Holt SAC 2nd Leg Summer Accumulator (Report)

Sunday 23rd April 2017 - Bacton

The second Club match of the new season was played out on the sand at BACTON via Castaways on Sunday 23rd April. In contrast to the doom and gloom at the AGM about Club membership this was well supported with the best turn out for some time even with some of the regulars missing which bodes well for the future.   Club membership continues to grow and would like to welcome aboard on this occasion a couple from Suffolk way in Joe Bettinson and John Harvey. An early 9:00 start and many thanks to Ana & Richard for opening up their Cliff Top Inn nice and early for us, much appreciated.

Forecast for the day was dry with a moderate westerly and 2-3ft swell, well they got the first bit right but there was next to no wind ending up a cool easterly. As for the swell, that turned out to be 5-6ft and looked pretty ominous from the cliff top as it started to break on the sand bars 100yds out. However, down at sea level it didn’t look too bad and showed where the gullies were located although the surges across the sand could catch you out.

Pegging for this one was a few Close pegs to the right of the first pipe and the remainder left and west towards the second pipe. A stretch that backs onto the Gas Site cliff which is slowly being “protected” by the caged flints which given a couple of good North Sea surges will soon be battered. Fishing the last of the ebb on a small tide meant pegging could all be in front of the revetments for a change. However, the contractors had repaired the hole in the revetments close to the pipe leaving loose soggy sand in front of it which Mr Pegger promptly went 3ft into. If that had been a child or prize pooch the consequences could have been sadly different. Anyway to avoid this peg 17 was placed seaward and is now somewhere in the North Sea. It is amazing how this soft sand can move around as at our last match here in March you could not look over the revetments from the back and now you were head & should above them. Nothing about fishing just an observation and some say they like a story!

Back to the action, it was quite clear before the start that everyone was a bit apprehensive about the session as the rather intimidating rollers kept sweeping in even though they were not too large. At the whistle it was a matter of casting into the slots between the breaking waves and hopefully into the hidden gullies. The majority were attempting this but there were the odd few who were launching it as it is their natural habit only to generally land on one of those sand bars and white water. It was soon apparent that this was not going to be an easy session as there was plenty of weed in the breakers. Not too much to be a real nuisance but enough when combined with the surprisingly strong tide was taking lines well right. The solution was standing with rods held high resulting in a strange sight of members standing at the water’s edge holding rods high for the first 2 hours.

Even with this distraction fish started to come ashore generally Whiting mostly small but with some longer ones amongst them. I say long because they were painfully thin more like an eel someone described. Probably lost their way and ended up here but even so nice and long giving good points. These were joined by a few Schoolie Bass, a welcomed sight with the Bass Festival in 3 weeks. As the tide started to ease so did the weed and the target was those points earning Bacton Flounders and they duly obliged. Not many but a few over 30cm giving some serious points joined by a few smaller Dabs to help keep the score going for some. Once the tide started to flood the small Whiting started to come on again along with those Schoolie Bass.

In the end it was numbers of good fish that won the day with NEIL “SMARTY” SMART doing the business with 4lb 13 1/3oz from 14 fish who fully exploited his end peg 1 selection. Nearly 2lb further back was TOM WATTS with 3lb 1 1/3oz from just 6 fish who was also in the same area on Peg 3. Final podium slot went to TONY THOMAS with 2lb 11oz from only 5 fish but conditions preventing him from exploiting his pipe Peg 16. Heaviest Flat was a 34cm (1lb) Flounder shared by TOM GIBBS, PETER MORSE and TONY THOMAS. Heaviest Round went to NEIL “SMARTY” SMART with his 33cm (12oz) Schoolie Bass. Altogether 91 fish (30 Whiting, 29 Flounders, 18 Bass, 9 Dabs and 5 Rockling) were recorded weighing 29lb 5oz.

