Peter Horbury & Brian Harland net Whitby Sea Angling Association League wins

Wednesday evening saw a welcome change in the weather, high pressure giving a break from the rain, but noticeably colder. ESEasterly winds, writes Peter Horbury.

Sea state three to five feet ESEasterly with little to no colour. Full, but low, cloud cover, air was heavy with mist. Just nine fishing the three-hour evening match.

Fishing started in darkness bang on LWater 7pm, 2.3m, however with the high pressure and wind direction the ebb was far larger, estimated at nearer 1.5m.

Swells were regular in their timings but lacked regular height.

The tide was very slow to turn, giving extra time to fish the tangle beds and gullies.

At the scales Bernard Vasey stated there was just Colin Stainthorpe, two codlings and a rockling, 3lb 3oz, was to beat.

To the scales I headed, Heaviest Fish first, having two similar fish it was decided at 2lb 2oz, total bag weight 6lb 5oz (3 codlings, 1 billet) I won Man of the Match and Heaviest Fish, my third Heaviest Bag of Fish and fourth Heaviest Fish wins.

On Sunday growing ENEasterly sea state, far from ideal, five to eight feet on the biggest tide of the month, LWater 10.30pm, 0.5m.

Surging was clearly visible even before the match started at 18.00hrs, an hour before darkness fell.

An all ebb match, tidal range 5.4 metres between HW & LW, marks would drain away very fast. Chilly ENEasterly winds 14-23mph did not let up all match hampering casting and bite detection.

Full cloud cover with the occasional unwelcome flurry of rain.

With just nine fishing, everyone knew time would be lost chasing the tide and moving marks, either by car or foot.

The best fishing would be in the last two hours of the match as fish naturally moved into the gullies, highways to the open sea.

At the scales, the weigh-in of 25 codlings for an impressive 50lb 6oz giving a 2lb average fish.

Three ‘double-figure’ bags came from Paul Kilpatrick, Aislaby, Davey Turnbull, Darlington and Man of the Match Harland, with his 12th league win of the season - 14lb 4½oz (7).

Harland is just under 25lb short of a 300lb season weigh-in with six matches left giving a 4lb 3oz match average required.

Brian also picked-up Heaviest Fish of the night 3lb 8½oz, and other best fish were Horbury - 3lb 6oz and Turnbull - 3lb 3oz.

In the Sunday League, Turnbull joins Harland, and Dave Perrett to the 100lb Club.

Top Ten Leaderboard

1st - Brian Harland - 186 fish 275 lb 13 oz

2nd - Dave Perrett - 138 fish 190 lb 05 oz

3rd - Davey Turnbull - 56 fish 160 lb 06 oz

4th - Ryan Collinson - 90 fish 142 lb 03 oz

5th - Rob Taylor - 62 fish 131 lb 02 oz

6th - Col Stainthorpe - 96 fish 128 lb 03 oz

7th - Dave Hambley - 66 fish 123 lb 01 oz

8th - Dan Middlemas - 55 fish 95 lb 05 oz

9th - Peter Horbury - 79 fish 92 lb 08 oz

10th - Jason Ebison - 44 fish 65 lb 05 oz