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Licence for estuary fishing

R

Ray Ellis

Senior Member
I have been doing quite a bit of estuary fishing recently for bass and whatever else comes along. I havnt yet renewed my ea licence and was wondering, do i need one for estuary fishing?
 
Don't think so, sure it's classed as sea fishing though where the line between salt and fresh water is I don't know.
 
You'll need to check your local EA Byelaws Ray. My local "estuary" being The Thames you officially need a licence right down to the Yantlet Line which is a line across the mouth from near Sheerness to Southend !! :(
 
Bill i lived on canvey island for years and never heard of a rod license needed, when did come into force please?:)
 
Hi John,
It was around and printed on the old paper licences going back as far as the old Kent RA of my youth. I will admit to having my geography wrong though, the Yantlet creek is on Grain and not Sheppey. I seem to remember that there was an invisible line across the Thames from the Yantlet creek to a point in Essex which I can't remember so you being on Canvey you were seaward of that line.
It's got my curiosity going now, anybody remember the point in Essex ?

Regards

Bill
 
exactly Dave too much area, too little fishermen and they would need boats in all areas to check half the sea anglers:)
 
Sound idea Ray, I can't fault you. Just wished I lived nearer and you could show me how it's done...:D
 
Ray, you need a rod licence to fish for freshwater fish, eels, salmon and sea trout, for up to 6 miles out to sea. If you are fishing for sea fish, i.e. bass, and cannot be liable to catch licenced species, you do not need a licence.
 
Crooky, I occasionally fish beach and estuary sea matches where eels are weighed in on a catch and release basis, no licence required as far as I know, even if they are,I would suggest that 98% of the anglers have no EA licence,unless they also freshwater fish as well, plus, I have never ever heard of a sea match being policed by an EA bailiff.

He would probably get the short end of somebodies tongue anyway,I think most sea anglers, myself included, live a bit closer to the earth than our freshwater companions.

On another note, it is quite well known that Flatfish, Mullet, and the occasional Bass are caught sometimes miles upstream from estuary marks, I wonder if you speciffically targeted them on the river, a bailiff would have grounds for reporting you for not having an EA licence. Just a thought . How could he prove you were not fishing for freshwater species ?

Dave
 
David Craine said:
Crooky, I occasionally fish beach and estuary sea matches where eels are weighed in on a catch and release basis, no licence required as far as I know, even if they are,I would suggest that 98% of the anglers have no EA licence,unless they also freshwater fish as well, plus, I have never ever heard of a sea match being policed by an EA bailiff.

He would probably get the short end of somebodies tongue anyway,I think most sea anglers, myself included, live a bit closer to the earth than our freshwater companions.

On another note, it is quite well known that Flatfish, Mullet, and the occasional Bass are caught sometimes miles upstream from estuary marks, I wonder if you speciffically targeted them on the river, a bailiff would have grounds for reporting you for not having an EA licence. Just a thought . How could he prove you were not fishing for freshwater species ?

Dave
Click to expand...

Dave,

Don't shoot the messenger, Ray asked a question and I gave the factual answer, to be honest, I would imagine the 6 miles off Coast is aimed more at salmon and sea trout fishing as far as enforcement goes!!

You do seem to miss the point about being liable to catch freshwater species though.. If you could prove you were fishing for flatties using methods not liable to catch freshwater/migratory species, you'd have a case.
 
Bill, theres a few points in essex, i used to fish the point on canvey island regulary, its dangerous area if your bait digging though and several people have dissapeared off the point while digging
 
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