THERE have been plenty of small bass for the shore angler this week, in addition to bigger fish for those that fish the evening tides when the beaches are quieter.

Most of those fickle thornback rays have moved out into deeper water, leaving just one or two for the pier and shore angler.

This happens every summer, with a few days when they move back in range and then they are off again!

Reports from Walton Pier are in a similar vein this week, with the odd thornback ray from the top of the pier and small bass, although one 3lb fish was reported.

It is a different matter for those anglers fishing with lures from the side of the pier.

They are getting great sport from the small bass that are hunting around the pier piles.

The ebb tides are the best to fish and with light tackle they can be great sport. From July 1 you will be able to retain one sizeable bass to take home.

Those summer soles are also starting to show from the pier.

Sudbury angler David Backler fished a night-time tide and caught two on ragworm baits.

Other anglers have also reported soles from around the club-hut area.

My trip this week was to fish into darkness around the Burnt House area of Walton.

I fished a flood tide with some buddies and, fishing with light tackle, we had plenty of bites and fish from small bass, flounders and eels.

Once again ragworm was the bait that seemed to catch the most fish.

Clacton angler Matt Clark is making a habit of finding those bigger bass off the beach.

He has landed three good-sized fish in the same amount of weeks.

Once again they are being caught on the evening tides when the beaches are that much quieter.

Sole are also starting to show very well all along the shore from Walton to Clacton.

Mark Gray and Daniel Tulip have both caught soles from this area.

Clacton Pier has also had a slow week for the bigger fish, with just one or two thornback rays. Even the whiting seem to have disappeared for a while.

School bass can be caught with just a short cast from the head of the pier or lures will always catch a few in between the piles.

The boats have had a much better week and the Brightlingsea charter boat Sophie Lea’s monthly report was very good.

Lots of tub gurnards have been caught and plenty of smooth-hounds up to around the 10lb mark, although July and August will see those bigger hounds moving into the Thames Estuary and then there will be a possibility of catching a few hounds over the 20lb mark.

Plenty of thornback rays have been caught and most were released, but once again it has been a great season for them.

The big shoals of school bass mixed with some mackerel have made for some great sport on light fishing tactics.

Big tope are still there to be caught, but fuel costs have made it difficult to make fishing trips viable to reach this off-shore species.

The high tides for the weekend are 6.14pm on Saturday and 7.10 on Sunday.