of colour”, his rod bent over for the second time as a better fish took the lure right under his feet. A short but frantic fight ended with the fish safely in the net.With bubbly Conor now two fish to the good, I couldn’t help but feel that this was not going to be my day. The action had completely fallen away and some of the other anglers packed up and left. We were considering doing the same when… WHAM! The high speed hit-and-run take saw the fish hooked hard. Given the previous anticlimax I gingerly played it to the edge where the dubious net sat ready to ruin. Of course it wouldn’t be fishing without drama and calamity, so need I say that once again the crap net again bit me on the backside. After a little leap clear of the water another shad with my name on it got away.That escape marked the end of our annual jaunt to St Mullins. On the back of a rather hard lesson, and at risk of stating the all too obvious, a note to self read: “I must invest in a proper net”. I was of course disappointed, but at the very least, those few fish that did play ball served to underline that this whole shad lark is a very achievable proposition and not chasing shadows as some might think. Shore, Lead Feature 2010-06-06T09:30:37+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-05-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-05-06-10#When:16:48:22Z Last Sunday the HCA final winter league match of the season was called off due to a poor forecast and this has been re-arranged for Sunday 6th. The shorter four hour match restricts how far boats can travel and areas will be restricted due to the duration of the match being fished over low water. As usual smoothhounds will not be counted.Tim Burgess went out over high water on Wednesday and he had hounds but also two cod which are fantastic specimens, especially this time of year. Many of the local anglers either go down to Skegness for the summer with their boats or just do not bother. They do not know what they are missing; the sport can actually be more frantic than in the winter months.The bass are finally arriving in numbers and are being caught on a regular basis by beach anglers as far as Barton. The hounds are also showing and are tremendous sport on light tackle. The tope should also be putting in an appearance shortly and hooking one of these hefty speed merchants will give the angler something to remember. The cod will remain during the summer months although hungry crabs make it difficult to ensure that bait is presented for more than a few minutes.On the beach Humber SAC were at Killingholme last Saturday. Killingholme for years has been a brilliant venue but only certain areas are fishable due to silting and work to the creek and jetties. Those anglers who found sufficient depth of water certainly had a good evening. Sixteen members fished from 6pm till 10pm and Adie Cooper had a fantastic thirty fish for 7lb 6¼oz his rod never stopped going all night and it proved to be a hectic night. Second placed Geoff Hill landed twenty-three fish for 5lb ¾oz ahead of third placed Simon Drayton who had fifteen fish for 4lb 12oz. The club has a new junior member, D. Dunham, and he had 2½lb to lift the junior prize.The club’s next match is this Sunday and will be fished at Humber Creek from 12 to 4pm; meet at the car park at 10.45am.Some nice bass coming off Bohemia point near Mablethorpe. Chris Mack taking a rest from carp bashing on the commercials had two nice fish last Sunday morning. These fish are generally being caught by angler after the hounds. The calmer seas should signal a better weekend and improve the chances of catching the hounds. East England 2010-06-05T16:48:22+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-01-06-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-01-06-10#When:07:59:57Z Mackerel continue to be reported by anglers lure fishing from the Region’s piers with a few specimens each tide reported from Steetley, Roker, South Shields and Blyth piers. A bit of a northerly sea at the time of writing will quickly push these early fish offshore again where boats report most of the mackerel shoals are around the two mile range. Lure fishing has also accounted for large numbers of small coalfish, with the occasional sizeable ones and pollack also showing among them, particularly from Roker and South Shields piers. In clean water conditions lures and float fished baits have also taken good numbers of smaller coalfish, pollack, and a surprising number of red kelp cod from the rock edges north of the Tyne, with the marks around Dunstanburgh Castle, Eyemouth and St. Abbs areas being favoured.Most clubs are now well into their summer league matches with the predictable flounders being the main species to target from the beaches. From other venues smaller coalfish, cod and specimen sized flounder will form the bulk of the catches. The river Aln is an increasingly popular venue and a bit more scenic than fishing the Wear or Tyne and if unproductive it is easy enough to move onto the local beaches at Warkworth or Embleton where there is the chance of turbot and plaice among the flounders. N.R.S.A.C. had a match on the Aln with winner Alan James landing nine flounders for 255cm, Albert Brown had eight for 208cm, and Andrew James had four for 116cm.Bob Surtees and several friends had a trip over to Port Carlisle where they all landed bags of twenty plus fish each up to the 43cm mark. The last Ryhope club match also saw some nice flounders showing at the Copthorne Hotel on the Tyne where all twenty nine anglers enjoyed some fine sport. Bill Bell won zone A with twenty-three for 566cm, John Surtees in second had seventeen for 436cm, John Bryan had 316cm, Paul Richardson had 246cm, and the longest fish was taken by Bob Bland, a flounder of 41cm. In Zone B junior Tamzin Kenfield was the best with eleven for 191cm, Alan Burton had ten for 173cm, including the longest fish with a cod of 30cm, Keith Carter had six for 149cm, and Paul Craig had five for 104cm.Boat activity is also increasing with some bigger cod and ling reported, and generally better results all round when conditions are suitable to get out. The Sarah JFK out of the Tyne saw Steve Drury take a cod of 23lb, Simon Allen a ling of 20lb and Jimmy Cassidy a ling of 17½lb. Bob George on the Dunlin thought he had hooked a massive cod when he struggled to control whatever had taken his bait, when the unseen fish continued to fight it was obviously not going to be a cod, possibly a big coalfish or pollack perhaps, but few would have guessed it to be the second biggest rod caught halibut taken from the area at 19lb. Kenny, Bert and Kyle Gray along with Paul Gavrock, Graham Slesser, and Keith Brown had a mad two hour early morning trip out of the Tyne taking cod three at a time between the 3lb and 6lb mark, keeping fifty-seven cod over the 3lb mark everything else was returned. Tony Evans and fishing friends out of Blyth had a similar experience taking cod to 8lb and ling to 7lb, keeping a dozen fish each they returned many fish up to the 7lb mark. Ivan Stott and father Ken fishing off Newbiggin also found the fish, taking thirty-four cod to 7lb with many returned. Ray Morrison and J. Palmer on the Python out of Sunderland took over fifty fish in two hours including cod to 12½lb and ling to 7lb. Chris Smith and Terry Cleary on the Jester out of Sunderland had cod and ling to 11½lb. As reported last week the best fish so far this summer was a cod of 27lb taken on the Maximus out of Hartlepool by a then unknown angler who can now be named as Brian Holligon. As there now seems to be good numbers of quality fish present this year there is plenty of time for a thirty pounder to beat this one.New laws regarding fish catches come into effect from June 1st this year, mostly regarding freshwater fish, however, for sea anglers it is now illegal to remove any shad or eels from estuary or coastal waters under any circumstances, most anglers should be aware of the protected status of shad which are often caught when fishing for mackerel and are mostly returned. As for eels, this means that any caught must be measured or weighed then immediately released, and none must be weighed as dead after any match or taken home for the pot. This is part of the ongoing efforts of the Environment Agency to promote catch and release. For a full explanation visit the Environment Agency website. North East England 2010-06-03T07:59:57+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/bank-on-braye http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/bank-on-braye#When:19:20:00Z Steve Souter discovers that quiet Braye harbour on the Channel Island of Alderney is packed full of fishing surprises, including red mullet, Couch's bream, masses of black bream and more tail-walking garfish than you could shake a stick at...Weathered concrete gun emplacements and derelict fortifications rash the Alderney coast. In fact, signs of German wartime occupation are dotted everywhere, and whether these unblended greys are carbuncle blots on the landscape, or necessary reminders of mid 20th century madness is undecided. The weather was set to turn nasty later according to the forecast, and a quick run out to Swinge, beyond the sanctuary of Alderney’s famous breakwater confirmed a building wind. Fortunately, there’s shelter and excellent fishing within the harbour itself, and we tied up to one of numerous large mooring buoys dotting the outer edge of Braye Bay for a spot of mixed species fishing. The mood on the boat was typically raucous. Between five solid days fishing and trying to run a full-time tackle business, my host, Mark Harding, hadn’t had much sleep in a week. Sun and fatigue made his face look like it had been set on fire and put out using a football boot… and I told him as much! We could see anglers shuffling about on the nearby shore. One reason for choosing this particular spot was information that some good catches of Couch’s bream and red mullet had come from adjacent rock marks. I had not caught either species to date, and wasn’t about to pass up the chance to change that. Mark is a simple fishing creature who doesn’t concern himself with the intricacies of fancy rigs. In fact, if it involves more thought and effort than tying a great big tope hook to a piece of heavy mono, or clipping on a bass plug, then he doesn’t want to know. So it fell to me to furnish us both with suitable rigs for the bream and wrasse that he had indicated would be our most likely attendants. A quick rummage unearthed a couple of light two-hook paternosters fitted with small hooks that fitted the bill well.Flow and depth around the harbour entrance were minimal, and leads of just two or three ounces were ideal. I flicked out two ragworm baits aimed at anything that might be down there, while Mark started with squid strip for bream of the black variety. Signals transmitted up the braided lines indicated a mixed bottom of mud and stones depending on which way the boat swung on its tether.COUCHES SURPRISEMark was on his mobile phone talking shop when I pulled into a series of pecks that the rod’s match tip trumpeted impressively. The gambler in me would have called it as a baby black bream but I’d have lost the bet. A beautiful little Couch’s bream that would have been more at home in a saltwater aquarium was quickly photographed and released. My fishing pleasure has never just been about catching big fish. I can take as much satisfaction from small fish and new species when they are on my radar.A real scrapper of a ballan wrasse gave the Daiwa Alltider match tip a good workout before the first black bream of around 2 lb fell to Mark’s squid bait. More black bream followed to both ragworm and squid, but no more Couch's were caught. A spot of drifting out towards Bibette Head brought more wrasse, several pollack and a few black bream, but lumpier conditions meant we soon headed back into the more comfortable waters of Braye Bay.We drifted between the buoys and enjoyed pretty much non-stop action from wrasse and bream. I had switched to a long two-down and fished ragworm baits hard on the bottom. My thinking was that I’d tickle the bottom for a bit, then, if I didn’t get anything after a minute or so, I had the built-in option to retrieve for pollack.Mark was on the phone again and not paying much attention. I was just about to start inching the line back for pollack when I got an odd bite which instantly turned into jangling weight on the rod tip. Most species of fish have a signature bite that is quite distinctive. Thereafter the ensuing tussle usually reveals definitive characteristics that can betray a fish’s identity long before it is seen. Recognising and reading these signs comes with experience, but even then we don’t always call it correctly. The alien bite and the scrap offered no clues to the identity of the attached fish, but I was fairly certain that I had two fish tugging in different directions.JAMMY DODGERTo cries of “You jammy git!” I leant over and flipped a double-shot of lovely red mullet into the boat. An incredulous Mark just shook his ginger crown in disbelief while I casually polished my fingernails on my breast. Much as I tried to repeat the feat, I succeeded only in catching wrasse after wrasse.Our next move was to push deeper into the harbour and tie up to the holding pens where the potting boats deposit their crabs until they are taken for sale. Mark’s take on fishing here is that the floating pens act as holding features and giant pots of ground-bait. “A constant shower of food and detritus particles falls from the pens, which draws lots of fish”, he said.There were garfish scooting all about the boat and masses of black bream of all sizes milling around the pens. If we did manage to get the rigs to the bottom unmolested, then double-shots of bream were almost guaranteed. These varied from a bit bigger than a matchbox to slab-sided 3 pounders in size. If you held the rig anywhere between half-depth and just below the surface, double-shots of garfish were equally obliging… not surprising given the numbers bursting the surface here, there and everywhere.Something that did surprise me was the number of bream clobbering baits close to the surface. I had put over a float rig to make the most of the gathered gars and caught just as many black bream. Like a battery of miniature camera flashes down in the gin-clear water, you could clearly see several fish at a time charging the squid bait wafting only 4 feet under the float. Those glinting sliver flashes I had first taken to be frolicking garfish were more likely mixed scrums of both bream and gars. To watch a fish beat the rabble rest to the bait, flash a silver turn, and bury the float was a magic I indulged until the need for dinner bade Mark make the three-minute hop back to his berth in the inner harbour.ALDERNEY INFORMATIONFlight details at http://www.aurigny.comTackle and baits: http://www.aldernyangling.comAlderney Angling offers Bed & Breakfast accommodation with free use of a courtesy car. Contact Fieona, tel: 01481 824884. General fishing information and Alderney tide tables at http://www.visitalderney.com/fishing Boat, Lead Feature 2010-05-30T19:20:00+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/joby-gorillatorch http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/joby-gorillatorch#When:05:00:26Z Dave Proudfoot thinks he may have found the solution to tripod illumination for night shore fishing. The ‘Joby Gorillatorch’ sports a bright and adjustable light, and comes complete with clever octopus legs that will wrap securely rod rests, beach trolleys and many other items besides.For years I’ve mucked about, messed about and messed up with bungee cord, Velcro, clamps and other methods in attempts to secure a torch or headlamp to my rod rest to illuminate the recumbent rods when night fishing. I could report various successes but nothing particularly fantastic or indeed worth sharing. Then recently when trawling for some bits of camera kit I noticed something which might be the answer to my various botches.The Joby Gorillatorch is based on the well established Gorillapod used by photographers worldwide to provide a stable platform in awkward situations. Like its siblings the Gorillatorch utilises three, highly flexible, ball-and-socket legs which can secure the light to any tripod. The fully articulated legs can easily be bent to hold the lamp firmly on the rod-rest head, leaving the angler hands-free.The light itself is bright and the CREE LED produces a maximum 65 lumens, which will illuminate the top of even the longest rod. Perhaps the beam would be better with a wider spread but the rod tips were easily visible during the trial and the Fuji inserts were a standout. A dimmer switch allows the light output to be varied and extends the battery life. Using basic three 1200 amp, re-chargeable, AA batteries the torch maintained its maximum lighting level for 12 hours, while at the lowest setting this was extended beyond 20 hours. The manufacturers quote a battery life of 20 to 80 hours depending upon the dimmer setting. One oddity perhaps is that when the lamp is turned on it’s at its brightest and rotating the switch dims the beam.TOUGH, LIGHT AND WATER RESISTANTThe flashlight head is constructed from tough ABS plastic that should take even a hashy angler’s abuse. It is water resistant but as the battery compartment does not have an o-ring seal it wont stand up to immersion in water. The polished reflector is efficient and is protected by a polycarbonate lens.The flexible legs will wrap around either the head of the tripod or around the legs. The Gorillatorch does have magnetic feet but this is clearly of minimal use for fishing as most rod rests are constructed of aluminium. I can also see a use for this lamp as a spare deck light on a small boat. It will also clamp onto the open lid of a tackle box and can be used in its basic form as a stable tripod.At 7oz including batteries the torch won’t overburden the angler yomping to far off shore marks. The Gorillatorch is available in four colours, of which, the pictured grey is the least garish. The unit has a recommended retail price of £29.95 but is available on-line for under £20. Lighting, Lead Feature 2010-05-29T05:00:26+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-24-05-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-24-05-10#When:18:58:26Z Settled conditions last week saw the start of the summer mackerel moving inshore with early fish being reported from Roker and Steetley piers taking lures. Later in the season they start to take float fished baits in good numbers. Elsewhere increasing numbers of quality flatfish have been reported, and this has meant that angling clubs are now fishing their summer matches following a very poor start to the season. Quality flounders are evident in all of the regions rivers with the mid river marks in the Wear producing several over the 2lb mark. The clean ground Durham and Northumberland beaches have good numbers of smaller flounders present, but there are also plenty of dabs and the occasional turbot or bonus bass taking ragworm and mackerel baits. The Tyne also has flounders present from the upriver marks and the mid river areas have large numbers of small cod up to the 1lb mark present.Over on the Cumbria coast flounders are out in force at all of the popular marks at Silloth and Port Carlisle. Ryhope A.C. organised a bus trip for their junior members at Silloth with all forty two anglers picking up quality flounders. Grant Stabler had the best at 40cm, Oliver Redpath and Gary Warwick Jnr. tied on 38cm and Jordan Smith had one of 37cm. Best fish amongst the accompanying adults was one of 45cm taken by Kevin Robinson.Cod are starting to show around Eyemouth to baits and lures but most are on the small side; around the 2lb mark. There are large numbers of mackerel around the deeper rock edge marks along the Dumfries and Galloway shoreline and plenty of smaller wrasse are taking baits but, having fished here recently, pollack were very scarce.The last St. Mary’s rover match saw an all flattie weigh in with the top three weights all coming from Steetley pier where Alec Gate had seventeen dabs and a flounder for 6lb 15oz to finish first. Runner-up John Hannan had eleven dabs and one flounder for 5lb 14oz ahead of George Wilson who had eight dabs for 2lb 13oz. Russell Miller had the heaviest fish with a flounder of 1 – 13lb from Whitby harbour. Up at Amble T. Cook won their last match with five flounders for 3lb 6oz with R. Gray in second with a 2½lb bag. A. Gray finished in third with three fish for 2lb 6oz, best weighing 1lb 1oz. The Tynemouth retired members match saw Dave Brown win with a single specimen flounder of 2lb 1oz. The Tynemouth travel match to Eyemouth saw John Chisholm win with a cod of 2lb 7oz while Steve Harper had one for 1lb 9oz and Dave Hayley had one for 1lb 5oz. Steve Bing won a Westoe A.C. Match with two plaice for 1lb 10oz, followed by Kevin Moliker with one plaice of 11oz.Durham police fished catch and release in the Wear and found some specimen flounder among lots of smaller flounders and coalfish. Guest angler Andy Rutherford won with fifty-seven fish for 635 points, which included a 41cm flounder. Ian Ainsley had thirty-four fish for 340 points to finish second and in third Dave Nevin had twenty-seven fish for 281 points. Bill Huscroft had the longest fish, a fine flounder of 43cm.Boat angling has also started to improve with fresh mackerel baits picking up some quality ling. The Hartlepool Open Boat sweepstake saw some nice mixed bags of cod, ling, and coalfish landed, and there are reports of a 27lb cod taken by an angler not in the competition which raised £142 for the R.N.L.I. The first prize went to Ivan Bell with a ling of 19½lb taken on Wildcard while Paul Jobling had a ling on the White Dwarf for second place and third place went to John Pattison with a cod of 15lb, also on the White Dwarf.Walter Turnbull and Paul Conroy fished out of Burnmouth and landed over two hundred cod, mostly small specimens returned plus three pollack and two catfish. The Boys, fishing out of the Tyne kept fifty-seven cod to 6lb, plus lots returned. The N.E.S.A. heaviest fish small boat match out of the Tyne saw Kevin Blyth win with a cod of 6½lb on Wor Lass. Arthur Smeaton had a cod of 5¾lb on Lazy Daze and Bill Baxter had a cod of 5½lb on Shanka. The Jester out of Sunderland fished an inshore wreck taking cod to 11½lb and ling to 5lb. The Python also out of Sunderland saw R. Morrison keep thirty-two fish to 12½lb and J. Palmer landed twenty-three fish to 5lb. North East England 2010-05-24T18:58:26+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/dvice-clip-on-sinker http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/dvice-clip-on-sinker#When:19:00:17Z Dave Proudfoot runs the rule over the the latest addition to the range of products from the innovative Dvice Company...The new Clip-on sinker is a simple idea intended to making fishing easier. Well designed and executed, the concept sees a 80gm modified egg sinker fitted with a central wire clip. Attachment/detachment is lightning fast, secure and births a whole world of fishing possiblities to explore. Various appliactions for sliding rigs from boat and shore, and the option of quick additional weight to a lead or pirk instantly spring to mind. The Clip-on sinker could also be used to add weight above a leadhead and is perfect for the shore angler wishing to deep-spin for pollack from the shore. They come in packs of three sinkers, with all necessary wires and short lengths of silicon tube used to lock wires in place.To assemble the sinker the longer leg of the wire is inserted into the lead via the wider of the two slotted holes. At this point the open end is attached to whatever terminal tackle the angler wishes to use... a lead, pirk or swivel etc. The wire is then firmly pushed home through the sinker and the open, angled tagged end of the wire slipped into the slot.The short length of silicon rubber supplied is then pushed over the longer length of wire and secured tightly against the sinker. A bit of moisture will help the silicon slip on the wire. In typical use the main line is then be attached to the longer leg either directly or by using a clip. Alternative a rig could be attached to the longer side of the wire first and before sniker is snapped into place, securely and slid down the line... a very effective way of applying a slider. The clip-on sinker is an excellent idea well produced and I’d like to see lighter versions produced sooner rather than later. 