Holder Dave Hambley sweeps aside rivals in opening Whitby Sea Anglers Association matches

WSAA Members group photograph -
Back row left to right Colin Stainthorpe, William Akinson, Dave Perrett, Brian Harland, Dave Ward, Denis Thompson, Dylan Goldsmith, Lewis Wright, Ryan Collinson, Neil Eglon.
Front row left to right Rich Deadman, Bernard Vasey, Peter Horbury, Lewis Plews, Paul Short — WSAA Members group photograph - Back row left to right Colin Stainthorpe, William Akinson, Dave Perrett, Brian Harland, Dave Ward, Denis Thompson, Dylan Goldsmith, Lewis Wright, Ryan Collinson, Neil Eglon. Front row left to right Rich Deadman, Bernard Vasey, Peter Horbury, Lewis Plews, Paul Short

Dave Hambley started his Whitby Sea Anglers Association League title defence with man of the match honours in the first two matches of the new season.

Wednesday September 28, the first match of the 2022-23 season, saw the members meet at Whitby Bandstand for registration, and a group photograph before departing for their chosen marks at 6.45pm, writes Peter Horbury.

Sixteen seniors and one junior fished an all ebb match in, at times, very inclement weather conditions.

Damp 20-30mph NW winds, 2 metre NWesterly swell with colour.

Conditions looked ideal for a fish or two but for some the fish just were not there, literally no bites!

The wind did not let up during the three-hour match, at 8.30pm a squall blew in off the sea, for 20 minutes there was torrential rain. Some members reported lots of weed in the surf at the start of the match.

The weigh-in was delayed as the scales were moved and set up in the Fleece yard due to heavy rainfall.

Once set up Peter Horbury oversaw the weigh-in of 29 assorted fish - 25 codlings, three rocklings, and one flounder.

Last year’s champion Hambley, Staithes, won both man of the match and heaviest fish - 3 lb 8½oz.

He weighed-in six codlings for the only ‘double figure bag’ of the night 10lb 5oz.

WSAA welcomes three new members, Ryan Collinson, RHB, Lewis Plews (Jnr), RHB and Lewis Wright, Whitby, all three got themselves off to a good start with a weigh-in. From his bag of four fish Collinson weighed-in a codling of 3lb 5oz, and was third overall - 6lb 9oz.

On Sunday, conditions were far from ideal, near flat sea state, little to no colour, and a strong Westerly, gusting, 20mph.

Commitment to fish was down with just 14 members fishing the four-hour match. Fishing an all flood tide to HWater 9.17pm. Piers were very popular, fish bites for many were non-existent, baits were coming back intact, not even any crab life to pick off baits. With crystal clear skies, a small crescent moon, there was plenty of time for star gazing.

Man of the Match was Hambley, again, with Heaviest Fish 5lb 4oz, and Heaviest Bag of Fish 9lb 7½oz (4).

Collinson had the second best fish 3lb 1oz, and stands second on the leaderboard.

Sunday’s results: 32 lb 05 oz (Av 1lb 6oz) 24 codlings, 6 rocklings, 3 billets and an eel.

1st - Dave Hambley - 3 codlings, 1 r’ling 9lb 8oz

2nd - Brian Harland - 6 codlings, 1 r’ling 9 lb 3oz

3rd - Ryan Collinson - 1 codling, 1 billet, 1 r’ling 4lb 6oz

4th - Dave Ward - 2 codlings 2lb 5oz

5th - Colin Stainthorpe - 1 codling, 1 billet, 1 r’ling 2lb 3oz

6th - Lewis Plews (Jnr) - 1 eel, 1 r’ling 1lb 12oz

7th - Denis Thompson - 1 codling 1lb 6oz

8th - Jonny Watson - 1 billet 1lb 5oz

9th - Paul Short - 1 r’ling 5oz