Hi Dave

The area you talk about is standard Thames Estuary fare with uptiding tactics king for most of the year in the silty tidal water.

Bait fishing is used due to the colour of the water inshore but it does clear up if you hit the horizon and are prepared to burn a few gallons to get there.

Species available inshore are predominantly Cod and Whiting in the winter months and Bass, Roker, Tope and Smoothies in the warmer months, although we have been seeing a crossover of the traditional seasons in recent years with Roker available year round and Cod almost into summer.

There have been some decent specimens of all these species caught in the area over the years, but it might lack the variety of species you are used to being based from Portsmouth.

Unwashed squid will take anything that swims round these parts, with Lug, Rag and Crab also used.

It is generally quite shallow with series of sandbanks and channels in between and rarely gets deeper than 80ft unless a fair way off.

Summer wrecking is available but is best suited to the charters because of the distances involved.

I can't help with Marinas as we trail out boat.

All the best with your decisions!

James

 

James,

Great help... Thanks, because I didnt actually realise that the Thames was on the doorstep...
Such is my ignorance of the area, I have just been mapping Dunmow and in effect looking at the distance to the coast wondering whether places like Chelmsford would be a better place to consider baseing myself.
I have lots of map searching to do and considerations to make.

Thanks hugely for taking the time to impart your knowledge.. Its greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Dave

 

Try Colchester you will have the use off all the Marinas around harwich and felixstowe and wood get you out to open sea quick and also good for estuary fishing and a good bass

 

Try Brightlingsea, juts up the road from Chelmsford and has marina, Boat yard , susuki specialist, park and launch, and pontoons , with usable hard for boat launching.

Also tackle shop with bait and early opening right by the main jetty.

Gee you out ot Gunfleet or beyond and the Blackwater .

 

If you base yourself at Chelmsford you are about a 30 min drive from Dunmow and about a 45r min drive from Bradwell Marina well know for its charter boats it has good access to the Wallet off Clacton and the Thames Estuary. Easterly winds are not good in this area as they are onshore.
Fishing in the Blackwater can produce Whiting Cod Skate and Bass depending on time of year. There are also plenty of swinging moorings available in the area but these can be restricted by tides.

 

That is my old manor! Dunmow is famous for bacon. When I was a teenager we kept a 23 foot fishing boat at Heybridge and fished the Blackwater estuary. Bradwell would have been better but we were cheap then. Shallow, sandy water compared to Solent, plenty of bass, thornback, codling, whiting, tope, smoothhound. You won't see so many bream or other fish that like rocky habitat.

 

Chelmsford area is probably favourite, as you can nip on to the A.12 and whizz up into North-East Essex, or Suffolk, yet nip across to Bradwell, or down to the Thames or the Crouch.
A two and a half hour trail, and you could be in Dover.
There's some rocky outcrops off Walton , but very little other than shingle,sand,shell, and mud for the rest of it. That having been said, we're a friendly bunch, and life here is to be recommended.
Cheers,
Davey.

 

Thanks ever so much for the help and advise... Greatly appreciated..

Myself and missus are popping up probably towards the end of next week to take a look around and on my list will 100% be a detour of at least a day towards the coast..

Thanks again..

Cheers

Dave