Colin Stainthorpe nets Christmas Whitby Sea Anglers Association match success

Col Stainthorpe Receives the WSAA Christmas Members Match Trophy and £50 from Neil Eglon. PHOTOS BY PETER HORBURY

Fishing was from 2pm to 7pm, weigh-in 7pm-7.45pm at the Wilson Arms, Sneaton, followed by a Sunday lunch and presentation, writes Peter Horbury.

Stainthorpe snapped up the £50 first place prize, which was kindly donated by Neil Eglon, and also the Heaviest Fish award, The Michael Deadman Memorial Trophy, which was also £50 thanks to Rich Deadman.

Storm Elgin, now over the North Sea heading towards Europe had brought very strong winds and heavy rainfall over night.

Col Stainthope receives Michael Deadman Memorial Trophy £50 from Rich Deadman.

Sea state NorthEasterly two to three foot thick with colour.

SouthWesterly winds, gusting 30mph with intermittent rainfall throughout the five-hour all ebb match.

Of the 12 fishing just seven managed a weigh-in of 13 codlings, nine rocklings and a single billet.

With literally seconds to spare Man of the Match Stainthorpe, Whitby, made it to the scales.

He recorded three codlings - 7lb 8½ oz which included the Heaviest Fish 4lb 1oz.

On Sunday December 3, the first WSAA League match of December, flat calm sea state, -1°C with a gentle, but icy cold, ENEast breeze.

Full cloud cover and the possibility of snow during the four-hour match.

Piers and beaches were the marks of choice, fishing two hours either side of high water.

Catch forecast was very low, reflected in the fact only eight WSAA members fished.

The Cloughton Open had been fished during the day, and of the 70 competing for the £500 first place prize (for Heaviest codling) only 10 weighed-in.

Martin Wilding reported it was probably their worst weigh-in.

WSAA member Colin Stainthorpe came home in ninth with 1 lb 2½ oz.

Surprise of the night, Steve Ingleston, Whitby weighed-in a pair of haddocks - not since January 4 1987 has a haddock graced the WSAA scales. From the archives Ian Russell, Whitby - 1lb 12oz holds the current record.There seems to be a head of haddock along the coastline with other clubs reporting haddock in match results.