I
Ian Cloke
Guest
Bad weather in the Humber estuary has forced the postponement of the biggest boat angling competition in the north of England.
More than 160 anglers from all over the country had been due to sail from Grimsby and Cleethorpes to contest the Humber Cod Championships.
But organisers said strong winds had made conditions too dangerous, particularly for smaller vessels.
The event has been rescheduled for Sunday 4 February.
Event spokesman Tony Burman, of the Humber Cruising Association, said: "What you have to consider is that we have boats from 14ft to 30-plus ft and we don't want the smaller boats being buffeted in the wind.
'Lots of fish'
"There could have been a fatality and that's why we had to take the decision to call it off."
He said competitors from as far afield as Kent, Essex, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire had entered the event, which had become the biggest in the North after just three years.
"The irony is that the cod fishing in the Humber has been fantastic recently and we'd been expecting record catches this year.
"We are getting lots of fish, it's just been incredible really.
"We've even had somebody come all the way up from the Essex coast to fish here because word's got round."
More than 160 anglers from all over the country had been due to sail from Grimsby and Cleethorpes to contest the Humber Cod Championships.
But organisers said strong winds had made conditions too dangerous, particularly for smaller vessels.
The event has been rescheduled for Sunday 4 February.
Event spokesman Tony Burman, of the Humber Cruising Association, said: "What you have to consider is that we have boats from 14ft to 30-plus ft and we don't want the smaller boats being buffeted in the wind.
'Lots of fish'
"There could have been a fatality and that's why we had to take the decision to call it off."
He said competitors from as far afield as Kent, Essex, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire had entered the event, which had become the biggest in the North after just three years.
"The irony is that the cod fishing in the Humber has been fantastic recently and we'd been expecting record catches this year.
"We are getting lots of fish, it's just been incredible really.
"We've even had somebody come all the way up from the Essex coast to fish here because word's got round."