EDP report 28/05/14

Another really good week on the regions beaches, and you don’t have to go too far off patch either to find some exotic sport with sting rays showing on some Essex beaches, some of them going close to 40lbs. Back to the Anglia region and in the north, Holt SAC fished their latest match at Salthouse. Paul Tovell found a couple of good hounds, the best converting to a super 10lb 10z and the other to 6lb 6oz helping him to a cracking top weight of 21lb 11oz, more than three times that of Billy Temple’s 7lb 1oz second place. Ivan Allison was third with 3lb 12oz, superb variety amongst the flatfish the shingle is famous for with hounds, bass, and a turbot joining the usual flounders and dabs.

The far south of the patch has seen a few thornback rays, codlets and dogfish and some nice bass too at Aldeburgh and Orford. The east Norfolk beaches have produced bass and small hounds when the sea has been flat, and the May weed that was causing trouble a week or so back seems to have all but gone, the north east wind at the start of this week will hopefully sort it out for a while. That north and east wind is forecast to hang about most of this week, this will hopefully encourage a few more bass and codling inshore though will probably mean the hounds will hang off a bit, look out for a swing to south or west though as I’m sure they’ll be back in as the sea flattens off, the next couple of weeks should be prime time for some proper ones.

EDP report 21/05/14

Matches and May weed dominate this week’s round up, Holt SAC hosted their annual Norfolk Bass Festival which was incredibly well supported again. Over seventy anglers from around the country turned out for the event and were treated to some great weather and decent fishing. Day 1 saw 174lb of a mixed bag of flats, pin whiting, smoothounds and even a tub gurnard caught, along with a handful of bass, the biggest a reasonable school bass of 3lb 10oz for Andy Gallacher of Dagenham. Mike Watts claimed day 1 with 11lb 3oz made up mostly of a fine 7lb 9oz hound, Steve Adams was second with 6lb 12oz and Andy Gallacher a further 2oz behind in third. Similar sport and variety was found on day 2, Paul Tovell taking the day with a level 9lb with Dace cook in second with 7lb 13oz and Nick Haward a further 2ox off in third. Mike Watts took the festival with a combined 2 points on count back from Dave Cook with Jock Goudie in third with a combined 4 points. The Ladies event was dominated by England Internationals with Adele Smith claiming top spot with 3lb 7oz, Kay Brown was second with 2lb 7oz and Wendy Metcalfe third with 1lb 5oz rounding off a fantastic, well run festival, in superb weather thoroughly enjoyed by those taking part.

There have been one or two nice codling still falling to anglers fishing for bass and hounds and they’ve turned up here and there right round the coast. I saw a couple of nice fish from Orford and I’ve seen similar sized fish from the east Norfolk beaches. May weed has caused a bit of a down turn in the sport along the eastern beaches turning up mostly on the flood, a change in the weather will sort that out I’m sure and the end of this week promises a shift away from warm, windless days which might be all that’s needed. I think when we see that shift and perhaps a bit of a blow it will freshen things up again and we’ll see a return to the sport we saw a week or two back.

EDP report 14/05/14

A bit quieter this week compared to the fantastic sport we’d seen the week before, though still some quality fish on the beaches. In the north, Holt SAC fished their latest match at Kelling last Sunday in some squally weather. Mike Watts took the top spot with 20 fish for 6lb 8oz. Ivan Allison took second spot with 5lb 4oz with Tony Thomas third with 4lb 13oz. Plenty of fish for the competitors but not too much of the quality we’ve seen in the run up to the weekend, Holt have their bass festival this coming weekend, hopes are high for a good match, should be competitive with around 80 anglers booked in. The sandy beaches of east Norfolk are still producing some good fish, bass to 6lb are not uncommon and there is a bit of variety still with dogfish, smoothound pups as well as a few codling.

Below Yarmouth and there seem to be fewer bass but there have been a few more codling, especially the codlets that we have such high hopes for in next year’s run. Orford and Aldeburgh have seen some better codling with fish to 5lb reported along with dogfish and a couple of small rays. All in it’s been a pretty good spring with high hopes for some summer sport. The next few weeks traditionally see those bigger hounds hit the beaches, given the average size of the pups we’ve seen I’m optimistic that there may be somw twenties amongst them again. Crabs appear to have slowed their moult which may account for the sport slowing a little, as soon as the hens start to moult I’m sure the fish will be back in again.

EDP report 07/05/14

Wow what a week on the regions beaches, particularly the north and east of the patch. Quality and variety have been the order of the day, bass to 6/7lb with lots around 2-4lb, codling to 3lb 8oz and smoothounds to 8lb have made for some cracking sessions in what could be one of the best springs we’ve had. The sand of east Norfolk has been the place to go for the hounds, anglers are getting lots of pups to about 3lb but there are a few better ones to 6-8lb mixed in with them. Karl Gibson got sick of catching pups so switched tactics, dropped a bait shorter, and had 3 codling all around the 3 and a half mark. Match results have been ok too with bass figuring regularly. We usually get a boost around the beginning of May as the local shore crabs start to moult but this year has been exceptional.

Holt SAC fished Cley last Sunday, Keith Morley winning with 8 fish for 7lb 3oz. Ivan Allison was second with 5lb 6oz and john Neave third with 2lb 6oz. The local clubs are a great place to learn and learn quick it would seem. Kimberley Lawn from the Norfolk Angling Club has just been selected into the England Ladies squad, well done Kimberley. She joins Henry Randell and Dene Conway as new call ups for the region this year, very well done all and testament to the knowledge sharing and learning to be had in the local clubs. South of the patch sport has been steady, codlets, dogfish and school bass have shown from Orford and there’s always a chance of a ray, but its above Yarmouth where things seem to be really kicking off. Get your gear dusted down and get out there, crab is a must at the minute and with wind in the west most of the week, I can only see the hounds hanging about and they should get bigger as may runs on.