12 to 25gms would make terrific clip-on sliders the shore angler wishing to fish an additional bait close in when distance casting. Terminal Tackle, Lead Feature 2010-05-21T19:00:17+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-may-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-may-2010#When:17:00:39Z It’s a brief report this month because there is only so much you can say about turbot fishing……………it’s been excellent lately. The best we’ve seen around the island has for three years and the sports looks set to continue as the banks continue to produce top notch catches. Lets face it turbot fishing can be boring yet the lure of such a prized fish is enough to get the appetites whetted to drift over the banks and gulleys in search of the specimen that all anglers are seeking.The fight can at best only be described as dogged but it is the satisfaction of seeing something considered rare in UK waters gliding its way to the net. Having said hooked into a double figure fish on light tackle the angler will know all about it. The shakes of the head like any other flattie as the turbot attempts to stick to the seabed produces many heart stopping moments during the fight. Plenty of reports of twenty fish to a boat with Steve Porter’s “True Blue” and Chris Tett’s “Peace and Plenty” producing record catches for their boats during recent weeks.The conservation message is getting across to with many fish going back to breed and fight another day; it’s the only way that the fishery will remain sustainable. No twenty pound plus fish reported to me yet (doesn’t mean they’ve not been caught!) but the average size is pretty good with plenty of low teen fish. One or two brill have also featured in the catches although they tend to come on better later in the season. Blonde rays have been caught when the tide slackens and I have no doubt that if the banks were anchored correctly the angler would have a field day with those but such is the draw of the turbot it rarely happens. The angler hunting the flats will have to contend with one or two nuisance lesser spotted dogfish during their drifts.Lots of tope activity on the reef marks together with the odd conger eel and bull huss. The tope are ranging in the 25lb to 45lb bracket with the occasional fish topping 50lb, exhilarating sport on the right gear. On the wrecks there are plenty of pollack to 18lb and these marks aren’t far offshore, just a mere 8 miles to the closest ones in Hurds Deep. A sprinkling of cod are also showing and these will increase in numbers over the coming weeks. Slack water over the wrecks is producing some decent ling.Shore sport is going through a quieter period at the moment with pollack to 4lb, garfish and the first of the mackerel showing up. One or two bass reported but lots of fishless hours have been put in for these few fish and the mullet, which were here in numbers, have moved off for now. All in all rather typical for the time of year.Meetings regarding Alderney’s proposed fishery regulations are on going at present and thanks to those that have contributed their comments.Also thanks to those of you that make the effort to get here to sample our delightful fishing. It's not always easy crossing the channel in windy conditions but your efforts are appreciated by those involved in the island’s tourism and the fishing is worth your endeavours. Channel Islands 2010-05-19T17:00:39+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-15-05-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-15-05-10#When:18:17:51Z Last Sunday Humber SAC were in action on the creek at Humberston where Simon Drayton was top man once again and finished well in front of the rest of the field. Simon weighed in 9lb 2oz and using peeler crab was his secret to finding the better fish. Second placed Richard Leek had 5lb 13oz ahead of new member Glen Jubb in third who weighed a bag of 3lb 1oz. Glen is well known in the boat angling circles but he has decided to have a go at the shore as well.This weekend the King Pin Open will be fished on the promenade. The weather looks good and the area has been fishing well so all being well it should be a closely fought match with decent weights. Fishing is from 5.30 to 9.30pm. Then on the Sunday it is the three man teams on the Humber bank wall.This Sunday also sees the last match in the HCA winter league and it should be very interesting. The rays should be more prominent, but there seems to be a few cod about as well. Unfortunately current leader of the league Mark Taylor is away this weekend and can not attend the match. So it could open the way for Tim burgess to be crowned the champion for this year.One thing to remember on Sunday that Smooth hounds do not count it was decided that it the best thing to do as we do not want to kill these fantastic fish. They are no good to eat, but are tremendous sport for the angler and are great when you catch them on lighter tackle. I remember getting one on a very light spinning rod whilst fishing for bass and hooked a nine pound hound it certainly put up a good scrap. It is a great feeling when you can feel the rod bending right down to the butt.On the beach we need a change of wind direction to encourage the hounds to come in shore. The shops are getting in good numbers of peeler crab at the moment so it might be worth getting a few in and freezing them down. Karl Nangle did better last year on the frozen baits than the fresh ones. The frozen ones release the scent quicker and if there are a lot of hounds about they pick up on the scent and seize the bait. East England 2010-05-15T18:17:51+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-15-05-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-15-05-10#When:18:10:04Z Shore sport remains very quiet but flounders are increasing in numbers from the open beaches and piers and once the sea settles down plaice should start to show in greater numbers. Best bet for a bit of sport is to stick to the clean ground marks and fish light with ragworm and mackerel baits for a bit of flattie action and possibly pick up the odd bass among them. A thornback ray of 7lb was landed from Steetley pier recently and once the seas drop away they should certainly become an occasional visitor to the local beaches and piers. The rays move inshore throughout May and June to deposit their familiar egg sacks which are often found washed up on the beaches. The odd dogfish should also be possible as they too move inshore.The rivers Tyne and Wear are full of smaller coalfish but flounder sport is improving slightly in the Wear although the fishing is still weeks behind the norm due to the low water temperatures. The mid-river marks around Claxheugh are producing some nice flounders around the 2lb mark, but the lower river seems to be dominated by small coalfish. Eleven year old Callum Ord had two nice specimens of 2lb and 1¾lb, both photographed before being returned and Thomas Lee also had one of 2lb, all taken on ragworm and mackerel baits.Club match activity is almost non existent, however, a recent Eastenders sweepstake in the Wear at Panns Bank saw three hundred and sixty-eight coalfish, twenty cod and two flounders measured and returned. Bob Gascoigne had thirty-six fish for 796cm and Jim Dobie also had thirty-six measuring 774cm. The last Eastenders heaviest fish club match held at the Business Park saw Chris Hossack win with a fine flounder of 1lb 11oz and Lee Brown had one of 1¼lb.The only club bothering to fish the open shoreline recently was Tynemouth A.C. and they found the fishing extra tough in heavy seas at Seahouses when only Marty Elliott managed to weigh in with a single cod of 1lb 5oz. Tynemouth member Wilf Reed had a pleasure session at Blyth Beach and landed seven size flounders for 7lb 2oz with the two biggest at 1¾lb, this is probably the biggest bag of size fish taken from anywhere over the last several weeks.South of the Tees flounders are starting to take over from rockling as the target species for club matches. The last St. Mary’s rover match saw eight out of eighteen weigh in. Mick Smith fished Cowbar to land five flounders for 3½lb to top the list while runner-up Terry Dalton went to Whitby to land two for 2lb 14oz, best 1lb 8oz. Third placed John Hannan landed two dabs and a plaice for 1lb 13oz from Steetley pier. Another St. Mary’s local match saw the Smith family take all of the honours with Phil Smith having one flounder and a rockling for 1¼lb, wife Julie had two flounders for 1lb 3oz and brother Mick had two flounders for 1lb 2oz.For those anglers waiting for the mackerel to arrive, they too are very late this year, boats fishing well offshore just reporting the very occasional specimens taken on rod and line and in commercial nets. The Sarah JFK out of the Tyne had a fishing party out last week and they managed forty five size fish with cod and ling to 9½lb taken on baits and lures. North East England 2010-05-15T18:10:04+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/fox-international-4-piece-jig-trek-and-jig-trek-xt-rods http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/fox-international-4-piece-jig-trek-and-jig-trek-xt-rods#When:19:20:52Z The latest boat fishing rods from the FOX stable are creating quite a stir behind the scenes. Primarily pitched at the bluewater market, globe-trotting Les McBride tested the JIG TREK and JIG TREK XT in Kenya where he concluded these 4-pieces also have much to offer anglers travelling to Norway and Iceland.At just 55cm long the hard rod cases will fit into almost any suitcase or holdall, and the case is certainly tough enough to take any of the knocks and bumps associated with airport baggage abuse. The velour bag that holds the individual rod sections is idiot-proof when it comes to what section slots where. I’ve used various multi-section travel rods where the cloth bag has nightmare ‘same size’ compartments, meaning if sections are ordered wrongly the bloody bag won’t fit in the tube because the rings stick out in different directions.There are two models in the JIG TREK set: the first has a lure rating of 300-400 grams and a line rating of 50lb, while the heavier-duty JIG TREK XT carries heavier 500-700 gram lure rating and an 80lb line spec. Both rods are essentially finished to the same specifications. At 6ft long and in four equal sections, both rods are noticeably light to handle thanks largely to high quality carbon and a lightweight Fuji reel seat. Each section is approximately 18 inches long, fitting together via two spigots on the main blank, with another at the reel seat via the Fuji winch fitting rather like the old modalock design.With an RRP of over £300 each you would expect and indeed get the very best fixtures and fittings. Six very expensive Fuji Silicon Carbide rings plus tip; quality duplon grips; and a Fuji winch fitting and aluminium gimbal. There is also a small keeper ring near the butt for you to hang your jig from when the rod is not in use. The sculpted duplon fore-grip is ergonomically designed with five indentations for your fingers, while the rear grip is plain black duplon. These super-light blanks are deceptively powerful and shape up as very pokey sticks indeed. The guide arrangement allows use of either a fixed spool or a multiplier.The finish is excellent. The blanks are dark blue blank with similarly coloured whipping on the rings. There’s just enough epoxy applied in the finish, while the spigot joints are well whipped and would appear to be carbon reinforced. A decorative cross whipping just above the foregrip and a couple of blue metallic rings on the butt adds a little extra bling. In both cases the JIG TREK and the JIG TREK XT are remarkably lightweight for their power. The JIG TREK rod weighs in at just 395 grams, with an overall weight of just over 1kg in its protective tube. The XT model is only a few grams more. This is fantastic for the travelling angler considering the low baggage allowances and charges at airports these days if you are overweight with your tackle. GETTING JIGGY WITH ITMy fishing buddy Tony Voss and I took these rods with us on our annual trip to Watamu in Kenya. Our intention was to give them a thorough thrashing while jigging on the local deep reefs for hard fighting species such as Giant Trevally, Amberjack and snappers of various kinds, all very strong hard fighting fish. Powerful fixed spools are the reel of choice with most tropical jiggers, as the high rate of retrieve lets you move the lure through the water column at a speed attractive to these warm water species… and you really can’t wind too fast for these mighty fish. I selected the lighter rod which I matched with a Shimano Saragosa 14000 reel loaded with 400 yards of 50lb Power Pro braid. Tony used a Shimano Stella 10000 fixed spool packed with 80lb whiplash braid on the XT model.The main problem with our ‘jig’ plan was that the Watamu area was experiencing its best run of marlin and sailfish in living memory with almost every boat catching between three and eight striped marlin between 40 and 60kg a day, along with several sailfish during the first week of our stay. You just can’t ask your skipper to fish for snappers when the marlin are playing like this, so the heavier XT model was selected to be used as a pitch bait rod. This is a technique used when a marlin or sailfish pops its head up in the propwash of the boat; the idea is you drop a small deadbait in front of its nose and hang on while it heads for the horizon! An early design flaws became apparent after an abortive pitch at a sailfish. I was quickly winding the bait back when the small baitfish skipped off a wave and the resulting slack line wrapped around the blank becoming trapped by the small keeper ring above the fore-grip. This came as a shock. If I had been playing a marlin or sailfish which had ran towards me this could have resulted in a broken line and a lost fish, and I stopped using the rod for this particular purpose as I felt there was a risk there. I was sorely tempted to snip the keeper ring off and would have if it hadn’t been an expensive test rod.TREVALLY TESTAngus, our skipper, took us to the ‘Karambesi spot’- Karambesi is the Swahili name for Giant Trevally. GTs are probably the ultimate jigging fish, growing in this part of Kenya to over 100lb and on this mark average 20-25kg, they were a sure-fire way to test any item of tackle as heavy drags are the only way to tame these powerhouse brutes.We started fishing in 250 feet of water using 300g jigs. Although it was just 7am we were soon sweating buckets working the lures hard and fast. The JIG TREK rod I was using felt light as a feather, but I was niggled by a small ‘comfort’ problem. Holding the rod to work the jig fast meant I had to grip it at the reel seat, and instead of a comfortable grip on duplon or a plain seat my fingers were rubbing against the hard plastic connection screw at the joint. This quickly became very uncomfortable and I was forced to alter my hand position. Moving my hand up to the duplon affected my jigging speed, and felt an unnatural way to work the rod. However, I should point out here that this is a personal thing symptomatic of how I hold the rod. Others will grip and work the rod differently and have no issue. The fishing was poor, possibly due to the very high tides, but I eventually hooked a fish. Not huge, but it felt reasonable. It dived a couple of times and the rod took it well enough but it was only a rather timid 6kg ‘green jobfish’, not the hoped for mighty karambesi. I looked over to Tony who had hooked a bigger fish and got a proper look at the action of the XT version. The usual steps in the action from the series of spigots were evident but otherwise blank clean, if not overly extended under weight of what was run-of-the-mill snapper of around 12kg. Tony loved the way the rod felt and handled.Next drift I connected with a slightly better fish on the JIG TREK. It was a GT but not one of the real giants. At 9kg, it fought like a train nonetheless, but the rod easily ironed out all the rip-roaring downward running resistance served up. The rod isn’t some lifeless crane or indeed an overly flexible, soggy thing like some of the short jigging rods that do the rounds and aren’t appropriate for this application. I have absolutely no doubt the JIG TREK possesses the meat and necessary malice to tame much, much bigger fish, and would describe both rods as gutsy but responsive.TONY’S TURNTony hooked a much bigger GT at the same time as I hooked mine but he went far too easy on the fish and it bored straight into the reef and broke him. During this session we again both suffered with the line wrapping and trapping on the keeper ring. Avoiding this meant slowing to a more deliberate pump-and-wind action on the lure instead of the frantic 100mph jig-wind-jig-wind as fast as you possible technique. That ring was definitely getting the wire-cutter treatment!The fishing wasn’t great on the day and while we were doing this all boats around us were catching sailfish. The crew set us up for trolling and I took time out to run a critical eye over the rods, and discuss their merits with skipper Angus. He has huge experience with speed jigging and judged both rods excellent in the main but voiced a preference for solid metal reel seats as he has witnessed plastic reels seats failing in the past when wrestling very large GTs and amberjacks in particular.Later, Angus passed over his favourite amberjack spot. Some 550 feet deep, we used 500g jigs, which is excruciating work let me tell you. Tony hooked and landed an 8kg AJ without incident which turned out to be the biggest fish from the mark. However, a 45kg amberjack was taken from this mark a week later… that would have provided a far sterner test of the rods.THOUGHTS AND PRICESThe usual problem people associate with multi section travel rod is that every joint must be a weakness, this was probably true a few years ago but this is the 21st century and the raw materials and engineering knowhow now are incredible. I have a friend who builds 6 section salmon fly rods from flat pieces of carbon cloth, some of them costing almost £1,000. He sells many of these rods a year and his failure rates are negligible because of the quality of his stock materials. I believe the quality of the carbon in the JIG TREK rods is possibly as good.What would I change? The keeper ring has to go, and indeed it has been chopped on the rods that I was given. I’d also have solid metal reel fittings as Angus suggests, and, for reasons of sheer comfort, have it installed so that it screws up from the bottom. That way you are not going to suffer blisters or be relieved of lumps of skin and flesh due to the fitting chewing into your hand even if a jigging glove is worn.The lighter JIG TREK rod would be superb for fishing in Norway or Iceland, more than able to cope with almost any sized cod, coalfish etc. It also has the grunt for a moderate sized halibut. And it is my intention to take the rods out to Norway in the near future. Both the JIG TREK and the JIG TREK XT stand up as excellent rods for UK waters for wreck fishing, deep water, heavy lead and big fish applications for the likes of conger and large blonde rays with a multiplier.JIG TREK 6’ 4-piece 300-400 gram jigging rod RRPs at £322.34 or €374.99, while JIG TREK XT 6’ 4-piece 500-700 gram jigging rod sells for £326.64 or €379.99. They are available from the Fox International website with free delivery for the time being. Boat rods, Rods, Lead Feature, Travel rods 2010-05-13T19:20:52+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/rays-on-the-radar http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/rays-on-the-radar#When:19:10:54Z Holyhead charter skipper Gethyn Owen discusses fishing for a variety of ray species in the waters around North Wales. Much of his excellent advice holds true for ray fishing anywhere in UK waters and will prove useful to anyone with big rays on their radar.Rays are cartilaginous fish and closely related to sharks, and incredibly, there are over 500 species of rays worldwide. They are massively valuable to recreational angler from both boat and shore, but sadly the numbers of rays landed by anglers and commercials dramatically declined in recent years. Take the once common skate which was once abundant in most UK waters, for example, it is now listed as an endangered species.The Shark Trust is a conservation charity dedicated to the study and conservation of sharks, skates and rays. Their website at www.sharktrust.org contains loads of excellent information and is well worth browsing. According to the Shark Trust there have been 15 species of ray recorded in the seas around the UK waters. Only five species are relatively common around the North Wales coast where I live and operate as a full time charter skipper. These are the blonde ray, cuckoo ray, spotted ray, small eyed ray and thornback ray, with the thornback being the most common of all as far as anglers are concerned.A number of years ago now the South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee imposed a minimum size on all rays caught, this currently stands at 45cm from wing tip to wing tip. The minimum size list also states 22cm for a single detached wing, how many single winged rays have you seen caught? What is more ridiculous and alarming perhaps is that the North West & North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee has no minimum legal landing size for rays.RAYS SHOULD BE RELEASEDFew anglers could forget catching their first good ray, and some like me gone on to pursue them with passion. I never tire of catching good-sized rays and find the whole experience invigorating. The initial fluttering take, the heavyweight strain as the fish uses its wings to catch the tide like a parachute as you work to draw it towards the boat, the elation of it flapping in the net and the satisfaction of releasing and watching a good ray power away to freedom are all special.Generally speaking, the north Wales’ rays first appear between the last week of February and the beginning of March. By mid March and through April the fishing is in full swing, with bigger female fish the early norm. Rays can be caught around most of north Wales, with some species more prevalent in certain areas. Thornbacks, while not anywhere near as abundant as they once were, are still caught very regularly along the whole of the north Wales coast, with Anglesey and Lleyn shore and boat marks experiencing the other species of rays in numbers.Around Anglesey the vast majority of ray fishing is done close in on the broken grounds. Typical fishing marks for boat anglers out from Holyhead include an area of mussel beds directly north of the port. To the west of the mussel beds, a rocky outcrop called Langdon Ridge is also accessible at slack tide, where many double figure blonde rays and some excellent spotted rays can be caught. While not blessed with great numbers of 20lb plus rays, Holyhead can offer double-figure thornbacks and blonde rays. Further around the coast there are famous ray grounds such as Trearddur Bay and Ty Croes, with Cable Bay renowned for an early influx of thornbacks, spotted rays and the odd small eyed. These marks can offer exceptional fishing from the boats and shore.UPTIDE AND DOWNTIDE TACTICSBoat fishing for rays is not complicated and the most important thing is location. Downtide tactics are fine and catch plenty of rays but uptide fishing can be a very productive especially in the shallower waters. Good uptide casting puts baits away from clattering boat noise and ensures that baits are anchored firmly to the sea-floor for mooching rays to home in on. Mackerel, sandeel, squid, bluey and peeler crab are top ray baits. My most successful baits continue to be with either whole squid, or squid and sandeel cocktails.One of the main problems when targeting rays especially the broken grounds around Anglesey is an abundance of hungry lesser spotted dogfish. Regularly a meticulously prepared and presented ray bait is sent to the bottom, only for a bloody dogfish to grab it within seconds. Dogfish are something of an occupational hazard that you just learn to accept, but you can better your ray chances by paying attention to the type and size of baits used. Avoidance of dogs is the reason that I personally don’t often use modest cuts of mackerel for rays. If I do use mackerel then I tend towards a fresh whole fresh mackerel fillet topped off with a generous dollop of squid… this really is a top bait combination for big rays of all species.A simple running ledger using either a single hook or tandem pennel arrangement is the best all round rig for both downtide and uptide fishing. Don't make the mistake of fishing too light in the trace as rays have extremely powerful mouths and a rough, trace destroying snout. I have seen many good fish lost because anglers thought a 30lb mono trace was robust enough. Choose a 50-80lb mono hook-length, and hooks between 3/0 and 6/0 depending on the skipper’s advice.Bites from even big rays are often timid and far less obvious than less experienced shore and boat anglers might expect. Bearing in mind that the mouth of the ray is on the under-slung, the fish needs sufficient time settle on a bait and work itself into a position to eat it. The beginnings of a ray take can innocuously manifest as no more than the line being pulled down negligibly in the tide, and occasionally with a small flutter of the rod tip which could easily be dismissed as crab attention or very small fish interference. As a fish settles more on the bait, the rod tip often bends further as more line is disturbed down by a large wing or the body of the fish. If this visible action hasn’t prompted you to pick up the rod and wait, you soon will as the ray makes it presence more violently known as it powers away with the hook fully in its mouth.Ray battles are not typically line-ripping affairs. But the solid thump, thump of a big blonde with its nose buried in hard run of tide will test any angler's tackle and their mettle. Species focus, Lead Feature 2010-05-13T19:10:54+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-11-05-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-11-05-10#When:13:04:03Z A slight bit of movement on the sea due to unseasonably cold northerly winds produced a few small cod from some areas and a few whiting after dark, particularly from Steetley pier, but otherwise shore sport remains dependant on the ever reliable flounders, dabs and the odd plaice.South Shields pier has produced some plaice among lots of small coalfish to ragworm baits but prolonged calm conditions are needed for the bigger specimens to show, when all of the region’s piers and clean ground beaches should produce a few specimens over the 1lb mark. The Durham beaches are producing flounders in reasonable numbers, but most are undersize, some anglers have reported taking small turbot to mackerel baits. Anglers are now starting to target the early thornback rays that have been evident during the past couple of seasons. As with the plaice however, settled conditions seem to be the more productive for rays.Match activity is almost non existent with fishing for small specimens in the local rivers on a measure and release basis not to everyone’s taste. There are some big specimen flounders amongst the hordes of small coalfish, whiting and codling in both the rivers Wear and Tyne with ragworm and mackerel baits taking most fish. Peeler crab is still in short supply due to persistently low water temperatures.Some dates for your diary for open matches are as follows. June 6th sees the Silloth Open fishing from 12 till 4pm which will be pegged fishing measure and release.Rutherford’s Cono-Flex Sweepstake League starts on Saturday June 5th at the Copthorne Hotel on the Tyne; all matches are fished from 7.30pm till 10.30pm and are catch and release. Entry is £10 with a 100% pay out. The rest of the match series dates are Saturday June 19th, Monday July 5th, Monday July 19th, Wednesday August 4th and Wednesday August 18th. Contact Andy on 0191 5654183 for details.The Fraser’s Open Boat competition is being held on Sunday 27th June and is open to all boats - both private and charter. Entry is £10 all classes and the event is a "Heaviest Single Fish" competition. Competitors may fish from any port, but must weigh in at the Royal Quays Marina, North Shields. Tickets will be on sale from 7.00 am on the day of the competition at the Royal Quays, or from tackle shops the week before. Fishing is 8.00 am to 4.00 pm with weigh in 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm at the Royal Quays. There are two categories - one for boats under 20 ft and the other for boats over 20 ft. The first three heaviest fish in each of the two categories will receive a percentage of entry monies. There will also be an excellent prize list and - for the heaviest fish weighed in from a kayak there will be a special prize. As usual it’s one prize per competitor.June 19th till July 11th is the Whitby Charter Skippers Association Summer Festival. July 18th is the Amble Summer open fishing from 12.30 till 4.30, again further details nearer the time. North East England 2010-05-11T13:04:03+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/raglou-fever http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/raglou-fever#When:18:34:53Z For ages like lots of Scots boat anglers I've been searching for the deadly Ragot Raglou eels particularly in the rose pink colour. Fortuately Mark Harding of Alderney angling has been able to find a supply of these in 85mm. Colours available Pearl White (PW), Orange Fluro (FO), Rose Fluro (FP) and Green/White (PG).Full details of the excellent prices are available on Mark's website at http://www.alderneyangling.com/plugs_lures.htmMark hopes to have more colours and size soon.Get your orders in quickly while stocks last!!  