Davey Turnbull sits top of WSAA League heading into the new year

The sea state of late had been steadily dying off and 2ft of the Northerly swell remained, thick with colour for the three-hour match. Icy cold SWesterly winds gusting 30+ mph which severely hampered casting and bite detection, writes Peter Horbury.

It was a totally cloudless and moonless night plenty of time for star gazing with numerous shooting stars. Low water 20.23hrs, 1.87m allowed the 17 members to venture out onto the open scaurs and fish the gullies and tangle beds.

The swells were regular, no surging and no weed, just a total lack of bites for the three hours. The tide turned very quickly and members were pushed back up the shoreline.

Short casts, long casts, overhead blob all tried, the fish just were not there for more than half of members. All variations of fish bait cocktails were tried. Members were slow to the scales, fishing right up to time before the long walk/climb back to the car.

There is remuneration for Heaviest Fish, so always first in the weigh-pan, started at 1lb 10oz, the best at 2lb 4oz, which was until Davey Turnbull (Darlington) turned up at 22.25hrs.Turnbull fumbled in his fish bag and pulled out a fine fat codling 5lb 9oz, with a rockling made 6lb 1½oz.

Clinching his second Heaviest Bag of Fish and fourth Heaviest Fish wins. “I lost a better fish” recounted Davey “I kept trying to re-catch him, but ran out of time.”

Just six of the 17 managed a weigh-in, 11 codlings and two rocklings.

December was definitely Davey’s month, landing 19 codlings and one rockling for 65lb in five matches, giving him a month’s Average Fish of 3lb 4oz, and 2lb 15oz for the season to date. He now tops the leaderboard by 1lb 10oz from Brian Harland, Whitby.

December’s catch - 172 fish - 158 codlings, 13 rocklings, 3 billets 340lb 13oz - Av/Fish 2lb.

December Sweeps: Davey Turnbull - HBoFish - 26lb 15½oz - Wed 7th

Davey Turnbull - HFish - 7lb 10½oz - Wed 7th

Results: 24lb 3oz (Av 1lb 14oz) 1st - Davey Turnbull - 1 codling, 1 r’ling 6lb 2oz, 2nd = Dave Hambley - 2 codlings 4lb 8oz, 2nd = Colin Stainthorpe - 3 codlings 4lb 8oz, 4th - Ryan Collinson - 2 codlings 3lb 9oz, 5th - Jason Ebison - 2 codlings 3lb 6oz, 6th - Dave Perrett - 1 codling, 1 r’ling 2 lb 2oz.