The sun shone on the eight Braintree Sea Angling club members who assembled late afternoon on the sea wall at Walton-on-the-Naze to fish the first of their Summer league matches.  The bright conditions did not inspire the fish to feed although there was a variety of species caught including a small turbot which is a very unusual fish to find inshore on the Essex coast.  The turbot along with a small bass gave Brian Grundy 31 fish points to take third place.  In second place with a bass, a dab and a sole for 37 fish points was Chris Leonard.  Barrie Senior took the top spot with an eel and 3 bass including the largest on the day a fish of 43cm.

Aldeburgh was the venue for Braintree Sea Angling Club’s latest match.  An offshore wind and flat sea made the fishing fairly easy.  Throughout the day a steady stream of small whiting were landed with a few dabs and  an occasional little codling plus a couple of flounders also being caught.  Barrie Senior took top spot with his catch of 18 whiting, 2 codling, 7 dabs and 2 flounders for 275 fish points.  18 whiting, 1 codling and 2 dabs for 189 points gave Paul Drake second place.  Third place went to Robin Joy with 10 whiting and 5 dabs for 162 points.

Our latest match coincided with a change in the weather.  Constant rain was the order of the day over on Orford island as the anglers laboured against the elements in their battle to find some cod.  However, the fish seemed also to be put of by the weather as only a few pin whiting, dabs and three very small codling were caught.  The bedraggled anglers checked results back on the quay and it was Paul Drake’s bag of 5 dabs, 3 whiting and a codling that won the day with 112 points.  Barrie Senior took second spot with 9 whiting and a codling for 107 points.   Third place went to Robin Joy with 5 whiting and a codling for 86 points.

Fished the sluice at Aldebugh.  Cold start but a nice sunny day, fished from top of tide down, sea calm with a little breeze:

• 1st Chris Leonard 202 points  Cod Whiting and Dab
• 2nd Paul Drake 122 points               “
• 3rd Robin Joy 90 points                      “

Specimen fish so far:

• Codling – 49 cm - Chris
• Whiting - 34 cm – Alan Porter
• Dab – 25cm – Paul Drake