EDP report 30/01/13

The weather has played a huge part in the fishing fortunes this week, despite temperatures lifting and the snow and ice finally clearing, little improvement was seen on our beaches. The fourth leg of Holt SAC’s winter accumulator was held at Cley last Sunday. Pete Morse led the field with 2lb 7oz, Andy Turk came second with 1lb 14oz and John Neave third with 1lb 10oz, dabs were the mainstay again with an occasional flounder and whiting carded too. East Norfolk beaches have been tough too with only dabs and a few whiting in catch reports, a milder settled spell would help on these shallow beaches.

Yarmouth has seen similar fish caught though they seem to be in better numbers here and there have been occasional codling too at Gorleston and Hopton. The rough ground along Lowestoft north beach has produced occasional codling and there have been a few in reports from Kessingland and Dunwich. Best chances still seem to be in the deep south with Southwold pier, Aldeburgh and Orford all giving chances of a codling. Temperatures stay on the right side of freezing this week and there’s some stiff winds that will likely affect most of the regions beaches at one time or another this week. Watch out for a hefty northerly due over the weekend, it might just spark a bit of life into the beaches above Yarmouth.

EDP report 23/01/13

Unsurprisingly there have been fewer fishing through the last week, and the weather seems to have changed fortunes around a little. The shingle ridge which produced double figure bags a week ago barely produced a fish for Holt SAC match at Weybourne, Mike Watts running out winner of the 3rd leg of the winter accumulator with the only sizeable fish caught, a 29cm whiting. Pleasure anglers have found a few dabs on the shingle since the seas and winds have eased, though sport on all of the shallow beaches could get tough if this cold snap drives the feed offshore. Cromer down to Sea Palling has seen some lovely looking seas though the hardy souls fishing in the easterlies have only found whiting, dabs and a few rockling.

There have been a few better fish from Yarmouth southwards, with occasional codling reported from Gorleston, Hopton and Corton. Below Lowestoft too there were a few fish though I haven’t seen or heard of anything during the snows of the past week. Southwold down to Orford had produced a few small codling which perhaps promises a spring run, there had been fish to 3lb at Dunwich, Minsmere and Sizewell and also some of a similar size at Aldeburgh and Orford. It looks like we keep the high pressure and associated east in the winds this week with perhaps a break from the weekend. The neaps we’ve had during this cold snap may have protected the foreshore, smaller tidal movement leaving less sand exposed to the sub-zero temperatures, with temperatures rising and with a change in the pressure as the tides build, it might well be worth a try this weekend.

EDP report 16/01/13

The shingle has been the venue this last week with dabs and some quality whiting in catches. Good whiting get in on the shingle most January’s and Holt SAC found them in a feeding mood for the second leg of their winter accumulator at Salthouse. Sheringham rod Tony Thomas took top spot with 31 fish for an impressive 12lb 8oz, a full 4lb odd clear of Mike Watts in second with 7lb 15oz. Henry Randell was third with 21 fish for 7lb 2oz. The biggest whiting measured 39cm and they usually hang around for a few tides feeding up before they go off and spawn, tipping with fish often sorts out the bigger ones. There’s a chance of a codling too under the cliffs at Weybourne.

East Norfolk beaches have been a little slower than the shingle though there are dabs and whiting on most beaches, it’s a similar picture round to Yarmouth with codling around Gorleston wreck the exception that prove the rule. Lowestoft has been generally quiet though there seems to be better chances of codling the further down you go with codling reported from Sizewell, Southwold and the deeper water at Aldeburgh and Orford. Temperatures plummet through this week and with a lot of east in the wind it could be a struggle this week, for consistency the shingle at night has to be the place to go.

EDP report 09/01/13

There were a few matches over the Christmas and New Year break that I really ought to catch up on. Holt SAC fished several matches over the holidays with generally good results. Paul Thorburn won the Rocket House open at Salthouse on the 27th December with 37 fish for a total length of 920cm, Richard Ellis was second with 740cm and Craig Buy third with 712cm. The catches were mainly dabs with a sprinkling of whiting. The Mathews cup was contested at Cley on the 30th December where Tony Thomas won with a healthy 7lb 9oz of dabs and whiting, Pete Loke was second with 5lb 11oz and John Neave third with 5lb 2oz. The New Year’s Open was fished at Kelling which produced in some decent conditions. Martin Waters won it with 9lb 12oz, Mark Gooch was second with 9lb 8oz and Alan Lewis third with 8lb 15oz, again catches were dominated by dabs with a few whiting and pouts for good measure. Finally to bring you up to date, Bill Beeton won the first leg of the Winter accumulator at Cley with 5lb 2oz, Henry Randell was second with 4lb 1oz and Dene Conway third with a level 3lb.

The rest of the region hasn’t quite been as consistent as the shingle bank though there seem to be decent sized dabs about in good numbers on lots of the regions beaches this year. The deep water beats in the deep south have been disappointing, there are pockets of fish off Corton that some of the boats and kayakers can get amongst but the beaches are quiet bar the dabs and whiting. There’s still chance of codling and I note that there has been a sudden good run of fish off the Yorkshire coast, the same could happen down here, in the meantime it looks like we will have to settle for the dab fishing whilst we hope for the cod. The week ahead has the temperatures dropping into the weekend with wintry weather on the way, the wind is across all four compass points this week and the best results will be for those lucky enough to time their trip with conditions fining down after a blow.

EDP report 02/01/13

Another quiet week on the regions beaches, codling are few and far between with anglers relying on the humble whiting and dabs. The deep south of the patch gives the best chances for codling, there have been some nice fish off Orford Ness and Aldeburgh though they are hardly being caught consistently. Night tides after a good blow increase your chances and the heavy winds of earlier this week will hopefully put a few in casting range.

Lowestoft, Yarmouth, right up to the shingle and it’s the dabs and the whiting that have been the mainstay of catches. Kayakers off Corton have found a few when conditions have allowed them to get out though these seem to be localised pockets of fish rather than large shoals. The shingle has produced flats mostly with a few sizeable whiting, the shingle usually fishes well for whiting from now until February with some decent fish taken at night, there’s also a chance of a codling in the rough ground under the cliffs at Weybourne.