Situated two miles inland from the North Sea, this popular match venue offers comfortable fi shing from what is basically a shingle and mud beach. The best times are usually from low water to high on a medium tide. Spring tides are best fi shed two hours either side of low water.

SPECIES

Anytime between May and September will produce good bags of flounders and eels, with July and August being the most productive. Winter is not so productive, but some good specimen flounders to 2lb are possible after their summer feed on peeler crabs.

BAIT AND TACKLE

Undoubtedly the prime bait is a peeler crab, usually tipped with a sliver of mackerel. Lugworms and ragworms, along with maddies, will prove successful as spring arrives.

Use frozen runnidown lug, rag, lug, kipper and herring tipped with white rag or mackerel in winter.

Use light beach tackle when fi shing further into the river with a 4oz breakout lead to compensate for the tide. A lot of fi sh can be found close in, where very light tackle can be used, such as Cono-fl ex Flattie Fanatic and fi xed-spool reel with 15-20lb line. Use a one-up, one-down fl apper rig armed with size 1 or 2 Kamasan crab hooks. As the tide slows, swap the grip lead for a plain because fl ounders here love a slow-moving bait.

GETTING THERE

From the A19 head east on the A1231 Wessington Way. At Sunderland Enterprise Park, drive along Timber Beach Road to St Catherine’s Court. Parking in the factory units’ car parks is safe and also has CCTV protection along with mobile security guards who check the factories every hour or so.

TACKLE SHOPS

Anglers Choice, 8-9 Murton St, Sunderland, tel: 0191 514 0000.
Opening times: 9am to 4.45pm Monday to Saturday. Bait: Lug and rag, plus frozen bait.

North East Tackle, Ryhope Rd, Sunderland, tel: 0191 510 3573
Opening times: 9am to 5.30pm Monday, Friday and Saturday; 9.30am to 6pm Tuesday and Thursday. Bait: Rag, lug and crabs, plus frozen bait.

Rutherford’s Angling Ltd, 125 Roker Ave, Sunderland, SR6 0HL, tel: 0191 565 4183.
Opening times: 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday (closed Wednesday), 9am to 1pm Sunday. Bait: Fresh and frozen.

The Trading Post, 40 Hylton Rd, Sunderland, tel: 0191 565 4626.
Opening times: 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, 8.30am to noon Sunday. Bait: Lug, rag and crab, plus frozen bait.

Directions : From the A19 head east on the A1231 Wessington Way. At Sunderland Enterprise Park, drive along Timber Beach Road to St Catherine’s Court. Parking in the factory units’ car park
Season : May to September