British Open match times changed
The match has been changed to 9am to 1pm. This is to allow for the horrendous weather which is forecast and the higher predicted tides, and also to ensure that no one gets cut off by the tide not being able to get back up the cliffs.
This decision has upset quite a few anglers and I have heard that several have demanded their money back and will not fish the event. But if there is any danger of accidents you have to take that in consideration.
It may be glorious weather on Sunday but you have to go by the experts' predictions. No fishing is worth risk to life. Anglers have had to be airlifted from this area in the past, so if there are a lot of anglers it increases the problems there may be. If you did have any injuries I doubt if the competition would be run again so I think that this is a very wise decision.
The times of the match on Saturday have not been altered and at the moment the weather looks ok. There have been some decent fish reported especially around the Withernsea, Hornsea areas. If conditions are not too bad I expect that there will be quite a few fish caught.
On the Friday night there is something different this year – a pegged flattie match on the Bridlington beaches. I expect this will attract more of the serious match anglers. I personally like fishing the South beach at Bridlington. It's a good spot and you can catch fish feet from the edge of the beach.
Last Sunday, I was back at the creek for the Flounder Open organised by Humber SAC. It was not too bad when we got there but as we started to draw for pegs the heavens opened and the snow came down.
There was an excellent turn-out, and even anglers came from as far as Sunderland. I did not fancy their journey back home.
The anglers had a fair way to walk to their pegs as the main gate was closed. George Smith was in a good peg and first cast was in to a fish , so was Adie Cooper who had a double shot. My rod laid motionless as it did for several hours, and as anglers around me started catching the more frustrated I got.
Ian Belfield changed to crab baits and, casting further out, started to find the fish and also they were better quality. Smith caught a smashing specimen, a flounder of 39cm but full of roe and I would expect that it would have weighed more than two pounds. I thought Smith would have got the biggest fish with that one but Chris Mack from Hull got a monster one at 42cms.
Back at the car park and it soon became obvious that the creek had not fished well, but it has been a top venue for the past few weeks.
Top man and worth the trek form Sunderland was Belfield with five fish for 3lb 11oz. Next in was Smith with five fish for 2lb 110z, third Jim Greer with five for fish 2lb 7oz. I was in the middle of these two and got two postage stamps. Fourth in was Gary Hutson again with five fish for 2lb 5oz.
The match was very well run, and even though the weather was awful most of the anglers had a good time. The club is really coming along nicely with new anglers fishing each week and old members rejoining. If you are interested in joining please contact me or ring George Smith's shop.
On the boat scene, Sea Angler have announced they are joint sponsoring the Big Fish Open on the March 21 with some very good articles in the latest edition, which is worth a look at .
They went out on the predator and caught quite a few fish. Hopefully there will be a few fish about in March, although there is certainly not much in the river at the moment.
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