27th/28th October - Orfordness - Narrows - Mick Allen Shield 1st leg - Weight

Fishing the first leg of the Mick Allen Shield overnight at Orford, Braintree Sea Angling club members were faced with 20 mile an hour onshore winds. Fishing on the flood tide was slow with very few fish caught. The ebb tide saw the cod come on to feed for those anglers who could cast far enough against the wind. At the end of the night it was Peter Costin who won the first leg with a catch of 6 cod, 2 whiting a dogfish and 3 dabs for a total weight of 14lb 15.5oz. His largest cod weighed in at 5lb 7oz. Second place went to Barrie Senior with 5 cod, 2 whiting a pout and a dogfish for 10lb 13oz. third place with a dogfish was Chris Leonard.

14th October - Orfordness - Narrows - C&R

Braintree Sea Angling Club's latest match was fished at Orford fishing for the Bert Finch Cup. With bright sunshine, no wind and clear water, conditions were not good. However, all anglers found a least one sizeable fish. Chris Leonard took first place and the cup with a plump codling and a dab for 3 lb 12.5 oz. In second spot with a codling and four dabs for 3 lb was Barrie Senior. Third place went to Kevin Thorpe with a dab of 13 oz.

15th September - Orfordness - Narrows - C&R

Braintree Sea Angling Club members fished Orford Island at the Narrows on a bright and blustery day. With bites from the start all the members managed to score points in this catch and release match. Winner on the day was Peter Costin with 42 points his catch included sizeable pout and whiting plus undersize, starry smoothhound, codling, whiting, pout and bass. In 2nd place was Chris Leonard with 36 points who had a sizeable silver eel plus undersize whiting and pout. 3rd spot went to Alan Porter.

1st September - Beach Match - Walton - C&R

The Braintree Sea Angling Club catch & return match fished at Walton was disappointing.  Although conditions seemed good with a light breeze and a warm evening the fish weren't obliging, the anglers struggled and only a couple of sizeable sole were caught along with some undersize pouting, bass and codling. Having been in the lead all evening Peter Costin was pipped at the post when Barrie Senior caught a sole on his last cast which along with 3 pouting, 2 school bass and a small codling gave him 21 points. Peter had a sole a codling a school bass for 17 points and second spot. In third position with two school bass was junior Robert Maples.
 

25th August - Beach Match - Frinton - C&R

A change of venue to Frinton produced a variety of fish for Braintree Sea Angling Club members who fished the latest evening catch and return match. The anglers were surprised to see a number of the autumn and winter species of sizeable codling and whiting in with the usual summer species of school bass, eels and sole. Barrie Senior's mixed bag of bass, codling, whiting and eels gave him 42 points two win the match. In second spot was Chris Leonard who had a nice a codling and a sole as well as school bass for 35 points. Tim Maples with codling, eel and a pout had 27 points for 3rd place.

30th June - Beach Match - St Oysth (Hutleys Beach) - C&R

Braintree Sea Angling Clubs latest evening catch and return match was fished in blustery and showery conditions at Hutleys Beach, St Osyth. Junior member Robert Maples showed the adults the way to do it winning the match and the Alf Huit cup with 2 school bass and 3 eels for 19 points. In second place was Peter Costin with one eel, a small bass and a whiting for 17 points. Third place was shared by Andy Gaskin and Robert's father Tim Maples both with a sizeable eel. Halfway through the year and the beach match points table shows Barrie Senior leading with 58 points, Peter Costin is closing the gap only nine points behind with 49 points and hard on his heels is Tim Maples with 48 points.

16th June - Beach Match - Orfordness  - C&R

Braintree Sea Angling Club members fished their latest beach match at Orfordness.  Conditions were far from ideal the anglers had to contend with heavy downpours and large clumps of weed building up on their lines and dislodging weights.  The fishing was poor but all the anglers managed to catch a few fish in this catch and return match. At the end of the evening Alan Porter was the winner with 46 points his catch included three nice sole. In second place with 23 points was Chris Leonard whose mixed bag of school bass, dab and whiting and a rarely caught pipefish.  In third place was Tim Maples with 13 points.

3rd June - Boat Match - Brightlingsea  - C&R Largest Thornback

The Braintree anglers had been in action at Brightlingsea for a boat match fishing for the largest thornback ray.  Chris Leonard had the best, a ray of 10 lb 10 oz.  Simon King took second place with a fish of 8 lb 6 oz and third spot went to Peter Costin with a 7 lb 6 oz fish.

20th May - Beach Match at Orfordness- C&R

29th April - Beach Match at Orfordness (Switched to Dunwich)

15th April - Boat Match - Brightlingsea - Bolduc Cup

Braintree Sea Anglers launched their boats from Brightlingsea at the weekend to fish for the Bolduc Cup.  Only two fish per angler could be weighed in. Fishing in near perfect conditions the anglers found thornback rays, bass,
codling, pout and whiting.  At the weigh in Peter Costin had two thornbacks for a total of 16 lb 1 oz to take the cup.  In second place Chris Leonard who had fished with Peter had a thornback and a codling for 10 lb 10 oz.
Third place went to Alan Porter with a thornback of 4lb 13.5 oz.

4th March - Beach Match at Orfordness - Crouch

18th February - Interclub Boat match with Felixstowe SAC

3 boats from Braintree traveled to Felixstowe Ferry hoping that the weather forecast was correct for light winds and calm seas.  For a change the weather man got it right and the 3 boats from Braintree and the 4 boats from Felixstowe set out to find some fish.  With some of the boats going out approx 6 miles and others only 600 yards from the beach all the anglers were trying to find sizeable fish.  The match was fished in compliance with club’s conservation policy only the 2 biggest fish per boat could be weighed in.  At this time of the year with the winter species and summer species changing over hopes were pinned on Codling and Thornback Ray.  All the Braintree anglers weighed in their biggest 2 fish for a total weight of 14lb 14½, but with Felixstowe weighed in 37lb 5¾ lb there was only one winner, well done Felixstowe.  Felixstowe captain Robin Smith skippered the winning boat with a 10.8 lb Thornback and a 6lb codling.  All the Braintree anglers weighed in codling.

4th February - Beach Match at Dungeness - Kent

21st January - Beach Match at Shotley - Orwell Estuary

Eleven members of Braintree Sea Angling Club traveled to Shotley to fish their latest match for the Solly Brewer cup.  Fishing in sunny conditions at the start of the Orwell estuary there was some shelter from the strong westerly wind.  With a flooding tide the anglers caught a steady trickle of whiting throughout the match.  Being a catch and release points match all fish were returned.  Steve Easter took first place and the cup with a total of 30 points.  In second place with 19 points was Barrie Senior.  Third place going to Peter Costin with 13 points.

Sunday 7th January - Beach Match at Languard Point
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