Holt SAC Pairs Shield and 4th Leg Winter Accumulator (Report)

Sunday 19th January 2020 - Bacton

Holt SAC’s Pairs Shield and 4th Leg Winter Accumulator match was held at BACTON on SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY fishing 10:00-3:00 HW 1:48 4.0m. Draw and presentation was in Castaways Cliff Top Inn where members were able to partake in breakfasts, bacon rolls and hot beverages. Many thanks to Anna and Richard for once again allowing us to use their facilities particularly that lovely wood burner at the end. A good turn out of 15 for this one, many thanks for the support of the regular members in particular the usual Humberite travelling some considerable distance through frost and fog for this one. Also welcome aboard Dave Wright who joins the other “old” codgers in the Club to reminisce on times gone past and thanks for the herring.

Since the Club’s last match here in October the beach has not changed much with a little more sand being eroded although there has not been any serious onshore storms to take it away. This was a rare visit to Bacton for the Club so early in the year and as the revetments are covered fishing over high water was now an option for a change. Local knowledge had told us that our favourite stretch in front of the Gas site had had all the gullies filled in and that we should go east where the water is now deeper. So with this information pegging was therefore 6 pegs to the left and 9 to the right from Castaways beach steps.

Low water showed quite a wide gully in front of the higher order pegs with about 100+ yards to the sand bar with water already filling it. To find fish in deeper water meant casting over the bar which for most was not possible but wading across to cast from the bar was an option. This could be a precarious action as the water rose particularly with the soft sand underneath. This became a nearly misjudged option for Bev who made it across in his Bass Boots chesties like he did a couple of years ago here in similar seas but it was all a bit iffy. The Club’s health and safety rules says he won’t be doing this again.

Weather for the day was bright blue skies with high pressure well established and a very fresh chilly north westerly. With a 4-5 ft swell coming in creating a good surf on the sand bar and on the open beach in front of the low order pegs. At the whistle there was a dilemma in the high order pegs to either try and get over the sand bar into deeper water or opt for short flip into the shallow gulley. In the end it was the gulley that won the day as trying to cat over the bar was landing on it and the white water. In contrast the lower order pegs were able to wade out onto the bar and cast from there into deeper water. Even so the weed was such in the surf that rods had to be held high to prevent the wind and tide whipping lines around.

As remarked by many, this was an ideal Bass sea and the gully should have been full of Schoolies but of course this was winter and they haven’t arrived in any numbers yet. The same could be said for Flounders, ideal condition and a nice deepening gully close in would have attracted those stonking specimens but they still have to return from spawning. It soon became apparent that this was going to be more than just a tough match but a really really tough match. As the gully on the flat beach filled up hopes were raised but the weed coming across the bar combined with both wind and tide pushed lines across the neighbour’s resulting theirs being dragged in as well. To add to this, the old short groynes that were covered by the sandscaping were now being exposed and although plenty of distance had been left from them in the pegging lines were still being swept around them.

With not even a pin whiting or a single undersize fish being found the morale of everyone was rock bottom. We have all been there and we knew it wasn’t going to change although a glimmer of hope did come along the stretch reporting that at least 2 fish had been caught but that really did not help the struggle. However, it was left to our Bacton Bass ace KEVIN GREEN (Peg 12) whose tactic of holding his rod high throughout the match was rewarded for his effort managing to conjure up a 33cm Schoolie Bass out of the gully worth 40 points. His only fish but a match winning one at that. Runner-up was the inevitable MIKE WATTS (Peg 4) who found a monster 27cm Rockling worth 14 points from beyond the surf in the slightly deeper water. Final podium spot went to our new member DAVE WRIGHT (Peg 6) who actually found 2 fish an 18cm Flounder close in and a 19cm Whiting for 11 points in total.

That was it just 4 fish recorded (1 Bass, 1 Rockling, 1 Whiting & 1 Flounder) weighing in total 1lb 5oz. Heaviest Flat the 18cm(2oz) Flounder went to DAVE WRIGHT (Peg 6) and heaviest Round a 33cm (13oz) Bass to KEVIN GREEN (Peg 12). The Pairs Shield was taken by KEVIN GREEN (Peg 12) and PAUL TOVELL (Peg 7) who commented why we or himself was there at Bacton.

Probably one of our worst Club matches for some considerable years. A match where both weather and atmospheric conditions contrived to push the fish off. Only days before this stretch was full of small Whiting but the good lump on the sea certainly stopped them coming inshore. Likewise Dabs don’t like a big lump and they certainly wouldn’t come across the sand bar into the gully when it’s like this. On top of this we had high pressure and we all know what that does to our fishing. The change of the beach profile also hasn’t helped with the filling in of our favourite gullies in front of the Gas Site but new ones are appearing closer in elsewhere. We shall certainly remember this one when choosing venues at this time of year in 2021. Let’s hope things improve in 8 weeks time for our final sea league match at this venue.

Next Club match is for the Nite Shield and 5th Leg Winter Accumulator at KELLING via Muckleburgh Collection on SATURDAY 25TH JANUARY fishing 3:00-8:00 HW 6:58 4.8m. Draw from 1:15 at Muckleburgh Collection main gate. The Club’s only real night match over high water so we should at least get some Whiting & Dabs. Don’t really know how I can write so much about catching just 4 fish but I have been requested by our Asian Ace to continue doing so. Maybe we’ll get him on the beach or on the Humber some day when it’s warmer. If any Club members have not received their December newsletter please let me know … Tony T

Top 10 Individuals on the day

1…Kevin Green……….0lb 13 1/3oz.…(1 Fish)…(Peg 12)
2…Mike Watts……….…0lb 4 2/3oz….…(1 Fish)…(Peg 4)
3…Dave Wright…….…0lb 3 2/3oz…….(2 Fish)…(Peg 6)

(No other weighers)

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