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Questions

How far do you go out? I fish up to Holland-on-Sea inshore (approx 10 miles away), out to the Gunfleet Sands, where the proposed wind farm is due to be built (approx 9 miles away), along to the Buxey Sands (approx 7 miles away) and in both the the Rivers Colne and Blackwater (both just minutes from where I launch).

Does each fisherman have a certain area he can work in? No, we all have a government license for each registered vessel, permitting us to fish almost anywhere. It's up to us individually to try not to upset other fishermen in our area. Fishing life is hard enough without us all being at each others throats!

How much net do you use and do you use different types of nets? In total I probably have in excess of 15 miles of net. But at any one time the maximum I would use is 3-4 miles, this during the spring when fishing for skate and soles.

The type of net, mesh size and the way I use them depends on the species I am targetting. There is an optimum mesh size for the capture of every species in order to allow the immature fish to escape. Click here for some information on the nets I use. (Tony's old boat Maudie pictured opposite)		  

Do you go out everyday, even in the winter? I fish every day I can, weather permitting. As I fish alone I don't tend to take risks, especially not now that I'm a family man - there's always another day!

How did you get into fishing, is it a family business? No, I am the first and only fisherman in our family. The sea is a passion with us all though, my parents are ex naval and my brother is a master yachtsman. I have been interested in fishing since I was a young lad; at the age of 14 I made my first gill net after our holiday caravan at St Osyth was burgled and all my rod fishing tackle stolen. I carried it out at low tide and attached it across the wooden groynes at St Osyth beach. The next day my 50 yard net was full of grey mullet, sea bass plus a few dover soles and flounders - what a start!

For 7 years I worked as a fishery officer for Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries. Throughout this time I was also a part-time commercial fisherman spending every spare minute at sea. Much as I enjoyed the job, I wanted more time for my fishing and eventually decided that I would be able to make a decent enough living out of it to go full-time. My company Aquanet was formed in 1996. 

Tony Talbot, (Oct 2005)

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