Brian Harland pulls clear of rivals in Whitby Sea Anglers Association League table

It was the last Sunday match before the Christmas break, writes Peter Horbury.

A flat sea state, a screaming WSWesterly wind for the four-hour match, catch forecast was very low.

After text messages, just six members were left down to fish the all ebb tide from HWater. 50% cloud cover, a yellow warning for the aurora borealis, and the possibility of rain at some point to boot.

Haddock, never before witnessed on this coastline had the shoreline from Whitby West Pier to Sandsend lit up with head torches as Clubmen and pleasure anglers alike tried their hand and hit the beach.

Shoals of fish (whitings/haddock) are inevitably small, and anglers are best to roam and find the solitary larger fish.

At the scales, tales of woe for one, 28 whitings all 32cms (WSAA size is 33cms) leading calls for the size to be reduced at the next AGM.

On hard nights it gives members something to fish for.

Man of the match, with his 24th weigh-in from 24 matches was Harland, with 7lb 4oz - four codlings, and a whiting.

His eighth Heaviest Bag of Fish win also claimed his third Heavies Fish win 2lb 1oz.

With the numbers crunched Harland joins the elite ‘200 Club’ with a 60lb lead over second-placed club treasurer Dave Perrett, who weighed-in his first haddock 1lb ½ oz.

Sunday’s catch of five codlings, two whitings, one haddock and a rockling was the poorest WSAA weigh-in this season of 10lb 9oz.

Top Ten leaderboard: 1st - Brian Harland - 139 fish 205lb 4oz

2nd - Dave Perrett - 98 fish 145lb 14oz

3rd - Dave Hambley - 65 fish 120lb 6oz

4th - Rob Taylor - 54 fish 115lb 3oz

5th - Col Stainthorpe - 72 fish 99lb 3oz

6th - Ryan Collinson - 59 fish 89lb 8oz

7th - Davey Turnbull - 24 fish 73lb 15oz

8th - Peter Horbury - 42 fish 65lb 8oz

9th - Jason Ebison - 41 fish 61lb 8oz

10th - Dan Middlemas - 31 fish 59lb 4 oz​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​