Page 14 - Anglian angling on the broads

14 Environment Agency Angle on the Broads
Catch of the day
In the summer
roach and bream
can be caught as
far downstream as
Stokesby on the Bure,
Reedham on the Yare
and Somerleyton on
the Waveney.
higher tides in the Broads. These
are increasingly associated with
invasions of salt water up the
Broads rivers.
They occur mainly in autumn and
winter but are not unknown in the
summer. In autumn the effects on
fish populations are profound. The
fish flee the lower reaches of the
river seeking refuge from the salt
further up stream. This has the result
of making large stretches of the river
completely devoid of fish by the time
November arrives. Any angler visiting
the area in late autumn and winter
would be advised to avoid these
lower reaches.
Examples are: anywhere downstream
of St Benets Abbey on the Bure,
downstream of Potter Heigham on
the Thurne, downstream of Brundall
on the Yare and downstream of
Environment Agency Angle on the Broads 15
Burgh St Peter on the Waveney. For summer reaches. The reason for this boats. The exception being in narrow Where fish have the choice, such as hours. In the wider reaches, such
pike anglers visiting in winter these migration has already been partly stretches of river such as along the on a large Broad, they will stay in as the lower Yare and Waveney,
distributions of prey fish should be explained – fish flee the lower, Ant where daytime fishing is virtually the weedbeds in the shallow bays fishing through the day is thoroughly
borne in mind. It should be noted more brackish reaches of the impossible. and close to reedbeds during the practical and large catches of roach
that pike are very vulnerable to salt rivers. However other factors are daytime. At night they leave such and bream can be made using
and will flee at the first hint of it. It is at work too. However, presenting your tackle in areas to feed in the boat channel. So swimfeeder or quivertip tactics.
not easy to detect salt in the water – the place and manner you may wish it is obvious where the angler should However, you would be well advised
dipping your finger in and sucking it The open expanses of large Broads to is another matter. Boat wash and be, depending on the time of day. to steer clear of busy areas of the
works where the salt levels are high such as Hickling or Barton are boats travelling through your swim narrower confines of the River Bure
but saltwater makes its progress inhospitable places for fish in winter. see to that. A better bet during the If your visit spans more than a one between Horning and Wroxham and
upstream along the riverbed Without the cover of weedbeds, fish busy periods of the day is to find a week period a quiet spell on the the River Ant during summer days.
(saltwater being denser than are vulnerable to predators such spot away from the river navigation rivers can be found in the middle of Much wiser to seek the peace that
freshwater). Therefore the degree of as cormorants and pike, so they channels that cross the Broads – for Saturday. It is not until mid-afternoon the many side Broads have to offer.
leave such areas and find sanctuary this you will generally need a dinghy that traffic picks up and you will
saltiness will be higher at the bottom
of the river. What may appear to be in narrow waterways, such as the or a boat with a shallow draft. find very light traffic for about five
a salt-free river can in fact be far dykes that lead into Broads and in
too salty for the fish population to boatyards. Water temperature too
is a factor, with the temperature
bear and they will have fled far from remaining higher in such places that
where you are hopefully setting up
your gear! are not constantly at the mercy of Suitable
cooling winter winds.
High tides brought on by north
westerlies, combined with large Cormorants are far less inclined to tackle
hunt their prey in such places; for
amounts of rain, will lead to very high starters there are too many people
water levels as the tidal surge meets
the floodwater coming downstream. around to suit these shy birds. set-ups:
Thus, where they are accessible the
The result will often be a slowing boatyards become favoured winter Block End Feeder Open End Feeder
of the flow and indeed on some
days the flow comes to a complete venues for anglers. Stretches of Use maggots, casters or chopped worm. Carries groundbait laced with feed,
Fish heavy or light feeder according to
i.e. maggots, casters, chopped worm,
standstill. This is not usually good for river to which boatyards are directly strength of flow. sweetcorn. Fish heavy or light feeder
fishing, the fish that inhabit our rivers connected also offer fine prospects according to strength of flow.
are used to flowing water and they in winter. Notable stretches being
will often stop feeding when the flow through Wroxham, Horning and
slows to nothing. Potter Heigham. Where there are no
boatyards but where a river passes
There is, of course a period of still through a built-up area such as at
water, referred to as slack water, Beccles, the prospects for the winter
when each tide changes from flood angler are far brighter than on more
to ebb. This is generally a period picturesque but barren stretches
when bites stop for a while. It offers of water.
the angler the chance to accurately The centre of Norwich in fact
rebait the swim without the worry of provides the best winter sport of all
a strong flow making ground baiting
and is a Mecca for match anglers
somewhat hit or miss. from November through to the
Seasonal migration season’s end. So good is the fishing
in the centre of Norwich in winter
What a difference the seasons that it demands a chapter of its own
make. Fish are distributed much (see pages 22 and 23).
more widely in the summer than
in the winter. In the summer roach The boat traffic effect
and bream can be caught as far Fish in the Broads are used to
downstream as Stokesby on the
Bure, Reedham on the Yare and boat traffic – they have to be. This
Somerleyton on the Waveney. But in means that it is possible to catch
winter the fish tend to congregate fish throughout the day on a busy Waggler Rig Stick Float Pole Rig
Presents a moving bait, often maggot or
Useful method in slower reaches of
Excellent control of moving bait fished just
in huge numbers in very localised stretch of river, without the fish being off the bottom, or tripping the riverbed. caster fished just off the bottom. Easily rivers and on Broads.
spots, many miles upstream of these put off by the constant passing of controlled from a boat.