HOVERING over the edge of a steep cliff with only a rope and a pair of stout boots for safety, this looks more like a mountaineering expedition than a fishing trip.

But the North-East coast has become a favourite spot for Britain’s bravest anglers who think nothing of abseiling 400ft down sheer cliffs with a rod strapped to their backs just to reach the perfect spot to catch a whopper.The Northern Echo: GOING DOWN: An extreme angler uses a ladder to get down Bempton Cliffs

Gale force winds, sea spray, dive-bombing sea gulls and driving rain cannot deter these extreme fishermen from reaching the prize cod, pollock and bass that await beneath the rolling waves.

 

One of the most notorious spots is at Boulby, near Whitby, where the cliffs are more than 600ft high, and a line has even been attached to the cliffs to help them get down.

Whitby Angler Glenn Kilpatrick, 43, has been doing it since he was 16.

“We have some of the highest cliffs in the country on our coast and to get to the shore, where the best fishing is, we have to climb down,” said Mr Kilpatrick, who runs an online forum for fellow fearless fishermen.

“We are chuffed to bits when there is a storm approaching, because that churns up the rocks on the sea bed and the fish come in for the crabs and food. There is concern for our safety, but we want to survive, so safety is paramount. You have to make sure you can’t slip and fall.

“Mind you, if you do go in, you are in big trouble.”

Thanks to the internet, more and more people are doing it. Mr Kilpatrick’s forum has more than 6,000 members and his website, whitbysea anglers.co.uk, had two million hits last year. He has also been approached by National Geographic and the BBC.

GOING DOWN: An extreme angler uses a ladder to get down Bempton cliffs. Right, angler Dave Jecketts with a prize catch Further down the coast at Bempton Cliffs, near Bridlington, anglers scale the rocks with ladders and ropes pinned to the cliffside – but that’s too much, even for Mr Kilpatrick.

“I think the people who fish there should all be looked at by the local psychiatrist,” he said.

The Northern Echo: xgdfgdfg

But each to their own is my motto in life, and I have nothing but respect for those able to fish there and reap the excellent rewards of good bags of both summer and winter cod.

“If you show pictures to people they think it’s bonkers, but life is for having fun and we have to get out there, it’s better than sitting in the pub.”