RIVERS IN ESSEX

[John Weddup]

Hi Mark the sudbury and long melford club have some fantastic chub waters so if you are interested in joining I can post you a club booklet at cost.

 

We have waters that to me show up many 3lb chub several 4lb fish and the ocasional 5lb fish every winter.

 

Better anglers who maybe have more time than me catch 6lb fish quite often. From a river like the stour that is a very big fish. Natural and not filled with fishmeal or boilies like the chub from heavily barbel fished sections of other rivers.

 

These are natural lovely fish.

 

Membership availeable from sudbury angling centre or from me if you wish.

 

john

[gorton]

With regards to the Lea try the stretch between Fields Weir and Dobbs Weir which used to be the old West Ham AC fishery, not sure if it still theirs'now but is certainly a reasonably cheap day dicket if the baliff comes round which he hasn't the last two or three times I have been there.

One drawback is the river is infested with crayfish, to give you a clue we fished for them a couple of weeks ago with six dropnets and caught nearly 500 in two hours, before everybody starts jumping up and down and telling me I should not have done it, I am fed up being told I cant fish for them yet I must kill them If I catch them accidentally, anyway that is another argument that has been on many threads on this site over the last two or three years and by the way they were delicious.

The two weir pools I mentioned earlier are absolutely chock a block with them as is the River Stort which joins the Lea just above Fields Weir (another river that is well worth a go for chub). Anyway I digress, the previously mentioned stretch is well worth a try, find yourself a decent sized tree or bush on the far bank, legering is out of the question because of the crayfish, waggler is the method, I have found caster and hemp to be the best option. First light is a must time to start and if it is not too bright you can keep the swim going for 4-5 hours. I have been very fortunate that this stretch has been like my own little fishery for the last few weeks with hardly another angler in sight.

Apart from the crayfish the river is in rude health, three weeks ago I had a mixed bag of chub, dace, roach, rudd (not just one but about 10 or 12 of them), perch gudgeon and even bleak ( I thought the comorants had eaten most of those). I have had chub up to 4lb this year and lost some seriously bigger fish, beware of the cabbabe weed beneath your feet you think you have beaten the fish after getting them out of the far side cover only to lose them close in, I have found it easier to try and play them out in mid river, some nice perch up to 2lb, there are lots of small fish (chublets and roach)which can be a pain but it is a pleasure to see the River in such good condition.

Unfortunately October sees my attention turn to pike elsewhere so I probably wont get down there again this year but believe me it is well worth a try. I hope this is of some help and if you need any more information please let me know. need any more

[fish4life]

thanks for some very detailed information,im sitting here planning a trip there early next week so will take on board all you have kindly sent me,one question i will ask do you need to go heavy re line strenght,hook size and are big baits good to use,also by loosefeeding does this attract loads of the smaller fish along the stretch. mark.

[Peter M]

I think it depends what you are after, as gorton has said the crayfish can be a pain when ledgering. I definatly would not use sweetcorn because of this. at fishers green i wuld use Halibut pellet on a size 8 hook and 10pound line for the barbel. Or i would use lob worm or crust freelined and a roving approch with six pound line and size 6-4 hook for chub. Or as gorton has said float fished maggot or caster with hook size 18-14 and 3 pound line for roach etc. the choice is yours.

[DJMCJERICO]

Have you tried the river around earls colne, particualy by the river side pub (when it floods) and the wier pool by the stables, some good fishing there and the chance of the odd trout, beyond the pool is miles of and miles of river, its a dream, not day ticket but the owner back then i think was called Colin, ring the pub and see if you can get details for him, he owns half of earls colne.

(although i was never bothered up there )

 

For a quick fix head to watery lane in Silver end, about 2 or 3 miles up the lane (turn right at the cemetary) you will come to some woods, with a big gate on the right, head into the woods and you will come to a bridge, cross the bridge and turn right, about 10 yards down there is a hole in the river, wack a big lump of cheese on a size 12 hook and hold fast, i'v fished this about half a dozen times and every time i have had a stonking great chub within half an hour.

 

There are no signs to say you cant fish and i have spoken to the farmer who seem's keen on fishing.

 

[ 23. September 2005, 04:29 PM: Message edited by: DJMCJERICO ]

[gorton]

Sorry for late reply this last weekend seemed to disappear in an alchohlic haze (wedding and two barbecues).

I have caught nearly all my fish on either size 20 (1.5lbBS) or size 18 (2lbBS)using either 3 or 4lb main line, anything larger hook or line wise results in a sharp reduction in bites and therefore obviously fish on the bank. A bit light I know for stopping the chub getting back under the far side vegetation but needs must and all that. Have been using Kamasan X-strong Animal barbless hooks lately and I am quite impressed with their realibility.

I try to feed sparingly with just 8-12 casters and a few grains of hemp every other cast. Have tried maggot when struggling but that does encourage the smaller fish.

Hope that helps.

[fish4life]

thanks for further advice,and glad you had a good weekend.your advice has helped me out no end and im hoping to get to the river some time this week,re casters would you say that is the best bait to use,cheers mark.

[John Weddup]

high fish4life posted info yesterday so should be with you soon

 

john

[gorton]

Yes casters it is, you will catch lots of fish on maggot, but casters will find the better chub, keep swapping about with single and double offerings as well for some reason it seems to work (keeps the bites coming), couldn't tell you why.

[fish4life]

john,thanks for info come yesterday did try to ring you but no reply,im gonna take a drive over the weekend to have a look,how do i go about joining would i need to contact yourself or the club. mark