Blyth Pier 22/06/09

[coleg]

Fished two hours before high water and one hour after, spinning for mackerel just before the bend, nothing caught. Must have been at least twenty people with the same idea, did not see anything caught.
Just before high water the end of the pier thinned out so moved there for the last hour, changed to daylights which had proved to be successful on my last session on the end and after a little while caught a canny mackerel, only other things caught whilst I was fishing the end were sand eels, by this time there was only a handful of people left on the pier, but on my walk back quite a few kids were making there way to the pier.
For the first couple of hours the guy with the salmon nets was fishing between the salmon nets and the pier with drift nets very close to the pier on the bend ,close enough to talk to the fisherman in his boat without shouting, never seen him so close to the pier.

[el_sid]

was down this mornin, caught 1 mackerel an seen 1 caught that was the only mackerel a seen, seen coalies and a caught a flatty too.

[g-force]

I'm half-tempted to have a look down there tomorrow; got a bit of bait leftover from Sunday's match to use up, but don't like the sound of all that close-in netting if baitfishing, so I guess I'll dust off the spinning-rod as well & maybe try for my first mackerel of the year.

Gary

[el_sid]

aye nets this mornin were basicly ttight on to pier?? dont know if theres any regs about this

[g-force]

Sounds like I might have to take the old scarborough gear down with me.......................

Gary

[willywetegg]

I was always lead to believe that as long as the nets were not tied to the pier he can put them as close as he wants. If they are tied to the pier he is breaking the law and he knows he is, if it is the same bloke I had this conversation with him a few years ago and as soon as I mentioned it he walked away.

Not 100% sure on the laws but the people at Defra will know and it's worth a few bob for a call just in case. I will hopefully be there next week (if I can make it) and if he is fastened to the pier I will call them myself and find out. I am sure one of the lads that knows the laws will comment on this when they see it anyway.

There were some idiots on the pier the day before that were throwing lead weights at him and he was saying he would get the pier closed, that was when I said he should'nt have had his nets tied to the pier. The fact that they were throwing things at him was a seperate item and I wish he had reported them to the police at the time, that is just stupid and anyone doing that is not too bright at all and deserve all they get.

Yes it does mean that some places near the bend are impossible to fish but there are never that many people there anyway during the week so there is still plenty of room.

As has been said, this comes up every year and he has to pay a hell of a lot of money to fish there so a few days hardship won't kill anyone, unlike a lead weight thrown from the pier by an idiot. If he is acting illegally though he should be stopped.

If he has his nets tied to the pier then ring Defra north and inform them, don't waste their time though by pretending they are tied to the pier as they will ask everyone there and if some say no then they will not come back if he does. The number is 01670 731399. I think I was told on here that it is just for working hours but it's better than nothing.

Jim.

[5150]

Was on for a bit last night, nets are close but didn't appear to be tied to the pier, they're running pretty much parallel to it for the first couple of bouys and then it turns towards Sluice a bit.

Saw just one Mackeral caught on the end, taken on daylights, same guy had a few sandeels.