EDP report 28/11/12

The weather played its part last week with rolling, chocolate coloured seas and near perfect codling conditions. The sea had life and colour from Yarmouth southwards and a few codling did feed in it though perhaps not the numbers the optimistic among us may have hoped for. Alan kettle had a nice result in Hopton bay with a lovely  brace of codling totalling around 10lbs, the best a beauty over 6lbs. Cain plumb managed one too at Aldeburgh, and I’m sure many of the southern beaches would have produced more codling if they could only beat the whiting to the bait. Anglers fishing the Gorleston Tackle open last Sunday were rewarded with some top quality whiting and dabs unfortunately there appeared to be a lack of codling. Mark Gooch claimed top spot with an impressive catch of flats and whiting over 12lb. Dene Conway was second with 10lb 4oz and Karl Whitelock third with 10lb 1oz, whiting predominated but there were some lovely dabs over 30cm recorded too.

Holt SAC fished a club match at Kelling last Saturday to avoid the clash with The Gorleston open. Conditions were good again and Bill Beeton scored again with 5lb 8oz of dabs. Dene Conway was runner up twice over the weekend with 3lb 13oz with Tony Thomas a further ounce off in third. The National Sea League Final over the coming weekend should fish well, the weather certainly looks as though it’s going to do its bit this week and there should be some lift and colour in the sea in the north of the patch at the weekend. I hate to talk these events up, and falling temperatures this week will also play a part, but given the apparent number of flats and whiting at the minute, it should be a good match for the 300 or so taking part. Pleasure anglers will have chances all around the patch this weekend. I’d probably give the shingle a wide berth due to the large numbers fishing the sea league final and head for the quieter beaches of east Norfolk and down to Suffolk, if the conditions are right you could catch on any of the regions beaches this weekend.

EDP report 21/11/12

Another decent week on the regions beaches, there seem to be a few fish around most of our beaches with the southernmost giving you the best chances of a codling. In the north all the talk is of the upcoming National Sea League Final over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of December. Holt Sac fished their latest club match at Weybourne and had some decent results which, weather permitt9ing, bodes well for the sea league final. Sheringham ace Tony Thomas took the honours with 5lb 7oz, Sam Attew came in second with 4lb 9oz and Ivan Allison third with 4lb 8oz, dabs and flounders were the mainstay along with a few whiting and rockling. Interesting to note that there were no school bass and I haven’t seen any reported further round either.

East Norfolk has been steady, there seem to be fewer flats and a few more whiting than the shingle though nothing like as many whitings as are showing from Yarmouth southwards. My old mate Ron Mount fished Corton last weekend and couldn’t keep two rods fishing for whiting bites, he took some nice sized fish too. There are a few codling showing along Lowestoft north though whiting and dabs seem to be the mainstay from Lowestoft round to Southwold. There have been codling off Southwold pier and a few more along Aldeburgh and Orford along with the obligatory whiting. I think it could be quite good down south this weekend too, despite small tides. The wind is forecast a pretty stiff southerly going westerly over the weekend, if it does it should put some colour in and a bit of sea on below Yarmouth, those getting in on the back of that should do alright.

EDP report 14/11/12

Sea conditions of colour and a little bit of lift helped sport around the coast over the last week. There were fish caught from most beaches but if your target is cod then your realistic chances are still below Yarmouth. Orford produced some nice fish to 6lb and quite a few 2-3lb codling but typical of this time of the year it can be different tide to tide, Aldeburgh has been similar though it’s fair to say there are plenty of whiting at both venues. Up the coast to Lowestoft and its more whiting and flats, aside the resident fish along north beach and Corton I haven’t heard of any from Pakefield or Kessingland yet, hopefully won’t be long though.

Hopton, Gorleston and Yarmouth have produced plenty of whiting and a few flats. I would imagine that there would be a few around the wreck now but I haven’t seen much in the reports to suggest there are many codling coming out at all. The east Norfolk beaches are similar with plenty of whiting and still the occasional school bass and a distinct lack of codling in the reports, I think conditions are vital on these shallower beaches and you really want a bit on the water to encourage the codling over the bank to feed. Holt SAC had a decent match at Kelling last Sunday in the lovely autumn sunshine. Flounders and dabs predominated and Bill Beeton amassed 32 of them for a healthy 7lb to win the J Long Shield. Paul Thorburn had 21 fish for a level 5lb with Tom Gibbs in third with 4lb 7oz. The club is hosting the national sea league final on the shingle in early December, if the weather plays ball and a few of those flatties feed the near 150 strong field should have a good match.

EDP report 07/11/12

The weather played havoc with the local sport this weekend. Rain on the back of a driving easterly made for some pretty dreadful conditions which was a shame, particularly for those fishing the Mark Alsop memorial at Yarmouth on Sunday. Stephen Boyce went one better this year winning the match outright after sharing the prize last year. In second place was Trev Elliot who showed a bit of class from an un-fancied peg, with Ian Childerhouse third. Top junior was Jasmine Webb, well done Jasmine and everybody else in really difficult conditions.

The weather kept lots off the beaches right round the coast and the reports were thin on the ground as a result. Holt SAC fished for the Bumphrey Cup at Cley last Saturday. Ivan Allison ran out comfortable winner with 2lb 4oz, Steve Scholes was second with 14oz and Andy Turk third with 10oz.  The east Norfolk beaches had precious few fishing in the inclement weather though it would be hard to imagine fish crawling up the beaches though I dare say there would have been a few whiting and still the odd school bass. Below Yarmouth and the Corton to Lowestoft north stretch has produced a few small codling that seem to reside in the rough ground along there. Southwold southwards has seen the best chances of an early codling with a sprinkling of 4-6lb fish reported from Aldeburgh, Orford and Felixstowe. There’s not much inspiration from the wind forecast for the week ahead, couple that with small tides and early afternoon high water and it could be a struggle, again that deeper water in the south will probably give you the best chances.