Channel Islands, News and Info 2010-05-05T18:34:53+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/greatham-creek-flounder-tactics-and-tricks http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/greatham-creek-flounder-tactics-and-tricks#When:14:30:14Z Tranquil Greatham Creek is a venue populated with diverse wildlife and held in very special affection by Steve Walker. Having fished here for flounders, eels and other species since he was a boy, the place lends itself to freshwater tactics and has magical appeal says the author...At low water Greatham Creek is a relatively small body of water that flows into the mouth of the river Tees and is tidal for much of its length. The tidal limit is a few miles inland, on the edge of Hartlepool itself at the ancient village of Greatham, which experienced considerable during the early part of the last century. Houseboats used to moor upriver of the road bridge, and there used to be an active herring fishery once flourished here. My own youthful memories are of friends and I catching eels and flounders from this part of the Creek on hand lines.The Creek then flows down through typical salt marsh as a narrow channel and passes under the main coast road from Hartlepool to Middlesbrough. I would suspect that few passers-by would think that there are actually fish in the Creek, and fewer yet would contemplate fishing this innocuous venue. Several hundred yards down-river of the road bridge the Creek widens dramatically into a vast expanse of mudflats that are not visible from the road. These flats are criss-crossed by deep channels, which are covered at high tide by several square miles of water. This area is tranquil and the only people normally seen are those anglers working tyres and drainpipe crab traps along the channel edge, or the occasional group of bird or seal watchers.With resident colonies of both Grey and Common seals, and home to thousands of wading and migratory birds, the Creek is an important site of special scientific interest (SSSI). Other wildlife including foxes, rabbits, hares, stoats and weasels will often come quite close to the visitors. Occasionally harbour porpoises are seen frolicking in the Creek at high water. The wildlife and relative peace-and-quiet makes this one of my favourite places to wander with rod and line.This whole area on the north side of the Tees is under-fished, and offers much to those who prepared to explore and experiment. There are good numbers of flounders and eels, as well as small whiting, coalfish, bass, and various mini-species such as blennies and rockling. During heavy winter seas cod will move into the mouth of the Creek, and the summer months see an influx of mackerel. Shad and smelt have also been taken from the Creek.The majority of the angling in this area is carried out during the summer when the readily accessible north side is protected from offshore winds. In a south easterly wind you can practically freeze to death on nearby North Gare pier, but in the sheltered Creek it can be several degrees warmer.LIGHT TACKLE & TECHNIQUESThe main channel is relatively deep where it enters the Tees. There is little tidal movement, which makes it possible to fish with very light tackle. Coarse match tackle can be used, as well as the more practical carp and bass rod set-ups favoured by many anglers. The main summer baits are ragworm and peeler crab.Conditions will ultimately determine what tackle can and cannot be used. I prefer to use a carp waggler outfit, targeting the mini species with the chance of a decent flounder or eel among them. Alternatively, a spinning rod matched with fixed spool reel with 10lb line to a standard one up/one down rig and a ½ -1 oz lead is very effective. A short cast of 20 to 30 yards will produce all the bottom species, including whiting and flounders, with double and treble shots possible. Another option is to use a lighter coarse match rod, and to flick the cast into the muddy channels using only split shot or lead wire as weight. I enjoy float fishing with a waggler. This is an effective way to present baits if there are lots of crabs present. The bait can be set so that it bounces along the bottom in the flow, out of the reach of the grabbing crabs. The venue lends itself to this method as the seabed is moderately level until it reaches the distant channel at high water. The water is usually quite clean for a muddy inlet, and any fish, especially flounders, will eagerly rise up and follow a bait drifting over their heads. The trick is get the depth setting correct; it can take a few casts to work this out, after which slight depth adjustments are made as the tide rises or falls. Basically if you start snagging, or pulling in crabs then the bait is too deep.I like using a loaded waggler to prevent tangles. Just enough shot is used down near the bait to ensure it stays close to the bottom. I use 6lb main line to a 4lb hook-trace via a micro swivel, with most shot around and above the swivel, and o just a single shot halfway down the hook trace. For a heavier sliding float I use either a single very small drilled bullet lead, or a coil of lead wire placed above the swivel.BITE FRIGHTSYou can get some unusual bites fishing this way, as everything is so much more magnified than when using standard sea tackle. Tiny bites that heavier tackle would not register can be clearly seen; quick little dips of the float might be the bottom, or a flounder nipping at the bait. After a few sessions it’s easy to tell the differences. At other times the float will shoot out of sight as a big flounder takes the bait, or a small bass or coalfish makes off. Most fish will be lip-hooked and can easily be returned, especially the flounders, which are often deep hooked when fishing on the bottom with heavier tackle.  Most of the fishing marks at high water are from ‘slag’ banks - long lines of waste spoil (slag) from the old steel works once used to reclaim the mudflats. This whole area is often referred to as the "Slag Wall". The depth of water can be anywhere between 2ft and 10ft along the edges of these raised banks. It’s therefore possible to fish at a fixed depth by trapping a float between stop knots, and it is easy to flick out a 10ft drop with an appropriate match rod.When the water is shallow and clean enough to see the bottom, you can pick out the deeper channels to cast into, or put your bait between outcrops of weed so that it drifts along without getting snagged. Indeed, sometimes it is possible to see fish actually following the bait. Even a small fish can put a good bend into a match rod, and a reasonable flounder or eel will scrap surprisingly well.It is not usually possible to lift a decent fish up with this type of rod so you will either need a landing net, or you will have to stand at the waters edge and lift any fish by hand. There is always plenty of room on these marks, and my normal approach is to cast out a two-hook rig on a carp rod away from where I am float fishing.The Creek is a great place for beginners and younger anglers to fish as access is easy, and some success is almost guaranteed. And although this feature is about a specific mark there is no reason why light tackle bottom bouncing shouldn’t produce at your local venue. Shore, Flounder, Lead Feature 2010-05-05T14:30:14+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/fox-sailfish-trek-spin-rod http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/fox-sailfish-trek-spin-rod#When:14:00:15Z Les McBride tests the new FOX Sailfish Trek Spin rod on a trip to Kenya and discovers that it's not just 'another' tidy travel stick. A versatile design with numerous applications, he concludes that anglers could easily use it both at home and abroad.There are two FOX Sailfish Trek spinning rods: The Trek Spin XT and the lighter Trek Spin version that I had for testing in Kenya. Both are compact 4-piece, 8 footers, and come supplied in a smart hard case measuring 27 inches, ensuring that they should fit into most travelling anglers’ suitcases or holdalls. Superbly built, the Trek Spin rod is light enough to hold all day while bait fishing or chucking lures. It is long enough to very capably chuck heavy poppers at such species as jack crevalle or medium-sized giant Trevally from the shoreline, while not so long as to be ungainly as a teasing pitch bait rod for sailfish from the boat.Built from high quality carbon, the rod is very fit for purpose being both desirably stiff and responsive. Finished in the TREK range signature blue with similar whippings on the rings, the rod isn’t aesthetically overstated. Indeed the only ostentation perhaps is a short piece of blue/black/gold cross whipping on the bottom of the section above the handle. It’s smart all the same.The Trek Spin is comprised of four sections; these join together via push-in joints rather than the usual spigots or pushover fits. My opinion is that this provides a more seamless overall action. I was a little surprised with the rings given that this is a pricey bluewater rod. I expected genuine Fuji’s but noted instead FOX’s own brand of ‘Slik’ ceramic lined guides. These certainly look the part at a glance, but only time will tell whether they are as good as genuine Fujis. The rings are finished in a single blue colour with just the right amount of epoxy finish.The handle is solidly built with an ergonomic foregrip sporting four indentations for your fingers. The Fuji reel seat is well sited, while the rear grip is also ergonomically shaped to give maximum grip when casting. Pulling off the substantial rubber cap on the end reveals a plastic gimbal fitting. My preference would have been a light Fuji aluminium gimbal.ADRENALINE JUNKIEI put the Trek Spin to work as pitch bait rod for sailfish. The idea here is that should a sailfish move close to the boat in the propwash – as they often do - a small dead bait can be dropped right in front of it’s bill. As the sail grabs the bait, the hook is set and you just hang on tight while it bolts for the horizon at 100mph… pure adrenaline fishing for sure!I matched the Trek Spin with a Shimano Biomaster 6000 spinning reel holding almost 400 yards of 30lb Power Pro braided line, and had several chances at not only sailfish but also close-quarter striped marlin. Several fish took the offered pitch baits, but unfortunately both Tony Voss and I failed to get a hook to stay in a fish for longer than 30 seconds....BUGGER!Several modest wahoo and dorado to around 20lb were caught on trolled Rapalas with the Trek Spin on the downrigger. These fish fought hard and did not stress the rod, which rode the runs and power dives beautifully. Without doubt the rod will cope with much larger fish and provide the user with some great sport. The blank is very responsive with plenty of power in reserve. The ring spacing is good with no obvious flat spots under load of some reasonable fish. And a 150g jig can be cast 50 metres with just a flick.HOME AND AWAYUp until the last few years, multi-section travel rods were something of a compromise, usually budget-priced (well under £100) and underpowered. They were okay for putting in a suitcase to take on holiday, but they would rarely see the light of day as a first choice rod for day-to-day fishing at home. With the FOX Sailfish Trek however, you get a quality rod with a considered action that is a pleasure to use at home as well as overseas. In other words, this is a versatile rod that you will not be inclined to sling into a dusty cupboard to be forgotten until the next foreign excursion.At home the Trek Spin will be brilliant for spinning or float fishing for pollack from the rocks, or Gilling from the boat. And this season it is my intention to use it for shallow water smoothhounds and tope.I have used nearly all the rods in the FOX Trek range and would mark this particular rod as the most versatile of those that I have handled thus far. At 8ft it can be used from a boat for almost any middleweight species. It also stands up well for casting lures or bait from the shore in places like the Florida Keys and the west coast of Africa. I would also suggest that the Sailfish Trek Spin would be absolutely superb for casting small pirks or fishing big shads in Norway for cod and big coalfish.The Sailfish Trek Spin costs a tad over £200, and is available direct through the FOX International website here. Boat rods, Rods, Lead Feature, Travel rods 2010-05-05T14:00:15+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/bait-special-cocktail-baits http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/bait-special-cocktail-baits#When:13:30:52Z Properly presented combination or ‘cocktail’ baits catch fish… lots of fish. Here Steve Walker talks about some of his favourite bait unions, and passes on great advice that will help you catch more.Like butter goes with bread, or rhubarb with custard, a cocktail bait is a complimentary combination of two or more different bait types presented on a hook, or hooks in pennel arrangement. A good common example of a cocktail of would be lugworm and ragworm together. Usually the softer lugworms go on the hook first followed by the tougher ragworms, hopefully to stop the lug coming off when casting, or to stop it sliding down the hook shank and masking the hook point. Cocktail baits can be obscure or mundane; the beauty is that there are no hard and fast rules, no real rights and wrongs. Particular bait combinations will work in different areas for certain species, with the same hot mixture proving poor for identical fish in other parts of the country. However, there are some excellent ‘flagship’ cocktails that are consistently good across the board, but mixing and matching baits has never been a ‘one size fits all’ science, and of course, individual preferences and confidences have much to do with bait selections.In lots places an excellent bait for several species including rays, huss, tope and dogfish, would be sandeel and squid whipped together. Typically, a section of sandeel is wrapped inside or alongside a suitably sized squid body, which requires a little care and attention to create well. The mind-frap for particularly new and novice sea anglers is that same target species in another area will inevitably respond better to a different bait marriage. It is therefore important to remain open minded particularly when fishing new venues for the first time.MATCH THE HATCHDeciding what baits to team together clearly comes down to what is available to the angler in the first instance. Provided most of the mainstream baits are available, consideration should also be given to what food items are likely to be available naturally, in order to best ‘match the hatch’, to coin a fly fishing turn of phrase.It’s a fact however that most fish are opportunist, impulse feeders and there are lots of situations and times where the loose compatibility theories go right out of the window. Case in point would be non-indigenous, exotic baits such as the tremendously effective Pacific saury or bluey as it has been christened by UK bait suppliers. In theory this is a bait that shouldn’t be any great shakes in UK waters, yet the trial and error testimonies of many anglers are that bluey can be a fantastic bait for everything from thornback rays to whiting, dab, flounder and cod too if this winter’s catches are any measure. The moral of the bluey story is do not be shackled by wider bait convention and never be afraid to experiment.The merits of different hook patterns should be considered and most anglers have their favourites for a given situation. The crux is perfectly fresh or presented bait can count for nothing on the wrong hook. Basic hook design and form needs to be considered. Too thick or too thin a wire, too big an eye, the wrong shape, or simply an inappropriate size of hook for the intended size of bait can all serve to retard, or even nullify a bait’s effectiveness.Hooks should be sized to suit the mouths of intended species. Although we can all probably recall instances where big fish have been caught accidentally on small hooks, generally, the bigger the bait, the bigger the carrying hook needs to be. Don’t swamp small hooks with great big baits. As a general guide, a strong pattern Aberdeen hook such as the Kamasan B940, Gamakatsu GP402 or Varivas Aberdeen is good for worm baits, with a slightly shorter shank Mustad  Viking, Sakuma Manta or Kamasan B950U hook for crab, mussel, and fish baits.KING OF COCKTAILSA big lug and squid bait mounted on pennel hooks is widely regarded as a top cocktail for cod all around the UK. Thread several lugworms up the hook onto the trace line, and with elasticated cotton tie a squid head or part of a squid body onto the lower hook. Push the lugworms back down onto the squid bait and take the sliding top pennel hook around the line two or three time so that the point pokes proud through the lugworm. Razor clams or cockles are washed up on the beach in many areas in heavy seas. These make excellent fishing baits at such times because fish will be actively feeding on the easy feast. Frozen razor clams are widely available via tackle shops and can be used to tip off various main hook baits. Tipping is just another term for a cocktail bait where the larger main bait is garnished with a smaller bait on the point. An excellent cod-catching winter cocktail in my own area is a three-way combination of rag and lug tipped with a section of razor. 'Bulking out’ is another common baiting term applicable to cocktails. If fishing for cod or bass from a rock edge mark and the best bait is fresh peeler crab but you only have a few, crab baits can be bulked adding a few big soft mussels to it. The crab and mussel cocktail is very over rock and kelp, and your supply of crab will last a lot longer.SUPERMARKETS AND FISHMONGERSA shortage of primary worm and crab bait is probably the main reason why most anglers use cocktail or combination baits. Many anglers buy their baits from tackle shops, and supplies can be sparse, more so in winter. Bulking with fish etc from fishmongers and supermarkets is a great option. For me, Morrissons has the best supermarket fish counter. If my immediate bait situation is tight I will pick up half-a -dozen small fresh squid, a small mackerel, and a couple of scallops, and use these in combination with worm baits.The most consistent shore anglers probably pay more attention to the quality of their bait than they do to rigs, rods or reels. Remember that good quality fresh or fresh frozen bait is best nine times out of 10. Although whiting and dabs can go mad for distinctly ripe bait that has been in and out of the freezer, I don't recommend freezing or re-freezing any supermarket bait because it has likely probably been on ice for several days already. My bottom line is that if I don’t have at least some fresh bait to hand then I don’t go fishing… that’s how important it is to me.SIX OF THE BESTIn no particular order Steve Walker’s top cocktails are lug/clam; crab/mackerel; lug/whiteworm or black/white; crab/mussel and rag/razor. Bait, Lead Feature 2010-05-05T13:30:52+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-04-05-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-04-05-10#When:08:27:59Z Shore sport has improved slightly and plenty of flounders now showing from the piers and beaches with some anglers reporting bags of over fifteen fish, though most are still small, nevertheless the chance of a bigger specimen around the 2lb mark makes a session worthwhile as there are also good numbers of dabs and a few plaice to expect.There are increasing numbers of plaice around the 1lb mark taking ragworm baits from South Shields pier although anglers are plagued with large numbers of small coalfish taking both baits and lures. There are plenty of small fish in the Tyne with the odd bigger coalfish in the lower river, and increasing numbers of sizeable flounders amongst lots of smaller ones upriver of the Tyne Bridge. Durham police had a recent match at the Baltic Quay on the Tyne which produced small flounders and codling. I. Jackson won with three fish for 81 points, including the longest fish with a cod of 31cm, ahead of G. Heckles with three fish for 63 points and M. Anderson with four fish for 52 points.Although the Wear also has good numbers of smaller fish in the lower estuary the Tyne remains the favoured venue for match anglers and sweepstake events. The last Ryhope club match saw all twenty-eight members find fish at the Copthorne Hotel on the Tyne where Bill Bell won zone A with forty fish for 812cm ahead of Andy Rutherford with nineteen for 609cm, junior Thomas Rutherford with 507cm, and John Lovett with 400cm. Longest fish in this zone was a cod of 34cm taken by Alan Burton. In zone B John Bryan won with 379cm which included a superb flounder of 45cm, well over the 2lb mark. Kevin Robinson had 242cm, Keith Carter had 193cm and Barry Stowells had 186cm.The Rutherford’s Cono-Flex sweepstake league starts on Saturday June 5th at the Copthorne Hotel in the Tyne; all matches are fished from 7.30pm till 10.30pm and are catch and release. Entry is £10 with a 100% pay out. The remainder of the matches are on Saturday June 19th, Monday July 5th, Monday July 19th, Wednesday August 4th and Wednesday August 18th. Contact Andy on 0191 5654183 for details.Those who travel to the St. Abbs area during the summer months for the pollack, coalfish, cod, and wrasse fishing should be aware of plans to turn the area into a statutory no take Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), the area is already a voluntary MCZ. The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) are recommending that all interested parties work together to establish a full no take zone within the existing voluntary area. Further details and where you can make comments can be found at http://www.yourseasyourvoice.com. If you fish here regularly you should certainly make yourselves aware of the proposals. This should not affect anglers too much as the extreme difficulty in getting to some of the marks makes returning any fish almost compulsory. North East England 2010-05-05T08:27:59+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/shetland-outing http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/shetland-outing#When:08:16:32Z A Shetland club outing from Scalloway Boating Club say some excellent early season catches when a dozen anglers fished from seven boats to weigh in a total of 548lb.Ling formed the bulk of the catches with a sprinkling of cod and tusk and baited spoons were the most productive rigs. The event turned into an excellent practice session for those Shetlanders heading north to Iceland.Seniors1st Raymond Laurenson 125.4lbs2nd Scott Sandison 61.2lbs3rd Jimmy Smith 59lbsJunior1st Shenade Blance 13.6lbsHeaviest FishKenny Laurenson Ling 15lb Boat catches and results 2010-05-05T08:16:32+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/dalvik-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/dalvik-2010#When:07:57:12Z Weather and ash clouds permitting all boat angling eyes are turning to Dalvik in Iceland where 142 anglers from thirteen countries are making their way to fish in the EFSA European Boat and Line Class Championships.The latest ash plume has disrupted some of the travel arrangements, particularly from Ireland and Scotland but with luck the entrants will all arrive in the land of ice and fire for the start of the event on Monday. The Russian contingent is already in the area for practice sessions.For those not already on their way the organisers have arranged for pre-ordering of lead weights, practice session bait and event commemorative polo shirts. Ordering details here.Regular updates from the event will be posted on the site. View Larger Map Northern Europe 2010-05-05T07:57:12+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/oil-spill-latest http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/oil-spill-latest#When:13:24:47Z NOAA Closes Commercial and Recreational Fishing in Oil-Affected Portion of Gulf of Mexico.NOAA has issued an emergency closure on fishing in federal waters affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon incident. This emergency curtailment of all fishing covers federal waters from the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay, effective immediately (May 2, 2010). Closure has initially been set for a minimum of 10 days. Details can be found here.  