On the pegs, there were 3 that failed to find a sizeable fish, the two Club Rookies Joe Bettinson (Peg 8) and John Harvey (Peg 9) along with Richard Ling (Peg 18). I hope this does not deter them from future matches and good luck to Richard with his major leg operation in a couple of weeks. End Peg 1 with Neil “Smarty” Smart certainly lived up to its reputation with Bass and Flounders from the off followed by more Flounders and Whiting ending up with a couple of Schoolie Bass easily taking the match with 14 fish for 4lb 13oz. Next occupied Peg 3 had the runner-up Tom Gibbs on board who was after quality and Bass ending up with that 34cm Flounder and 4 Schoolie Bass for 3lb 1oz from 6 fish. Trying for quality on Peg 4 was Jeff Stannard who managed to find 29 & 33cm Flounders and a Schoolie Bass with 5 fish for 2lb 2oz and 5th place.

After a bit of a struggle at the start and a short break John Neave on Peg 5 managed to a few Schoolie Bass and Flounders for 1lb 13oz from 5 fish and 7th place. Also into Schollie Bass and Flounders was Paul Kendrick on Peg 6 but he also found 3 other species to giving him 2lb 7oz from 8 fish and 4th place to keep up his consistent 4th place performances. Also into a species hunt with 4 species in his 5 fish was Paul Harvey on Peg 7 and was unfortunate that the rest of his fish could not match up to his first a 31cm Schoolie Bass ending up with 1lb 6oz and 10th place. For once it wasn’t Mike Watts day on Peg 10 who found nothing serious at range and only found small stuff elsewhere ending up with 1lb 5oz for 11th place.

Charlie Frary’s day on Peg 11 was a struggle but finally managed to find a Dab and Schoolie Bass in the dying throws of the match for 9oz and 16th place. A rejuvenated Kevin Green on Peg 12 was flying around like a youngster at the start and with rod held high brought in small Whiting and Flounders but this all abruptly ended leaving him with 1lb 1oz from 6 fish. Bevan Self on Peg 13 soon found that distance in these conditions does not work at Bacton but eventually found two Whiting and a Schoolie Bass for 15oz and 14th place. Another seasoned angler in John Carter on Peg 14 was also struggling in the first half of the match but eventually found a Whiting, Flounder and a 28cm Rockling yes 28cm! for 14oz and 15th place. His travelling partner Albert “Piffy” Randelsome on peg 15 was fairing slightly better catching throughout but could not match his first fish a 30cm Whiting finishing with 6 fish for 1lb 8oz and 9th place.

Pipe man Peg 16 Tony Thomas could not take advantage of his prime position with weed taking his gear and everyone else’s towards the pipe but as the tide slackened managed to find a 32 and 34cm Flounder for 2lb 11oz from 5 fish and 3rd place. On the other pipe Peg 17 was Paul Tovell was going like a train (probably slow train!) but after 4 fish this abruptly ended with 1lb 1oz and equal 12th place. A slow start for Peter Morse on Peg 19 with three Whiting followed by a small Flounder and then that cracking 34cm specimen to give him 1lb 11oz from the 5 fish and 8th place. Final end Peg 20 had Ivan Allison on board who also had a slow start but as the tide slacked found a raft of Flounders and Whiting for 2lb 1oz from 8 fish and 6th place.

Another interesting Bacton match where uncharacteristically the flatter beach seemed to perform better thanthe rest. The sea state particularly the swell plays a big part here and probably was the reason for the lack of numbers of fish. Surprising to see the number of Whiting but when you see the size and quality of then you realise why. The bigger Flounders were at last back and the best news was the number of Bass albeit small, they are back. Surprised not to see anything serious but it is a long time since we have had so many Schoolies. All bodes well for the Bass Festival in just under 3 weeks particular as there was a lot caught near the shingle and a lot bigger on the same day as this match.

Next Club match is at KELLING via Muckleburgh Collection on SUNDAY 7TH MAY fishing 9:00-2:00 LW 11:54 4.3m with draw from 7:45 … Tony T

Top 5 Individuals (on the day) …

1…Neil Smart.………..4lb..13 2/3oz…..(14 fish)

2…Tom Gibbs…………3lb..1 2/3oz…....( 6 fish)

3…Tony Thomas…….2lb 11oz………....( 5 fish)

4…Paul Kendrick……..2lb..7oz…………..( 8 fish)

5…Jeff Stannard……..2lb..2oz………....( 5 fish)

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