STRANGER NEAR THE SHORE?
April 6th, 2008
FRIDAYS DAILY FESTIVAL WINNER Ian Cornwell from Stockton with this 5lb 8oz conger, fishing from the Sea urchin, Ian also won third prize with a cod of 5lb
Now the Cornwell family are regular anglers with the Whitby charter skippers, and Bob along with his son Ian and grandson Harry, had decided to charter the sea urchin for there spring festival outing, with the weather we have had and the days forecast I decided to use the tide and concentrate on some ground with the anchor down north west of Whitby and with plenty of bait aboard we were on our way,
Harry (age around 12yrs) was eager to to put his name on the leader board after missing out to third place on the sea urchin in last years autumn festival by only ounces with a cod of around 5lbs on another cold windy day,
And after a promising start catching pouting on squid and mackerel things slowed down as expected, this was always going to be a hard day for catching anything let alone a winner still with a fish of only just over 7lb leading the festival and the weeks forecast everything was to play for,
until the flood started to come through we waited silent and without a single bite for what seemed an eternity,
at times like this its hard for any skipper trying to convince the anglers things will pick up soon and inwardly convincing yourself you have got the venue right,
I kept looking at the gps clock and reasuring Bob and the lads it wont be long now, there silence said it all they were loading the gun and I was undoing my boot laces in readiness,
then as if on cue I had a bite and another and as I turned round I could see Ian had a decent bend in his rod and in no time a cod of around the 5lb was on board, not too long later Ian had another on around 3lb things were picking up and my foot was safe for today at least, the conger came within the same hour I think and at first sight thought it was a ling to be totally honest I was not concentrating on the species as much as getting it safe in the net and what a fight for a small fish and what a mess it made of my new landing net, now after talking and listening on the radio to the other skippers of the w.c.s.a. it was clear that all the boats had struggled to find fish eager to feed that day and at a guess we were in with a chance, on the journey back to Whitby the conger had many attempts at escape and even at the weigh in was in no mood to play, now after talking to the other skippers it seems this conger is somewhat of a rarity to the w.c.s.a. festivals and only a few of the senior skippers can remember around three if any for years at the weigh in before, can anyone remember a conger been weighed in a festival within the last 10 or 20 years? please let me know via my web site I would love to hear from another angler or anyone who could enlighten me,
Anyway congratulations to Ian on his first and third placings bagging him £70 for his efforts
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