Holt SAC New Year Open, Ken Brown Cup and 1st leg Winter Accumulator (Report)

Wednesday 1st January 2020 - Kelling

Holt SAC’s NEW YEAR Open, Ken Brown Cup and 1st Leg Winter Accumulator was held at KELLING via Muckleburgh Collection on WEDNESDAY 1ST JANUARY. Even with the festive activity a few hours earlier there was an unexpected turn out of 29. Attracting a number of top match anglers from around East Anglia, a few Internationals, the usual Humberite and I believe a couple from North Wales way. Many, many thanks for all your continued support.

Weather for the day was next to no wind with a slightly overcast sky albeit a bit chilly and couple this with a flat sea presented a very enjoyable session as mentioned by a number participating. Pegging was from a 100yards from Weybourne wreck west to just before the block house at Kelling. Fishing just before high water down on a smallish tide meant everyone could park on the low shingle bank and then follow the tide if required.

At the whistle expectations were high for some big Whiting over the flood and they duly arrived for a few and the rest had to be satisfied with the smaller versions and Dabs. For the first hour the action was frantic for most particularly in Zone A as doubles and trebles were recorded. It was at least a fish a chuck in this zone for the first 1½ hrs comprising of a mixture of Dabs and Whiting. Unfortunately, as the tide ebbed the size of both species started to diminish to an extent that multiple undersize were coming ashore particular Dabs.

Slack water saw the fish disappear for most and multiple blank casts coming ashore. As the sun started to dip behind the shingle this woke up the Whiting as they decided to come closer in to feed. Silver bars of all sizes could be seen being hauled up the beach at the end to boost one or two cards.

It was Suffolk’s Wizzy Spall on Peg 12 at the bottom end of Zone A who went off like a train at the start with multiple Whiting until half way through the match when everything slowed for him. Next door Peg 13 England International young Henry was struggling to keep up with him and frustrated by the treble shots of 17cm Dabs that were also not helping with his £1 quest for biggest flat with big fish merchant Heacham’s Charlie Needham who was on prime end Peg 1 position at the block house. He was straight into the big Whiting from the off and as with the pre-Xmas match the low Zone A pegs were producing well with Mark Gooch (Peg 6), Andy Gallacher (Peg 4) and Joe Bettinson (Peg 2) all matching Charlie’s performance. This could not be said for the Smith’s (Pegs 3 & 5) who had a lack lustre day and couldn’t get their Chesil Gars to repeat their results of previous year’s.

In contrast to Zone A , Zone B was not really producing quality fish although the numbers of fish were generally there but the pattern of fish one minute and gone the next was frustrating. There were of course the odd exceptions with the East European ace Adrian Bordianu (Peg 30) finding quality fish with exceptionally big baits who reported that he had sussed out how to find the fish during slack water. Others had to rely on numbers of fish to produce a decent score in this zone, in particular England International Kimberley Lawn (Peg 27) who continued her excellent performance of recent matches and Charlie Frary (Peg 24) following his winning success at the pre-Xmas Open. Others managed to produce a respectable score by finding a few decent fish like Ely’s Mike Watts (Peg 18) in contrast to a few who just couldn’t find the fish like Mr T (Peg 29) who blamed it on being ill prepared after last week savouring the Codling on the Holderness coast and having no Blows in his arsenal for this one.

In the end it was the dark horse back on Peg 15 in Zone B in Snape’s VINCE CRAWFORD who after seeing others around steam ahead at the start just kept plodding away to find fish throughout and complaining about his poor feet on the shingle to record all the fish. The turning point in his challenge was a 37cm Whiting half way through and a 33cm towards the end which gave him victory with 9lb 11oz (466 points) from 40 fish. Fortunately, that 40 fish was key as he had amassed the same score (466 points) as ADRIAN BORDIANU (Peg 30) but Adrian had just 34 fish so he had to settle for the runners-up slot. Targetting those bigger fish had given him the points but in a tie you have to go back to numbers of fish, sorry Adrian! but at least one Penn Point to kick off his 2020 account. This was a close match with top 4 all within 5 points and others not far behind. The final podium honours went to CHARLIE NEEDHAM (Peg 1) with 9lb 11oz (465 points) from 39 fish. The above three were the Super Pools winners.

