THIS year seems to be ending with typical winter conditions.

Cold northerly winds are blowing, bringing heavy swells and making it difficult for boats to launch.

However, on the odd calm day the fishing has been good.

There are still lots of sprats and herrings shoaling in the estuary, but it hasn’t made any difference to the cod fishing. They are still taking anglers’ baits!

There isn’t any difference in the size of those fish and most are in the 2lb to 4lb range, although the odd bigger cod has been turning up on the Suffolk coast.

The piers and beaches have seen a lot of anglers fishing because of the Christmas break. Reports are good from all areas.

Clacton Pier has seen codling in the 2lb range, with lots of whiting showing as well, and still even the odd thornback ray.

The Holland beaches are fishing well on the big tides, with codling and whiting and some very large pouting now showing from this area.

The best bait seems to be lugworm, squid and mackerel strips.

Walton Sea Angling Club held their annual Boxing Day match on the pier and this is always a great event, fished every Christmas for the last 60 years.

Anglers turn up from all over the East coast, as well as lots of local people coming down just for the raffle and a walk up the pier, to take in the sea air and work off their Christmas dinners.

Fifty-four anglers fished in calm but cold conditions and, from the off, the fish were feeding, with a steady stream of whiting and dabs being caught. Most of the whiting were undersize, but a few did make the legal size limit.

At the weigh-in, most anglers had caught fish.

Result: 1 Robert Tuck 3lb 9oz, 2 Richard Burt 2lb 3oz, 3 Phil Buy 2lb 5oz, 4 James Everett 1lb 3.5oz. Ladies’ prize: Hannah Westow. Junior prizes: Kyle Welsh and Grace Westow.

Both the Clacton and Walton clubs have now arranged their matches for the oncoming season and it works out that between them there will be one every week.

In general, Walton Pier has fished very well over the holiday period, with lots of anglers fishing.

The ebb tides are once again fishing well and most tides are seeing codling and whiting being caught.

If you have any fishing reports you can contact me at popplewell1@btinternet.com The tides for the weekend are 11.02am on Saturday and 11.44am on Sunday.