'My fishing trip to Yorkshire coast proved there is such a thing as a free meal'

“There was on old person from York,

Who tried to teach a fish to walk,

When they tumbled down dead

He grew weary and said,

I had better go home to York.” Apologies to Mr Lear for changing Dundalk to York.

The more sensical saying is “Give a person a fish and they’ll eat for a day. Teach a person to fish and they’ll eat for a lifetime.”

Fishing is a great outdoor sport and serves many purposes. Pitting one’s wits against the overwhelming odds against catching something, fresh air, exercise, competition fishing in matches, and an inexpensive hobby as hobbies go.

Most of the tackle can be obtained from car boot sales, the internet sites dealing in pre-owned items and from local fishing tackle shops.

One or two 12 to 15 feet beach casting rods, married up with large drum fixed spool reels are the essential bit of kit. A tripod rod rest for two rods, a fishing box to hold the kit and sit on, bait elastic, end rigs of the pennal hook type for far out fishing and the three hook flapper type for close in bass and flatties.

The reel breakage strain nylon or braid can be 30 lbs while the lead needs to be 60 lbs to take the enormous strain when casting out the average 3 oz lead weight.

Weights have become detached, especially with the pendulum cast, and caused serious injury.

Said to be travelling in the region of 170mph it is easy to understand why. I recommend taking lighter and heavier leads to carter for sea conditions on the day. It is important that the lead keeps the bait in one spot on the sea bed.

We are blessed to have more than 90 miles of beach in Yorkshire stretching from Spurn Point in the south to Staithes in the north. We are spoilt for choice.

So, for the New Year go yourself or take and teach your children, grandchildren or anyone who shows an interest.

Fifty pounds should see you with the basics and the actual beach fishing is free.

People say there isn’t such a thing as a ‘free meal’ but in the case of sea fishing it is literally, a free meal, especially when you catch one big enough to cook.

A memorable day at Withernsea, the week after Christmas led to one such free meal.

Working off all the Christmas excess I was in a brisk south westerly with a broken sky above and the horizon ablaze with burning orange clouds.

A brisk walk with gulls swirling and screeching overhead of at least 200 yards (honestly) I pitched camp, quite out of breath.

A few hardy dog walkers were out, a lone jogger and what looked like a couple in wet suits in the distance, taking a dip, prompting a dog walker to say, “Rather them than me,” while her dog cocked its leg against my fishing box.

Setting up a couple of rods I had one far out and one close in. The far out cast had squid and frozen lugg thereon and the near one had squid and mussel wound on with bait elastic.

Almost immediately I had a bite far out. A bit of a jerk, jerk and a slack line.

Possibly a whiting snatching at the squid but it came to nothing, only matted weed around the weight which wastes precious fishing time, having to remove it. An hour or so past with no bites.

I moved and set up about half a mile further along as I’m told 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. True or not I was rewarded with a good rattling bite on the close rod baited with squid and mussel.

It felt like a big fish but then the dreaded weed was present and a clump of silky weed around the weight and hooks can make a fish feel heavier than it is. The “softly, softly, catchee monkey” technique resulted in my first ever beach caught haddock.

A fine specimen about 14 inches long (permitted taking length 12 inches) was successfully beached. It had the easily identifiable shark like dorsal fin and the Devils Thumbprint black spot to the rear of the gill.

It was posing for a picture but with a wet screen my camera phone refused to work.

Fishing colleagues tell me that haddock were being regularly caught from the beach after many years of absence.

Convinced that the mussel did the trick, I’m pleased that I saved some from the delicious moules mariniere I cooked the day before.

A healthy and happy New Year and “Tight Lines” to all anglers.