Empson hosts second Big Fish match

Chris Empson (pictured) hosts the second East Coast Big Fish match on Wednesday, December 22, and the meeting place is the ASDA car park at Dunbar. Registration is from 6pm to 6.30pm with fishing from 7pm to 10pm and the weigh-in closes at 10.30pm.

Entry is free and anglers can fish where they like. There is a trophy for the winner and medal for the second and anglers can only fish one rod with a three-hook maximum.

Empson said: “All are welcome and we hope for favourable weather and a good turn-out. The aim is to encourage more people to come out sea fishing and to boost the sport.”

Meanwhile, Robert Whyte from Edinburgh was tenth in the popular St Serfs Xmas Open, but it was a man from Scarborough who beat the field of over 120 to take the top prize.

Chris France landed a 7lb 12oz fish in his bag of two fish for 9lb 15oz to take the £1,000 top prize and he was second in the heaviest bag taking home £100.

Rab Gallacher from Glenrothes took home £200 for the heaviest bag with five fish for 10lb 13oz and he was second in the heaviest cod section with 6lb 11oz.

Chris Horn from Kirkcaldy was third in the heaviest cod section with 5lb 8oz and another Kirkcaldy angler, Colin Hay was fourth with 4lb 2oz. The boundaries were Elie to St Andrews.

RESULTS: Heaviest bag: 1, Rab Gallacher (Glenrothes) 10lb 13oz; 2, Chris France (Scarborough) 9lb 15oz; 3, Wayne Smailes (Newbiggin) 7lb 13oz; 4, Chris Horn (Kirkcaldy) 7lb 3oz; 5, Ian Knox (Clackmannan) 6lb 8oz; 6, Colin Hay, (Kirkcaldy) 6lb 7oz; 7, Kevin Lewis (Dundee) 6lb 3oz; 8, Nuno Santos (Glasgow) 3lb 14oz; 9, Simon Pattison (Dunfermline) 3lb 10oz; 10, Robert White (Edinburgh) 3lb 9oz.

Heaviest cod: Chris France 7lb 12oz; 2 Rab Gallacher 6lb 11oz; 3, Chris Horn 5lb 8oz; 4, Colin Hay 4lb 2oz.

Elsewhere, Barry McEwan from Port Seton won Round 8 of the Bass Rock Shore Angling Club’s winter league and with it the Christmas Hamper beating a field of ten anglers who fished the event in flat calm seas with fish hard to tempt.

Undersized coley fish made up most of the catch with no cod landed and only one sizeable fish was weighed-in, a rockling.

A £6,000 prize fund has been confirmed for the Amble Open in Northumberland on Sunday, January 23. Fishing is from 10am to 2pm and entry is £12 for all classes.

The Lothians are normally represented in this popular event. Indeed, David Cooper from Edinburgh was a major prize winner in recent years.

A total of 478 anglers fished last January with 177 weighing-in with 131 cod, 526 flatties and 12 coalfish.

The winner was Neil Cuttler from Gateshead with 15lb 7oz and this year’s event is the 44th running. The headquarters and registration is at the Radcliffe Club, Amble NE65 0RA from 8am on the day.