memories of the wear

[scaley]

In the late seventies early eighties me and my brother were often fishing in the river wear,the order of the day was to start off at low water digging a bucket full of harbour rag at the timber beach then off to Southwick prom to fish the flood,the fishing then was a lot better using some strange tackle combinations.This time must of beeen round about the start of the flounder revoloution,we used to get flatties every cast some times double shots with a lot of fish over 2lb but i cannot remember seeing many other people fishing there so this is possibly before the word got out about the fantastic flounder fishing in the wear.On the bigger tides shoals of whiting would push right up the wear and even some decent Codling would push right up the river as far as southwick.My Grandad who sadly has passed away now had a pigeon loft at southwick and would often pop down to see us and tell us the stories of the fish he caught using a handline and bell which is how they used to fish,one story that sticks in my mind was a fish he caught from under wearmouth bridge apparently the fish was as long as his leg and this was not an uncommon sight in his time with very big coalfish and codling feeding in the river.
We also used to have some good sessions behind the back of the pit where the wear hoppers used to be moored sometimes the captain of the boat used invite us on for a cup of soup on a cold winters day,i remember seeing the locals coming down on there bikes filling sacks full of coal for the coal fires.

On occasions we used to go down to the pilot house (rat house) which was completely different to what it is now,there was no yacht club or walkway,on the far corner there were steps going down to a lower level,which when i think about it was quite dangerous if there was a bit sea on,but the fishing was always good codling,whiting,coalies,flatties,we always used worm or mussel for bait i cannot remember using crab,we never really spent any money on bait always dug it locally or odd occasions bought live mussel from the fish shop just off roker avenue.
As we got older we ventured onto roker pier which used to be alive with coalfish,we often fished the neckend using a plain lead and 2 hook mussel baits,cast it out let it drift around in the tide and by the time the lead had settled you normally had 2 decent size coalies.I also have a memory of the pier being shut for a long period of time but cannot remember why,perhaps some one can fill this blank in for me.

Sadly those days are gone when you could catch good quantities of fish on the most basic of tackle,the shoals of fish are no more,the lack of dredging in the river,the competitions before catch and release which had a huge impact on the flounder population.
I take my son fishing quite often now,fortunately he has the same enthusiasm i had when i was his age and we travel a lot more now looking for that fish of a lifetime

[willywetegg]

Cracking post Scaley, those story's cunjure up some great pictures mate. I first started fishing Roker pier about 81 and there were loads of Coley's then. I remember one day everyone was catching a few but one young lass caught more than anyone else did, she seemed to be pulling them in every cast compared to our every few casts. The majority of them were well over "size" too, I don't know how many we put back that day after we had our few for the pot.

That was where I first found out the value of Mussel as a bait, as you say it really did the business. I almost always take some with me now whenever I can get out.

Jim.

[BrianJ]

I used to fish at the rat house corner from when I was 10 (1966) & remember climbing down to a bit of a platform right on the rat house corner & fished with a basic hand line either using ragworm (dug from sand point), lugworm ( dug from bartroms bay) or mussel (from up the wear). The most common fish we ever caught was Haddock. These where kept alive in a rock pool on rat house corner. We also fished from the wooden jetty next to the rat house & would catch loads of flatties & coalies. A few years later & I joined Coles Cranes angling club which would then have the hole of roker pier to its self. It was also about that time I had a pass for the south pier. The third arch on the south pier & the High Drum used to be the hot spots then.
Pitty we could not have some of it back.

[scaley]

Cracking post Scaley, those story's cunjure up some great pictures mate. I first started fishing Roker pier about 81 and there were loads of Coley's then. I remember one day everyone was catching a few but one young lass caught more than anyone else did, she seemed to be pulling them in every cast compared to our every few casts. The majority of them were well over "size" too, I don't know how many we put back that day after we had our few for the pot.

That was where I first found out the value of Mussel as a bait, as you say it really did the business. I almost always take some with me now whenever I can get out.

Jim.

Ithink mussel is still under estimated as a bait,my brother and another infamous north east angler dominated the fishing around hendon with nothing but mussel soaked live in the juices of runnydown,50lb plus of cod in 1 session and that is within the last 6 years,unfortunately i dont have the time or the balls to fish some of the marks they fished.One day maybe

[scaley]

I used to fish at the rat house corner from when I was 10 (1966) & remember climbing down to a bit of a platform right on the rat house corner & fished with a basic hand line either using ragworm (dug from sand point), lugworm ( dug from bartroms bay) or mussel (from up the wear). The most common fish we ever caught was Haddock. These where kept alive in a rock pool on rat house corner. We also fished from the wooden jetty next to the rat house & would catch loads of flatties & coalies. A few years later & I joined Coles Cranes angling club which would then have the hole of roker pier to its self. It was also about that time I had a pass for the south pier. The third arch on the south pier & the High Drum used to be the hot spots then.
Pitty would could not have some of it back.

I remember catching the odd haddock and also a gurnard off the rathouse,i also remember a very large flounder which we caught towards the end down below after buying 2 packs of ragworm from a very young mr Rutherford who had hair,and rather embarassed to admit i can still here the rod bell ringing,on the odd occasion i have to much to drink i will sometimes phone the old man (nearly 70) and say can you remember that flatty we caught...........

