cliff tops

[Davey.B]

After recent events,makes you think,i used to fish sandy bay cliffs as a lad in my early teens,have a lad in his teens now,no way would i let him go it alone like i did,was there one night when a young lad fell off he was ok thank god.and i remember fishing the "shelf" at shields many moons ago,next to frenchies,and anglers would say then it guna go,take care when fishing these marks,think it been brought home off late.

[seabeast]

angler died on newbiggin cliffs in the sixties same thing ground collapsed lethal place.

[T.C.]

OK - Not very often I get on here now, but after recent events thought I'd put my 2 pennarth in................for the past 4/5 years I've been involved with the "South Tyneside Coastal Survey"....that's nothing to do with fishing - but it IS to do with severe, increased coastal erosion within the South Tyneside area. To cut a long geographical / topographical story short - the whole length of the cliff formations from Trow Rocks to Whitburn are in "severe risk of collapse - it's been going on for years, but the likelihood is that it is an "increasing risk" which could happen anywhere along the specified length of coastline. I realise that there's a certain "cudos" about fishing dangerous cliff top marks - even when they're closed for safety reasons. Nobody is invinsible! I remember a few years ago, when fishing on So Shields pier, an almighty commotion going on down by the SS Brigade Hut - turned out that a section of cliff at Trow had given way with an angler going down with 1000's of tons of rock and mud (sound familiar?).....he also was killed. The danger is exaccerbated at this time of year with freezing water, snow, ice expanding the fissures in the already friable and porous rock - cracks expand - rock gives way.....and if you're on top of it, there's nothing you can do but go down with it. In the words of that irritaing meerkat..."simples" - don't go on the cliff edges.........honest - they're gonna go !!

[Topfly]

Good to see you back on TC. You are right about the state of the coastline, every winter during big easterlies, and freezing conditions there are big lumps of rock that come away. I have stopped fishing the shelf, the last time i fished it with a bit sea on it was lifting ( scary ). If you walk through to the third bay and look at north row ends you can see that it is in a bad way and also a fissure running up vertically which will come away at some stage. like you say Tony, lads will always have a chuck off the tops, but please do your homework first. stay safe, and fish at water level and closer to your quarry.

[Davey.B]

!!!

Good to see you back on TC. You are right about the state of the coastline, every winter during big easterlies, and freezing conditions there are big lumps of rock that come away. I have stopped fishing the shelf, the last time i fished it with a bit sea on it was lifting ( scary ). If you walk through to the third bay and look at north row ends you can see that it is in a bad way and also a fissure running up vertically which will come away at some stage. like you say Tony, lads will always have a chuck off the tops, but please do your homework first. stay safe, and fish at water level and closer to your quarry.

Here,here thats what i say!!!

[Blanketyblank]

I'm sure that alot of the time anglers who fish the North East coast from rock edges, beaches, cliffs, piers etc. We have to take care and it does sometimes have a sense of danger. We have all been on rock edges when the sea becomes rough and swells start coming onto the mark. So in total respect of what has just happened up at Newbiggin. Do think !! and if you feel uncomfortable make the right decission and move to a safer place. I'm sure for everyone who has fished the cliffs at Newbiggin they know how bad they are and this was an accident waiting to happen. It's just such a shame that someone has died in tragic circumstances.. Be safe and lets be careful out there.

[Fishygone]

Anyone that reads the reports on here and other sites will know that i fish Newbiggin Cliffs regulary from Oct - Feb, and have done since i got back into Sea fishing about 14yrs ago, but i will never fish the mark again. I was heading for the Cliffs last Wednesday night for a sesh, my Wife rang me about 3-30pm and said the buses were going to stop running from Morpeth so would i pick her and her mate up about 7pm, so thats why i wasnt on the Cliffs fishing not saying i would have been on the the same point as the lad but it realy shook me up when i heard of the accident, i think people should be carefull fishing under the Cliffs aswell.

john.

[pottsy]

Anyone that reads the reports on here and other sites will know that i fish Newbiggin Cliffs regulary from Oct - Feb, and have done since i got back into Sea fishing about 14yrs ago, but i will never fish the mark again. I was heading for the Cliffs last Wednesday night for a sesh, my Wife rang me about 3-30pm and said the buses were going to stop running from Morpeth so would i pick her and her mate up about 7pm, so thats why i wasnt on the Cliffs fishing not saying i would have been on the the same point as the lad but it realy shook me up when i heard of the accident, i think people should be carefull fishing under the Cliffs aswell.

john.