This closure comes on the heels of the closing of Louisiana inshore waters east of the Mississippi River, which was announced Friday.Keep up to date witht he lastest news over on Sport Fishing. News and Info 2010-05-03T13:24:47+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-30-04-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-30-04-10#When:13:31:28Z The arrival of the warmer weather has meant that some of the summer species have started to arrive on the east coast. The Skegness area at the moment is the place to be if you have a boat as there are good numbers of rays being caught at the moment. The bass have also started to show as are the smoothies. The smooth hounds are also starting to put in an appearance off the beaches on the Yorkshire coast.The winter species such as cod and whiting are still on go so you never know what you are going to get when you lower your bait on to the sea bed. Using squid and crab baits give you more options on what you might catch. It shouldn’t be long until the first of the tope put in an appearance.Small boat anglers in the Humber Cruising Association who fancy a trip off the Skegness coast can contact the Boston Pirates as they have offered launching and retrieval using their tractor for a very attractive fee of ten pounds. Anyone wishing to join the Association (HCA) should check out their website.The Association are hoping to hold the last match of the winter league this coming Sunday but it is a poor forecast and it looks like it will be in doubt. The league is the closest ever and this is down to the new points system which is really good and opens it up to more anglers to challenge for the top spot.On the shore side Humber SAC were in action last weekend on Courtaulds Straight and it was in tip top form. Jack Barlow had twenty fish for 8lb 10oz to take first place ahead of Steve McGregor who finished second with eighteen fish for 5lb 9oz. Third place went to in Adie Cooper who weighed in fifteen fish for 4lb 10¾oz. The Club’s next match is on Saturday 1st May from 18:30 to 20:30 hrs and it will be again fished at Courtaulds Straight.Last Sunday the Hornsea RNLI match was fished on the Holderness coast where top man Ray Madson from Scarborough weighed in a thornback ray of 4lb. Second placed went to Withernsea angler Nick Marshall with a 3lb 13oz bass.With the summer species coming in crab is one of the key baits and George Smith has a good supply in at present, so if you fancy a trip this weekend go and get a few crab to boost your chances of a decent bag.The following Press Release is from the local recreational sea angling co-ordination group and relates to the Net Gain project.Tide is running out on struggle to find sea life sanctuariesGovernment plans to designate large areas in the North and Irish seas and the English Channel as marine conservation zones (MCZs) where many activities may be restricted or barred, are running out of time. Sea anglers on four regional project teams covering the areas say there is only six weeks in which to study and then recommend which areas should initially be zoned.They have set up a 40-strong group to harmonise their concerns by exchanging and co-ordinating details of the proposals as they emerge. The group - full name the Recreational Sea Angling Conservation Zone Co-ordination Group - includes anglers on local committees covering counties bordering the proposed zones set up by the regional projects. Some of the proposed conservation zones may be close to the shore.The first bulletin from the group states: “The timeline is of great concern. We have until June 11 to make regional recommendations so that the overall plans of each project can to be submitted to a scientific advisory panel by June 30.”The first of the four groups, named Finding Sanctuary and covering the western English Channel was started in 2007. However, the three other groups for the North Sea, the eastern English Channel and the Irish Sea have existed for less than a year. One of them only managed to hold its first meeting on April 22.The bulletin says there has been too little time for anglers to study the areas in the sea proposed to become MCZs. The anglers need time to consult with clubs and others in the four areas where there are hundreds of thousands of individual sea anglers so that their views can been heard.“There is, therefore, a high degree of risk that mistakes may be made,” the bulletin states. “This initiative is too important to be rushed and there are genuine fears that stakeholders are being driven to a predestined objective.”The government’s plan is that once the zones have been designated they will not be reviewed for six years.The bulletin calls for more transparent engagement by the four project teams with their stakeholders. Discussion papers were being presented at the start of meetings giving no time to study them and prepare constructive analyses.“The lack of adequate information is fuelling the suspicions held by many sea anglers that their sport is going to be subject of massive restrictions. This lack of information needs to be reversed.” East England 2010-04-30T13:31:28+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/angelsey-april-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/angelsey-april-2010#When:10:22:28Z With wind, snow and freezing temperatures, topped off with a NE force 10 causing havoc in Holyhead, 2010 started in epic fashion, with little chance of indulging in our sport of catching monsters of the deeps! My Way came out of the Water mid January until the start of March, for some much needed TLC following a hectic 2009.Launching early March our fishing adventures could be best described as inconsistant. Many days would see reasonable numbers of fish come aboard and the next proving a struggle – double figure fish of any species proved elusive. However with a better outlook for the month to come, hopes were high.Fortunately April saw the change in our weather fortunes as more settled weather and high pressure spells nestled over the UK and treated us all to calmer seas.This time of year we tend to go on the look out for big bull huss, spring spurdog and if lucky one or two small tope that often run with the spurdog packs. Northern marks at the edge of Holyhead Deeps were not to let us down as our first jolly early April returned numerous double figure huss and spurdog to 15lb. Sadly no tope on this day, but being a good six weeks before our main run normally starts things were looking up. Approaching North stack on one outing, we noticed some dolphins breaking the surface. Deciding to take a slight detour we steamed over to have a look and were rewarded with over half an hours excitement watching a pod of over hundred bottle nosed dolphins frolicking and feeding in the spring sunshine.The following day a slight change of mark, gave us the huss, spurdog and this time the tope we had hoped for, weighing in at 22lb and 23lb for Milnrow Sea Anglers Ken and Dennis. During the trip twelve separate species were brought aboard My Way including pollack, coalie, ballan, cuckoo, a good start to our 2010 adventures.Barring a few trips when the wind gods wanted to dampen our ever increasing enthusiasm for the 2010 season April continued with a steady stream of big huss, spurdog and 20lb+ tope. Inshore the drifting has improved almost daily with better pollack and coalies moving in to populate the rocks and ledges surrounding Holyhead bay. The wrasse are still playing hard to get, but some nice ballans and cuckoos have started to make an appearance on this year’s guest list. When the weather has prevented us from travelling offshore there have been plenty of fish over the soft and hard marks in the bay in the form of dogfish, whiting, small codling, dabs, small huss and a few thornbacks. A recent trip inshore produced a blonde ray of 15lb together with several decent huss. Nothing to rattle IGFA world record list, but battled on light tackle followed by a sausage buttie and cup of tea, always makes for a fun filled trip.Looking aheadWith our new Lowrance HDS 8 Structure Scan unit due for installation in the next couple weeks, things are looking exciting for the year ahead. Check out the video here for more information. As we utilise the many benefits of Structure Scan, we'll be adding a 'Lowrance Blog' to the website full of information and screen shots from our fishing adventures throughout 2010. North Wales 2010-04-29T10:22:28+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-29-april-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-29-april-2010#When:09:46:41Z Shore sport has seen a slight improvement with increasing numbers of sizeable fish among the hosts of smaller ones. Plaice are now starting to move inshore with some of the bigger ones topping the 1lb mark, Steetley pier, the Durham beaches, South Shields pier and the popular beaches north of the Tyne at Druridge Bay and Warkworth are all attracting anglers looking for a bit of sport with the flatties. There are also decent flounders from most areas, and the occasional turbot are also being reported with ragworm baits tipped with mackerel the favoured choice for productive sessions. Some anglers have reported double figure bags of various flatfish species but most are still on the small side. Coalies are showing in the local rivers and from Roker and South Shields piers where small pollack have also been reported. The Tyne is full of mainly smaller fish, keeping match anglers happy and the Wear has a few more sizeable flounders showing from the mid river marks. A recent Eastenders sweepstake in the Wear saw Lee Brown win with twenty-seven fish for 560cm and Dave Mould took the longest fish prize with a cod of 31cm. Another sweepstake match saw Lee Brown win also with twenty-seven fish for 365cm and Paul Hossack had the longest with a superb flounder of 41cm.The last Westoe A.C. match only saw one angler weigh in when Steve Elliott managed a coalfish of 1lb. Tynemouth retired members saw three out of fifteen find in size fish. Arthur Smeaton had a single coalfish of 11oz, Bob Hart had a dab of 9oz and Neil Garner had a dab of 6oz. The Tynemouth Sunday league match did not fare any better with only four out of twenty-four weighing in. Steve Elliott had two flounders and two dabs for 2lb 11oz, Neil Garner had a plaice and a flounder for 2lb 5oz to take second spot. Third placed Doug Spivey had a single flounder which at 1½lb was also the heaviest fish. Top junior Mathew Elliott had a dab of 6oz.The last Amble sweepstake in the river Aln saw some decent bags weighed in with several flounders over the 1lb mark landed. Winner R.Gray had nine for 8lb 6oz ahead of K. Middlemist who had six for 6lb 13oz; best 1¾lb and C. Middlemist finished third with three flats for 3lb 5oz.Mal McIntyre only needed 1.11lb to win a Seaton Sluice match, followed by Chris Guthrie with 1.03lb.Flounders continue to be the main species to expect during sessions south of the Tees where Chris Woods had two for 2lb 2oz, best 1lb 4oz, taken from Whitby harbour to win a St. Mary’s A.C. rover match with only five out of twenty-two weighing in. Stu Watson had a flounder of 1lb to take second and Terry Dalton had one of 10oz which was enough to finish third. Lots of undersize coalfish are reported in the area.Flounder sport over on the west coast continues to be very good and is attracting plenty of North East anglers hoping to escape the relatively poor local catches. A recent sweepstake at Port Carlisle saw all forty-four anglers weigh in quality sized fish with Simon Todd, Peter Stewart, and Michael Simpson all tying for the longest fish at 39cm. Tommy Tate won zone A with fourteen for 384cm, and Martin Pygall won zone B with fourteen for 431cm.Boat angling is poor with few size fish of any note showing though one boat off Sunderland reported taking several cod up to 8lb recently. The recent Whitby C.S.A. Spring Open also saw few bigger cod caught with the best around the 9lb mark. It was those anglers with local knowledge targeting the pollack to try to get a double figure specimen that enjoyed the best sport, and this species took the top three places. Paul Danby was one thousand pounds richer with a pollack of 12lb 4oz taken on Trot-on, Mick Morgan had one of 12lb 3oz taken on Sea Otter 2 and Shane Hall had one of 12lb 2oz taken on Sea Urchin 2. North East England 2010-04-29T09:46:41+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-25-04-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-25-04-10#When:10:35:01Z Last Saturday King Pin Open organised by Humber SAC on the Cleethorpes promenade saw a good turn out with entries up on the previous match. The angler’s efforts were rewarded with plenty of fish about al; be it mostly small. The winner, George Smith weighed in 5lb 9oz of flounders; the best measuring 37cm. Runner-up Simon Drayton had a bag weighing 5¼lb. The next King Pin match is on the 15th May, details from the cafe.Cleethorpes Angling Centre competition was fished last Thursday on the beach at Cleethorpes. Top rod was Brian Tuck with thirty-one fish measuring 638cm from a hectic, bait guzzling session. Simon Drayton again took second place with twenty-five fish for 545cm ahead of third placed Dave Over who had twenty-two measuring 503cm. Simon also had the biggest round fish, a bass of 30cm and Geoff Hill the longest flatfish with a 35cm founder.The NFSA summer matches for June, July and August have been added to the calendar on this site.On the Sunday it was afloat with the HCA and the Club’s winter league match was a case of what might have been when John Pyle lost a big fish at the net.The fishing was hit and miss but some decent rays came aboard several of the boats. Top bag went to Nobby with 14lb 14oz, including the joint heaviest fish at 7lb 2½oz. Despite his lost fish John finished second with 14lb 6oz ahead of Paul Sekka in third who had the other heaviest fish. The league is very close going into the final leg with Mark Taylor and Tim Burgess both on 171 points.After a bit of a lean spell, summer species have started to hit the local beaches, increasing catches for Skegness Pier Angling Club (S.P.A.C.) match and pleasure anglers. In the latest match held from Jackson’s Corner, Kettering’s Bob Foster ran out an easy winner, catching five decent flounders and a small coalfish weighing 3lb 6oz. His travelling companion, Dennis Stirling, was really pleased to frame in a match for only the second time ever, finishing runner-up with three fish for 1lb 15oz. The Kettering dynamic duo also shared the heaviest flatfish prize, each with a nice 1lb flounder. Kevin Bebbington from Mablethorpe came in third with two flounders weighing 1lb 3oz, with Wrangle’s Alan Steadman taking fourth place and the heaviest round fish award, with a 1lb 1oz bass.Away from the match scene, top local anglers Richard and Daniel Leighton have been enjoying good sessions from both Drake Road and Winthorpe beaches. The brothers’ catches have included flounders, bass and lesser spotted dogfish, with the best specimen being a nice 3lb 9oz bass for Richard, which is currently leading the S.P.A.C. Fish of the Month competition for April.The next SPAC match will be held on Sunday 25th April from 2:00 till 6:00 pm at Trunch Lane, with Club Members fishing for the Frank Parkin’s Shield. There is also an open section, which non-members are welcome to participate in. For further information contact S.P.A.C. Secretary Chas Tibble on 07984 967988 or chastibble@hotmail.com East England 2010-04-25T10:35:01+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/how-to-make-your-own-jellyworms-twin-tails-and-shads http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/how-to-make-your-own-jellyworms-twin-tails-and-shads#When:14:35:48Z Everything is easy when you know how, and making superb custom finished plastic jellyworms and twin-tail lures are no exceptions. Here Chris Tonberg identifies the materials required and shows you how it's done. As a boat angler, what do you turn your hand to when the weather stops you getting out among the fish? If you’re not spending time with the family or cluttering the pub, you might well use the time to make leads weights or other everyday items of fishing tackle, but have you ever considered producing your own custom-made jellyworms, twin-tails and shads? I am guessing that the answer is probably ‘No.’ Perhaps then, you should give it a little thought because it isn’t difficult or particularly time consuming, and great satisfaction can be derived from the unique fished products. In writing this feature it is my intention to set out how exactly how to go about the task. My favourite lure for cod and pollack when fishing from my kayak is a 150mm twin tail. Those tails drive fish nuts, and even on the slack tides they wiggle about in an enticing manner. Over the years I’ve purchased many of different types of twin tail and found that the best ones are quite firm (denser) to the touch, and they work far better in the water than the cheaper, softer ones. However they are not easy to source and as they are fairly large lures they are not cheap in the UK or Europe.I got to wondering if I could make some myself which would allow me to have a regular supply and to choose my own colours. A speculative Google search showed that pouring your own ‘plastics’ is very popular in the States, and I was quickly able to source and purchase the equipment and material needed to get me started. Twin-tails are probably the easiest style of lure to start with when making your own, as they have a flat base and don’t require a two part mould.EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALSThe basic equipment required to ‘cook’ your plastic is very simple: a milk pan with a pouring spout, a measuring jug and a metal spoon or rod for mixing. Plastic tools which can melt should not be used for fairly obvious reasons and wood should also be avoided. You’ll also need a heat source such a cooker or gas burner.You will also need a mould or two. In this case I have commercial twin tail mould and a plaster mould that I’ve made myself. As far as materials go you need the base liquid plastic, hardener and a range of colour additives. As an option you can add various glitters and glow powder during the mixing and cooking process. Alternatively, the plastic can be heated in a microwave using a Pyrex jug and this will be covered in a future tutorial together with how to make your own moulds.I strongly advise wearing a long-sleeved shirt together with gloves, a face mask and eye protection when heating the plastic. It can reach extremely high temperatures and there is a risk of injury.SHAKER-MAKERFirst of all, vigorously shake the bottle of liquid plastic for a while to ensure that the material is fully mixed - some separation/settling can occur during storage. If you’re using bulk plastic then you should thoroughly stir the plastic in its container. You’ll then need to measure off enough plastic for your moulds… two twin-tails require about 50ml. I find that the base plastic is too soft for the rigors of sea angling and I add hardener in the mixing jug to get the desired flexibility - about a ¼ of a teaspoon of hardener to 50ml of plastic works for me. This is then decanted into the cooking pan where the colour is added. Again make sure that the bottle of colour is well shaken before use.In this case I’ve used orange, as I find this bright colour very effective for cod and pollack in particular. In order to obtain the vibrant effect that I like 30 or more drops of the colour are added. Fluorescent colours are generally better added when the plastic is cool but the manufacturer will supply guidance.You’ll need to experiment a bit to find out the most effective setting on your hob or gas. Setting number 4 works on my electric cooker. It needs to be hot enough to raise the temperature of the plastic to around 175 C (350 F), but you must ensure that the plastic is not scorched. As the plastic heats it will start to change colour. It is important at this stage to start stirring slowly in order to avoid burning it. However, stirring too vigorously will introduce air bubbles into the mix which will have an adverse effect on the finish of the lure, so do it gently.As the plastic continues to heat it will not only change colour, but it will also alter consistency and turn into a jelly. But finally it will reach the stage where it changes back into an easily pourable consistency. At this stage the plastic will really start to give off fumes and it is therefore very important that you keep the kitchen or workroom well ventilated. It’s at this stage that you’ll appreciate the face mask.When pouring you should be as close to the mould as possible to reduce the possibility of air bubbles being introduced. A steady hand with a smooth pour is essential, and you should pour from the shallow part of the mould to the deeper section.If you want a two-tone lure it will be necessary to have the two colours heating separately at the same time. The two-tone effect is produced by pouring the first colour and immediately following it by pouring the second to ensure that the two will bond together. Glitter can be added immediately after this is done. Generally glitter should be added in the mix to begin with, but by doing it this other way I achieve the finished result that I want for my type of fishing. Because the glitter is only on one side of the double tails, it will flash as it spins round. It’s worth noting that you can’t get away with using the normal craft shop glitter for this as the colour bleeds into the plastic ruining the finish.  