With many anglers now hanging up their rods until next winter, it's been hard to get many reports. Cool north east winds have kept the beaches cool, but inland the heat makes the garden more appealing! Along the north Norfolk coast, the sea has plenty of colour and a good surf but the codling are really thinning out now and the bass have not arrived.

With many anglers now hanging up their rods until next winter, it's been hard to get many reports.

Cool north east winds have kept the beaches cool, but inland the heat makes the garden more appealing!

Along the north Norfolk coast, the sea has plenty of colour and a good surf but the codling are really thinning out now and the bass have not arrived. Undersize fish seem to make up the majority of bags with the very odd codling or bass to around 3lb a real bonus.

Often in April and into May the first smoothound show, but they prefer calm clear water, not the rough, coloured sea we have at the moment. Undersize codling are still around in numbers, with a few flatfish and whiting adding variety. Last week, Orford was still producing some good codling and most anglers had two or three around 3lb. Some of the more knowledgeable locals were getting bags of seven or eight codling to 5lb.

Looking ahead, a change in wind direction would be welcome, but with easterlies forecast all this week I think it will continue to be a struggle. May should see some better bass around and the north Norfolk beaches from Mundesley to Cley, or Suffolk beaches from Kessingland to Thorpeness, would be my choice.