LAST week I talked about a lack of anglers and also a lack of fish.

Well how, in just a few days, things have changed.

Those hard-fighting smoothhounds have now moved towards the Gunfleet sands and the inshore boat and pier anglers are seeing some good catches.

The boats have had a great week, with only slight breezes, which has aided the fishing.

Smoothhounds are now being caught from most marks, with some good double-figure fish making up most bags.

Anglers are now realising the importance of returning these fish as most are breeding females.

I’ve also had reports of some very big stingrays caught in commercial nets.

Thankfully, these fish are always returned, but, as yet, not too many have been caught by the rod and line angler.

The thornback rays have returned again and, as those ebb tides ease, the rays have been feeding very well.

There are also some bigger bass and codling still to be caught.

The codling look like they will be staying until the autumn season starts.

Tope will now be starting to show on the further out marks and a 60lb fish could be on the cards.

The kayak boys were out at the weekend and Alan Tipple reported some reasonable catches of school bass, very close to the shore line.

The piers and beaches have had a bumper week, with bass, soles and smoothhounds.

Colchester angler Derek Cranfield fished the head of Walton Pier on a day-time tide and reported lots of dogfish, plus a few soles.

He also managed to catch a 6lb smoothhound on squid bait.

The pier saw 13 rays caught between just a few anglers on one tide.

They don’t seem to be feeding on all tides but, if conditions are right, those thornbacks are feeding.

The Walton beaches have had a much better week, with Doug Sadler fishing the Hipkins beaches at the Naze and catching three bass – the biggest weighing in at over 6lbs.

All the fish were caught on the ebb tide on ragworm baits.

Walton Sea Angling Club headed for the Frinton beaches to fish the flood tide.

Conditions were good, with just a slight onshore breeze, and eels, whiting, bass and dogfish were caught.

Result: 1 place Rob Tuck 10lb 12oz, 2 Richard Burt 5lb, 3 Craig Buy 3rd 3lb 6oz. Heaviest fish: Rob Tuck (a 2lb 3oz bass).

Clacton Pier has also had a very good week.

Peter Rose, from St Osyth, fished the pier at the end of the week.

Peter reported back that the thornbacks had returned and some good-sized rays had been caught, plus bass and a few soles.

He also managed to catch one of those smoothhounds, weighing in at 6lbs on a ragworm bait.

The St Osyth beaches have also started to fish again, with rays and bass being caught from in between the rocky outcrops and also towards the nature reserve.

The tides for the weekend are 8.29am on Saturday and 9.30am on Sunday.