I used to fish in the now disbanded Withernsea Sea Angling Club in the early eighties. We used to fish mainly around the Withernsea area but we had a couple of fall back venues in The Humber to go to when the sea was too rough.
One of those venues was a place we used to call Robbies. There was a large mudbank off shore and we used to fish the channel between the bank and the mudbank. as the tide ebbed the channel got narrower and the fish were compacted.
The fish we caught were mainly flounder and we had some memorable days there.
Why am I telling you this I can hear you asking.
Well I’ve not been down there in over 30 years and yesterday I went back. I could not believe how much it has changed and if I was to fish there now I would be casting on to dry land!
The mudbank has increased in size massively and the channel has all but disappeared. Of course this has been a massive benefit to the birds. The mudbank that used to be mainly submerged is now a semi-permanent island that only gets covered on the biggest of tides. It has become a winter roost for thousands of pink footed geese. The mud around the edge is also home to thousands of waders.
The landward side is set-aside that has seen a great year for voles and as such is a great place for raptors and owls.
Just lately there has been hen harriers, marsh harriers, common buzzard, short eared and barn owls and a magnificent rough-legged buzzard that has since departed all feeding on the vole bonanza. The raptor fest is heightened by the constant presence of kestrels plus the odd sparrowhawk and merlin.
Who would have known that more than 40 years since I first walked down that track with my fishing rod that Robbies would still be giving as much pleasure today?
