Davey Turnbull and Colin Stainthorpe star in midweek Whitby Sea Anglers Association match

Colin Stainthorpe and Davey Turnbull hit top form at Wednesday's WSAA League match. PHOTOS BY BRIAN MURFIELD

Davey Turnbull and Colin Stainthorpe were the top performers in the WSAA League match on Wednesday.

Wednesday saw high pressure, a definite fall in temperatures, the odd flurry of snow during the day, writes Peter Horbury.

Sea state NNEasterly 4ft but irregular, close set, more surface blash than ground swell. NEasterly wind 20mph, a definite wind chill on wet hands. No colour in the water. Catch forecast was low for the 13 members venturing out.

Fishing down to LWater 21.25hrs 1.6m, members were able to reach their chosen marks and fish the gulleys and tangle beds. The ebb was greater than tabled, aided by the high pressure. A dark evening, full cloud cover and no rain forecast.

Brian Harland claimed the Heaviest Bag of Fish and Heaviest Fish of 1 lb 02½ oz at Sunday's WSAA League match. PHOTO: PETER HORBURY

Members reported constantly being pestered with lots of small fish bites, nee bait robbers. With the lack of fish pleasure anglers and members alike soon moved on to try other marks.

At the scales Turnbull, Darlington, had the Heaviest Bag of Fish 8lb 4oz (4) while Stainthorpe, Whitby, recorded the Heaviest Fish of the night 3lb 5oz.

On Sunday and yes winter is here, a growing Northerly sea state 8-10ft with colour, (forecast to reach 18ft in the next 24hrs), far from ideal fishing conditions! No one likes a growing sea of this size.

Bitterly cold NWesterly wind -1°C 30mph with the wind chill, it was freezing. Heavy snow showers from 5.30pm, snowflakes like saucers, alas if did not lay.

Due to the Amble Open only ten members were left to fish the 4hr evening match. Fishing started at HWater 6pm, 5.9m, swells sets were irregular with some surging. Weed was present in the surf but avoidable if rod and line held high with some weed caught on the retrieve.

Fishing ceased around 7pm to allow a drift net to pass by. Buoys, with reflective eyes, linked together with rope attached to smaller ‘sponge-shaped’ corks was adrift in the swells. This and the weed was enough for a few members and pleasure anglers alike to pack up and move marks.

Only Brian Harland, Whitby, weighed-in a single codling 1lb 2½ oz.

This maintained his 100% record, 29/29 weigh-ins, giving him eight Heaviest Bag of Fish wins and four Heaviest Fish wins, this last one is the ‘smallest-fish’ to win Heaviest Fish of the night.