mahoo

Nice one CJS2 sounds like a good day, glad you got out.

Nice fish from your Yak there Richi, I bet that gave you a few hairy moments!

Hi Cliff I must admit the weather looks to be dropping off nicely for Sunday but I have got DIY to do There definately is some nice fish out there if you know where to look I am hoping this year my name will be on a nice double figure noddy, and if you get out at the weekend I hope yours is too. There is plenty of Herring out there at the mo and it seems that there is quite a few Bass following these silver beauties. Tight lines Mahoo

Bait elastic, very sharp knife, large trophy Cod!

Hi Cliff We only have to hold a 15 ft warrior and also use a bruce copy with plenty (about 15ft of chain) and plenty of rope out, but on one mark it has a really hard, stony bottom that is full of green slimy worm things that the cod like but anchors don't, and we just end up bouncing down the tide on a big spring in full flow! cheers Mahoo

Nice report Cliff I went out on the Sunday and caught the twin brother/sister of the one in your picture. A good day to be out, even if after the first hour we thought it was going to be a great day. We had six Roker in the first half hour not more than a mile out then a 5lb + Cod each after that on the last of the flood, when the tide turned, it was going like a steam train and we could not hold anchor on our 'special' mark and only caught a few more Codling and some nice whiting for most of the ebb, which is usually the best time I find in the area. One of the boats we went out with had a lovely fish about 8lb about half a mile from the beach There is nice fish out there as long as you don't know what it used to be like, and this does seem like a better stamp of codling than previous years. Time will tell.... Still nice to be out there catching though

Why not! all for a good cause and any excuse to wet a line

I believe Kent and Essex has a vacant position at the mo Also the Fishery Officer in question is a top bloke faced with a difficult task!

The French love them, Conger is an essential part of an authentic Boullabaisse(fish soup/stew) originating from the Marseille area on the south coast. When I was a wee nipper I used to insist on having Conger and chips from the chippy, and blow me, when the old man came back with dinner, that conger I had tasted so much like Cod that I couldn't believe it! It was only a few years ago he told me the truth

Nice fish Sam and Mat I bet that made the long trip worthwhile!

Stoaty, there is certainly plenty of Lobster around the Thames estuary. I sell them and there is plenty to be caught in the Thames area.

That is a good article Pugs

I think one of those would be a chain mail glove affair! Hope you catch a few

Hi Bugle, Apart from the more obvious ones listed above there is some Plaice, Turbot and Brill but only in a fraction of the numbers that there used to be(apparently brightlingsea used to be famous for it's Turbot landings!). The commercial boys still land some Brill as well as there being Red Mullet, Grey Mullet, Pouting, Garfish, Bass, Mackeral, Herring, Sprats, Shad and growing numbers of Barracuda and Bonefish(sure I keep hooking them but none landed yet!) If you go a long way to the wrecks I think you can add Bream, Ling, Conger, Pollock and Wrasse. I would love to catch a nice Turbot from Essex, but sadly especially from the beach I think that ther is slightly better than zero chance! Mahoo

That Vagabond looks like a serious fish! Is it one of them Tiger fish things that you get in Africa or is it some sort of Were Herring