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  • 27/06/2016 Fishing Report by TERRY BATT on Vanishing Point-2 (Bradwell Marina, Essex)

    27 Jun 2016 by TERRY BATT

    Report on-board Vanishing Point-2

    With the storm clouds gathering over the Essex coast line on Saturday, we got away with it until it was time to go home 14.30.
    We left Bradwell quite early (0630 hrs) and headed to a deep gully South East of Bradwell 16 miles, it usually fishes quite well at this time, but we anchored in 57 foot and the tide was pouring through much harder that I would have expected for a tide of that size, but hey that's the Thames Estuary for you, can sometimes throw you a curve ball....lol.
    But the lads were all fairly competent anglers and coped well with good uptiders at the Bow, and great down tiders at the stern, so glad to say tangles were very few, just the occasional hound hitting the bait's at the front and running like grease lightning down tide and getting caught up with the odd fishing line at mid-ships, but wasn't too bad.
    But the fish were not there in the number I would have expected, and as we were short on numbers it was not possible to ask the lads to put more money into the pot for extra fuel to go further off-shore so we made the best of what was on offer closer in...!!
    Well a mate of mine was doing quite well a few mile South of my position so we went over to join him, but weather we got there too late, or sometimes the fish, especially Thornbacks, can be very tightly grouped and you can watch one boat scooping up fish while you sit there just spectating....!! and that is not for me..!!!
    So we moved 3.5 miles East to a spot that should also fish well but once we arrived there we couldn't really get on the mark as there were a few Crouch based boats already anchored up there, Rob on Dawn Breaker, Predator, and one other I didn't recognise, but I would have only been in their way if I had dropped where I wanted to be and that would not have been very professional of me and I know these guys wouldn't do it to me so we trotted another 3/4 of a mile East and fished a rising bank out of the deeper water, and as the flood tide got away, the fish started to bite, not big fish average around 4 to 5 lbs, but fish never the less..
    But as Nicola was NOT on the boat, it was typical the rain clouds gathered the sky turned Black thunder rolled, and lightning was striking..!! and who had to go out and pick up the anchor...??? yup, me...lol but I didn't get too wet thank God..!!
    As we made our way back to Bradwell the radar was blotted out with rain, you couldn't even see the Gun-fleet Sands wind farm it was raining that hard, it was bouncing off of the water... but the lads were nice and dry and warm inside the wheel house watching the football on our 32 inch flat screen TV drinking tea and coffee .. blimey how we spoil our guys..lol
    Well on Sunday we had our boys out from Canvey, Mark, Bruno and Co, and they all instantly agreed to through an extra £5 a head in the pot for extra fuel to go the 30 miles I recommended they go to get some serious action, as they did that last month, they didn't take any convincing..! so we set off early once again to get as mush of the Ebb tide as possible.
    After an hour and fifteen minutes of steaming, we arrived as usual to our mark, and not another boat in sight.....lovely, just how I like it, not trying to fish in a car park.
    The first fish hit within 4 minutes, a nice 10 lbs hound, followed by another at 11 lbs, and so the onslaught went on, I am glad Nicola was with me yesterday coz we had two landing net's on the go virtually the whole time. Bruno had the biggest fish of the day, a lovely hound of 14 lbs... well done mate, I bet that will be envied by you brother Phil, who was match fishing elsewhere, but the bar has been set now..!!!.
    At the end of the session, we had to stop fishing for the mighty Smoothounds purely because we ran out of bait.. I cant remember the last time that happened..?? but it was relentless and I think our numbers of fish boated was 91, so you can only imaging how manic that was, but like all things distance, x, diesel,= £'s that's why we have to add a fuel surcharge if anglers want to go the distance, but you don't have to there is still good fishing closer in, but if you want the chance of an exceptional days fishing, then sometimes you have to do the extra miles.
    Ok well Bruno has won yesterday trophy, and a very worthy winner, and Nic and I will be going to Canvey to the boys Fish restaurant the Islander probably the finest fish restaurant we have ever been to, no wonder people drive from London to eat there...!!
    We are meant to be out later this week on a 24 hour wreaking trip going 42 miles off-shore, but looking at the weather forecast as I am writing this report that is looking doubtful.... sadly we were looking forward to that, but it will only be delayed, not cancelled, so I hope the trip will be all we expect.... I will keep you all informed of our progress......... tight lines..!!!

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