DON"T FORGET TO WIPEEnsure that you wipe off any plastic from the lip of the pan with paper towel as this will burn when you cook your next batch. Younow need to wait a few minutes until the plastic has cooled off before removing it from the mould. The lures can then be dropped into water for a couple of minutes to finish the cooling process.For long term storage it’s recommended that a small amount of oil be added to the poly-grip bags to prevent the lures sticking together. Cooking oil can be used but specialised worm oil is also available. I would always store colours separately to prevent leeching. Pouring your own lures produces no waste as the solidified plastic can be re-melted and poured again. As you can see, if you leave your spoon in the pan, the remaining plastic will stick to it but it is easily peeled away and added back into the pot for next time.FINISHED LURESThe finished lures can be customised and there are several types of plastic dip coatings available from the States. An easier option though is to get a Sharpes permanent marker and get creative. Googly eyes can also be glued on, and even the likes of a glow stick can be added if that sort of thing tickles your fancy. There is no better feeling than catching a good fish on a lure you have made yourself, while the pleasure of creating them can stand as some consolation for those trips that fall victim to the weather.Unfortunately it's not possible to source the plastic materials required in the UK but there are several retailers in the States who are willing to ship across the Atlantic including Lurecraft, Janns Netcraft and M-F Manufacturing. In addition there is a French website, Bricolurre, whose prices are reasonable. Boat fishing, Lures, Rigs and tackle making, Lead Feature 2010-04-24T14:35:48+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/beat-the-early-season-blues-with-a-beautiful-bass http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/beat-the-early-season-blues-with-a-beautiful-bass#When:14:30:19Z Brighton-based angling guide, Robin Howard had been suffering from the winter blues and a distinct lack of fish. But an impromptu beach outing with buddy Alan Stewart saw the lethargy miraculously vanish when his first bass of the season came knocking.Despondency at the lack of fish currently available from the local shore prompted me to put fishing far from my mind... well, for all of five minutes until my buddy Alan phoned asking if I fancied a bass session on the low water surf? Like the addict that I am, I answered in the affirmative. I didn't expect to catch much, but with a brisk southerly wind and clear skies forecast, I felt it would be better than sitting at home pretending that I wasn't interested. The tide was small for collecting lugworms but I had some fridged fresh-outs on stand-by for just such an impromptu outing. Alan meanwhile, supplied some excellent frozen shellfish and we set off happy, if not quite full of the joys of spring.Normally I am not an advocate of bassing with the rod propped up in a tripod. I much prefer the sensitivity of holding the rod and the ability to instantly react to a bite. But with the recent fishing so poor, I not only took the tripod, but the beach buddy too. The idea being that if I couldn't catch any bass, I would at least catch up on some kip! SHOCKED AWAKEI didn’t really expect to catch anything and you could have smacked me backwards with a feather when my 14ft Sonik Continental's tip bent over with urgency. The take wasn’t indicative of a rockling and the mental cobwebs instantly vanished. I dragged myself to my feet, grabbed up the rod and ran backwards until the tip bent over. There was weight attached but it felt like a decent eel rather than any powering bass. It wasn't until I winched it through the final surf break that I noticed the bass’s tail cutting through the dirty surface of the sea. With Alan’s assistance the fish was brought up onto the mud.Despite the uncharacteristically timid fight the bass registered 5lb 9oz on the scales. After a quick photograph Alan then waded out to deeper water and held the scale-perfect fish there to recover – I was so convinced we wouldn't see a decent fish that I hadn't even bothered to take my waders. It kicked away after a few moments and Alan and I couldn’t have been more satisfied. Conditions were perfect and we fished on buoyed by my first bass of 2010. We fished until the water was well up the shingle, but fortune didn’t favour us further and that fish turned out to be our only one.PROMISING BASS SEASON AHEADI still intend to hold off on my guided fishing trips until a few more fish are about. My thoughts as I write are that the few bigger bass currently showing would appear to be vanguard fish. The near future looks very promising for shore anglers in my area however, and just knowing that there are worthwhile fish to chase has served to re-stoke my personal bass passion and drag it from the seasonal doldrums. It's been a very long, very hard winter, but here's to the good times and good fish ahead.If you are interested in some guided shore fishing around the Brighton area then why not email Robin Howard (Fishyrob) at Robin@fishyrob.co.uk There is also lots of information and trip details on his website here Bass, Shore, Lead Feature 2010-04-24T14:30:19+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/irish-shore-match-piece http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/irish-shore-match-piece#When:12:20:04Z Ireland Youth international shore angler Eric Gasparro begins a regular shore fishing column. Here he fishes a match at Kilgorman in County Wexford and decribes some of the lows and highs of fishing for points.After all the hard work that went into last month’s inter provincial fish offs, which decide the Irish Youth and Junior teams to compete at the annual Home Internationals Shore Championships, attention now switches to trying to earn a place on the respect provincial teams – Leinster in my case.The Leinster Junior and Youth teams are picked on a league system of 4-hour matches. There are six matches in the league series, with each angler’s best four results counting for the league. The top five of each respective league – that’s under 21s and under 16s - make up the teams to compete at the annual inter-provincial event, while additionally, the winner of the league automatically gets the captaincy of the team. Rules for the competition are simple: it is fished to pegged, measure, and catch-and-release system. All fish over 15cm minimum size count, plus 5 fish points. The first five undersize fish are awarded 5 points plus 5 fish points. To make matters easier for the juniors to obtain bait, only readily available lugworm, fish baits and all shellfish baits excluding crab can be used.It seems like a lifetime ago when I first dawned my boots at an under 16s event, but even now in my final eligible year for qualification for the youth team, I still get the same buzz of competing head-to-head with other anglers, many of whom have become good friends. I am forever indebted to the likes of Peter Flahive, Tom McAdam and Eamon Forgarty for putting the time in and helping me become competitive at match level. Lessons like bait presentation, watercraft and casting would have been so much harder learned, and maybe not at all without them.KILGORMAN BEACH, COUNTY WEXFORDThe first leg of this year’s league was to be fished on Kilgorman in County Wexford. It’s a long sandy beach which can be kind or nightmare cruel depending on conditions. Kilgorman is a beach of discernable features, and learning to work them is often the main difference between success and failure. For example, a long sand bar runs parallel to the beach at around 80-90 yards out, and between it and the shoreline lies a deep gulley which often holds enough fish to get the angler through the comp.On a rising tide into darkness, during the late summer months, the venue can be stuffed full of dogs with variety in the shape of quality smoothhounds, ray, gurnard, huss, and occasionally, a rogue tope or two. April during daylight is most often a different matter and to make matters worse a dirty south easterly was cutting the sea into a dirty uninviting chop. As the prophetic saying goes: ‘When the wind is from the east, the fish bite least’. Sadly this foreboding mantra is all too often uncannily accurate.The sea had taken on a horrible greeny-brown hue which is the kiss of death over in Ireland. The sight of this didn’t fill me with confidence but you can only fish what’s in front of you, so I resolved to get on with it. I had drawn peg 7, which meant a short walk, and just as well, as I had left my trolley at home. Call me vain but a 20-year old dragging a trolley just isn’t right! I could clearly make out the sand bar from my peg. The water immediately over it carried a different browner tinge, while the same could also be said for the shallow ground before it drops off into the gulley. At least picking out features and accurately casting to them wouldn’t be an issue.Pegged next to me were Ger Doran and Ian Flood, two former Irish international anglers, so I had to be on my toes. I set up my familiar base camp, trusty Sensas bucket, battered Ron Thompson beach buddy and all, and went to work.Daylight tactics for this early time of year are straightforward. Following the departure of the coalies and codling, and while the rest of the summer species haven’t yet arrived, there are only really flatfish to fill the fish void. We were however fishing into dusk so perhaps an odd dogfish would put in an appearance.FOCUS ON FLATFISHMy focus was firmly on flounders and dabs. I opted to fish with a three hook flapper with 24in 0.30mm Tubertini Gorilla fluorocarbon snoods branching from a 0.45mm Grauvell Supernatural rig body. Hooks were Size 4 Kamasan B940M match hooks, with little 6mm Gemini floating beads set behind them to complete the rig. My rod was an Ian Golds FX-S which had recently been rebuilt in shocking pink… yes pink, because only real men and nudists have the balls to parade about in the pink! My reel of choice was a Shimano Biomaster XSA loaded with 30lb Whiplash Crystal braid. Baits was obvious in the circumstances, with gutted blacks and common blow lug tipped with mackerel most likely to bring results.I cast where the gulley met the shallow brown water in the hope of a locating flounder, and the rest of the field seemingly applied a similar tactic. Knowing it would be slow most left the first cast out for 20 minutes before winding in. Ger, pegged next to me, took an 18cm flounder on his first cast which fell to lug tipped with a thin sliver of mackerel. Like most of the anglers, my own first cast came back as fresh as it went out with the baits untouched.I kept chipping away, varying my distance and fishing different spots, including the gutter and gulley, as hard as I could. With a small rub kicking in as the tide crept up I tried various different styles of leads to harness some movement, but my best efforts were proving fruitless. Further along the beach, the under 16s were also having a tough time with an aggregate of only one small whiting among them.WINGING THE CHANGESWith so many people fishing in close and reaping no rewards after two hours, I had a rethink and changed tactic. I hoped the far side of the bank would hold a few dabs now as the making tide rushed over it. I swapped the Goldsy rod for my trusty Daiwa AWT 13M and Daiwa 7HT Mag reel, and baited 3-hook loop rig with 0.35mm Tubertini Gorilla snoods, 60lb Suffix Superior body, size 4 Kamasan B940 standard Aberdeens and a single floater on the middle snood. Bait this time was stinky lug and wraps tipped with fish.No sooner had I buried one out over the bank than Ger launched his own dab assault. I popped the rod back in the stand and noticed one of the juniors land what turned out to be a flounder of 27cm from more or less under his rod tip. To my dismay, Ger then pulled a whiting of 20cm and I found myself two fish behind. Trying to make things happen, I went to a 2-hook rig made with a sliding bottom snood. This way I could fish a flier in the gutter and hopefully sneak a flounder out.The hardy anglers plugged away for scant return. More or less everyone was fishing at distance going into the last hour-and-fifteen minutes. Ger gleefully reeled in a giant 25cm dab, and I could only smile in dissatisfaction as I signed it in. I worked the home straight hard, determined to get any fish on the board and avoid a blank.I started to vary my baits; adding razor and sandeel into the mix. Try as I might it seemed hopeless, and insult was added to already painful injury when Ger slapped me with his second dab. The only consolation was that he was only man in our section to have any fish, so I wasn’t alone in the fish-less situation. With an hour to go I lifted into a bit of weight which I timidly wound in. The sliding flier came out of the water fishless, but as the end gear came through the wave a lovely little dab clung on having taken a bit of frozen black tipped with a section of sandeel. It only measured 21cm but beggars cannot be choosers, and I wasn’t complaining as Ger this timed signed for me.FIRE IN THE BELLYIt’s amazing how catching a fish can instantly put the fire back in your belly as if by magic. With 45 minutes remaining I knuckled back down. It would be hard to claw back a three fish deficit... but not impossible. Ian, fishing to the left of me, eventually broke his duck with an undersize flounder of 14.5cm… talk about rubbing salt into his wounds.I was happy to see Ger reel in another blank cast. Distance tactics were no longer producing and I went back to my original rod and reel for the last three casts. I flicked out three flapping hooks, hoping, no praying, for a valuable flounder.There was a good run of tide now, and my plain lead trotted along perfectly. Perhaps predictably the first two casts returned a big fat zero. I changed to a 4oz ball lead for the last cast and whacked the flapper out as far as I could before planting the rod back in the rest and letting the tide do its thing. Within 5 minutes the tip danced to the tune of a doggie. It wasn’t expected and I tried not to let my shock show. I let the bite develop, hoping too that other fish would find the other two hooks.At lines up I bent into a considerable resistance and gently set about winding it ashore. Ian brought in a counting flounder before I landed my fish, so the attached dogfish was vital if I was to secure 2nd place. All too often I’ve seen doggies decide to let go of the bait right at the edge, so I didn’t relax until the fish was safely on the beach. It scored 55 beautiful points and boosted my final tally to 86 points and confirmed my second place. Ger enjoyed a comfortable win with 104 pts, while Ian finished a credible third. On reflection it was hard fought day at the office, but with the first leg out of the way I can now look forward to the next match on Wicklow north beach, which should, weather permitting, produce good bags of dogs and flats.For more from Eric Gasparro and his shore match fishing exploits check out his regular blog here. Shore, Competition fishing, Lead Feature 2010-04-24T12:20:04+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-20-04-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-20-04-10#When:15:46:46Z Both shore and boat fishing are slow at present with few fish of any size showing, though boats out of Whitby have been taking some decent pollack into low double figures. Shore anglers are struggling with just the occasional in size flounder, dab, plaice and coalfish showing from various areas for those wading through the hordes of undersize fish. When the water has been clear South Shield pier has produced large numbers of smaller coalfish and the odd pollack to both lure and baits, though few have been over the 1lb mark. Small coalfish are taking lures on Steetley pier by those fishing somewhat optimistically for early mackerel. Anglers travelling to Eyemouth have taken numbers of small pollack but it is a little early for the bigger fish to show to the north yet. Fresh peeler crabs are in short supply with water temperatures still below normal for the time of year with just the odd ones showing from the rivers. There is little club activity at present with few sizeable fish to catch but there are regular sweepstakes fishing a 20cm limit in the local rivers for those who feel the need to get out.If you want some sport with a few better sized fish then you will either need to travel to the Holderness coast where thornback rays, dogfish, bass and the odd smoothound are showing in increasing numbers, or travel to the various Cumbria marks for good numbers of flounders, dogfish and the odd bass.Hartlepool W.C.S.A.C. have finished their winter league and will re-start in September. Top angler was Steve Brown with a total of 37lb 12oz. Steve fished consistently throughout the winter with few blanks. Paul Blair was second with 27lb 15oz, Paul also had the heaviest fish; a cod of 6¾lb. Mal McGeorge finished in third with 26lb 2oz and Marc Wallace had the second heaviest fish with a cod of 5lb.The Seahouse Open fished along the Cumbrian shoreline between Harrington and Maryport saw forty-five out of one hundred and thirty-two anglers weigh in sixty-one plaice, twenty-eight flounders, nineteen dogfish, four rockling and a single cod. Maryport angler John Fleming won £684 for the heaviest fish; a dogfish of 2lb 5oz. Steve Smith had the heaviest bag with five plaice, and three flounders for 8lb 1oz ahead of Joe Pattison who weighed four dogfish and a plaice for 7lb 10oz. Third placed Peter Wilkinson had two dogfish and two plaice for 6lb 2oz. Only one junior weighed in, Dan Kirkbride with a flounder of 8oz.The recent Rutherford’s Open at Seaham saw very few in size fish landed. Andy Little took the top prize of £500 with a scarce cod of 1.06lb from Featherbed Rocks while second placed Neil Martin was £300 better off with a coalfish of 0.83lb taken from the Blast beach. There was a tie for third place with Jason Brown and Mick Quayle each having a flounder of half a pound taken from the North pier. Jason also had the heaviest bag with two flounders for 1.38lb. Andy Little and Gareth Gardner took the team event with a total of 1.42lb.A recent sweepstake on the Tyne at the Copthorne Hotel saw all of the thirty-nine competitors land fish on a measure and release basis. Bob Gascoigne won zone A with fifteen fish for 353cm followed by Pauline Ferry with fifteen for 346cm and Matt White had fourteen for 310cm. In zone B I. Brookes had eight for 203cm to take top place. In second Brad Hill had seven for 156cm while third placed Peter Stewart landed six for 147cm.Durham Police also fished a measure and release match in the upper Tyne at British Aerospace where some decent flounders and a couple of rare smelt made an appearance taking ragworm and mackerel baits. Winner Peter Chadwick had six fish for 118 points piping Ian Ainsley who had nine fish for 91 points. Third placed Bill Huscroft had four fish for 80 points while Derrick Surret finished fourth with four fish for 49 points. Top junior was Calum Stewart with two fish for 21 points.Westoe A.C. fished their first summer league match last week but only two managed to weigh in. Mick Jewitt had a 15oz plaice from South Shields pier and John Mac had a flounder of 14oz from the river.Saturday May 8th sees a heaviest fish sweepstake for boats out of Hartlepool, register at the Tees and Hartlepool Yacht Club or the Friarage tackle shop. Boats leave port at 7am and fish until 5pm with the weigh in at 6.30pm. All fish must be cleaned before weighing. Entry is £10 per angler with a 90 percent payout spread over the top three heaviest fish. The remaining 10 percent going to the RNLI. Contact the Friarage tackle shop on 01429-273145 or s.ryder@hotmail.co.uk. North East England 2010-04-20T15:46:46+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/iceland-european-boat-championship-preview http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/iceland-european-boat-championship-preview#When:20:41:49Z Dalvik in Iceland is the fantastic venue for the 2010 EFSA European Boat Championships. The event is set for next month, and provided massive volcanic ash eruptions have ceased to be an almighty problem, the fishing promises to be spectacular. Regular European Championship competitor Dave Proufoot offers his thoughts on how to tackle the venue here...Stories of massive bags of cod, haddock and coalfish regularly emanate from the fertile waters around Iceland, but while these staple species will feature heavily in next month's European Championships in Dalvik, the points system is weighted towards catching as many different species as possible. It's very probably that anglers landing the permitted maximums of these three prolific species (25 of each - 75 in total) will be out-pointed knocked off by an opponent catching less than half this number of fish but who manages to score on different species. The merits of the particular scoring system are a matter of opinion, but luck as well as skill will surely factor in the final outcomes. A dab, wolf fish and a sea scorpion, for example, will beat the angler maxing out on their twenty-five cod. I anticipate regular sob stories where just one high-scoring unusual fish wins a boats It will be important therefore to identify and use rigs which will be effective for a number of species rather than targeting just the big three. A sample of the score card is available here.There is no need to fish small hooks for the flatfish as the average size is well over 1lb, and close in dabs can be nearer 2lb in weight. Spreader booms will be effective for just about everything, while a simple two-down rig should produce a good variety of fish. Un-baited lures should only be utilised if cod and, or coalies are encountered in good numbers and nothing else is showing. Anglers using this rig have had excellent results in Icelandic waters.The rig also works well with the smaller 'Haddock spoons'... they're the ones with the single hook riveted to the spoons. The spoons can be fished directly off the spreader as in the diagram or a snood can be added between the spoon and the boom.Strong hooks around 1/0 to 2/0 are recommended. There's a chance of smallish halibut, plaice and long rough dabs among the flatfish species. In the deeper water at least two species of redfish can be targeted, and although not as prolific as off the south coast of Iceland, a few tusk (brosme) should feature. Unless there are herring or mackerel in the area sabikis are not necessary but feather-style lures can be productive both plain and baited.To specifically target the wolf-fish (catfish) a spoon hanging off the top of the lead on the spreader to 'rattle and clank' is effective as this species respond to noise. Adding rattling Boobie beads to rigs is also a good tactic for wolf-fish. Make sure of your ID when landing a catfish as the spotted wolf-fish is not uncommon in the area and scores as a separate species. For bait, don't be afraid to chop up a haddock or coalie for bait if the bait provided is running out, I usually fillet the sides and remove the skin as it can clog the hook point.Although there is a plenty of deep water around Dalvik and the mouth of the fjord, it's probable that most of the fishing will be carried out around the island of Hrisey which sits to the east of the port. It is understood that the light line competition will be fished up towards the head of the fjord where the water is comparatively shallow.For anyone requiring lead weights or pirks locally to save carrying them in their baggage would be advised to contact Steve Mason at Icelandic Fishing Adventures. Steve is a friend of Planet Sea Fishing and won't empty your wallet if you need to purchase leads on arrival in Iceland.Best of luck to all the competitors, you’ll have a great time at this fantastic fishing venue. Shore, Lead Feature, World fishing 2010-04-19T20:41:49+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-april-2010 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/alderney-report-april-2010#When:09:37:21Z Last month I noticed a general lack of fishing reports. The fishing has been very poor all over but worse still here in Alderney has been the inshore netting that has dampened everyone’s enthusiasm for wetting a line. Certainly from what we have seen hauled up the streets in the back of lorries to be prepared for shipping out to the UK has been nothing short of phenomenal regards quantity of fish. Plenty of breeding bass of all sizes make up the bulk of the consignments but in addition gilthead, couches and black bream, red mullet and sole have been leaving our shores in numbers. God only knows what has been dumped as bycatch through its lack of value. There was even a large shark seen by local divers with its fins cut off just left on the bottom of the seas bed in the harbour. Worst goes on at sea away from the coastline but when it’s under your noses it is a stomach churner. This has resulted in anglers simply not being bothered to put the effort in to catch fish when nets are being set right up to the beach and well within casting range. This is the third year of increased activity and it can’t be helping the levels of fish stocks? It is affecting tourism with plenty of anglers vowing not to return as they are unable to fish the more popular marks, which are often dictated by weather, thus hampering their enjoyment of their holiday here. UK crabbing boats have also been on Alderneys ground too which is bad news for the commercials, everyone it seems wants to damage the fruits of the sea in our local waters.Alderney’s government has taken note of the increased inshore activity and have made the initial steps to combat this and have implemented a consultation. This is no false dawn but a real desire to make a difference by offering all stakeholders involved in recreational sea angling or commercial fishing to have their say. Following the consultation period a meeting will be held for stakeholder’s representatives so they can analyse the data collected to then set a Fisheries Management Plan to suit all. It WILL require you to write in with your views but I suggest only if you have visited Alderney so as you speak with some knowledge of the island. The time period for the submissions is fairly short and thanks for your efforts in advance if you choose to comment and hopefully we can safeguard the future of Alderney’s fantastic fishing and provide a destination that will remain the number one place to fish in the UK.'Fisheries Management Consultation Meeting'.'The States of Alderney General Services Committee wishes to seek the views of stakeholders on matters relating to sea fisheries. Stakeholders are likely to include businesses or persons involved or with an interest in commercial fishing, recreational sea anglers, pubs and restaurants, tourist accommodation and tackle and marine traders etc.Accordingly stakeholder’s representatives will be invited to attend a meeting in order to discuss issues