EDP report 27/11/13

Another tough week on the regions beaches, from both boat and shore. Codling have been conspicuous by their absence and although there are a few whiting and flats around, it’s difficult to see the codling getting around in numbers while the sea temperature is still up. A few lucky anglers have managed the odd codling, Ron Mount had a nice one at Corton and Rob Allen had a couple and a missed bite a bit further up at Lowestoft north beach, these seem to be the exception though and Rob reports he never even had any whiting, the three bites coming in quick succession around the turn of the tide. It’s almost impossible to predict where they will show or even if they will, best bets are where there’s a feature or rough ground to hold them.

Below Lowestoft and again whiting and flats are dominant, been some good flounders and dabs though and it’s been a while since we saw those fish in good numbers and average size. Above Yarmouth and there are plenty of whiting and flats, there was a codling too in last week’s Ritegear Monday night league match at Cley, unfortunately it was under on the measure and didn’t count. Cromer ace Pete Hansell won the match with 5 counting fish for 1lb7oz, Dene Conway took second with 1lb 5oz with Mike Gill third with 1lb 4oz, and top lady on the night was Ally Barnes. Under the cliffs at Weybourne and the Old High usually hold a few, the rough ground making a difference here, but I’ve only heard of whiting and flats again. A similar story in east Norfolk too though there have been times when the sea has been barely fishable with the wind with a north quarter bias. Same wind pattern looks to be in this week too, there’s some north most days this week though the building tides will at least give a bit more water with the surf and hopefully some improvement this week.

EDP report 20/11/13

A first real taste of winter this week with plunging temperatures, low pressure and a good old north-westerly will surely change the fishing fortunes of the region. The dabs and whiting that have been the main stay of catches for the last couple of weeks don’t usually respond in a heavy sea though codling often do. Big tides starting to fall and lots of darkness should give chances this week if you can stand the cold!

Not too much apart from the whiting’s and flats mentioned above in the reports this week, a generally quiet week across the piece. Some of the local match anglers tried their hand off patch on the Isle of Sheppey for the Kent Classic open. Dene Conway and Henry Randell did the best of the Norfolk and Suffolk contingents fishing was hard for the 350 anglers competing, Dene and Henry finishing in the top 5 pairs is a very creditable result in somebody else’s back yard. It’s the weather that dominates the fishing discussions this week, it’s all about the cold and the wind. Above Yarmouth and its likely to be heavy surfing seas which will hopefully encourage a few fish in to feed, below Yarmouth and there should be some colour in the water and at least a continuation of the whiting and flatfish theme and chances of a proper cod from the deep water venues in the far south.

EDP report 13/11/13

We’re coming into the time of the year where traditionally you have the best chances of a codling or even a cod. Looking back through my diaries and what I remember of friend’s catches, from now until Christmas would seem to give the best chances of a proper cod. I note also that as much as the codling like a heaving sea full of colour, the bigger fish seem to feed inshore when the water is calm and not crashing round their gills. I think maybe this is down to diet, the codling are usually of a size where they are eating worms, shrimps, and crabs smashed out of the sand by a heavy surf whilst the bigger fish tend to be carnivorous and are looking for pouts and whiting. I appreciate its theory and only my theory at that, but it would explain why so many better fish are caught having taken a hooked whiting and the success of live bait rigs for the better fish.

Back to the reports, starting in the north there have been plenty of flats and whiting on the shingle. Trimingham saw an open match last Saturday won by Gary Medler with a nice bag of fish. Gary carded 35 fish for a creditable 15lb 7oz including a whiting of 1lb 2oz. Second spot went to Peter Hansell with 27 fish for 10lb 10oz with Paul Alsop’s 7lb 4oz enough to take third. Gary was only 1.5oz off repeating this win at the East Anglian League Dunwich open on Sunday, fishing was harder than Trimingham, N. Haward took top spot with 2lb 3.5oz, half of which was a codling, Gary took second with 2lb 2oz and Clyde Legget with 1lb 5oz finished third. Lowestoft to Yarmouth has been a bit slower and even the boats have struggled to find anything other than whiting, the neap tides and settled weather haven’t helped chances. There’s some north in the forecast running into this weekend which could boost chances above Yarmouth, coupled with building tides into darkness I should think there’s good chances of a return of those codling that were around a few weeks back.

EDP report 06/11/13

Sport has been pretty consistent around the coast over the last week. Starting in the south, Orford and Aldeburgh have produced some decent whiting, dogfish and a few codling too. Best chances of codling at both venues is in darkness, the fish are generally on the small side but there have been odd fish to 4lb. From Aldeburgh up to Lowestoft it’s been mainly whiting with occasional codling and dogfish. Lowestoft north to Caister has produced plenty of whiting’s and dabs though codling are the exception rather than the rule, even on the rough marks and features from Ness point to Tramps Alley they don’t seem to be showing with any consistency. Boats and kayakers off Lowestoft have had better luck with codling to 4lb and plenty of whiting and even occasional thornbacks, they’re not too far off either so some good conditions may bring them into casting range.

Above Yarmouth up to Cromer and it’s mainly whiting and flats again though some of the dabs have been a very good size with fish to 35cm not unusual. Occasional codling have shown along with a few school bass at Mundesley and Trimingham, again expect to catch whiting and flats and hope for a codling or a bass. Anglers braved the first frost of the season in the Ritegear Monday night league last Monday, 17 fished cold and windy conditions and struggled with only five rods finding sizeable fish. Henry Randell took the honours with 2 fish narrowly nudging dene Conway into second with 2 sizeable also. Charlie Needham and Bob O were joint third with the only other sizeable fish falling to Jake Cooper with a rockling. There’s nothing too exciting in the wind this week with southwesterlies dominating, couple with smaller tides I would expect there to be whiting and flats and weed above Yarmouth.