NORFOLK ANGLING BLOG

Angling Report - Barford Match Lake - 21.01.2012

2012-01-30T06:49:00.000-08:00

View from the peg

As the weather was still very cold and most of the natural venues according to local match results were not fishing well we decided to give Barford another try. When we arrived we noticed that the Pleasure lake was busy and after popping in the shop found the match lake was the only lake available for day tickets.

We have never had an opportunity to try the match lake so were keen to try even though the lake was probably not fishing well due to the match not being on it!!! As we were setting up the heavens opened and the wind became very blustery!! My main line was a pole line about 9 mtrs out at the bottom of the shelf and a waggler line at half depth for silver fish.
I cupped in a half pot full of 4mm pellets on the pole line and started off on the waggler trickling in maggots but after half and hour I hadnt even had a bite despite being careful with feeding and trying different depths. Phil had started on the pole and had no joy either, it was going to be a grueller! It also seemed to get colder throughout the day and presentation was difficult so I packed away the waggler after an hour.

Barford Match Lake on a tough day

After switching to the pole line I started getting a steady run of silver fish mainly Roach and the odd small Skimmer but I was hoping for a Carp but no joy on expander pellet. It was hard going Phil also had a few small silvers when on maggot but he mainly sat it out on pellet but was no good. I just stuck to maggot and had a decent amount of silvers but no bonus Carp. I did also set up a pellet feeder but this didnt even bring a bite so I concentrated efforts on the pole line.

It was a tough session the wind didnt calm down and towards the end of the day the heavens opened again so we were fairly relived to pack up. I spoke to one of the matchmen packing up from the Pleasure Lake match and it was won with around 40lbs from one of the deeper pegs but not everyone caught on the day.

Oh well hopefully next time the weather will be better...................

Angling Report - Barford Pleasure Lake - 14.01.12

2012-01-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

I had plenty of nice Silver fish like this Roach

After a long week I couldnt wait to fish at Barford today after last weeks difficult session. The only negative was that for the last week and especially the last few days the temperatures had really dropped. Anyway myself and Kieran arrived about 10am and stocked up with micro pellets, maggots, caster and corn.

We decided to fish the deeper end of the lake

I decided to fish a pellet feeder with corn on the hook and maggots on the pole line about 11mtrs out. I plumbed up at the bottom of a deep shelf and carefully potted it a few micro pellets and casters every second put in. The water was very cold and hardly anyone was catching but by fishing single maggot I started to get a good run of silvers, Roach, Rudd and Skimmers.

After a few hours and during lunch I did try the feeder line but I couldnt get a bite I did also try a white shellfish boilie and pellet but nothing would work so it was back to the pole line. It was a lovely calm day with no wind and it just felt so relaxing just what I was after. Kieran was trying for a Carp but unfortunately no joy although he did lose one he hooked just as he was packing up!!

I was happy to get a decent bag of silvers but it was just to cold for the Carp and most people on the lake were not getting anything. Will be tempted to come back her in the next week or so it's a cracking venue with good facilities and parking.

As the light faded I wrapped up warm!!

Kieran was after Carp but it was just to cold

It was seriously cold at this point !!!

Angling Report - Bramerton Common, River Yare - 7th Jan 2012

2012-01-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

Didnt think I would be sat on the River Yare during January!!!

First session of 2012 and myself and Phil took a bit of a gamble and went to Bramerton Common despite the time of year. Recently we have had really high winds and releatively mild weather so the rivers were high and coloured. Due to this I have heard that Thorpe Green was fishing well and we also thought on this basis that Bramerton would be worth a try.

Phil was already setting up when I arrived and the river was indeed murky and high. The weather was fairly mild about 10 degrees and dry but it was very very windy and this made it feel much colder. I set up a simple feeder rig using maggots, worms and casters and started to cast out to the clip not very far out due to the wind.

I was wrapped up warm for the session

It was obvious after the first hour of neither of us getting a bite that it would be a hard session. Due to the wind we could only cast half way across the river. We had noticed that across the river near the other bank a few fish were topping so I mentioned to Phil it would be worth casting over there and once the wind dropped and he tried this and caught a small Roach.

Maggots, Casters and Worms although I wish I had pinkies!!!!

I tried the same but no joy for me as the wind picked up so I couldnt stay out there for long!! throughout the session Phil did well to then had a small skimmer another small Roach and a cocky ruffe. I really tried hard to get a fish to avoid a blank but just couldnt get any bites. I was shortening and lengthening the hooklength, dragging the bait after 5 minutes etc. I was using a size 20 hook and tried every bait combination but just couldnt buy a bite!!!

Could this be the fluke of 2012???!!

