Mike’s spragg secures top spot in WSAA League Heaviest Fish so far this season
Guisborough’s Mike Saunders’ single spragg of 8lb 6oz caught on Wednesday is the Heaviest Fish of the season so far in the Whitby Sea Anglers Association League.
Fog had enveloped the NEast coastline late Wednesday afternoon, visibility down to 50yds or less, a real ‘pea souper’, and little chance of looking at marks, only listening to the crashing waves, prior to committing.
The wind was forecast to drop to 1-6mph Westerly but it was ENEasterly 20mph, 11 seniors fishing the three-hour evening match.
Having committed to a mark, only to find it too heavy, time was lost moving elsewhere.
Match started two hours after LWater and all agreed the swell sets increased as the flood progressed, as the depth of water increased over the outer reefs.
Some marks became too heavy, with one or two members calling it time and heading home for an early bath.
Of the 11 just three had a weigh-in, Man of the Match Saunders, Guisborough won both Heaviest Bag of Fish and Heaviest Fish (his first wins) with the single spragg of 8lb 6oz moving up to seventh on the leaderboard, and this fish is now Heaviest Fish of the season, to date.
On Sunday evening Brian Harland and Bernard Vasey shared the honours.
Very localised swell 2-3ft ESEasterly during the all ebb 4hr evening match.
There were clear skies for the first hour. Thereafter it was full cloud cover. WSWesterly winds 13-28mph, 3°C (no rain!).
Tide was already three hours back at match start, so there was an opportunity to reach, and fish the tangle beds and narrow gullies as the fish dropped off the scaurs for LWater 21.23hrs.
Chasing a fast-ebbing tide, with no fish caught, meant possibly more than one walk to another mark in search of a fish or two. Which worked for Vasey on his third mark of choice.
Of the 10 seniors and one junior only six had a weigh-in.
For the third time Heaviest Fish fell to league leader Harland, 2lb 1oz.
The Man of the Match, his second, was Vasey with two codlings, 3lb 3½oz, his best 1lb 11oz.
Top Ten: 1st - Brian Harland - 174 fish 136lb 6oz, 2nd - Dave Perrett - 105 fish 130lb 5oz, 3rd - Dave Ward - 144 fish 107lb 5oz, 4th - Davey Turnbull - 23 fish 77lb, 5th - Jason Ebison - 39 fish 71lb 10oz, 6th - Peter Horbury - 61 fish 70lb 2oz, 7th - Mike Saunders - 70 fish 59lb 15oz, 8th - Denis Thompson - 41 fish 55lb 9oz, 9th - Col Stainthorpe - 47 fish 53lb 14oz, 10th - Rob Taylor - 33 fish 47lb 13oz