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Clacton Pier Match Report |
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The first night match at this Essex venue for years... |
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Allan Lane and Steve Caudle from Clacton Pier arranged a Pier night match
back in September in aid of the RNLI, Which attracted sixty anglers for the
special opportunity to fish the pier at night, something that had not been
open to the public for around 8 years. With a big money prize at stake along with optional pools and generous prizes donated by Brian Dean Fishing Tackle, The competition was keenly fought. The entry fee was £5 of which part was given to the RNLI, and part towards the total prize fund. Two shields were also up for grabs, which the winners' names will be engraved onto, One for 1st place and one for 2nd. Also Brian Dean Fishing Tackle had donated £300 worth of prizes which would be awarded for 1st place, 2nd place and a special bonus prize for the Heaviest Cod caught. The five hour competition was started at 6pm and was fished from the T-Shirt printing shop down the berthing arm, and back round past the lifeboat station. Weather conditions weren't too bad with a light breeze, clear sky but rather chilly. Fishing started at 6pm and ended at 11pm, with high tide about 12am. which was a fairly high one over 4 metres. The match started with a few whiting being caught mainly undersize but the odd couple making the mark to weigh in, Pouting were also showing sizeable. The first sizeable codling of the night was taken by Kerry Smith within the first hour of the competition, it weighed around 1lb.4oz. He was fishing on peg number 59, which was right beside the old reptile hut Facing towards holland-on-sea. The night progressed with more whiting being caught, lots of fish taken from the flagpole end by Dave Cudmore and John Easey but most undersize. Around the middle of the berthing arm a few sizeable whiting being caught by myself and Steve Evenett in Pegs 41 and 42. The gate area not doing as well as expected with just a few undersize whiting and pouting. The east side of the pier facing Jaywick was slow, with just a couple of fish being caught undersize. The match really came alive about an hour and a half before the end, with 6 sizeable codling coming up from the flagpole weighing at about 1lb.4oz to 2lbs, Local angler Trevor Williams was on fire claiming three of the codling, Two by Graham Swain and One by Dave Easey. Fish being caught all around the pier right until the final whistle as high tide approached, Trevor Back on peg number 53 doing well to bucket 9 sizeable fish, aswell as throwing back a fair few undersize. As expected the berthing arm produced most fish, as did the west side of the pier which is always best on the flood, if fishing was continued after high tide the east side wouldve probably produced on the ebb, but unfortunately for the pegs on that side the match was fished 5 hours before high tide. Overall it was a nice match to take part in, with the novelty of fishing Clacton Pier at night. Lots of fish were caught which included Bass, Pouting Rockling Whiting and Codling, The most common to appear was Whiting. Best bait was lugworm followed by ragworm, fished on a two hook clip-down rig fished within 70 yards of the pier. Thanks to Steve and Allan for organising the match, Thanks to Brian Dean Fishing Tackle for donating prizes and promoting. Congratulations to winner Trevor Williams, and runner up Graham Swain I look forward to next November, where hopefully it will be as or more enjoyable as this one, hope to see you all there. Report written by Joe Hughes Results 1st Place: Trevor Williams 6lb 8oz 2nd: Graham Swain 4lb 3rd: Dave Cudmore 3lb 10oz 4th: Trevor Back 3lb 3oz 5th: Joe Hughes 2lb 5oz 6th: Shaun Harris 2lb 2oz Biggest Codling caught; 2lb by Graham Swain |
