The Thames estuary is a huge complex of sandbanks and gullies, and at its mouth it forms a huge delta encompassing three rivers. The river Blackwater is the most northerly river of the three and is home to the famous port of Bradwell. Next is the river Crouch, which is a smaller river than the other two, and has a marina at Wallasea Island There is also a marina opposite Wallasea at Burnharn-on-Crouch. And finally the river Thames itself, it is the biggest river of the three, and has immense potential for sea anglers, fishing from as far upriver as the Queen Elizabeth Bridge on the M25, and down to the offshore sandbanks twenty miles down river from Southend-on-Sea.
The estuary holds many species during the spring and summer months, ranging from eels, flounders, plaice, bass, thornback rays, smoothhounds, stingray, dogfish, mackerel, garfish, etc. In the autumn the whiting and cod move in and these are the mainstay through the winter, although the dabs also come in January. The cod fishing in the last two years has been spectacular, and hopefully will continue in the same vein as we are still seeing an influx of immature fish each spring.
Not all our fish are small: The Thames estuary holds or has held boat caught record smoothound, stingray, tope and bass.

The "Predator"
The "Predator" is ideally based at Southend-on-Sea on the Thames estuary which gives it scope to explore the estuary for twenty miles or so in either direction. This covers all the types of fishing that the estuary offers, and because the river affords shelter the further up you go very few trips are lost due to bad weather. The "Predator" is made of steel, and is thirty-five feet long. The fishing area is approximately 20 feet long by 11 feet wide, which is ideal for ten anglers, although the boat is licensed for twelve. The duration of the fishing varies according to the time of year. In the winter all the fish are close to home (maximum one hours steaming time). In the summer the bigger fish are found at fifteen to twenty miles (maximum two hours steaming time). The winter trips are about nine hours normally. The summer trips are about eleven hours to make up for the extra steaming time. The charges for these trips are £200.00 for the boat summer and winter, but individuals can book at £25.00 each, subject to being able to fit them in with other anglers.
Dave Godwin can be contacted by telephone on 01702 308043 (Mobile -0402 315640) or via E-mail.