Cley 20th February 2011
The unrelenting winter temperatures continued as a cold East North Easterly wind met the usual slightly diminished band of regulars at Cley beach car park with a few opting to try their luck with the Pakefield boys. With a plethora of the local coast guards on a training session along with armies of walkers striding out to Blakeney Point and kids with kites made it a hive of activity at the car park. No doubt the Trust would have liked to have had their little hut there on this day!
Once “Motorway Maintenance” arrived (Dene’s new Motor) and everyone commented about the perfect match machine it was down to the real business. Pegging the usual stretch, west of the boats which supposedly gave everyone some decent water before shallowing out towards Blakeney Point. A good but not serious swell with plenty of colour gave us a perfect cod sea but we all knew that the chance of even one appearing was almost nil! Fishing the ebb on the biggest spring tide of the year so far gave everyone the dilemma of where to set up as the tide was going to drop a long long way but at the start there was no option other than to perch at the top of the shingle bank.
Raring to go as usual everyone was gesticulating to get bait in water and have the whistle blown. With plenty of water the dilemma was what distance with most opting for a 60-100 yard chuck. First to record was Peter “inspector” Morse and Tony “yoda” Thomas each with a small dab on their first cast. Both then recorded a small dab on each of their next two casts and a good session was in the offering. Dick “umbrella man” Able was also soon into a dab so the match was well and truly on although Paul “scoop” Fenech was looking a bit dejected not being able to find a single fish. So for him a change of tactics was required with the bait being blasted out to the horizon. This worked, with a healthy 33cm flounder on the beach and with a wry smile recorded 44 weight points on his match card.
As slack water arrived and went the pin whiting appeared with John “silver fox” Neave and Sam “no hat” Attew managing to conjure up a couple of sizeable but slinky specimens. With such a big tide the water dropped at such at rate as though someone had literally pulled the plug. This meant a long haul to cast and retrieve with half opting to decamp to the water’s edge. With the bar now clearly visible at 150-200yards off the flatties just switched off and it was down to pin whiting with some in the mid 20cms plus the odd rockling. With specimen hunting becoming a gore John and Pam “cuddly” Carter on end peg could be seen breaking out the bacon butties as wharfs of their noxious fumes came along the beach.
With the gully in front of the bar getting even narrower the chances of catching a dab or even a sizeable fish was rapidly diminishing particularly as the wreck to the east was appearing in all its “glory” not seen for some considerable time. Rockling were the fish to find but they were pretty elusive and the pins were the only fish playing ball. The last hour and half was a nip and tuck fight between all the contenders and anyone could have won the day on the last cast.
In the end all the specimen fish were caught before the tide really turned and it was that olde gentlemen again, Dick “umbrella man” Able who showed the young’uns how to catch fish under match conditions and match rules. Taking top honours with 1lb 10 2/3oz from 22 fish closely followed by Mike “last cast” Watts with 1lb 9oz from 14 fish. Final podium place went to Paul “scoop” Fenech with 1lb 7 2/3oz from 10 fish who couldn’t match his early specimen flounder.
Not exactly a brilliant match but an enjoyable competition where match tactics came to the afore. This stretch of the coast can still consistently produce sizeable fish in the majority of conditions, in contrast to Pakfield where in the match there no sizeable fish were caught although you do have a better chance of an elusive codling from that venue.
Next match and Round 8 of the Winter Accumulator will be at Salthouse on Sunday 27th February from 11:00 to 4:00 fishing the flood on a neap tide.
Please note that the club’s Winter Open will be run at Kelling on Sunday 6th March from 9:00 to 2:00. Please contact Dene to be booked in for this event.
Club members please note that the club’s AGM and Presentation Evening will be on Saturday 26th March at the Kelling Heath Holiday Park. The AGM will be in the afternoon followed by the Presentation meal in the evening in the Woods restaurant of this complex. More details to followed shortly about this event.
Club Match Result Top 5
1st Dick Able 1lb 10 2/3oz
2nd Mike Watts 1lb 9oz
3rd Paul Fenech 1lb 7 2/3oz
4th Tony Thomas 1lb 3 1/3oz
5th Sam Attew 1lb 2 2/3oz
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