which may affect them.Initially stakeholder’s representatives are invited to express the nature of their interest including items which they would wish to be included as a discussion item on an agenda. These should be submitted by no later than Fri 9th April 2010 and addressed to: The Harbour Master, Harbour Office, Braye Harbour, Alderney, GY9 3XX.At this stage no date has been set for a meeting'If you prefer to do it by email then send one to our Marketing Managers, Joanna Parmentier at joanna.parmentier@gov.ggAfter a lean spell there is good news on the fishing front. Mullet unusually for the time of year have turned up in really good numbers with fish to 9lb 5oz caught on the float and bread method. Up to four in a session have been reported and shoals of the silver bullets have been sighted on various marks around the Island. Excitingly, mullet to 4lb have been caught on the fly as well. A couple of anglers have experienced this with local angler Colin Searle hooking in to four in one evening session. Garfish are a plenty with several fish nudging 2lb caught, again fishing into the dark has proved most successful. The gars are coming right up in to the harbour around the new quay where it appears that the lights are attracting them to the structure. This venue is going to be phenomenal from June onwards when the bass arrive into the newly completed pier. The bass tend to know when the harbour traffic increases with lots of yachts arriving and the bass scavenge around the moorings for easy pickings before heading towards the quay and shoreline to feed among the rocks and weed. Live bait should provide the better specimens and bass are starting to come to plugs and fly at the moment. Pollack have featured well which is an excellent sign so early in the season. Fishing from rocky marks and the Breakwater have produced good results with fish to around 4lb taking float fished fish strips or sandeels. Lures and fly fishing have also taken several fish. Bull huss have also featured lately with a fish of 13½lb being landed to threaten the local shore record. In addition the capture of several conger eels means good news and interesting times for the specimen hunters. Boat fishing has got under way after a long, quiet spell of little activity. The exposed location of Alderney and the recent westerly winds has limited the number of trips during the initial months of the year but the first of the UK boats have arrived to blissful spring sunshine and calm seas. Good pollack and ling fishing on the wrecks on the way over with fish of both species to 15lb. The banks have fished moderately well for the start of the season. Turbot fishing isn’t about massive numbers but boats have been taking up to ten fish in a day and one catch featured eighteen of the big flats. The fish are mostly small at present but the coming month will see the bigger fish move onto the banks. Each bank fishes differently, on the popular Schole Bank the average turbot is from 1½lb to 4lb with the occasional fish to 6lb. However as local brothers Mark and Gary Maurice have been proving other banks have fewer fish but these are of better average size, running between five and eight pounds. Early signs are also looking good for the tope season and to keep up to date as things unfold log in to the Latest Reports pages on my site http://www.alderneyangling.comLastly a thank you to all of you that take the time and trouble to visit our island. Tourism is a vital part of our economy which isn’t helped by the current fishery policies but as I have mentioned there is a real desire to change for the better. Write in and play your part on what could be a phenomenal success. Channel Islands 2010-04-14T09:37:21+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/tg-f1-rocks-the-reel-world http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/tg-f1-rocks-the-reel-world#When:21:05:27Z The casting and fishing worlds are buzzing with talk of just how good the new TG-F1 reel really is. Dutch surfcaster, Chris Banham travelled to the UK where he tested the reel and talked to Tony Gittins, the brains and the muscle behind this mini masterpiece of engineering…It is highly unusual for a small, specialist company to take the plunge and commit to full scale production of a top-end reel. But faith in this particular fishing product was such that company owner Tony Gittins had no hesitation in pressing ahead with the initiative. Tony Gittins kicked off TG Developments in the mid 1970’s with Rocket Fuel reel oil, progressing to supplying ceramic bearings, and latterly ultra lightweight spools for ABU 5500 and 6500 reels. A local engineering firm then machined custom cages for TG, and from there it was a natural progression to manufacture a very special complete reel – the TG-F1.Seldom has a product created so much early interest, so I felt compelled to visit Tony Gittins personally at home in Lowestoft to talk to the man behind it all, and to trial the TG-F1 for myself. Tony greeted me warmly and discussed the TG-F1, its roots, and the company history over several cups of tea, before leading me to the beach to trial the reel for real.TG-F1 reel cages are CNC milled in a complex process which has drawn serious attention from industry as far flung as Japan. End plates are chrome-plated brass to minimise corrosion risk, and after rigorous testing of various potential materials, aluminium phosphor bronze was selected for the internal gearing. The cage is 'low seated' for easy thumb grip during casting. The left hand end plate includes an adjustable, single magnet 'knobby' casting control, while internally, a concave brass fitting ensures the spool is always centrally located. End-float spool adjustment is on the right-hand side, with the spool located on a spindle, mirroring the classic ultra-cast design. Most noticeably, instead of a star drag wheel there's a screw-on/off tensioner knob. While not new, this style of drag control is unique among modern beach reels.Carbotex ‘smoothy’ washers ensure a sensitive drag. The general reel dimensions match those of the famous ABU 6500 multiplier. Gator grips are used on the handle, and a stainless steel handle shaft has been introduced.TONY TALKSChris: How long has it taken to progress the TG-F1 reel from the initial idea to full production?Tony says: Believe it or not, it has taken around 20 years! When we introduced Rocket Fuel we supplied Abu Garcia in Sweden, who used it in initial assembly of their reels, and they also included a bottle of RF oil in the box with every new reel purchased.Chris: What, in your opinion, sets the TG-F1 apart from other reels on the market?Tony says: Although many tournament casters are very taken with the TG-F1, we have designed this reel firmly with fishermen in mind. The thinking was to create a trouble-free reel capable of big distances, but one that all anglers could get along with. Setting my own thoughts aside, if the level of positive feedback received is any gauge then I believe we have achieved what we set out to do.Chris: What do you a recommend as the ideal line for use on the reel? Do you firmly advocate mono, or is there perhaps some leaning towards braid?Tony says: Mono is our first choice, but with so many new lines coming onto the market it is possible, in the future, that a coated braid line will cast better. For the moment however, I would recommend Ultima PowerSteel Fluorocarbon in 0.35mm/9kg, as it is non stretch, super soft and high strength… it is lovely line to fish and cast with.  Chris: Why do you think multiplier reels are not popular on the Continent?Tony says: I believe that fishermen on the continent, given a choice, will go for a fixed spool reel. The simple reason is that they are easy to use and certain multipliers are seen as fraught with hassle. A reputation for inexplicable bird-nests has attached itself to multipliers generally. Times have changed however, and better design and the wholesale uptake of simple magnetic braking has seen the multiplier evolve into a much easier to use reel. Shore anglers now have no reason to fear multipliers. Chris: Do you think continental anglers will rethink their approach to shore fishing and change their opinions on reels in the future?Tony says: I would like to think so as this would give the continental fisherman another weapon in his arsenal to catch fish feeding further out from the shore.Chris: We often read in magazines about anglers and casters stripping reels down after every outing and carrying out all sorts of time consuming reel maintenance. Does the TG-F1 require much regular attention to keep it in good working order? Tony says: After a fishing session, rinse your reels under the tap with warm water, dry them out thoroughly and oil the spool  bearings with one of the Rocket Fuel oils. More than that is unnecessary to ensure a long and trouble-free working life. Chris: What is the Rocket’s gear ratio?Tony says: The reel’s ratio is 5.3:1, which is the ideal retrieve for beach fishing and a casting multiplier of this size.Chris: Given the latest generation of new casting rods and reels, would you say that 100 metres should be achievable for any fisherman?Tony says: Nothing in fishing is guaranteed but with our TG-F1 reels, some casting practice and a half decent rod regular casts over 100 metres should be much more than a possibility.ROCKET LAUNCHERWhile huge distances have been cast using the TG-F1 on the field and beach, Tony is at pains to stress that the reel has been designed for everyday use by match and pleasure anglers, and there are no special skills required to cast well with it. The beach was only five minutes from Tony’s front door and carrying a pair of well used Zziplex 'fishing' rods with spanking TG-F1 reels attached, we headed out to properly put them through their paces.The first reel I tried was the raw standard model with a 150g lead. I set up to cast off the ground, and took it easy, not wanting to embarrass myself up by blowing up on the first cast. Under the scrutiny of Tony, a touch of nerves still got the better of me and I nearly made a pig's ear of the first cast, forgetting to depress the spool release - what a dolt! At this point I should perhaps point out that spool release is very positive, and the magnetic control knob is just the right size for comfortable 'blind' location/operation should you want to back the brake off or on with the lead in the air. Initial butterflies mastered, I soon had the lead flying with a very simple OTG cast employing very little turn of the body. The reel is a serious zoomer but easy to control and my confidence kicked right in after just a couple of casts. The other thing that struck me was just how quiet the reel is in full flight. Unstressed and unflustered might better describe the feeling - totally unlike many of the very popular beachcasting reels from the big players. The reel did not take much getting used to, and I worked through an extensive set of casts covering the most basic of overhead casts, through to a more full-blown OTG with the 150g lead set inside the rod tip on a modest drop - all went off without a hitch.The second Zziplex rod sported a TG-F1 reel that had been ever so slightly tweaked. Tony did not reveal exactly what had been fiddled, but said to give it the lot and go for bust. He promised I wouldn't have any problems, so this time I hammered a 175g lead as hard as I could. Again, the reel was eerily quiet - so quiet in fact that I had to look to check that line was actually spilling off the spool… and boy was it! After twiddling the mag control knob I noticed the spool was nearly empty – for me, that was quite a cast! The double paddle, Gator Grip handle compliments the reel well and takes some of the pain out of winding in 175 metres of line.I kept casting and retrieving until my arms hurt. And in that time I tried everything to catch the reel out... but failed. Even when I snatched the cast, or got the timing wrong the TG-F1 rolled with the punches and forgave my errors, delivering clean release and unerring smooth line flow repeatedly. You might note that I do not talk about 'pendulum' or 'power casting' through this report, and that is simply because I wanted my handling of the reel to be representative of 99% of the beach fishing public, rather than just those with already well honed casting techniques. My hands-on experience firmly underlined that there was no need to employ more exaggerated casting styles to achieve excellent fishing distances with the beautiful TG-F1.To the best of my knowledge this is the first casting multiplier reel to be engineered and manufactured exclusively in the UK. With an almighty £345 price tag this superb piece of engineering may be beyond the financial reach of many anglers, which really is a pity given its user-friendliness and magic performance. 40 years of fishing have taught me many hard lessons, one of which is ‘pay peanuts – get monkeys’. This is particularly true of beach fishing reels. For me, the TG-F1 is a true high performance item that will improve the fishing distances and enjoyment of so many anglers, from the everyday fisherman right through to those at the top of the game. I believe this reel is well worth the investment, and I give it an enthusiastic thumbs-up to anglers in the UK, Netherlands and beyond.FEATURES & EXTRAS• Spool locating system• Monochrome plated solid brass end plates• Magnetic brake control• Lightweight hard anodised AA7075 super duralumin spool• SS precision drive gear/brake block holder with tempered SS circlip• Carbon fibre brake blocks from Zziplex• Long life bronze pinion gear• New easier finger-controlled drag system• Carbontex drag washers• Hard anodised one-piece low profile cage• Comfort Gator Grip handle• All reels are numbered & certificated• Supplied with a 'R' logo reel bag• Supplied with a bottle of Yellow label Rocket FuelFor further information click here and here Thanks to TOTAL SEA FISHING magazine for their assistance with the photographs for this item.A 3D fly through of the reel can be found here - Browse3D.  Reels, Lead Feature 2010-04-11T21:05:27+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/20cm-shads-from-outdoor-hobbies http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/20cm-shads-from-outdoor-hobbies#When:21:00:28Z Shad mad Dave Proudfoot offers his thoughts on some new shads that caught his eye...I am a big fan of shads for pollack and cod fishing afloat, and and always on the lookout for worthwhile additions to my rubber fish armoury. While browsing the of an evening, I stumbled upon an Ebay shop selling, among other things, some very eye-catching big 20cm shads. Now although I have no plans for Norway or Iceland this year I tend to grab any XXL shads when I find them as they can also be very effective in the north where I reside, and they have the added advantage of discouraging the plague numbers of small summer coalies that throw themselves at the jellyworms and small Red Gills which are very popular - well that and they wind up Steve Souter who hates shads with a passion. Given that the price was less than £5 including postage I wasn’t expecting anything particurly brilliant, but I dully clicked the “Buy it Now” button.Four days later a well wrapped packet dropped through the letterbox. On opening I was amazed to find top quality shads supplied by the guys at Outdoor Hobbies. The shads are as good as any at twice the price and the majority of the colours are ideal for the UK and wider European sea angler.Cast from quality plastic the shads look as though they will stand up to rigors of fishing for the toothy halibut, cod and coalies inside the Arctic Circle. I stretched the individual shads to twice their length with no signs of ripping or tearing. The finishing colours, including spots and stripes, appear to be cast into the plastic and despite scratching with various implements I couldn’t noticeably damage the finish. Although made of robust material the tails impart excellent 'wiggle' in the water, albeit only I have thus far only viewed the swimming action in the harbour. These shads are unweighted and I would usually fish them off a boom to a plain 8/0 Varivas Big Mouth or a 1oz leadhead of a similar size. These shads  are impressively tough and I found that moistening the shank of the hook helps penetrate the sturdy plastic.My conclusion is that these shads are brilliant value for money making them a excellent addition to the shopping list of anyone intending on boat fishing in Norway, Iceland or the Faroes. I can also see them being effective for game and reef species in the warm waters and spanking the the summer wreck and reef cod out of ports along the English Channel and the fringing North Sea.The shop proprietors assure me that they have good stocks of these and if you ask them in advance they are willing to sell specific colours instead of the random mix as seen in the photos here. The shop also sells 10cm shads in the same material and has a selection of other tackle including 9cm muppets. I’ve already placed my next order.Current price on Outdoor Hobbies Ebay shop for 20cm shads is £5.99 for 10 including postage. Terminal Tackle, Lures, Lead Feature 2010-04-11T21:00:28+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-09-04-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-09-04-10#When:15:58:14Z Last Sunday’s HCA boat match was a real cliff hanger with the majority of boats struggling to find fish. The conditions did not help with the wind and tide making anchoring difficult. The boats made off in all directions, the 5 A was a popular mark for a lot of the boats.A late rush of fish from around the 5A saw Olly Call run out winner with a bag of 20lb 3oz. Runner-up Mark Taylor heeded advice on rigs from Steve Souter to weigh in 15¾lb ahead of third placed Barry Demberton with 11lb 3½oz. Things are now really hotting up in the league with Mark Taylor on top spot with 144 points, closely followed by Wayne Baxter on 141 and Tim Burgess is snapping at their heels with 137. The previously cancelled match is now rescheduled for the 18th April, so it is going to be a very interesting match.The latest Cleethorpes Angling Centre match was fished on the Cleethorpes Promenade and it proved a productive match. Top rod was Dave Burr with twenty-three fish for 446cms followed in second by Simon Drayton with 426cm. Third placed John Atkinson had 404cm including the biggest round fish of the night, a 28cm bass. The shop’s next match is on Thursday 15th April fishing 6.15 to 9.15hrs.Humber SAC were at Killingholme on the Sunday and they struggled for water at first but this did not hold back Steve McGregor who had seventeen fish for 5lb 9½oz to win the match. Second place went to Nigel Crabtree with nine fish for 3lb and third placed Jack Barlow weighed 2lb 13oz. There were eighty-on landed by eight anglers which shows promise for this area.The club’s next match is this Sunday at Humberston Creek. The following Saturday it is the second of the King Pin Opens and this time it will be on the Promenade from the pier top Brighton Street Slipway. This area is in great form and the organisers would like a good turn out to help boost sponsorship. East England 2010-04-09T15:58:14+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-09-04-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-09-04-10#When:15:40:09Z One or two cod around the 2lb to 3lb mark are still showing from various marks along the North East coast but the majority of anglers are still reliant upon the seemingly ever present flounders, dabs and plaice for their catches. The odd turbot are showing from some of the clean ground beaches north of the Tyne. Most of the other species around at the moment are small and undersize, with coalfish, codling, whiting and rockling showing from all areas.The river Tyne has a lot of small codling present and is popular with club matches fishing measure and release on a 20cm limit. A few coalfish to 2lb have shown from South Shields pier, as has the odd early plaice around the 1lb mark and small bass have been reported from Durham beaches.North East anglers are now starting to travel over to S.W. Scotland, where dogfish are showing in numbers, and to the various marks either side of the border along the Solway where good numbers of flounders are now starting to show; club matches are being won with bags of thirty plus fish. Anglers are reminded that catch and release is expected and that all litter must be removed as complaints have already been received by landowners.Tynemouth A.C. fished a match on Sunday with Neil Garner only needing a flounder, dab and a coalfish for a total of 2lb to win ahead of Dave Hayley who weighed two dabs for 15oz and Wilf Reed with a 13oz coalie. South Meadowell S.A.C. managed to weigh in a few pounds during their last match. Shaun Herman had 2lb 14oz to finish first ahead of John Wood with 2lb 10oz. Third placed Brian Telford weighed in with 15oz. A lot of angling clubs have finished their winter matches and are now waiting until May before the rivers hopefully improve for summer species.Boat angling should start to pick up in the north of the region soon with good numbers of cod expected from the hard ground marks with fish slowly migrating south to the Teesbay area by the end of May when mackerel, which seem to show earlier every year should be well established a few miles offshore.The Whitby Charter Skippers Association Spring Festival runs from April 3rd until April 18th, after day one the leader board is topped by Paul Bradshaw with a cod of 8lb 9oz taken on Sea Otter 2, Richard Anscombe has a cod of 2lb 15oz on Shy Torque followed by Clemantine Barrow with a cod of 2lb 6oz, also on Shy Torque.Saturday May 8th sees a heaviest fish sweepstake for boats out of Hartlepool, register at the Tees and Hartlepool Yacht Club or the Friarage tackle shop. Boats leave port at 7am and fish until 5pm with the weigh in at 6.30pm. All fish must be cleaned before weighing. Entry is £10 per angler with a 90 percent payout spread over the top three heaviest fish. The remaining 10 percent will be donated to the RNLI. Contact the Friarage tackle shop on 01429-273145 or s.ryder@hotmail.co.uk. North East England 2010-04-09T15:40:09+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/possible-new-european-record-cod http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/possible-new-european-record-cod#When:13:20:26Z German angler Manfred Muller land the fish on a life time when fish near Skjervøy.The cod weighing 41kg was landed from Olderfijord, situated to the north east of Skjervøy, was hooked in 70 metres of water and landed after a brief fight.Photo here - Record CodPhoto is copyright of - Kjetil Nielsen Skog Northern Europe 2010-04-05T13:20:26+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-03-04-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-03-04-10#When:09:06:14Z Last Sunday Humber SAC ran the first King Pin sponsored match on the sea front at Cleethorpes where a last minute switch saw the competition being switched to the stretch from Brighton Street Slipway to the Leisure Centre.Brian Tuck who honed his scratching skills while coarse fishing continued his recent good form and ran out a clear winner with a bag of small fish weighing 3lb 14½oz. Second place went to Mick Burke with 2lb 14oz half an ounce ahead of Adie Cooper who weighed in 2lb 13½oz. Fourth placed Danny Jackson finished with 2lb 13oz and the top Junior winner was Liam Aisthorpe with an excellent 1lb 9oz. The biggest flatfish, a 33cm flounder, was caught by Steve Wilkinson and the biggest round fish a 31cm bass was landed by your author.Big thanks go out to Owen and the staff at King Pin for supporting the match which provided an excellent, friendly atmosphere.The club’ next match is on Sunday at Killingholme; meet on the site of the old Ship and Shovel from 07:15 with the fishing from 08:15 to 12:15. This area fishes well this time of year so it should be a good match.Again on Sunday the HCA take to the water in continuation of their Winter League. It’s is decent start time at 11:30 hrs and finishes in daylight with a 19:00 hrs close. The league is very close this year; Des Cox is in the front at the moment on 123 points, next is Allan Stanley and Tim Burgess both on 112 and then on 107 is Wayne Baxter and Paul Secker making for a very tight finish.On the political side of fishing there have been several meetings across the country in conjunction with Net Gain looking at Marine Conservation Zones. The meetings are dominated by DEFRA and English Nature and it looks like no fishing areas will be set up affecting both the commercial fisheries and the recreational anglers. East England 2010-04-03T09:06:14+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-30-03-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-30-03-10#When:06:53:10Z If it was not for the humble flounder, north east shore sport would be non existent. There are plenty of them around at the present but most are small with the bigger ones tending only to show when there is a bit of colour in the water or when there is a bit of surf running onto the beaches. Parton beach, Crimdon and most of the clean ground Durham beaches have a population of flounder present. Turbot are also being reported from several areas; mainly north of the Tyne, but any clean ground beach can produce them. Anglers are now starting to target them as there is little else to pursue, most are small but some of the bigger specimens have topped the 2lb mark. Ragworm