[Voluntary Bailiff Scheme]

Thats the trouble ! should think they need to go around in pairs !

Week before last I was sitting at Wroxham bridge with my wife and grandaughter watching 2 idiots fishing. dad was "dropshotting" in a fashion with large lures for pike, no sign of a net or unhooking equipment. Son was chucking loads of groundbait in the middle of a myriad of swans and casting maggots in the middle of them, No regard for the consequences.

While we were there I saw one swan with line coming out of its mouth and another with a Jelly type lure stuck in its back.

Fishing should be banned at the bridge full stop. Its promoted as a bird feeding area after all !

Lost count of the morons trailing lures from moving boats.

Could do with more policing.

[Why does anybody go fishing ?]

I live in Grimsby, (Don't laugh) but we get odd ones on the coast or on our local reservoir, but never seen one myself.

[The Maltsters, Ranworth.]

Went last week, place was lovely and clean, cheerful, friendly staff , food was lovely. wish I was there now ! Some people are just natural moaners.

[Why does anybody go fishing ?]

The question we all hate.

Just returned (unfortunately) from a week on the Broads. Can't believe that I had an otter no more than 6 feet from me that was eating a fish while I fished on totally still and watched it ! we had about 6 sightings of otters last week,mainly when out in a row boat, but nothing to compare with that.

Also saw an Osprey, Yes !  an Osprey ! on the Coltishall / Wroxham stretch, it took a fish WITH ITS TALONS from the river, fantastic. Witnessed by all 4 adults in the boat so I wasn't p..... at all!

Kingfishers as well.

Nature at its magnificent best, I never dreamed I would see things like that in my lifetime ! What a place.

That's a big part of why I go fishing.I'll bore you all in a day or two with some other fishing events last week.

Regards

Stefan

[Any ideas what this is?]

Love it ! what is a sea bass though? is that different from a bass ? too much come dine with me going on..........

[Fishing so far.]

Has anybody any idea how the fishing is on the Bure between Wroxham Broad and Brinkcraft recently ? 4 weeks to go for a week in a plush riverside shack on the outskirts, can't wait !

Last visit we stayed in a property down a dyke at Horning, lovely accommodation but crap fishing, the water was gin clear in the dyke.

[Favourite Craft]

Royall Satin is ideal for 2, lovely boat.

Royall Ambassador is great for a larger party.

Had some great hols on those 2.

 

I don't like the new style showy cruisers at all. Bit like a poor mans private Monaco Yacht.

 

Don't like wooden boats either even when they're plastered in chrome and an inch of varnish.

[Fishing so far.]

These so called pike anglers make my blood boil !

Trouble is there's no real answer to it, Maybe having to buy a separate permit for pike fishing would work to a degree ? then  the tackle shops shouldn't sell pike tackle without seeing It . wouldn't bother me paying out a few extra quid for something I love.

Especially if it would help preserve the species. It should be illegal to fish for pike without appropriate gear, like shooting a lion with a bloody bow and arrow ! I'll shut up now before I really go off on one.

 

Can't the Bailiffs ( if there are any) do more ? What about the Pike Anglers Association ?

[The Glorious 16th!]

I couldn't agree with you more Troutman62, A Passion for Angling is superb, I think they would even appeal to people who don't fish, as for the last day of a holiday on the Broads I practically have a nervous breakdown, when we take the Boat back they have to literally prise my hands from the door lol. For a few weeks after we're back I just keep thinking 'this time last week we were doing this or that and we were moored here or there' how sad is that

 

Grace

I've been like that for years !!!! We booked our September holiday for this year back last July and it's never out of my mind .  Thats sad as well.

[The Glorious 16th!]

Alan, most fishing is about observation and using your common sense, take Gracie's examples, she catches a lot of Perch in the edge on rivers, that is because Perch eat other fish and ambush their prey, the stripes are a disguise and the Perch hide in or near Reads to blend in, Most reads and other aquatic plants grow in shallower water hence they are near the edge. Now let's look at the pond fishing and catching in the edge, the same thing applies re plants, often Fisherman will fish to Islands or other features but the specific reason for fish congregating around the edge I believe, is that at the end of each day Fishermen tend to throw the excess bait that they haven't used into the Pond, in the edge. Naturally the fish come to hoover it up and contrary to popular belief fish do not have a short memory, they know feed will be there and so they patrol that area. Simples!

Dave

Apparently Carp are the most intelligent, ( if you believe everything you read in the magazines ha ha),

I understand that to qualify as a Carp you need at least a PHD in physiology or a related subject and be able to converse with Steven Hawking about the theory of dark matter and are  able to identify and tie 2500 different Carp rigs.

 

Boilies, bolt rigs and buzzers,.That's just machine minding.

[The Glorious 16th!]

Oh Troutman62, a lovely post, my dad gave me some Passion for Angling dvd's with Chris Yates and Bob James, I could sit and watch them for hours on end, brilliant

 

Grace

Hiya Grace !

 

A Passion for Angling is superb, I'll watch right through (again) a day or two before I get to the Broads in early September, it just sets the scene for me,  can't wait for getting the rods out at dawn on the Bure before the boats start.

Trouble is I never want to go home. That last Friday afternoon is purgatory.

Sometimes I wish I would get sick of Norfolk but can't see it happening before they nail the lid on.

 

Stefan

[The Glorious 16th!]

I must admit (not offence intended) I don't quite get those fisherpeople who sit in the rain on a stool watching the float all day..

 

For me (as in my earlier) post.. It's an excuse to do nothing.. drink  ... and watch what others are doing..

 

It can be a tad inconvenient when the fish catches itself (I've certainly not caught it as I have no idea how to fish and most of the time the bait on the hook has come off a long time earlier!) as then i have to do something, although I generally shout at someone else "The pole thing is moving on it's own again :shocked" .

