River Ant

[timh]

Hi, has anyone got any advice on fishing the River Ant, like where are the better areas for the bigger bream and Perch?

I like to think I'm a fairly competant angler, its just I will be mooring up at Wayford this year but have never fished the river and am new broads in general . If anyone fancies joining me for a session or two in the summer, then your more than welcome.

[Timbo]

Hi Tim

The upper stretches of the Ant below Wayford are prime Rudd waters. Bars of gold they are. However the water is very weedy and usually gin clear in summer. I've had some nice bream from the main river off the point of Jon's slipway. Don't over feed or it will kill it dead in minutes. If there's someone balling it in...pack up you will catch nothing and neither will they. I've had more joy with perch on the stretch between the turn for Stalham and the head of Barton Broad. I keep two rods rigged, one for silver fish...still feed light but heavy on the loose feed...castors sends them into a frenzy...wait for them to go quiet and then bring in the second rod with a lobworm cast to the edge of where you have been feeding and the perch will snaffle it up. Then it's back on the loose feed and silver fish. I tend to trot it using reasonably light gear and a centerpin. When I say light on the feed I put two satsuma sized balls of groundbait in and then keep a constant flow of six to ten maggots or castors going in.

[MauriceMynah]

I favour bread in that area. It's very good just below the Sutton Stalham fork. Find a quietish spot to moor, tie up then wait a few minutes for the water to settle before starting. This is the time to set things up. Ideally you need to get the freshest crustiest loaf you can lay your hands on. I also use cheese, preferably one of the Stilton family (I have started using white Stilton of late and find it pretty good)

My method is very simple. Take a largish piece of the bread, place some of the cheese on it and rinse it down with a glass of reasonable red. perhaps a quality Cote du Rhone. When fishing this method it is essential not to put any bait on your hook, as any disturbance from those irritating fish will be most unwelcome. Tight lines and tighter friends. That's what I always say!!! 

[Gracie]

There's a fantastic mooring on the Ant called Johnny Crowes Staithe just before the How Hill moorings, we managed to moor there last October and fished the afternoon/evening with a simple float rod set up and maggots, bream, roach and perch were plentiful, we must have had a fish a cast, not monsters but great fun all the same, feeding the swim with a handful of corn and maggots practically caused a feeding frenzy

The mooring itself is one of the best 'wild' ones on the Broads in my opinion, enough room to set up our chairs and fish from the bank rather than the boat

A word of advice though, make sure you take the bottle of wine and glasses, place them next to your chair, it saves a lot of clambering on and off the boat lol

A very warm welcome aboard the forum, Tim

Grace

[BroadAmbition]

Jonny Crows Staithe is a private mooring. You need permission with an annual paid permit to stop there. 

You will often see 'B.A' alongside 

Griff

[DaylightGate]

Hi Tim

Timbo is dead right for the fishing on the river all the way up to the bridge. The fishing in the yard is just as good. You will come across the odd decent Perch, beware you will come across fair sized Pike that will follow and take your catch. Bream I have had upto the 3 pound mark.

[marshman]

I have been using it since the 60's - do i have squatting rights??????

[JawsOrca]

I've never caught anything other than rudd, roach and Perch... I am easy distracted though and only move the rod when it's drifting of down the river.. perhaps I must try harder this year...

[Baitrunner]

I've only had a pike. 23lb mind you so it had probably been chomping on those Rudd!!!!

[quo vadis]

I love it up the Ant 

[timh]

Thanks guys I'm sure I'll enjoy a few days drowning maggots, shame that there doesnt sound like too many bream, I'd have thought it was an ideal river for them especially up the top there away from the boats.

Is Barton broad any better for the bream? Is it possible to mudweight and have a dangle for them?

[MauriceMynah]

23 minutes ago, quo vadis said:

I love it up the Ant 

I really hope that isn't a euphemism !

[JennyMorgan]

14 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I really hope that isn't a euphemism !

At least it's more practical than some of the alternatives!

 

[Timbo]

15 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

I really hope that isn't a euphemism !

I used to think she was brilliant in George & Mildred!

[Wildfuzz]

In the clear water lure fishing for Jack pike and bigger perch is a must, keeps you occupied and watching them chase the lure keeps the interest. For pike try a popper, had great fun all the way along to Jons yard.

 

S.

[timh]

Sounds good Wildfuzz, will have to try that in the new season. It looks a nice stretch from what I've seen of it.  Any idea how big the Perch get to around Wayford?

We had a walk around the marina at the weekend, and saw a dead 3lb bream floating under a boat, so there should be some more around, somewhere?

 

[Timbo]

One thing to note Tim. That Wayford Bridge marks the boundary of two pairings of otter. It's fascinating to watch them. The collective noun for otters is a 'romp' for a good reason. There is also a fair amount of boat traffic in the season, often at prime evening fishing time as boaters race the dark to get to the pub. Consequently the fishing is...OK...but not many specimens or large shoals for that matter. There's the odd pike in the basin, a few reasonable perch, occasional bream to 3lb, roach and rudd 'to hand'. Come down stream and the fishing improves.

[timh]

I love otters........until I've got my fishing head on, then they are vile creatures, and sometimes indescriminate killers!!! 

Still looking forward to seeing and sharing the river with them though, will just have to travel a bit to drown a few maggots.

 

[retired]

What`s the fishing like around Sutton staithe?

[Bound2Please]

Just now, retired said:

What`s the fishing like around Sutton staithe?

Its close season till June the 16th... Then after that sorry never fished that part, so cant say... 

Charlie

[MauriceMynah]

For when the season is open again, it has been my experience that the main mooring fishes quite well with many small fish and a few larger ones. The spot I always felt had to be the prime one was the end mooring looking over Sutton Broad. later experience has proven to me that this is not the case with higher numbers of fish coming from nearer the boat yard.

Hope that helps.

[webntweb]

Fishing about 10 to 12 feet out between a couple of moored boats on the main mooring I usually catch plenty; mainly small stuff but occasionally roach and perch to half pound or so.

Roy

[JennyMorgan]

Wherever there are moored boats, Brundall is great for example, paddle along aboard a sit on kayak, flicking smallish lures in between boats and jetties can be heaven on earth. It works down on the Southern Broads, I'm quite certain it would work on the Ant. 

[Malcolm Withell]

I thought I'd resurrect this thread rather than create a new one. I'll be staying in a houseboat just above Wayford Bridge in October. What is the river like there? (Yes, I know it's probably wet.) Clarity, flow, depth, fish species, methods, etc. I'd really appreciate some advice.

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[Timbo]

 Water is very clear on the upper stretches of the Ant, Malcolm. A fair amount of weed, long slender type we call water soldiers in our neck of the woods. There are also stretches of waterlily too. The Wayford end holds a good head of golden rudd, nice bream, some quite large perch and I have pulled out a  brace of river tench downstream of the bridge. The flow is quite gentle and although shallow there are some deep holes here and there up to eight feet or so. 

The bridge marks the boundary between territory of two otter romps or families. Early morning will see one romp cavort in the pool upstream of the bridge between the bridge and the houseboats. The other romp hunt the margins of the port bank downstream of the bridge. There's the odd squabble when the romps get territorial.