TO be honest, this week is all about the lack of fish on our part of the coast.

As I’ve written in the last few weeks, the herring shoals and now the sprats moving into the Thames estuary have caused big problems for boat and beach anglers alike.

That, combined with high winds, has made most of the week a bit of a write-off!

Those boats that have put to sea have struggled to find any cod, but thornback rays and dogfish are still showing quite well.

I have a late result from the Police Sport UK Eastern region boat match, fished off our coast, and competitors arrived from as far afield as Lincolnshire.

Result: 1 Norfolk B 290.95%, 2 Essex A, 283.33%, 3 Essex C 281.50%, 4 Norfolk A 279.17%.

For the third year running, Brightlingsea-based charter boat The Sophie Lea was the winning boat.

Boats out of Bradwell took advantage of the off-shore wind at the weekend and a few codling were found with fish to 7lbs, although they were still at a premium.

They also found rays still feeding, although the first of the winter frosts arrived this week and this could send the rays into deeper waters.

The beaches and piers have had a mediocre week, with the odd codling, ray and dogfish being caught.

Colchester angler Paul Packman headed for Walton Pier for a session fishing into darkness.

He reported that there are still plenty of whiting to be caught and still a few dogfish and managed to find a couple of those elusive codling – the biggest weighing in at 3lb 8oz and a thornback ray of 7lb 3oz.

The Walton beaches are still showing late bass and whiting on the ebb tides.

For a chance of a big bass, squid baits seem to find those bigger fish.

The Frinton beaches are still seeing lots of whiting, but once again here those codling have all but disappeared. With a good off-shore wind on the Holland and Clacton beaches at the weekend, it looked like the fishing would be good.

However, unfortunately, once again, here those winter cod have moved far off shore and are feeding on the herring and sprat shoals.

Whiting, some dogfish and the odd bass seem to be the mainstay on these beaches.

Clacton Pier seems to have had a better week and Peter Rose reported some good-sized whiting and dogfish to be caught and there has also been the odd thornback ray.

St Osyth beach has seen plenty of whiting and the odd thornback ray being caught.

To be honest, this week hasn’t been the best we have seen but, as we head towards Christmas, it is not unusual for the fishing to become more difficult.

There is always a chance of a very big cod turning up as they chase those big herring shoals and it’s just a case of being in the right place at the right time!

If you have any fishing reports, you can contact me at popplewell1@btinternet.com The tides for the weekend are 12.59pm on Saturday and 1.23pm on Sunday.