River Ember & Mole

Hi folks,

Does anyone know if fishing is allowed on the Rivers Ember or Mole down by Hampton Court & Esher? Searching on the web seems a bit contradictory. Good old wikipedia looks promising and there's this murky vid on youtube.

However, All About Angling seems to say no. Anyone from that neck of the woods care to shed any light on this?

There's free fishing on both at Imber Court - always used to park in Orchard Lane and walk across the footbridge on the Ember for the Ember (the large part of the Ember is a flood channel - free fishing as well) then across the footbridge on the flood channel, walk a couple of hundred yards across the common, and you're on the Mole....

Thanks barbleboi. I guess that's the bit north of the Police grounds. I'm guessing that bit of land between Mole and Ember is Old Cow Common.

Dear All, having 6yrs ago returned to fishing following a 35yr break I am thoroughly enjoying it. I recall as a teenager cycling miles to Hampton Court and also along Orchard Lane by the Police Sports College, to the end, along the footpath, over the footbridge and fishing the River Ember just there. In those days you just needed your EA license and am asking if this is still the case or is it now a members part as the websites are indeed confusing.

I lived and fished in Molesey until 18-odd months ago. The stream in Cow Common is technically council land but it has been unclaimed and unmaintained for many years. I only ever needed the EA license to fish there, and along the River Ember (closed season now for both). I was never challenged by anyone along there and I hope it is still the same. The stream is really nice but only small fish of course, however plenty of them and a pair of Kingfishers for company. The Ember has better sized fish, but you need to be careful of the steep banks which have hardly any lip to them. The Mole is a different matter. I seem to remember getting told off there by some of the local residents from the non public side of the river while fishing from the sports ground side, but again it’s very unclear who would own the rights to that very nice stretch.

Cheers. Bob

My brother used to live on the Mole at Hampton Court, Molember Road I think it was. It was all privately owned, the houses along there had the fishing rights as I remember rightly and it was gated where my brother lived. And as above they are all pretty wealthy people and will be on you like a rash. if your fishing in the wrong place.
I used to watch a heron leap off the towpath and pull out chub from my brother's house, I was fascinated how he got back on the tow path and I could have got permission to fish from his neighbours but it was always family time, not fishing time.
However, I believe the area known as cigarette island just by Hampton Court Train station edged right up to where the Mole flowed into the Thames, whether there was any actual Mole fishing at that point I never walked that far to find out. Cigarette island is free, so you can fish the Thames there which holds barbel and some carp I believe but there should be other species present, roach, bream etc, maybe Zander as they are caught at Kingston I believe. So, maybe worth a visit and find out whats what, maybe you will find some other anglers who will fill you in but they mainly night fish for the barbel.
There was a tackle shop at Hampton Court, but I think it maybe closed now, my brother knew the bloke who ran it, Bob the Fish he called him, but see if you can check that out, might not be closed.
Maybe worth finding out if there are any clubs in the area as well that might have fishing rights on the Mole.
Sorry it is all a bit second hand info but my brother has moved from there now and it was a few years ago so, I don't go there anymore.
However I always fancied taking a punt which you can hire in the summer and fish the weir just upstream at Hampton Court but never got round to it, flying visits and family ties etc. But that weir always looked very fishy to me, I believe you need some sort of permit but whether you need one from a boat, I dont know, never got that far.
But the Thames along there always looked interesting, fishing near the Lock area for example looked like it might hold some big roach in the slack areas.