A trip down memory lane

[glennk]

Going back about 10-15 years now I used to fish a mark at Whitby just under the Abbey headland. As I lived close by it was a 10 minute walk from my house, making this the ideal mark for me as I had no car at the time. Many a good night was had here and I remember several good catches myself with bags of a dozen or more codling being a regular occurrence. My personal best bag from the area was 21 codling in 1996.

 

The mark in question is known as creta block and so called because of the wreck of an old concrete boat that marks the beginning of the gulley. Situated close to the end of a sewer outflow the cod were attracted hear in numbers. The local slaughter house would also pump out its waste into the sea in this area and this was said to attract the big fish in to feed. Many a double figure cod would come from this mark each year and a fair sprinkling of 20 pounders were caught with bigger ones lost.

 

Over time the area has been cleaned up, the sewer outlet is no longer used and the slaughter house closed down years ago. A walk in the area shows what effect this has had on the inshore environment here. There once was an abunmdance of seaweeds and crabs living here but now its just grey slate. The place is barron. People now say the area just doesnt produce the fish it once did and angling activity in the area has become all but non existant.

 

Ive always felt that under the right conditions it would still produce fish. A few times last year I went back there for nostalgias sake but came away empty handed. Last night I tried again. With the weather we have had this summer there is a large amount of silt deposited on the scars from the rain water that has come down the river. This means with any sort of an onshore swell the water colours up with ease which gives perfect conditions for cod fishing.

 

When I arrived I was surprised to see a couple of other lads already there. They discussed how the mark had been written off by so many, yet they had persevered last year and caught well with fish up to 9 pounds. We spent a few hours fishing. Admittedly the bites werent thick and fast, but with a bit of hard work I managed to pull out 6 fish upto about 5 pounds making it a really enjoyable night.

 

All the fish were caught over low water and took a peeler and mussel cocktail fished at "closish" range

 

[Elton]

Nice one, Glenn! Love the colour on that darker one, too.

[glennk]

Cheers Elton, The dark one was likely a resident with the others being fresh run, soming in on the northerly seas we have had this week.

[IanBass]

Now it's not the done thing for a proud Lancashire lad to praise anything or anybody from the wrong side of the pennines from me BUT bloody hell WELL DONE super evening fishing

[John S]

....a proud Lancashire lad....

 

That's a contradiction surely?

 

Good catch that Glenn, well done

[Happy Dude]

Nice one, Glenn! Love the colour on that darker one, too.

 

 

the darker one is the one you don't want as it's most likely to be a bag of worms.....

 

glenn....do you have any theories as to that fish which have been inshore for most of the year have so many more worms than fresh winter run fish??

 

i've heard things about seal crap and such....

 

nice bag of codlings BTW....

Edited October 31, 2008 by Happy Dude

[glennk]

the darker one is the one you don't want as it's most likely to be a bag of worms.....

 

glenn....do you have any theories as to that fish which have been inshore for most of the year have so many more worms than fresh winter run fish??

 

i've heard things about seal crap and such....

 

nice bag of codlings BTW....

 

 

Hi HD, I really dont know whats going on with the worms mate. I dont like to think about it too much or I might never eat fish again. Ive heard all sorts of theories but no one seems to know what the cause is.

[Guest challenge]

Good report and photo’s have fished that mark a few times myself with decent results, (well at least I thought they where decent) but not in recent years.

Was fishing on the Dorset coast most of last week (lulworth cove area) and I think that you caught more in that one night than I did in the week. But then again the conditions weren’t great with me, and yes it was me. Lovely coast line. But not a patch on home.

Regards

[IanBass]

Oi, John S, be carefull, me and my mates are gonna bash ya at playtime

 

Only 3 good things to come out of Yorksh..... York......Yor....... SEE I cant even type it now

 

My dad, Yorkshire pudding and the road to Gods own Lancashire

[Guest challenge]

Oi, John S, be carefull, me and my mates are gonna bash ya at playtime

 

Only 3 good things to come out of Yorksh..... York......Yor....... SEE I cant even type it now

 

My dad, Yorkshire pudding and the road to Gods own Lancashire

Interesting conception of humour you lads have from Blackpool. But am sure that anyone living on the correct side of the Pennines would have to take any sort of complement as a result of years of defiant verbal contraception from someone who has obviously lived on the wrong side of the Pennines.

Regards