 

Very rarely do I try.. although that's normally before the drink kicks in but then I hook one after the after so I'm quickly bored..

 

Enjoy the fishing all... We will probably make a start in a few weekends.

 

Ah Grasshopper !!

 

There's much more to fishing than catching fish!

specially on the Broads.

If you're anything of a naturalist (and if you enjoy the Broads I suspect you are)

You'll enjoy

the

Misty mornings on mercury still rivers, coots croaking, glorious sunrises, dragonflies, kingfishers, voles, herons and silence.

Takes you away from the day to day hassles of life.

Try reading one of Chris Yate's books, try "Falling in again", he can explain it so much better than I can.

[Speeding]

Apologies for last post !! tried to withdraw it, for some reason I missed a few posts.... oh dear board for me !

[Speeding]

At  the end of the day the likely outcome is that the boatyard will do bugger all.

Do they ever I wonder ?

I would think that if the boat was from from one of the smaller yards there would be a lot more action!

 

As long as the cash keeps flowing....................

[FISHING IN THE CLOSE SEASON]

I think you're on dodgy ground fishing those waters in the close season.

 

I know that canals aren't subject to a close season but my local canal which is around 20 miles long is sourced from a TINY river and because of this, coarse fishing is denied in the close season. As far as I'm aware any canal which is river connected is subject to a coarse fishing ban. 

 

Get a  nice little #4 weight fly rod mate and fish those stretches for trout and the coarse fishing ban doesn't apply ! The trout fishing season runs into the coarse fishing close season so you've no problem and its great fun on a narrow bit of stream or river. Fly fishing is wonderful.

 

(Mind you, chances are you might just catch a few of those nuisance roach and perch by accident of coarse !)

[What's bad about the Broads]

Hi Gang ! notice that a few of you use the good old A17/A47, have you tried using the B1145 instead of the A47 ? its a lovely calm run with a few places to stop off, ( the pretty route  ). Doesn't take a lot longer if you're going to Wroxham/ Horning area.

 

Regards

 

Stefan

[What's bad about the Broads]

We all tell everybody about the great things in Norfolk, but we must all have things we dislike !

Here's a few of mine................

 

Friday afternoon on the last day of the holiday is not good for the disposition. 

 

Gangs of noisy idiots mooring next to you when its too late to move your vessel.

 

I dearly love our wildlife and am a keen angler and naturalist but when people post Broads videos of their holiday on U Tube feeding mallard and swans for interminable hours it gets seriously boring

 

Boat toilets, 'nuff said !

 

Carrying loads of shopping   back from Tesco Stalham to Richardsons yard,(backbreaking) not as young as I was.Maybe have to lower my standards and buy a carp barrow .Just hope none of angling mates see me with it ! ( can always hide it when I get home).

 

And another moan - Petty I know, but annoying, why do boating brochures ALWAYS show Mum and Dad relaxing with a glass of wine, never a pint of ale, don't people drink beer any more ? Us ale drinkers must be seen as a bit down market nowadays, more pork scratchings and a roll up than tarte tatin, We make some of the best beer in the world but can't even promote it.

 

And don't forget the old favourite -the compulsory holiday rat race down Ranworth dyke, competing with boat after boat to get to that single mooring at the staithe. Bliss.

 

 

Fortunately the good things will always far outweigh the bad !

 

 

 

 

[Why is it so Special?]

Early morning mist on the water, being the first boat out in the morning on a mercury flat river, kingfishers, pub dinners, beautiful sunsets with a few beers outdoors, arriving on takeover day to hear all the boats engines throbbing away in the yards, first shopping trip to Roys, burgers from Massinghams, walking from Salhouse broad to the fur & feather to be ripped off for food and staggering back, watching people trying to reverse a boat , fishing in the evening on fleet dyke, hundreds of dragonflies on the Cockshoot broad walk, - These are a few of my favourite things ! Can't imagine rotting away  on a foreign beach for a holiday.   

[Plea to fishermen]

Brilliant attitude ! Particularly when it can cost you money.

More tackle dealers should follow your example but that's not going to happen unfortunately. 

[Solar Eclipse - Fri 20th Mar - Nav Lights?]

The eclipse was grim in Grimsby !

 

Non event of the year.

[Plea to fishermen]

Steve's post hit the nail on the head.

I'm convinced that the pike decline both on the Broads and other popular venues has been exacerbated by people who have no idea how to deal with any unfortunate fish they may hook.

Unfortunately every "angler" who turns up with his massive treble  snap tackles and inexperience in unhooking pike  is fired up by tales of Norfolk pike !

It seems to be a given that anybody turning up for a Broads holiday must try for a huge pike to photograph and brag about.I wonder how many  pike die annually through being mishandled ?

[River depth]

Thanks Iain !

 

What a nice friendly forum this is ! Full of good info, I love Norfolk, wish I could get more often though, September is a long wait.

 

[Good rod for fishing off a boat.]

Yes indeed ! I use an old  10' fibre glass ( when its not stuck in the ground for growing beans up)   Leeda rod for boat fishing and it cost me a fiver second hand !. Long rods are a curse on a boat.

[Needed info on an old rod]

Enjoy it !!

If its not cracked in any way it'll be fine to use. I still occasionally use on Abu 403 hollow fibreglass rod and a Pegley Davies solid glass rod for piking and have a split cane fly rod as well.My wife still uses her only fishing rod (fibreglass) bought around 1973 ! 

Its  nice to use some of my old stuff sometimes, too many tackle tarts these days.

[River depth]

Thanks everyone for all the info ! mucho grateful !