Davey Turnbull snaps up Whitby Sea Angling Association League Sunday win

Match 33 was the final match of the month, an all flood match to HWater, following on from Wednesday’s match, yet another scratching match.

Very strong Westerly winds, 23 gusting 37mph, 80% cloud cover and no moon light.

During the day a slight long distance Northerly swell had been trying to grow, knocked back by the off shore winds.

By match start there was one foot plus of regular swell sets that had pushed through on the flood, with colour for the 11 members fishing.

The match very nearly got off to a bad start for Paul Short, Guisborough, who had forgotten his head torches, but there was no panic as Peter Horbury lent him his spare.

Fishing the beach for a change, scaled down tackle, 20 lb mainline, and 70 lb shock leader. 2/0 two flapper rigs looking for flat fish, and possibly a whiting or passing codling, however only a pin cod and an undersized billet were caught.

Waiting, with the scales set up in the Fleece yard, texts started “Gone home, safe.”

Scales closed at 22.30hrs, just three members had weighed-in, four codlings, 8lb 07 oz.

Man of the Match was a very happy and giddy Davey Turnbull, Darlington, with one codling of 4lb 6oz.

Davey’s stats are 11 wins - seven Heaviest Bags of Fish and four Heaviest Fish.

Remarkably his Av/Fish is now 3lb from 55 fish (53 codlings, 1 blegg, 1 rockling) for 164 lb 07 oz.

Top Tip - check your cut-off points, there could be two!

Summarising January’s catch (eight matches fished): 91 assorted fish - 68 codlings, 14 rocklings, 5 dabs, 2 billets, 1 flounder and 1 whiting 172 lb 9 oz (Av 1 lb 14 oz).

January’s Monthly Sweeps winners: Heaviest Bag of Fish - Davey Turnbull, 18 lb 4½ oz (4) Sun 15th Jan; Heaviest Fish - Dave Hambley, 7 lb 7½ oz, Wed 25th Jan.

Results: 8lb 7oz (Av 2 lb 2oz) – 1st - Davey Turnbull - 1 codling 4lb 6oz

2nd - Dave Perrett - 2 codlings 2lb 11oz

3rd - Paul Short - 1 codling 1lb 6oz.