The Handbook to the Rivers and Broads of Norfolk & Suffolk

by G. Christopher Davies

FISHING GENERALLY.

In the rivers it is customary to fish in 10 to 14 feet of water, and the shortness of the swims necessitates the line being heavily weighted, in order that it may sink rapidly. The floats are necessarily large, particularly when used for the lower reaches, where there is a considerable tidal current. The boats are moored in a line with the stream, not across it, as on the Thames, and the swims are thus very short. For the upper and clearer waters, the Nottingham system of angling might be advisable, but in the more turbid lower reaches the Norfolk style is practically the best. Worms are used for bream, and paste for roach. Worms are procurable at some of the tackle shops, but anglers will do well to provide them for themselves if possible.

Boats are charged for at the rate of from 1s. to 2s. a-day, but are rather rough concerns, except at Oulton.

Ground-bait, consisting chiefly of meal and clay, is largely used, but a place is rarely baited beforehand. As there is ample choice of stations, always moor so that the wind is at your back, and you will thus have smooth water in front of you.

Small roach as bait for pike, are procurable at most of the waterside inns, at 1s. to 1s. 6d. a score, but to get the best sport obtain fish from other waters, particularly dace and gudgeon.

Pike are, of course, the chief fish in Norfolk, and are plentiful everywhere. In the rivers they do not run very large, a ten-pound fish being considered a good one, but in a few years’ time, with the freedom from netting the rivers now enjoy, we may expect some very large ones to be caught in the rivers. In private waters there are veritable monsters, but the stranger is not likely to make acquaintance with them.

Live-baiting and spinning with a spoon, or artificial bait trailed behind a boat, are the usual modes of fishing for pike in Norfolk. Trolling with a dead gorge, and spinning with a dead bait by casting, as in the Thames, are comparatively rarely practised, although I believe that in some portions of the rivers these methods would “pay.” I have seen fly-fishing for pike practised with success here, and I firmly believe that on some of the shallower Broads it would be very deadly.

Perch are only locally common wherever there is a suitable bottom for them, as at Irstead Shoals and Hickling, and in some portions of the Bure and Waveney, but they run to a large size, and are sometimes caught between three and four pounds in weight.

Bream are most common of all, and may be caught by hundreds and the stone weight. They run up to five and six pounds in weight, and a take by two rods in a day of 150, averaging half-a-pound apiece, is not a rare event.

Roach are very numerous and large, many running close to two pounds in weight.

Rudd are beautiful game fish, common in some of the Broads, particularly Ormesby, and give rare sport if you get among a shoal of them.

Eels are, of course, present in any number, and “babbing” for them, with a bunch of worms threaded on to worsted, is not a bad way of passing a warm night.

Tench are common, but are not often caught with a rod and line. They are taken in bow nets, and run very large. In hot weather, in June, they may be taken by the hand as they bask in the shallow water among the weeds. Some fishermen are very skilful in this particular mode of catching them.

Carp are caught sometimes, but not often, although there are plenty of them.

Dace and gudgeon are not so frequently caught in the navigable waters as other fish.

Chub and barbel are unknown in the Broad District.

The bream are so excessively abundant that they spoil the fishing for other fish, notably for perch, and I think it would be an excellent thing if the different preservation societies would set apart a few days each year for systematic netting to thin the bream, replacing the other fish, and selling those retained. What is the good to anglers of catching thousands of small bream? Are not a score over a pound weight each better than ten-score fingerlings? Judicious thinning out, under proper supervision, would have a most beneficial effect on the size of the fish generally.

There are several preservation societies, of which the Yare Preservation Society is the chief. Mr. C. J. Greene, of London Street, Norwich, Fishing Tackle Maker, is the honorary secretary. The objects of these societies are to abolish netting and poaching, and protect the river for fair angling. The subscriptions are nominal (5s.), and yet they are supported entirely by local efforts. As a rule, none of the anglers from London and other distant parts, who come down to Norfolk and have the best of sport, contribute anything to the societies which are instrumental in furnishing them with sport. This is exceedingly shabby of visitors here, and I trust that those who have been induced to visit the Broads through my writings will at least make the small return to Norfolk anglers of assisting them in their efforts to make these waters the best public fishing places in the kingdom.

There are a few professional fishermen to be hired by the angler. “Professor” Day, of Richmond Hill, Norwich, is one of the best, and knows every inch of water, and there are some good men at Oulton.

Strangers frequently complain that they cannot meet with the excellent sport which falls to the lot of the local anglers, and I remember Mr. Cholmondeley Pennel being immensely dispirited at his non-success on our waters. I lately interviewed a local gentleman who is well known as a successful fisherman, and I append my questions and his remarks thereon, which will afford some valuable information.