baits tipped with mackerel is generally the most productive bait, both for turbot and flounders. Multi hook rigs cast just at the back of the surf can produce fish two or three at a time. Other than this there is little else to report, the odd whiting and dabs are showing after dark from Steetley and Roker piers, the odd sizeable cod to 3lb has been reported from some of the low water rock edge marks and from South Shields pier and the lower Tyne. Increasing numbers of coalfish are also starting to show around the Tyne area. Gary Wilson and Neil Pringle report taking cod to 3lb during recent sessions on South Shields pier. Dave Swift won a Newbiggin match with a cod of 2½lb, and John Bell won another with two cod and a flounder for 4lb 15oz, a massive weight given the recent reports.Some clubs are now cancelling the remainder of their winter matches and fishing catch and release in the local rivers where there are at least plenty of smaller specimens to be caught. Hopefully this is just a blip and the comps can get back to normal rules. Barry Wright won an Eastenders match in the Wear with forty-three fish for 853cm, ahead of Andy Rutherford with forty fish for 785cm. John Clark had the longest fish with a blenny of 29cm and the match raised £100 for the “Help 4 Heroes Fund”.South of the Tees rockling continue to be the main species to be targeted in club matches. The last St. Mary’s match saw eleven out of twenty-two weigh in. Andrew Burton won with five rockling, best 12oz, and one pouting for 2lb 2oz while second placed John Fairbridge had nine rockling for 1lb 15oz. Emma Miller took third spot with four rockling for 13oz. You may think that this result represents pretty desperate fishing, but note that twenty two members turned out and anglers can only fish for what is there and that there is still sport to be had on suitable tackle. Many methods have been tried to “protect” fish stocks over the years, such as the quota system, but really tougher measures now need to be introduced before there are no longer any worthwhile fish to catch. The introduction of Marine Conservation Zones do not seem to be tough enough as these are merely methods to protect what we now have, rather than trying to retrieve what we have already lost. So, to repeat myself, are the above catch reports really where sea angling is going?There are now several clubs in the Hartlepool area who are unable to decide what to call themselves. If the relevant match secretaries contact me through this site then the situation can be clarified and you can see your match results in print.The Rutherford’s Seaham Good Friday Open is on April 2nd fishing from 1pm till 6pm between Hendon Groyne (excluded) and Hawthorne Hive. Seaham North pier will have one hundred pegs available, weather permitting. Basic entry is £12 all classes plus optional pools and team events. Top prizes for the first three heaviest fish are £500, £300, and £200. There is a supporting prize table of £2000 based on heaviest bag. Register at the Seaham clubhouse from 10:30 to 12:30; weigh in at the same venue from 6:15 to 7:15. North East England 2010-03-30T06:53:10+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/massive-boat-caught-norway-cod http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/massive-boat-caught-norway-cod#When:12:04:42Z Some visitors to the Tromso area have enjoyed excellent sport recently with good reports of big spring cod. A group fishng out of Malangsgrunnen with Arctic Fishing Adventures had a terrific session recently.The guys had many fish over 20kg and the trip was topped off by Marcus who landed a fish of 37.1 Kg. The incredible fish was over 150cm and had a massive girth of 95cm. Like the majority of the skrei cod at this time of year the fish was heavily laiden with roe. It the fish had been weighed on land immediately after capture there's a good chance that it would have beaten the Norwegian record.On the same drop Marcus also had two other cod weighing over 7 Kg each.Per intends to target the spring cod from Tromso in 2011 so get your bookings in now. http://www.fish4u.se/f4uenglish.asp Boat catches and results, Northern Europe 2010-03-26T12:04:42+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/virtual-sea-angling-in-the-flesh http://www.planetseafishing.com/features/read/virtual-sea-angling-in-the-flesh#When:15:15:37Z The flourishing Internet Angling Club has birthed strong cross-border friendships, with anglers stepping out of the virtual ether to regularly travel hundreds of miles to fish together. Ian Lindsay divides his spare time to both indulge his travelling passion for catching different species, and help his IAC pals experience what's on offer in his own Northern waters...UNHAPPY TIMES, some might say, for the 300-year-old Union between Scotland and England, what with the SNP running the show in the north, David Cameron's Tories hoping to take up the reins of power in the south, and a whole lot of sparks flying between the nations on a host of political points. Yet fishermen don't let such boundaries get in the way of their leisure, do we? I'm a member of the IAC (Internet Angling Club), a UK-wide web group that unites anglers under a common banner, no matter which neck of the woods they hail from. It didn't really start that way; the IAC Scots and the English existed (in email terms) in generally well-defined separate spheres, though of course we all saw each other's reports and in our own ways, occasionally wished we were there!Gradually the imaginary barriers came down - much of the initial credit going to the expansion of what began life as a two-man species race between a couple of southerners, Steve Marley and Dave Huxley, into a free-for-all open to any IAC member with a boat. This competition is called the ABR (Annual Bragging Race), and there's been a good spread of winners from both sides of the border since it began in 2003. Some bright spark then floated the idea one day that wouldn't it be great if some of the Scots could head south for a 'southern fish-in' with a northern equivalent to allow the Anglos a tilt at some of our hairier tartan-finned fish? Chris Tier, skipper of the 31-foot Mitchell Tamar Lady and all-round good guy, was the obvious candidate to help out in the south, while Davy Holt, skipper of the big catamaran Catchalot II who catches common skate as regularly as others get pouting, had to be the man who could rustle up something special for the Southern Softies (a term of affection, I assure you!).Swapping SidesAnd so it began - with a gaggle of Scots heading south to tackle odd (for us at any rate) species like smooth hound, black bream, tope and blonde rays, while a stream of English anglers lined up to be put through Davy's very own mill of pain tackling fish sometimes heavier than themselves! All this has been ongoing for a number of years now, strong friendships have developed, and some cracking fish have been landed, topped by a 200-pound LA skate for lucky ol' southerner Dave Samuel. The format worked well, but for a change I invited Chris up for a tilt on my own boat, a Raider 18, at a common skate. He elected to bring along our mutual pal Pasty Pete Brunton, while I brought along another good friend from the IAC, Doug Kinnaird, to do all the work.Fishing-wise, the exercise failed to produce some of the fireworks of previous skate trips with REAL expert Holty, though in truth the main problem was that our venue of choice on a small tide - Lochaline - had been fully booked months in advance by a 50-strong party of divers! So Loch Sunart it had to be, by no means a bad spot but best fished on a stronger tide. Our dates had been set some time in advance, and we had to make the best of it. Still, first day, we achieved our objective - though it was by no means easy! Chris and Pasty were fishing skate gear while Doug and I chased spurs to give them a clear run at a biggie, but the action was desperately slow, and with time running on, after Chris failed to hook up a fiddly offer, I decided I needed to lend a hand.So I set up a third skate rod with a nice St Andrews coalie on the end, stuck it down, and hey presto - within 20 minutes the little skate which had bothered Chris' bait was back. Pasty was the lucky man on 'strike', and after a routine battle brought up a pretty little female skate of 51lb. A small example of its kind, maybe, but a fish big enough to bring a broad smile for the big Devon 'lad'! That was the only skate action of the trip, but spurdogs to 11lb eased the pain a little, we all had a grand time on the social front at Resipole and Salen, and in any case there was another chance to share some great action later in the year down south.South Coast SabbaticalOctober is a prime time on the south coast, and Chris' home port of Hayling Island is awash with possibilities. Sadly, Doug couldn't find time to come along, so I was on my own as I flew from Edinburgh to Southampton with a set of waterproofs, some travel rods and not a lot else. Next morning we set out at a civilised 9am aboard Tamar Lady, and the weather couldn't have been any better if we'd picked it ourselves; tee-shirts were very much the order of the day as we headed toward the Isle of Wight for a crack at a southern cod. Coals to Newcastle for me perhaps, but what southern cod may lack in numbers, they make up for in terms of average size! The crew this time was myself, Chris, Pasty and another of their pals, John Irwin, whom I'd met a few times at Southern Fish-Ins but never seen in action. It soon became clear John is quite a performer, as he showed by landing a nice bull huss pushing 9lb, quickly followed by a surprise pollack of 6lb 6oz. By this stage I'd managed just a 1lb whiting, and Pasty had landed a 15lb conger, so it was with a certain air of desperation that I elected to try some Scottish tactics with a set of tinsels baited with soggy mackerel strip! In truth I was hoping for a bigger whiting, but what I hooked within seconds was a fish that fully tested my 20-30lb Penn Waveblaster - and out of the strong-flowing, murky water popped a pollack even more surprising than John's at 9lb 8oz.As the tide strengthened, the congers came on strong - and we ended the day with 11 to our credit. I had the best of them at 22lb 8oz, a PB, so it was turning into a good day! The tide slackened, the congers quietened down, then at slack Pasty hit a fish that put up solid resistance and he observed, "This feels like a cod!" Sure enough, a nine-pounder was soon bulging the net. A marvellously pale, almost washed-out looking fish compared to the sort I catch on rocky ground in Scotland, I still knew I wanted one.Still, the star of the day, John, would get in on the act next, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the calm way in which Pasty and Chris were discussing bait as John hung on for dear life on the other side of the boat! The powerful beast on his pennel rig was no match for the star angler in the end though, and he was soon cradling a personal best cod of 19lb. Not long after, I got my cod right enough. I could tell it was nowhere near as special as the last one, but at 7lb 8oz it was still a nice way to end the day.Next day, and with the tides building and some numpty curtailing the possibilities because he had to fly home, we headed to the Medmerry Bank to try for rays. For some reason, though I'm a competent thornie catcher in home waters, these southern rays don't like me much - but all that changed early on as a swift double-tap on my uptider indicated a bite. I was in, but clearly this wasn't one of the biggies Chris and Co. contact regularly - still, even a pound-and-a-half blonde ray seems OK when it's your first! Thereafter the English trio demonstrated how it should be done with a string of blondes and small-eyed rays, though none topped 8lb so I didn't feel I'd missed out too badly.A Raft Of SpeciesNext up, Chris was keen to have a tilt at plaice, and again this is not a species I've had much luck with. After some bait-wrecking small black bream had spoiled our prospects for a while, I wasn't even watching my rod when a solid take pulled the tip down hard, and I soon brought in a hard-fighting plaice pushing 2lb.However, I was soon upstaged by the skip, who astounded all aboard by bringing in a red mullet of 1lb 2oz! Chris kept up his form, bringing in a cracking plaice of 3lb 6oz, followed by another of 2lb, while Pasty got a nice one just under 3lb and John had a smaller flattie, before filling a bucket full of late-running mackerel. Alas, all too soon it was time for home. A pity, as were on the cusp of the best part of the tide - but scheduled flights wait for no man. Over the piece, then, a couple of memorable trips - but surely the best thing of all is that no matter what the politicos might think, the Union of angling is as strong as ever. Boat, Lead Feature 2010-03-25T15:15:37+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-22-03-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-22-03-10#When:20:40:22Z Shore sport is now very quiet; with the exception of the odd sizeable cod from the rock edges and some coalfish in the Tyne, most anglers are relying on the ever present flounders and dabs for a bit of sport with plenty of smaller flats showing from the piers and clean ground beaches. The odd specimen flounder to 2lb have been reported, but most are around the 1lb mark or under. The small bass and early plaice have shown from some beaches and some whiting are evident after dark. Until a northerly wind stirs the sea up again it’s time for small hooks and light gear to make the most of a session.With few cod showing from north of the Tyne flounders are the target for club matches. A recent Amble sweepstake fished in the river Aln only produced four of them but Eddie Ide managed a nice specimen of 1lb 11oz to win the event. The last Seaton Sluice match produced a few cod and Chris Guthrie had one of 3lb 3oz to take top spot lb followed by M. Burke and D. Hood who had fish of 1lb 10oz and 1lb 5oz respectively.The Ryhope club match on Sunday saw four out of seventy-seven weigh in. First placed John Lovett had a rare cod of 1025 grams from South Shields pier while runner-up Kevin Cassidy landed a flounder of 525 grams from South Shield beach. John Bryn had a flounder of 310 grams from Hendon to take third and Kevin Martin finished fourth had a flounder of 195 grams from the Falls.The Tynemouth retired members match saw one of the better results with coalfish showing on the day from Tynemouth pier. Tony Taylor weighed-in seven for 6lb 10oz to finish first ahead of Neil Garner landed four coalfish, best 1lb 7oz, plus a flounder, for 5lb 2oz and Dave Bentley who had four coalies for 3lb 10oz in third.The Grey’s Open fished at Seaham last week had an excellent run out. Unfortunately only eleven out of one hundred and six anglers managed to find fish. Andy Softly fished the Chemical beach and cleaned up with a single cod of 3.76lb taking the £500 first prize for heaviest fish, the heaviest bag and with partner Alan Price also won the team event. Miss Katie Peel finished second with a cod of 2.12lb taken from the Blast beach winning £300 and Paul Hodgeson was third with a cod of 2.09lb from the Green Wall.With shore sport being unproductive Eastenders A.C. had a measure and release match in the Wear at Panns Bank where there are at least a few smaller fish present. Jim Dobie won with fourteen for 284cm ahead of Darren Welsh with seven for 146cm and Paul Howard only needed a specimen of 23cm to claim the longest fish.South of the Tees shore sport is almost non-existent and if it were not for the humble flounder and rockling one would think that there were no longer any fish in the sea, but anglers can only fish for what is available. The last St. Mary’s club match saw Martin Rivett win with a flounder of 11oz taken from Whitby harbour to win the vent. Second placed John Fairbridge had three rockling for 9oz just ahead of John Hannan who had two rockling for 8oz.There are a couple of Penn points sweepstake matches on the Tyne in the near future, the first is on Saturday April 10th fishing from 10am till 2pm at the Copthorne Hotel, contact Steve Potts on 07767-473120 for details. The second is on Saturday May 1st fishing from 1pm till 5pm at the same venue, contact Gav Owen on 07974-130205 for details of this one. Both matches are a 20cm limit measure and release, entry to each is £10 with a 100 percent payout, register at the venue one hour before fishing.The Rutherfords Seaham Good Friday Open is on Friday April 2nd fishing from 1pm till 6pm between Hendon Groyne (excluded), to Hawthorne Hive. Seaham North pier will have one hundred pegs available, weather permitting. Basic entry is £12 all classes plus optional pools and team events. Top prizes for the first three heaviest fish are £500, £300, and £200. There is a supporting prize table of £2000 based on heaviest bag. Register at the Seaham clubhouse from 10.30 to 12.30, weigh in at the same venue from 6.15 to 7.15. North East England 2010-03-22T20:40:22+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-15-03-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-15-03-10#When:21:51:07Z Shore sport is now mainly reliant upon smaller species, cod of any size are few and far between, and most anglers have been happy to pick up the odd bigger flounder or whiting. The piers are producing better fish after dark, with flounders, dabs and whiting reported. However the clean ground beaches are fishing better in daylight with a little bit of surf running there’s the chance of a specimen flounder amongst lots of smaller ones. Light tackle, such as a bass or carp rod, can make for an interesting session when fishing the open beaches as a good sized flounder can put up quite a fight if balanced tackle is used. There is still plenty of time for a bigger cod to turn up but a good northerly sea is needed to break the sandeel shoals up and prevent the cod from being preoccupied with feeding on this high protein food source.The river Wear is quiet with little reported, but the Tyne is now attracting lots of clubs fishing 20cm catch and release matches as there are large numbers of smaller cod and coalfish present. Last week’s trend continues with the club results giving a clear indication of what to expect from the shore just now.Darren Swan managed to find a scarce cod of 4.63lb in a bag total of 5.62lb to win a recent Seaham A.C. match. Phil Wright won an Eastenders sweepstake with one of 3lb 10oz and Chris Stringer won another Eastenders sweepstake with one of 2lb 7oz taken from the Tyne Walkway. The Cleadon A.C. match saw only one angler out of twenty-eight weigh in when Steve Brown managed a cod of 2lb 3oz from Tynemouth beach. During an S.B.R.A.A.C. outing two anglers brought fish to the scales, Steve Alexander had a flounder of 6oz and Steve Haliburton had one of 5oz.A Westoe A.C. competition again saw a single cod weighed in; Kevin Moeliker took the stray fish of 1¾lb while fishing at South Shields pier. The B.O.T.A.C. Sunday League match was comparatively successful and had eight out of twenty-seven entrants finding fish. Steve Elliott had three flounders and a dab for 2lb 10oz to finish top ahead of Dave Hayley with a flounder and a coalie for 1lb 11oz. Third placed Steve Harper had two flounders for 1lb 9oz.Flounders saved the Ryhope sweepstake from a blank with two weighed in from Roker pier where Lee Burton had one of 11oz and Bob Surtees weighed in a half pounder. Flounders have also been welcome north of the Tyne where John Bell had six for 3lb 7oz from Lynemouth beach to win a Newbiggin match.South of the Tees shore sport is desperate with even the smaller cod scarce from the rock edge marks and the piers at Skinningrove and Whitby. The last St. Mary’s A.C. match saw five out of the sixteen anglers weighing in. Winner John Hannan had a single cod of 2lb 3oz from Skinningrove followed in joint second place by Andy Burton who landed a rockling of 7oz from Whitby West pier and John Fairbridge who had a flounder of 7oz from Whitby harbour. Darren Lister managed two rockling for 6oz to take fourth place. North East England 2010-03-15T21:51:07+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/stellar-action-on-supernova http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/stellar-action-on-supernova#When:18:04:21Z The weather has been extraordinarily kind this year compared to the back end of 2009, so as I watched the forecast get better and better towards this week-end I couldn't resist a last minute trip for a final crack at the Pollack.I checked the http://www.deepsea.co.uk schedule pages for a place on a Weymouth boat and was delighted to find that Lyle Stantiford was able to fit me in with a party of individuals. Lyle skippers the brand new "Supanova", the latest twin hull addition to England's top charter port.Although this is the first charter boat Lyle has owned he is by no means a novice. Having served his apprenticeship crewing for a number of local skippers, including Chris Caines and Pat Carlin, Lyle has acquired all his relevant qualifications and has spent the last few years working as a contract skipper and "locum", often for many of the more established Weymouth charter boats. Lyle has also served as a crew member on the Weymouth RNLI Lifeboat for the last three years.A quick call the night before confirmed that the weather was set fair and that we would meet at the dock at 07:00 for an 07:15 departure. Joining me for the day afloat were Ken from Poole, three lads from Derbyshire and two guys from Christchurch way. With seven on board this boat has a mass of space and even adding an eighth angler would not have made it any less comfortable.Lyle helped us stow our gear and provided tackle for some of the novice anglers who didn't have their own. We then had a quick safety briefing covering life jackets, flares, life raft drill and emergency radio communication before slipping our moorings and heading out to sea.The plan for the day was to drift a group of wrecks some 26 miles to the south west of Weymouth looking for some prime fat Pollack before they started to spawn at the end of March. Supanova made a very sprightly 15 knots plus on the steam out and with a little tuning Lyle expects to get a cruising speed of 16 to 17 knots in the future - enough to rival any of the local charter fleet.We rigged with flying collars and after my February experience I made sure I had plenty of Mackerel pattern side winders in my bag. These have a red tail and lower jaw and proved deadly for some other anglers on the trip out last month.On arrival at the first wreck Lyle checked the lie of the structure and the direction of the drift and then set us up for our first pass. The skipper called out each stage of the wreck and just as we came off the highest point and towards the back both myself and another Steve (from Derbyshire) were in to fish - a great start! The result was two Pollack of around 5-6 lbs each.We were soon starting our second drift. This time it was mayhem! I hooked the wreck but the other 6 anglers all hooked fish which did their best to cross over the lines and drag people in to the wreck.The fish were soon boated and the tangles straightened and we were off for another drift. We had several more drifts, each producing a couple of fish which kept Lyle busy with the net. The fish were mostly in the 5 to 9 lb range with the odd larger fish thrown in for good measure. Each fish was unhooked by the skipper and put in to the very large ice box that is stowed in a specially designed rack under the centrally positioned bait station. Additional fish boxes were stowed under the deck, and these would soon be brought out as we quickly filled the ice box!Ken was the first to find a bigger fish. He hooked a cracking double figure fish which took a number of long, surging runs before reluctantly coming to the net. Then, with almost twenty fish on the boat, the sport died away to nothing. We had a couple of blank drifts and the skipper called our lines in and we were off to another wreck. A short steam of around 15 minutes saw us arrive at the wreck of the SS Frigga lying in 60m of water. A quick assessment of the drift and we were starting our first pass.Sport was again instant with another six way hook up including me this time. James from Derbyshire added another fine double figure fish to the catch. James would go on to be the top rod on the day taking 8 or 9 fish.The average size of the pollack was a little larger on this wreck, probably 7 to 9 lbs and all the crew managed to catch fish over the next hour or so. My hit rate was improving fast and I managed four fish in four drifts, the largest being around 9lbs. I even earned the dubious honour of landing the first Pouting to be taken on Supanova! When I was out in February I bemoaned the fact that anglers can stand next to each other on a boat and have very different fortunes, with some catching plenty whilst others catch little or nothing at all. Today restored my faith as everyone on the boat accounted for five fish or more and had plenty of great sport throughout the day. While the action was slower in the afternoon despite trying more wrecks, we were compensated by some stunning weather which, as you can see from the photos of the Christchurch contingent, got better and better all day.With the third wreck we fished producing only a solitary fish we headed back to the initial mark to try again now the fierce tide had dropped away a little. This produced a