Other payout for this match was One Overall Winner and two zones down to 4th place with the Overall Winner (Vince) excluded. The zone results were …

Zone A …

1st…CHARLIE NEEDHAM.9lb 11oz…………..(39 Fish).(Peg 1)
2nd…CHRIS SPALL………….9lb.9 2/3oz……..(43 Fish).(Peg 12)
3rd…ANDY GALLACHER...9lb 6 2/3oz……..(43 Fish).(Peg 4)
4th   JOE BETTINSON.……9lb 4 1/3…..…….(38 Fish) (Peg 2)

Zone B …

1st…ADRIAN BORDINAU.9lb 11 1/3oz…...(34 Fish).(Peg 30)
2nd…KIMBERLEY LAWN...7lb.15 2/3oz……(43 Fish).(Peg 27)
3rd…MIKE WATTS…………..7lb 10 1/3oz…..(30 Fish).(Peg 18)
4th   CHARLIE FRARY……..6lb 14 2/3……….(41 Fish) (Peg 24)

Heaviest Flat Fish was a 33cm Flounder (15oz) taken by PHIL READ (Peg 9) and Heaviest Round a 38cm Whiting (13oz) taken by ADRIAN BORDIANU (Peg 30). Altogether 897 fish (524 Whiting, 367 Dabs, 3 Rockling, 2 Flounders and 1 Pout) were recorded weighing 192lb 3oz.

Another cracking Shingle match with a very close result and very competitive which seems to be the norm these days. Plenty of fish although a lot were very small and undersize but there were a few stonking Whiting. Looks like the Flounders have pushed off to have nucky but the reliable Dabs were there albeit small. Finding the fish was key along with keeping in touch with them particularly during slack water. Many thanks to Henry Randell for the pegging and running the raffle (new job?) and Mike Watts with his help with the results and check the cards as it was close. Many thanks also to those who brought raffle prizes and to everyone supported the match and the Club.

Next Club match is the 2nd Leg of the Winter Accumulator on SUNDAY 5TH JANUARY at GORLESTON fishing 10:00-3:00 LW 9:43 3.8m meeting at Marina Bay Café from 8:00. This will be followed by Round 4 North Norfolk National Sea League & Open, Durham Shield and 3rd Leg Winter Accumulator Club match at SALTHOUSE on SUNDAY 12TH JANUARY fishing 10:00-3:00 HW 7:25 4.8m. All enquiries for these to 07780793141 … Tony T

Top 10 Individuals (on the day) …

1..VINCE CRAWFORD..9lb 11 1/3oz…..(40 Fish) (Peg 15)
2…ADRIAN BORDINAU.9lb 11 1/3oz……(34 Fish).(Peg 30)
3…CHARLIE NEEDHAM..9lb 11oz………….(40 Fish).(Peg 1)
4…CHRIS SPALL.…………9lb.9 2/3oz……..(43 Fish).(Peg 12)
5…ANDY GALLACHER...9lb 6 2/3oz……..(43 Fish).(Peg 4)
6   JOE BETTINSON.……9lb 4 1/3…..…….(38 Fish) (Peg 2)
7…MARK GOOCH ……….9lb 2 1/3oz……..(38 Fish) (Peg 7)
8…HENRY RANDELL…….8lb 7 1/3oz……..(45 Fish) (Peg 13)
9…KIMBERLEY LAWN....7lb.15 2/3oz……(43 Fish).(Peg 27)
10.PHIL READ…..…………7lb 11 1/3oz…..(32 Fish).(Peg 9)

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