RICHARD SMITH hit top form when he scooped the first two places in the Friars Goose Boat Club Cedric Bilverstone Open boat competition last Sunday. This was a heaviest single fish match and Richard Smith’s ling of 13lb 12oz won him the top prize. Ricard, fishing aboard the Dee/Marie, also took second place with a cod of 11lb 4oz. In third place was William Usher with a ling of 10lb 12oz, fishing from Reaper, while from the same boat, Robert Mulligan took the specimen award for a catfish of 4lb. Elsewhere in the North East boat fishing has been patchy, but there has been the odd cod to 12lb from the Amble boats. Meanwhile, boats out of Newbiggin fishing close inshore report cod to 8lb, and there are still good amount of mackerel around plus some decent pouting and, from the hard ground, ballan wrasse. A variety of baits have been successful including mackerel strip, daylights, hokis and shads. Last week I mentioned a new charter boat running out of Sunderland – The Boy Daniel – however, the price quoted should have been £25 per person for an eight-and-a-half hour trip. The Boy Daniel is a 60ft ex-Fishery protection vessel and skipper Paul fishes wrecks and reefs. Longer trips are available on request. There are also rods and reels for hire. Contact Paul on (0191) 564 1141 or 07950 245 731. Meanwhile, there are still a few cod around from rock-edge marks with crab baits more or less essential. Fish are averaging 1½lb with odd better fish to 2-3lb. Fish have been taken mainly from north of Newbiggin where there have also been some decent wrass around. Amble Pier has produced coalfish and flounders with odd mackerel. The Beacons at Newbiggin, Lyneburn and Blyth Pier have had small quantities of mackerel. The River Tyne has had mainly undersized codling on crab, while South Shields Pier has been good for mackerel and coalfish. Roker Pier is giving best sport for mackerel and coalfish. From the River Wear, flounders and eels have been caught near the Sunderland Glass Centre to the Business Park, with crab and mackerel strip top baits. | 