Have to say I was pleased when you posted on the thread the other night as I know you regularly fish along there. I was watching out for anybody who posts catch reports from the marks along that stretch. Each post meant another person safe.

[Fishygone]

Thanks Pottys
the cliffs Was a favorite mark of mine but when something Tragic like this happens you think i fished that point last time or the time before, not worth it and nine times out of ten you loss a big fish on the pull up anyway so like i say my Cliff days are over.

john.

[Wayne Eastlake]

Well put everyone, I for one will never fish that mark again!, we have to think not only about ourselves but also more importantly about our family's, stay safe "ALL OF YOU GUY'S AND DOLL'S", please!!!!!!

[Gazz]

Fished cliffs once at the west coast & the Newbiggin tragedy has really put me off period. I would have probably tried sandy bay until now. I noticed when i was at king eddies last week, left side climbing down onto the rocks that the cliff there has been collapsing a little so that may well be on its way for a big crumble

[codseeker]

i think its the grassy cliffs thats the problem other marks solid rock skeers shudnt be a problem a lot of marks along ryhope area are giving away if ya take a walk down on low tide you will see the sludge etc what has fallen its like quicksand but other marks i have fished on etc at shields shelf ya can feel the rock or ledge shake i was wary first time but that can go any time like other marks along that way just take care where ever you go or dont risk it at all just for a fish

[hotdog]

The one place I feel uncomfortable fishing is the top of the wherry, whitburn, a cracking shot which produces loads of good fish. Its the huge cave underneath I aint too sure of, seems the lot will go sometime soon, this whole area seems prone to landslides/rockfalls.

[phil185]

i think its the grassy cliffs thats the problem other marks solid rock skeers shudnt be a problem a lot of marks along ryhope area are giving away if ya take a walk down on low tide you will see the sludge etc what has fallen its like quicksand but other marks i have fished on etc at shields shelf ya can feel the rock or ledge shake i was wary first time but that can go any time like other marks along that way just take care where ever you go or dont risk it at all just for a fish

Im glad someone has mentioned ryhope, theres been much talk of whitburn northwards but theres an awful lot of people fish the cliff tops around ryhope, ive been fishing the area at low tide alot recently and even with the sea crashing away in front of you, you can still hear big chunks of cliff falling behind. Its only a matter of time before it goes big style, i would probably say hill 60 will be the bit to go because there are ridges appearing in the grass at the top. To add to this the access to the bottom of the cliffs is now really difficult to if someone was to go over the rescue services would be hampered.


Take care out there.

[Stores]

Like all board members I am saddened by the loss of Jeff Nixons life and, like all responsible anglers, I applaude the highlighting of the problem of cliff collapse and the dangers of fishing such venues. With my teaching hat on, but without being an expert of our coastline from Spurn Head to Eyemouth, the main worry we face is not the collapse of some vertical hard rock cliff (like Eyemouth or Bempton) more the cliffs that not only have a hard base level but have on top the deposits of the last ice age, namely boulder clay.



Look at the headlands of Cullercoats or Beadnall and you will see sandstone topped with unstable clay, full of big rocks that we see around the high tide mark. Go to most of the Yorkshire coastline and sometimes the boulder clay is so thick there's nothing else above the tide line - this is Flamborough Head:



Further down the erosion is more severe:



Bottom line is that this type of cliff will erode more quickly than anywhere else. I feel somewhat honoured that I have lived through the formation of a new island (Surtsey, off Iceland) and witnessed the destruction of Marsden Rock. Both are relatively rare events in a lifetime. The continual erosion of clay based cliffs are not - just look at the erosion of the cliffs at Whitley Bay's pitch and putt, above the boat house.

Wet or cold weather merely increase the likelihood of an incident, so tragic in Jeff's case. Does this mean that no-one will fish these marks again? - memory is short, unfortunately, but accidents are, thankfully, infrequent. No-one will prevent anglers fishing these marks. Hopefully forewarned is forearmed.