Cemex Angling, the largest portfolio of fisheries in Great Britain encompassing sites in the south and east of England, has come onto the market offered at a guide price of �7.3m as a whole or in separate lots.

Offered through fisheries sales experts Fenn Wright, Cemex Angling operates 20 well-established fisheries, with a total of 57 waters covering some 632 acres, set in approximately 1,039 acres of land across nine counties.

These include sites at Ulting, Maldon, Alresford and Basildon.

Martin Freeman, Fenn Wright Partner and fisheries sales expert believes the Cemex portfolio is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“It is unlikely that the market will ever again see another portfolio of such outstanding, profitable fisheries with further potential for growth,” he said.

Five of the venues are in Berkshire, four in Essex, three in Hampshire, two are in Kent, two in Surrey, and one each in Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, West Sussex, and Hertfordshire. The fisheries encompass 57 lakes and two stretches of river with a current joint annual turnover in excess of �700,000.

In a holding that includes several gems, the jewel in the crown is the Yateley Complex in Hampshire, situated between Sandhurst and Farnborough, and reputedly the best carp fishery in Great Britain. With an annual income approaching �200,000, Yateley’s 13 lakes lie in approximately 139 acres of land. The largest covers almost 14 acres and has a waiting list of anglers eager to fish in it. Carp and catfish well over 50lbs weight are landed from some of the Gold Ticket specimen lakes.

Cemex Angling grew out of the sand and gravel extraction industry’s attempts to find a popular and easily sustained use for spent pits. In the 1960s the building materials group Hall and Company established Halls Angling Scheme, which under the new ownership of Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd became Leisure Sport Angling in the 1970s, and RMC Angling in the late ‘90s. Cemex’s acquisition of RMC in 2005 led to the creation of Cemex Angling.

Cemex have continued to finance stocking programmes for their fisheries, spending between �20,000 and �30,000 annually introducing new fish to their waters, and working in conjunction with Sparsholt College to establish high quality fish farming and rearing facilities.

Mr Freeman said: “The majority of the venues are managed with a relatively low overheads structure, and some also benefit from income from other users, such as sailing clubs and other water sports groups. A number are within easy reach of London and the M25, notably those in Kent, Surrey and Berkshire. All are well known to fishermen locally, and several have waiting lists for membership. Many are venues for the popular annual Gold season tickets.”

The fisheries include Alresford Complex, at Alresford, near Colchester, Chigborough, near Maldon, Ricketts Mere, Ulting, near Maldon, and Wharf Pool and Stanford Le Hope Fishery, near Basildon.