Angling By Chris Bowman

Last updated 21:42, Thursday, 20 March 2008

SILLOTH has landed the Penn Sea Angling League final – with £10,000 up for grabs.

Credit for the scoop on goes to Mark Armstrong of Grahams Guns and Tackle in Workington.

Mark is secretary of the North West Sea Angling League and has been linking closely with Alan Yates of Sea Angler in an effort to bring the prestigious final to Cumbria on May 10.

Tarnside Sea Anglers Club was forced to change the venue of their latest match to Whitehaven piers because of to rough seas and high tides at Braystones Beach.

Unfortunately the fishing was poor but father and son team Aka and Liam Wilkinson sweept the board.

Aka won the senior competition with a 1lb flounder and Liam took the junior competition with a plaice of the same weight.

Steven Lancaster was second in the senior event with a 6oz rockling.

The Tarnside Easter Open match takes place at Braystones Beach on Easter Monday.

Fishing will take place from Nethertown Concrete to Sellafield Pipe, between 11am and 3pm.

Entry is £10 all in for adults and £5 for juniors with a 100 per cent payout. The biggest round fish caught on the day will win first prize and the heaviest bag will take second, there are also special prizes for the heaviest bass and the heaviest flat fish. Contact Heather for details on 07517045013.

The club will also be running a raffle on the day; the proceeds of which will be going to the Anderson Suite at the West Cumberland Hospital, Whitehaven.

When conditions are right with westerly winds anglers are picking up codling, bass and the occasional dogfish from the Braystones area along with the first few plaice although these early plaice are still a bit on the thin side.

The trout season opened last Saturday and although the river Eden is in excellent condition the cold and windy weather seems to be having an effect upon the fishing, and so far only a few small brown trout have been reported to me from the Lower Eden.

The Carlisle and District Coarse Angling Club will be staging a knock up match at Crofton Lake on Easter Monday; the draw will take place at 9am with fishing from 10am to 3pm.

Anglers need to remember that rod licences expire at the end of the month.

Rod licences will still be available from every Post Office in England and Wales, following the Environment Agency's decision to renew the existing contract with Post Office Ltd until 2014.

Anglers can also buy them online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk And a new 12-month adult non migratory trout and coarse fish rod licence will cost £25; a 50 pence increase upon last year where as an adult salmon licence will cost £68; £1.50 up on last year.