Davey Turnbull and Ryan Collinson net Whitby Sea Angling Association League Man of Match spoils

Davey Turnbull and Ryan Collinson netted the Man of the Match honours in the Sunday and Wednesday WSAA League matches respectively.

Sunday’s match was the first match of 2023 to start in daylight, at the same time the ‘Worm moon’ already high in the sky shone brightly, writes Peter Horbury.

NNEasterly sea state, 8-12ft, no colour, an all ebb four-hour match down to low water for the 11 fishing. NNEasterly breeze 6mph, within an hour the moon was obscured by 100% cloud cover.

Heavy drizzle fell for an hour or so around 8pm.

Davey Turnbull with Sunday's Heaviest Bag of Fish 7 lb 04 oz (3)

An eye had to be kept out for any rogue swell sets as surging was the worst I have ever experienced.

At the scales, Brian Harland, Whitby, first up, 5 codlings - 6lb 3oz.

Next up, Turnbull, Darlington three codlings 7lb 4oz, his best 2lb 15½oz for his sixth Man of the Match and ninth Heaviest Fish win of the night.

The deficit between Davey and Brian is just 10lb, with seven matches left for top spot on the leaderboard and championship.

Brian Harland with Sunday's Heaviest Fish of 2 lb ½ oz

Total weigh-in 13 codlings, a billet, and a rockling.

Results: 23lb 3oz (Av 1lb 9oz) 1st Davey Turnbull - 3 codlings 7lb 4oz, 2nd Brian Harland - 5 codlings 6lb 3oz, 3rd Ryan Collinson - 2 codlings 3lb 2oz, 4th Colin Stainthorpe - 2 codlings 3lb, 5th Dave Perrett - 1 codling, 1 r’ling 2lb 12oz, 6th Denis Thompson - 1 billet 14oz.

On Wednesday, the high pressure weather system was still dominating. NNEasterly sea state 5-8ft, a neap tide, only 1.6 metres height difference between High and Low water.

No colour in the water, catch forecast was low, only 10 fishing the three-hour match.

NNEasterly wind, 100% cloud cover, having just got the kit bag dry from Sunday, the constant heavy drizzle was as annoying as it was unpleasant. The flood was steady as were the regular swell sets, the only thing missing were the fish.

Members reported pin codlings were a nuisance, false bites, and took up too much time, re-baiting, eventually forcing a move.

At the scales, Bernard Vasey had wisely opted to sheltering from the weather in the Fleece yard.

Man of the Match, his eighth, was Ryan Collinson, Robin Hood’s Bay, 2lb 5oz (2), his best 1lb 6oz not enough for Heaviest Fish.

This fell to Harland, 2lb ½oz, and his fourth win.