[Davyred]

Fantastic post Scaley.

I started fishing in the early 80's, so know the exact place you mean on the rat house.

I used to attend Jack Melton's angling club on a Saturday morning in Sunderland SAA's club hut opposite the toilets next to the harbour view cafe. We'd either sit in their learning knots etc, or have the whole of Roker pier to ourselves, as it was closed to the general public.

As Jim and yourself has already said, the place used to be lifting with decent coalies from the end of July until winter well and truly set in. Jack showed us how to shell mussel, and the best place to fish (his favourite spot was the concrete posts).

The Wear was decimated after the flounder revolution. Myself and Mick65 asked our club at the time (sunderland SAA) to up the size limit to 12" from 10" but got shot down in flames. I remember we had a xmas match one year and there was a lovely sea on and a fair few nice codling caught, including a few bags into double figures. These were beaten by double figure bags of flounders (one of which was weighed in by a member on here but I'l not name names). From that moment on, I knew the Wear never stood a chance.

[codseeker]

i remember the days well good memories too roker pier now takes me 45 mins to walk on now with me zimmer frame a remember them concrete posts was they the ones before or near the last steps seaside of the pier

[willywetegg]

I used to like fishing at the cocrete blocks too, for some reason I can't remember, when they were removed I started fishing a few yards further up towards the bunker. I almost always had good results from around there and rarely fished the roundhead at the time.

Aye Coddy you have the right spot mate, god knows how long it would take me to get along there now lol.

Jim.

[mick dunn]

Some good stories there lads-never fished anywhere when i was a kid except Hartlepool and one compo at Gourock.
I remember Jim Dobie fished the compo and he won something. That was over 30 years ago.

[George]

I used to fish the ratty loads as a kid in the mid 80's dug some bait at sandy point I think they used to call it, just up river from the ratty. Used to be hard work I remember as it was mostly lose stone but had some cracking rag. We also got our mussel from the fishmonger opposite the crowtree think it used to be about 12p a stone or summit.

If it was daytime got a pie and mars bar from the cafe at the top of the hill, sure the shop next door used to sell bits and bobs of tackle. Used to make our way down, if the tide was in tried "flatty wall" then onto the old pier. had to climb down into the drop to the end and had some decent fish from what I can remember. And the odd dead sheep and dog used to float by as the sewage used to come down.
Used to fish there all night as well got the last bus there and the first bus home in the morn. remember fishing one night outside the pilot house bleaching down with snow and there big light came on and was amazed the snow coming down. Simple things eh....
Also used to run along the bottom dodging the waves tut tut

Later on fished the pier at the barrier and the posts, never fish the roundhead used to be to many "experts" up there. Mussel was the bait them loads of coalies 3 hook rig cast out about 40yds could'nt fail at times. You could here roker park as well on a saturday.
I remember the bell on rutherfords door now when I read it, and tenniks. Rag was 70p and lug more pricey at 90p and a bag of peeler legs

Happy days there was no bother......



Never fish there since I live further north now.

George

[roybert]

Some good memories there lads. thanks for sharing them, made me feel all warm n happy :}

[john/r]

my very first sea fishing venture roker pier guess in the 70s.

can anyone remember this bloke he used to use about 6 hooks baited up with anything he could get i think but usualy mackeral.

he was big buildt reason i ask he made this bite indictor it was a tube attached to end of rod batteries inside and a small bulb on one end.

when rod tip shook the light came on i think you called him les.

i can remember one good friday a plaice been caught about 3lb it was like a dustin lid also on the monday another one came in.

got stuck on end one day foggy as hell went down with some of my dads friends well as the tide came up the water was washing over about 4ft deep on lower level i was terrified waited till low water or thereabouts to get off.

that day there were loads of haddocks caught along with cod.

a few years later i started to fish seaham catch rate improved straight away saying that roker is still a good venue.

[danny boy]

Fantastic post Scaley.

I started fishing in the early 80's, so know the exact place you mean on the rat house.

I used to attend Jack Melton's angling club on a Saturday morning in Sunderland SAA's club hut opposite the toilets next to the harbour view cafe. We'd either sit in their learning knots etc, or have the whole of Roker pier to ourselves, as it was closed to the general public.

As Jim and yourself has already said, the place used to be lifting with decent coalies from the end of July until winter well and truly set in. Jack showed us how to shell mussel, and the best place to fish (his favourite spot was the concrete posts).

The Wear was decimated after the flounder revolution. Myself and Mick65 asked our club at the time (sunderland SAA) to up the size limit to 12" from 10" but got shot down in flames. I remember we had a xmas match one year and there was a lovely sea on and a fair few nice codling caught, including a few bags into double figures. These were beaten by double figure bags of flounders (one of which was weighed in by a member on here but I'l not name names). From that moment on, I knew the Wear never stood a chance.

hi davy

is this davy redford
reading your story brings back so many memories


danny

[pondlife]

post

does anyone remember tennicks in dundas street and coast and country over the town

[willywetegg]

I used Tennicks a lot but I think I only used the other one once as I used to fish further south a lot back then. Not 100% sure it was Coast and Country but it seems to ring a bell with the old memory lol.

Jim.