couple more nice fish to round off the day. We had an equally quick run back to port on a flat calm sea in the early spring sunshine and were further treated when Lyle rustled up hot dogs for the crew to snack on! I have often thought in the past that "succession" in the charter industry may be a problem with relatively few new, and genuinely professional, younger skippers appearing each year. Sure, there are the "hobbyists" who come and go but very few who have taken the time to learn their craft from the best in the business and who enter in to a business with as strong a customer focus as Lyle has. He is running a fabulous boat ideally suited to smaller clubs and parties of up to eight anglers and has been meticulous in planning the experience he wants to give to his anglers. On this day, only his second commercial trip on the "Supanova", he certainly secured the future patronage of seven very happy anglers. With people like Lyle entering the industry our sport looks to be in good hands for the future.For more information on Supanova Charters have a look at Lyles' own web site. South West England 2010-03-14T18:04:21+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/zziplex-islander-boat-rod-available-only-from-uk-hooks http://www.planetseafishing.com/reviews/read/zziplex-islander-boat-rod-available-only-from-uk-hooks#When:12:40:18Z After more than a year of hard development work and fine-tuning the Zziplex Islander boat rod has arrived. "A beautiful blend of power and panache, this exclusive UK Hooks' rod is phenomenal, and destined for classic status", says Des Westmore.Zziplex rods are a bit special: ‘precision tools engineered and formed by the hands of a genius’ might well sum up the weight of opinion among expert shore anglers and casters the world over. Various incarnations of the famous Zziplex Sea Raider uptide rod aside, there have been very few serious sojourns into the area of Zziplex boat rods. But that looks set to change with the long awaited introduction of the first Islander boat rod designed in close association with Mike Taylor of UK Hooks.Based on long experience, Mike Taylor rates Terry Carroll’s Zziplex blanks above all others, trusting then to the custom-build talents of Chris Dance to create finished items that anglers are proud to own and fish with. This reliable combination of expert craftsmanship stands well proven, and Mike’s tackle business, UK Hooks can evidence staggering Zziplex rod sales to back that up.At 7ft 6ins, the 25-35lb version is the landmark first rod in what will be the Islander boat rod series. Every inch a rod produced for and in the UK, the one-piece design avoids any interrupted curvature, ‘stepping’ and eventual wear associated with rod joints. An intricate blend of top quality carbon and hi-tech glass material underpins a fantastically responsive fast action blank and provides an ‘intelligent’ fishing tip in the top 18 inches. The tip area is a masterpiece dually intended to clearly betray the slightest fish interest, and still vitally support substantial lead weights without suffocating bite amplification should fishing conditions force the need to ramp up the lead loading.Islander rods are available either custom built to the purchaser’s explicit specifications, or to the superb UK HOOKS standard build which just cannot be faulted. The standard build (pictured) is equipped with 10 Fuji chrome oval SiC guides (four double-leg CWDBSG and six single-leg CD-BSG), and a CNST tip ring. Guides are affixed with immaculate black-tipped-silver whippings, while the double-leg rings are also under-whipped in silver. The one-piece design provides a well proportioned handle, with a generous machined black Duplon fore-grip above a heavy-duty genuine Fuji reel seat. Duplon is also used behind the reel, while a Fuji gimble completes the handle.HE AIN’T HEAVYI was immediately struck by just how light the Islander 25-35lb rod is… it’s a joyous 360 grams fully built, and no arm-aching burden at all when held for long periods. Slim and well balanced, even without a reel attached, it’s surprising just how powerful the rod feels when flexed. Mike’s build concept was to create a unique downtiding rod for cod, bass, ray and conger; the Islander services both the mainstream tactic and species very well indeed. Every manufacturer has their own idea of what various denoted line classes and power bands physically reflect, and as such it would be folly to try and pin the Zziplex Islander down to a one-size-fits-all generic profile. Without question however, there’s bags of available power in the rod, and subduing likes of powerful blonde rays would not be an issue as far as I am concerned.The cruel British weather did for me on several pre-arranged winter test trips. So, with the report deadline drawing near I reluctantly had to farm the Islander rod out to well known Isle of Wight boat angler, Dale Edmunds, who gave it a right good thumping aboard his Warrior 165 in Sandown Bay. Dale’s target was winter cod, and his initial impression on receipt of the Islander was that it had all the attributes of a gutsy 30lb class rod and then some. Here's what else Dale Edmunds had to say... "The sensitive tip was by no means ‘sloppy’ and served to take any edge off the underlying power at the angler’s instant disposal. I couldn’t fault the quality of the build or the top end fittings used. I would compare the fishing action to that of the Abu Suveran or Shimano Antares, but must emphasise just how light the Islander is. I tested the Islander on a small tide but felt there was ample grunt to handle strong tides and up to 1 1/2lb of lead if need be. Unfortunately the session produced few decent fish but from the initial knockings and through the fight, the Islander responded and handled superbly with cod short of double figures."BEAUTIFUL WITH BRAIDWhat we have here is a multi-functional boat rod that will do many things. It is beautiful to use with braided lines and regular drift or anchor fishing with 6oz – 1lb leads for all manner of species; rough ground fishing; and pirking with jigs up to 500g are all within very comfortable working parameters. The rod doesn’t surrender all its positive attributes when conditions dictate 20oz of lead, and it will live with 1 1/2lb if need be. In the case of big fish, the Islander will embrace large tope, smoothhound, blonde rays and even angry wreck eels. This rod will do the Norway and Iceland thing very well too, although this might well be food for future thought with perhaps a more compact three-piece version.A beautiful blend of power and panache, the Islander boat rod from UK Hooks is phenomenal and destined for classic status. And for the record, Mike Taylor is hard at work on two lighter versions of the Islander that he assures me will, for starters, take bream, pollack and plaice fishing to a whole new level of enjoyment. The Zziplex experience, especially when combined with quality fittings and a superior build, doesn't come cheap - the Islander boat rod featured here carries a price of £320. Yes, it is serious money, but quality and top performance costs more. Consider also that there is a mountain of hugely inferior Far Eastern tat on the market with unworthy RRPs creeping to within £100 of the impressive Islander. If you would like to know more about this model, or forthcoming Zziplex boat rods then call Mike Taylor on 0044 (0)1983 868687 or visit www.uk-hooks.com Boat rods, Rods, Lead Feature 2010-03-14T12:40:18+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/making-a-spreader-boom http://www.planetseafishing.com/tutorials/read/making-a-spreader-boom#When:12:38:29Z While it’s possible to purchase spreader booms from retail outlets these tend to be either fixed width or made from fine wire. Where a substantial boom is required for hefty species such as cod, ling or conger the DIY route is the way to go. Norrie Southam explains how to go about producing this effective terminal tackle which fit neatly into your tackle box.Tools Required: Round or half-round nosed pliers, wire Cutters, welding, an electric drill, drill bits (these should be of a size to allow two lengths of welding rod pass through but with a tight fit), a base wire for forming bends and coils – this should be slightly larger than the welding rod diameter but again a snug fit - alternatively a cut down hook can be used for the purposeMaterials Required: 1 – 1.5mm stainless welding rods, snap link swivels (these need to have a large enough body to allow for drilling) swivels, and shrink-tube or silicon tube (a heat source will be required to contract the shrink tube).Step 1 – Drill the body of the swivel attached to the snap link - a vertical drill stand or pillar drill can make this easier and safer. As an alternative to the link swivels, a normal swivel can be used to which an oval split-ring can be attached.Step 2 – Cut the welding rod to produce two equal lengths - approximately 40cm will give a finished boom of around 60cm when expanded.Step 3 – Form a coil at one end of the cut rod by winding it round the length of forming wire, squeezing the coils tightly together as you go. A five turn coil will suffice; then cut the spare end flush with the coil.Step 4 – Bring the welding round so it lies parallel with forming rod and slide off the end. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for the second leg of the boom.Step 5 – Thread the two lengths of rod through the drill hole in the swivel and then through the open coil on the opposite ends.Step 6 – Thread the shrink tube and swivel onto one end of the boom wire. Form a loop using the wire former and thread the swivel in this loop. Squeeze the short length against the boom wire and slip the shrink tube or silicon tube over the two lengths of wire and the swivel eye; ensuring that the second eye is free to rotate. Apply heat if using shrink tube. Repeat for the other leg of the boom.Your boom is now complete and can be stored in its collapsed state in the tackle box before extending it for use at sea.For a general spreader boom rig see here and a “ling” spoon rigged spreader is illustrated here. Rigs and tackle making, Lead Feature 2010-03-14T12:38:29+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-13-03-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-13-03-10#When:18:42:30Z The 21st of this month will see anglers putting to sea to fish the HCA Cod Open sponsored by Baitbox and Sea Angler magazine. Boats will be coming from all over the country to take part in Humberside’s biggest boat match of the year. With an expected entry of 200 the event attracts some of the best boat anglers from throughout the UK including Planet Sea Fishing’s Steve Souter. The sea angler magazine team are also fishing the event aboard the Huntress.Last Sunday saw the sixth boat league match and the fish continue to play hard to get with a substantial number of entrants drawing a blank. The top weight was Wally from the boat Dangler he had 23lb 12oz while second placed John Coles with 12lb 5oz. Third place went to club chairman Tim Burgess who weighed in 11lb 10oz. The heaviest fish of the day was caught by John Mogg, a 7lb 2oz cod. The majority of the fish were caught around the 5A area.The fishing has been a little hit and miss but if the warmer weather gets the crabs and sea life moving then we could see more fish caught. The top prize goes to the single heaviest fish.Shore Fixtures March-May 2010• Sunday 7th March:- Woods 8:15am-12:15pm Meet at Waste Ground from 7am• Sunday 14th March:- Cortaulds Straight 3:15pm-7:15pm Meet at Barrier from 2pm• Sunday 20th March:- Rover on the Wall 5:30pm-10:30pm Scales down 10:30pm Meet middle drain 4:30pm. N.F.S.A size limits• Sunday 28th March:- king Pin Open 3:30pm-7:30pm Cleethorpes Prom Meet King Pin cafe from 2:15pm• Sunday 4th April:- Killingholme 8:15am-12:15pm Meet Ship and Shovel pub from 7:15am• Sunday 11th April:- Humberston creek 4:00pm-8:00pm Meet Fitties car park from 2:45pm• Saturday 17th April:- King Pin Open 6:15pm-10:15pm Cleethorpes Prom Meet King pin cafe from 5pm• Sunday 25th April:- Cortaulds Straight 2pm-6pm Meet at barrier from 12:45pm East England 2010-03-13T18:42:30+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/marine-bill-receives-royal-assent http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/marine-bill-receives-royal-assent#When:16:20:30Z Yesterday Scotland's Marine Bill today received Royal Assent.http://thegovmonitor.com/world_news/britain/scotlands-marine-act-receives-royal-assent-from-parliament-25779.htmlThe Marine (Scotland) Act provides a framework which will help balance competing demands on Scotland's seas. It introduces a duty to protect and enhance the marine environment and includes measures to help boost economic investment and growth in areas such as marine renewables. The main measures include:    * A National Marine Plan to give greater clarity to decision making in the marine environment and encourage investment.    * A simpler licensing system to cut bureaucracy and introduce efficiencies to encourage economic investment and growth.    * New powers to select and manage Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to enhance marine biodiversity and preserve historic assets.    * Much improved protection for seals, including a comprehensive licence system and tougher penalties for those who harm seals.The powers in the Act complement the provisions of the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, which created new responsibilities for Scottish Ministers on marine planning and conservation in offshore waters outside 12 nautical miles.New conservation powers will enable Scottish Ministers to designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to help support the conservation of important marine life, historic MPAs to protect historically important sites such as wrecks or national monuments, and demonstration and research MPAs, to demonstrate new methods of managing Scotland's unique marine environment.Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) will work with Marine Scotland and stakeholders on a project to consider new and existing survey data and  provide advice to Scottish Ministers on where MPAs for the conservation of Scotland's most important marine features should be designated to complete a network of MPAs.All Scottish MPA proposals will be established using science-based selection criteria, or equivalent information on features of historical importance. However, social and economic impacts will be taken into account where two or more alternative sites equally meet the scientific criteria and when making decisions concerning the management of specific sites. As such, additional data from sea users will need to be gathered to ensure the development of an effective network of MPAs across Scotland's seas.Scotland's seas generate industry worth £2.2 billion and provide 50,000 jobs in Scotland (both excluding oil and gas).( SSACN – It should be remembered that by the governments own figures, sea angling accounts for 3,500 to 4,500 jobs – ie:: 7% to 9% of all marine related jobs.)Scotland's seas support approximately 6,500 species of plants and animals (44,000 if microbial species are included).The Bill will make it an offence to kill or take any seal at any time, except under specific licence or for animal welfare reasons.Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network - www.ssacn.org News and Info 2010-03-11T16:20:30+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-09-03-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/northern-bites-09-03-10#When:03:22:28Z Here in the north east big tides and a nice northerly swell usually mean plenty of fish and the chance of a big double figure cod, but such conditions over the last few days have failed to produce, even the usually reliable whiting have disappeared. Some anglers report fishing for several hours without even a bite or seeing any fish landed. Those who have caught fish have only reported the odd smaller cod, whiting or flatfish, the exception being a nice cod of 9lb 11oz taken by John Wilson from a Hartlepool pier and a cod of 9.51lb taken by Gary Pye in a Durham County match at Easington. Club matches continue to be won with just the odd fish and many clubs have suffered total blanks, some are now fishing catch and release in the local rivers where at least small fish provide some sport. Large sprat and sandeel shoals are offshore just now and the fish seem pre-occupied with this easy source of food. Those who are prepared to experiment with big fish baits might be lucky enough to pick up a bigger cod as this technique has certainly produced specimen fish before.South Shields pier is poor with just the odd sizable fish present and Roker pier is only producing the odd flounder and whiting, with some bigger specimens showing in the lower Wear. Anglers fishing the Tyne have found small cod, along with flounders and whiting from the upper river. Eddie Hackett fishing a charity match in the Tyne landed a potential record European smelt weighing 7oz, an ounce over the existing record.Club results once again give a clear indication of what to expect. Hartlepool O.M.A.C. had two recent matches, Chris Smith won the first with three whiting for 5lb 2oz, including specimens of 2lb 1oz and 2lb, and Kenny Gooding took second spot with a cod of 2lb 6oz. The second competition saw Jay Kelly win with five whiting for 5lb 3oz, best 1lb 10oz followed by Ian Palmer who weighed in 3lb 6oz and Chris Smith who had 3¼lb. The next match takes place on Sunday March 14th fishing from 11am till 5pm. The Friarage Friday evening sweepstake saw John Readman win with a superb spring flounder of 1lb 10oz with runner-up Robbie landing a cod of 1lb 2oz. Hartlepool Pirates have changed their name to Hartlepool and District S.A.C., their last match saw Adam Dendrickson finish top with two flatties for 1lb 1oz ahead of John Readman who had a whiting of 1lb and Jamie Pearce with a single flatty of 9oz.G. Copper won the last South Shields A.C. match with two fish for 2lb 2oz. In the last S.B.R.A.A.C. match Steve Alexander landed a single cod of 1lb 11oz from Cambois to lead the field. Nigel Howitt won a Blyth match with two fish for 3lb 13oz from Hauxley. Both Seaton Sluice A.C. and Cleadon A.C. suffered total blanks; a sure sign that fish are few and far between. Only one angler weighed in for Cleadon’s last match when Neil Cutler had a single cod of 1lb 5oz from South Shields pier.The Ryhope match on Sunday saw eight out of eighty-two find fish with the top two weights taken from South Shields pier where top rod Wayne Harriman had three coalfish for 1590 grams. Second place went to Barry Stowells with a cod of 1035 grams. Stu Bland took third with two flounders from Roker weighing 415 grams and was followed by John Wilson who had a coalfish of 410 grams from the Tyne walkway. Top junior was Nathan Stevenson with a flounder of 260 grams.Tynemouth retired members saw one of the more productive matches with winner Tony Taylor taking six coalfish and one flounder from Tynemouth pier for 6lb 2oz. In second Alan Wearmouth had three coalfish and one flounder for 3lb 5oz while third placed Doug Noble had two coalfish and one flounder for 2lb 6oz. Bob Blackhall had the heaviest fish, a coalie of 1lb 2oz. The Tynemouth Sunday League match saw eight out of twenty-seven weigh in. Steve Elliott had three flounders and one dab for 2lb 10oz to win the event. Dave Hayley in second spot had a coalfish and a flounder weighing 1lb 11oz and Steve Harper took third with two flounders for 1lb 9oz.Pleasure anglers have reported the odd bass to 3lb from some of the beaches south of the Tees but nothing this big showed up in the last Saltburn A.C. match when scratching for the ever reliable rockling was the successful method. Nick Westgarth had fifteen of them for 2½lb taken from Whitby pier and all returned alive. James Southwick had two flounders, best 9oz, plus seven rockling for 2lb 2oz, all reportedly taken on chunks of octopus from Whitby pier, to finished second and third placed John Dixon had a single flounder of 8oz from Saltburn pier.The Angling Development Board, (ADB), have secured funding for current level 1 angling coaches who wish to progress to level 2. The cost of the level 2 course is £437 and the ADB have secured 66% funding equating to £288.42, resulting in any potential candidates being required to pay the remaining £148.58. There are 10 available places and anyone interested in applying must contact Ben Thompson on 07854240177 or email ben.thompson@anglingdevelopmentboard.org.uk by 30th March 2010. North East England 2010-03-10T03:22:28+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/florida-fish-deaths http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/florida-fish-deaths#When:16:13:55Z The recent cold weather snap affecting the Florida area has resulted in the deaths of inshore species throughout the area. As a result the Florida Wildlife Commission has implemented temporary measures to help protect stocks, in particular snook, bonefish and tarpon.Fish from many waterways state-wide were affected, including freshwater lakes, ponds, canals, estuaries and near-shore coastal waters. Reports to FWC offices, the FWC Fish Kill Hotline and observations by FWC staff in the field indicate that a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater species have been affected by severe cold temperatures.Some of the marine species include snook, tarpon, bonefish, mullet, red and black drum, catfish, groupers (Nassau, black, gag, red and goliath), snapper (red, lane and mangrove), grunts, jacks, ladyfish, barracuda, parrotfish, several baitfish species, stingrays and sharks.In general catch and release of the affected species continues to be permitted but it remains to be seen what effect the low temperatures will have on the coming season.Further information can be found here News and Info 2010-03-08T16:13:55+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/john-holden-book-on-line http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/john-holden-book-on-line#When:12:43:32Z Well known shore angler and caster John Holden has released his Beach Fishing book as an downloadable pdf.See John's blog here - http://letsgobeachfishing.blogspot.com/2010/03/free-book-on-first-steps-in-beach.htmlYou may get warning from your internet protection software when visiting the download site but John's book is safe to download. News and Info 2010-03-07T12:43:32+00:00 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-05-03-10 http://www.planetseafishing.com/catchreports/read/humberside-linconshire-yorkshire-05-03-10#When:20:58:33Z Last Weekends big open competition at Bridlington was hit by rough seas and stormy weather. On the Saturday most anglers had difficultly holding the bottom with strong current ripping even the heaviest grip leads out of the sea bed. The match on the Sunday had already been reduced to 4hours due to safety reasons. On the first day only thirty fish were weighed in and on the Sunday twenty fish and only twelve cod were weighed in. The biggest cod went 6lb and then it went down to just over 2lb for the next best fish.It was a shame that the weather detracted from the vent as this competition is well run and promoted by the local council and attracts anglers from all over the UK and Europe.Saturday WinnersSeniors - S Lawson from Beverley 3.895 KgsLadies - Jean Balls from Fakenham 0.370 KgsSunday WinnersSeniors - J Hawksley from Withernsea 2.920 KgsLadies - Jean Balls from Fakenham 0.385 KgsJunior - M Dawkins from Lymington 0.335 KgsOverall WinnersSeniors - J HawksleyLadies - Jean Balls Junior - M DawkinsFull results hereThe Humber Cruising Association will be hoping for vastly improved weather when they fish their big open boat competition on the 21st March, entries must be in by 15h March .On the local shore scene Humber SAC were in action last Sunday on the promenade at Cleethorpes and had a productive match. Top place went to Richard Leek who had twelve fish for 4lb 10 oz followed in second by Steve McGregor who is in fine form at the moment and likes the scratching matches. In third place Dan Jackson weighed in 3lb 7oz, including the biggest flounder of the day, a nice fish of 38cm.Top junior was Liam with seven fish for 2lb 10oz.The Club’s next match is this Sunday, fishing at the Woods 8.15 to 12.15hrs. Please meet at the waste land from 7am.Clee Angling Centre had their mid week bash on the promenade and again it was well attended. Top man Steve McGregor who had nine fish for 228cms, this included the biggest flat fish of the night, a 35 cm flounder. Next in was Paul May who measured twelve fish for 215cms and third placed Dave Over’s catch included the biggest round fish, a 29cm bass. Fourth spot went to Brian Tuck with ten fish for 190cm.King Pin have kindly sponsored three matches on the Promenade so hopefully the Prom keeps producing good bags of fish. The first one is on the 28th March, the second on 17th April and the final outing on the 15th May. It is fantastic to get a local sponsor and it is hoped that anglers will eventually have a really big match on this side of the river. Full details can be obtained from George’s tackle shop on 01472 693771 or Tony Burman on 01472 239209The final match is the day before the Trios match so it’s a chance to get a practice session in; if you’re interested in the Trio matches please contact Clee Angling Centre on 01472 6020002 and ask for John. East England 2010-03-05T20:58:33+00:00