Rain makes for strange catches (From Thurrock Gazette)
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Carp caught in salt water
3:00pm Friday 20th July 2012 in Sport
TORRENTIAL rain has made it a topsy-turvey world for Essex’s sea anglers, with unusual catches turning up – including freshwater fish in the sea.
Sea expert Eddie Sharp has confirmed that freshwater fish have been caught in the Thames at Erith and Morrisons Jetty.
Essex sea fishing stalwart Graham Barratt said: “People are going to think that this is a wind-up – but it’s definitely not. I’ve had it confirmed from other reliable scources too.
“Last week produced a 15lb common carp and a 5lb mirror carp in the river.
“This is because all the fresh water has washed from the fresh water somewhere. They probably wouldn’t survive that long in the salt. “Sometimes this happens when you have great amounts of fresh water. You get this up the River Roach.”
Other unusual fish caught at this spot were dabs and plaice – all on lugworm.
Plaice and dabs are only caught here a couple of times in a decade. l Other catches: Thamesmead: Bass, eels and flounders.
l Stanford-Le-Hope: eels and flounders.
l Dagenham: Good bags of flounders.
l Greenhithe: Bass and 3lb sole.
l Benfleet Creek: flounders and eels.
l Chalkwell cinder path: Mullet on maddies or bread punch.
l Westcliff to Thorpe Bay beaches: flounder and schoolies.
l Southend pierhead: Mackerel, garfish and bass.
l Inshore pier marks: Flounders only.
l Barge pier: Sizeable bass and, mullet and mackerel l Concrete shelter: Flounders only.
l Left hand side of Shoebury boom: Mullet on maddies.
l Walton Pier: Bass, roker, soles and a few undersized whiting.
l Felixstowe: Bass and small pouting.
l Kent’s Deal pier: Bass and smoothhounds.
l Deal beaches: Decent sized smoothhounds on crab baits.
l Boats: Thornbacks, bass, smoothhounds, mackerel, tope and still the odd codling being caught.
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