Ryan Collinson and Brian Harland secure Whitby Sea Anglers Association League wins

Match 30's top catches came from Dan Middlemas, left, and Ryan Collinson. PHOTOS BY BRIAN MURFIELD

What a difference four days can make with the weather, Wednesday night it was minus 5°C, and Sunday night 10°C, a 15° swing for the respective WSAA League matches!

Two Yellow weather warnings, the first, Wednesday, snowfall and arctic sub-zero temperatures, the second on Sunday for 70mph winds, writes Peter Horbury.

Minus 2°C leaving the comfort of Sofa Hole for the three-hour evening match on Wednesday evening, 12 members were entered, fishing 90 minutes either side of HWater.

Sea state, still Northerly, which had slowly been easing over the previous days now 6ft+, thick with colour.

Ryan Collinson with Wednesday's Heaviest Bag of Fish of 15 lb 11 oz. PHOTO BY PETER HORBURY

Clear skies and a bright crescent moon to the south. Bitterly, bitterly cold NWesterly 17mph winds, with the clear skies temperatures would drop further.

The first problem, frozen bait, it would not thaw unless dropped in a container of sea water. Even the sand on the beach had a two-inch thick frozen crust. Wind chill on wet fingers was painful even before the match started!

Two baits prepped, keeping one eye on the surging swells running up the beach at all times.

Swells were not regular, with periods of black water before the sets bowled-in over the outer reefs, a tad heavy at times. While the mark looked good there were no fish, four rods and nothing came out in three hours.

Man of the Match was Ryan Collinson, Robin Hood’s Bay, with 15lb 11oz (5) including a Heaviest Fish of 6lb 10oz. Dan Middlemas, Whitby also recorded a good fish of 6lb ½oz

Storm Isha hit on Sunday, and just four members fished, enduring very strong SSWesterly winds and torrential rain.

Only Brian Harland (2) and Peter Horbury (1) managed to fish the whole match.

At the scales Brian had one whiting and a billet, and Peter with a rockling, recording Brian’s ninth Heaviest Bag of Fish win 1lb 8oz (2), and fifth Heaviest Fish win with an 11½oz whiting.

This was the second poorest weigh-in this season.

Top Ten Leaderboard

1st Brian Harland - 153 fish 226lb 7oz

2nd Dave Perrett - 110 fish 165lb 4oz

3rd Dave Hambley - 66 fish 123lb 1oz

4th Rob Taylor - 54 fish 115lb 3oz

5th Davey Turnbull - 36 fish 114lb 15oz

6th Col Stainthorpe - 80 fish 112lb 12oz

7th Ryan Collinson - 69 fish 111 lb 14oz

8th Dan Middlemas - 41 fish 79 lb 13oz

9th Peter Horbury - 47 fish 67lb 9oz

10th Jason Ebison - 41 fish 61lb 8oz