Years ago I used to go sea fishing with the now disbanded Withernsea Sea Angling Club. On most matches we used to fish in the sea around Withernsea but when it was too rough, there were a couple of venues in the Humber Estuary that we could fall back on.
There was one particular mark known as Robbies that used to fish very well on a small tide and at times we used to catch lots of flounders.
Why am I telling you this?
Well just lately I have been going down there with my camera and the birds of prey have been superb.
On my latest trip I had a look at the area we used to fish in. I could not believe the change. There used to be a mud bank off shore and a wide channel between. As the tide ebbed, the channel got narrowere and the fish were more concentrated.
If I was to fish there now I’d be casting on to dry land.
All of this of course helps the birds. Thousands of pink footed geese use the mudbank to roost on during the winter period and thousands of waders also feed on the massive expanse of mud.
The area to the landward side has been set aside and the vole population must have exploded-the number of birds of prey feeding there are phenomenal. Add to this birds like kingfisher, stonechat, finches and herons and it really is spectacular.
Little did I know that wandering down that track for the fist time over 40 years ago with my fishing rod, I’d be doing the same today and still getting as much pleasure.
