"kevin" wrote in message:
Hi all

Ive recently taken up fishing and am really enjoying it. I near
sunderland
(chester le street)and have only been to Roker and would like any info
on
other places to try in my area.

I used to live in Chester-le-Street (I've been in the Essex side of London
now for 10 years) and enjoyed many trips to the end of Roker Pier (day and
night), in the 70s and 80s. There doesn't appear to be the same
opportunities down here (nearest sea is at Southend) and I've not been
fishing for a long time, (but I'd like to take it back up again and I'd
appreciate some infomed advice, but I don't want to detract from your
thread, here).

I can only offer you old experience: Things might have changed, but I
found The Heugh at Hartlepool a good venue. It was a solid pier, with
parking close-by, fishable in most weather, usually not too crowded and
with a friendly bunch of people (aren't all sea-anglers?). IIRC, the
water was reasonably deep, whatever the tide and the bottom didn't provide
too many snags, either

I used to catch codling from there in the winter but I best remember
spinning for mackerel on light tackle, one beautiful August afternoon.
Magic!

As I say, I haven't fished there since the late 1980s and it might have
changed. Maybe someone here can offer some more up-to-date experience.

- Tom Bennett