Holt SAC Annual Open and Roy Waller Memorial (Report)

Saturday 2nd November 2019 - Bacton

Holt SAC’s Annual Open and Roy Waller Memorial was held at BACTON via Castaways on SATURDAY 2ND NOVEMBER. A match that was staged a day early to avoid clashing with the John Lacey Memorial at Gorleston and Maritime at Felixstowe. Unfortunately, this change produced its own competition with the rugby world cup final and brought us into a window of atrocious weather being forecast. Whether for these reasons or not support from Club members and others for the match was pretty poor resulting in the lowest turn out for an Annual Open ever. Many thanks to those who did brave the elements coming from as far afield as Ely, Bungay, Oulton, Gt Yarmouth and regular from the Humber plus the one sort of local man from Sheringham. Also thanks again to Anna and Richard, Castaways owners for allowing us to use the Cliff Top Inn and associated parking.

Forecast for the day was particularly atrocious with southerly winds over your right shoulder gusting up to 50 mph with lashings of rain. This all duly arrived just a few minutes from the start and although the dampness stopped before the end the wind persisted throughout which sandblasted everyone with the fine stuff from the newly created beach. Surprisingly the beach had not changed much since the Club’s last match here two weeks previous but there has yet to be some serious on shore gales to alter it.

Pegging for this one was in front of the Gas Site and left (west) from the old pipe one groyne, no real distance with just a short drop down via Castaways steps to the beach. With the start time 11:00 the same as the end of the rugby there was a plan B to delay the start by 1/2hr to savour the delights of an England victory on the vast array of flat screens in the Cliff Top Inn. However, we all know what happened there so everyone was soon making strides to their allotted slot on the now flat expanse of sand.

The majority had their own tactics mapped out and after experiences of the previous matches here most opted for a bit of range targeting the Whiting. However, although there was a small swell and plenty of white stuff out to sea there was no colour in the water and the Whiting had decided to push off. So surprisingly there was not one Whiting recorded during the whole match. On an ebb and a very flat beach it was a matter of continuously following tide presenting it’s own problem to the trolley brigade. Easy to use the machines to follow the tide but stacked high with unused brollies and rod bags were vulnerable to tipping over and some succumbed to this in the gusty wind, spilling well organised contents into the wet sand, not good! Thankfully, none of that dreaded weed of a couple of weeks earlier which would have been horrendous to go with the wind and rain.

Dabs to record for all in the first couple of hours but it was slow and the chilly wet wind didn’t help to keep everyone warm during the lack of activity. The last throws of the ebb saw some decent Flounders recorded whilst there was some tide and a few reasonable Bass and Schoolies started to get recorded. Slack water saw fish almost peter out but Dabs were still being found at range throughout this period. The tide started to flood which brought the odd Flounder and Bass and thankfully the rain had stopped with the wind dropping slightly by the whistle.

In the end it was BEV SELF (Peg 5) who got his tactics right at the start by going close with fresh yellas who did the business. Recording 3 Flounders of 28cm, 30cm and 31cm at the start giving him 92 points and then following these with a 35cm (52 points) Flounder and then a 40cm (63 points) Bass to end up with 5lb 14oz from 10 fish. Runner-up was surprise package MIKE WATTS (Peg 2) who came sauntering along the beach half way through in the wind and rain questioning why he was there with just 2 Dabs on his card. Only to return to find a 41cm (68 points) and then a whole raft of his favourite Dabs at range just beyond the sand in the deeper water. Finishing with 4lb 7oz from 17 fish, all Dabs apart from the solitary Bass. A welcomed retun for ANDY GALLAGHER (Peg 6) who took the final podium slot with 4lb 1oz from 11 fish comprising of a 42cm (74 points) Bass a couple of good Flounders and some decent Dabs.

Heaviest Flat was BEV SELF’s 35 cm (1lb 1 1/3oz) Flounder. Heaviest Round was a 42cm (1lb 8 2/3oz) Bass shared by JOHN CARTER (Peg 3) and ANDY GALLAGHER (Peg 6). Altogether 69 fish (47 Dabs, 17 Flounders and 5 Bass) were recorded weighing 26lb 4 1/3oz. This was also a Club match and BEV SELF therefore takes the Roy Waller Memorial Cup.

Apart from the weather not a bad match and there would have been more fish if that (weather) had played ball. There still are some stonking Bacton Flounders but they need to find a new home as the nice gully at the end of the old pipes has gone which are now fishing from at Low Water. Instead we have this expanse of shallowish water out to slightly deeper. Maybe these gullies will reappear as the new profile of the beach becomes established. Pity the numbers were poor but at least the match survived unlike the last 3 years when it was cancelled.

This situation will be different at the Club’s next match the 2nd Round of the North Norfolk National Sea League which will be on SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER at GT YARMOUTH Central and South Beach fishing 10:00-3:00 LW 1:39 4.5m. This could be a busy match with plenty of quality Whiting recorded in Jubilee’s match near this stretch last Sunday (3rd November) … Tony T

Top 8 Individuals

1...Bevan Self……...5lb..13 2/3oz.(10.fish)..Peg 5

2...Mike Watts.......4lb..6 2/3oz...(17.fish)..Peg 2

3...Andy Gallacher.4lb..1 1/3oz.…(11.fish)..Peg 6

4...Tony Thomas....3lb..7 1/3oz...( 7.fish)..Peg 8

5...John Carter......2lb..13 1/3oz..( 5.fish)..Peg 3

6...Dave Burr........2lb..7 1/3oz…..( 7.fish)..Peg 1

7...Allan Lewis.......2lb..7oz..........( 9.fish)..Peg 7

8...Neil Smart........0lb..11 2/3oz..( 3.fish)..Peg 10

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