Big Whiting

[Davyred]

Taken from the Angling times December 1980

Arthur was an excellent well known angler in Sunderland.

[willywetegg]

I know we have mentioned this before Davy but Whiting over 2lb were not unusual at all around the hendon area years ago. Although I didn't weigh all of them I had quite a few around the 2 1/2 lb mark in the early eighties. A 2 lb Whiting now is a rare fish indeed. Same with Coalfish, I had some really decent ones from Hendon wall in the days it was legal to fish there, the same with Roker pier.

Jim.

[Davyred]

Yeah you're right Jim. The big coalies I've had from Hendon (up to 2-12-0) have all come when theres been a good sea on as well.

Long gone are the days of the big coalie bags as well, from the Washend on the South Pier and the concrete posts on Roker...it was practically guaranteed fishing from August to December, all you needed was mussel.

[Davyred]

I was fishing Hendon Prom once the day before a Ryhope SAC match to see what was about - Mr Bulmer drove up alongside and asked if I had owt....told him I had a couple of codling around 2lb and a dozen or so whiting - then what he said next stunned me....he'd been fishing in the target and had a codling around the 6lb mark, AND WOULD I LIKE TO BUY IT, AS IT MAY GET ME THE HEAVIEST FISH PRIZE IN THE NEXT DAY'S EVENT!!!!!!

Let's just say there are 3 f's in off.....absolutely stunned - and later very angry...

I told everyone I knew what had happened and nobody appeared shocked....!

Anyway, I won the match with a bag of whiting and a couple of dabs - heaviest fish was a codling of 4lb which came from the Hall beach (I think)

First time I've ever heard anything like that about him Paul.

[The Plum]

Taken from the Angling times December 1980

Arthur was an excellent well known angler in Sunderland.

hey he STILL IS a angler aint he,he hasnt died has he?i never heard nowt

[Davyred]

hey he STILL IS a angler aint he,he hasnt died has he?i never heard nowt

I didn't mean it to come across like that, it was said in the context of the article being 28 years old.

[The Plum]

I didn't mean it to come across like that, it was said in the context of the article being 28 years old.

pmsl mate lol ,heard a few stories about this guy,some good some bad

[Davyred]

pmsl mate lol ,heard a few stories about this guy,some good some bad

Aye, I've just heard a couple

[johnf]

Used to get some big coalies dropping down the side of North Shields fish Quay when I was a nipper with my Granda. Strips of herring on booms with 6" droppers. They've gone as well as the sprats.
Later on I used to fish Craster harbour in the summer, floatfishing mussel baits for big coalies. Don't know if they are still around up North

[Charlton]

Davy, what about Jack Meltons whitng 4lb 10oz, which should have been a British Record, believe that was well documented in the Angling Times etc.

[seanyrooroo]

I remember Paul Young on sky getting one of 9lb in Norway. He thought it was a haddock at first...one big fish!

A lot of people think the whities they are catching are over a pound. Weigh 1 and you'll be surprised, a 1lb whitie is a good size. I had one of 1lb 5oz this season and it was as long as a 3lb cod!

[phil185]

Biggest whitey ive had was around 2 and a half pound, got it off roker in 2007, it was huge and it gave a canny scrap aswell.
It seems like the biggest whiteys around now are caught down the pool.

As for competitions mentioned earlier ive only fished one and that was the NESA winter comp and i blanked, ive always wondered how 'secure' comps are as surely its quite easy for people to cheat, ive heard stories of people keeping fish from earlier sessions or stuffing fish with lead shot. This is all said with a great deal of inexperience so if im missing anything in terms of how competitions work please correct me.

[Davyred]

Davy, what about Jack Meltons whitng 4lb 10oz, which should have been a British Record, believe that was well documented in the Angling Times etc.

First time I've heard of it Alan.

I used to go to the Angling classes he used to run on a Saturday morning when I was 15/16 (he taught me a lot)....surprised he never mentioned it