I came in to the baited line and instantly had a bite and a fish only for it to drop off!!!!!!!!!! It just wasnt to be and I kept trying until dark but not one more bite.
Unbelievably after I was packing up and took the rig apart I noticed that there was a knot in the line about an inch from the hook!!! I couldnt believe I hadnt noticed this previously and knots near the hook always put fish off especially on a difficult day oh well at least I had found a reason.

I did still enjoy the session though if anything it's made me keener to go out again and catch!!!!!!!
Happy new year and tight lines to all :-)

BTW - Phil was fishing at Thorpe Green on Monday and was getting small Roach on the 7mtr pole line so I popped down to catch 4 or 5 so at least I have caught something during 2012!!!!!!

Angling Report - Rockland Boat Lagoon - 27.12.2011

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Nice calm atmosphere and great fishing :-)

I really wanted to fit in another session before Xmas but due to being busy at work and going to France for a week I just couldnt get the time to go. It was cold throughout most of December anyway so I don't think I missed much but saying that I really couldnt wait to get out on the bank today.

The weather was dry and very mild for the time of year around 13 degree's. I set up a simple pole rig 4 mtrs to hand and was using maggot or casters as hookbait and feeding hemp with each put in. Kieran was fishing a similar way but using his waggler rod.

Simple bait set up for the day

The lagoon was full of fish and they were topping everywhere so it was no surprise to be pulling out decent Roach with each put in. I also had a few decent Skimmers, Dace and Perch so it was all good. Everyone in the lagoon was catching and it was all going well.

Only incident of the day was when we heard a car revving and slipping the clutch in the car park. When I went a lady drivers was literally inches away from hitting my car trying to park into a tiny gap. I don't know what goes through people minds sometimes and I had to politely tell her it wasnt possible!!!!

Apart from that it was an uneventful session. I must of had well into double figures and if anything the fishing was to easy. I hadnt brought my keepnet as we were orginally going to try Holly Farm but had been advised against going there as a recent match was won with only a few pounds. Still the session was a nice way to finish the year off.

It has been a good years fishing and ive had plenty of good Bream sessions on the rivers which is I wanted and I really look forward to many more next year. Happy New year to all the readers of my blog.

Angling Report - Beccles Quay - 27.11.11

2011-11-29T12:41:00.001-08:00

A nice mixed bag of fish just the way I like it !!

We were planning to fish Rockland Boat Lagoon but when we arrived at half 9 there was a match taking place without any decent swims available. Also the weather wasnt good, it was forecast to brighten up from mid day onwards and as we walked back to the cars it was raining hard so we didnt mind drying up again with the heater on and driving over to Beccles.

As expected there was a match in progress on the Yacht Station side so we settled down in a swim along the dyke leading to the Quay next to the pedestrian bridge. We knew after the dredging a year back that there was a good depth and the water had some nice colour in it.

Although it's narrow I really like this swim

Kieran was piking and put a mackeral deadbait out under the bridge. Myself and Phil fished a simple set up at 4 metres to hand whilst fishing maggot, caster hookbait and feeding hemp. The issue of the day was the wind was almost gale force and this made presentation difficult, however the fishing wasnt bad.

I caught from the first put in onwards and had a lovely mixed bag including a fair few net fish, Skimmers, Roach and Perch. Halfway through the session I did put 4 balls of groundbait out for more Skimmers which put a few more in the net.

All in all it was a good session and I heard 14 lbs won the match I probably had near to that weight so was happy with the result. Kieran didnt have a touch on the deadbait but he seemed content with eating all day!!! Phil had a few as well throughout the session although he chucked them back quickly before I could get a pic?!

Some of the fish were a decent size

Im possibly busy for the next few weekends popping over to France etc but should hope to get another session or two in before Xmas..............................

Angling Report - Rockland Boat Lagoon - 20.11.2011

2011-11-20T09:36:00.001-08:00

This was my fishing partner for the day!!!!

After Phil fished here on Friday and bagged up I was looking forward to a session at Rockland Boat Lagoon. I stocked up with bait from PW Angling on Saturday and thought I would give it a go on breadpunch on one line and maggot and caster on another. However as I was running late (arrived about 11am) I just decided to fish just one line about 4 mtrs out to hand feeding casters and hemp.

It was a nice foggy morning, surprisingly mild and very still which was nice and peaceful. The water was clear and very shallow. However I could see loads of fish topping, a couple of anglers opposite were also pulling in some Roach. I set up at the end of the boat jetty and started off with double maggot a float lengths overdepth feeding good amounts of hemp each put in.

Top quality bait from P.W Angling

First time I have fished from the jetty - it was a nice swim and full of fish

I was into Roach and Rudd straight away and by feeding good amounts of hemp the fish soon were of a good size. I was really enjoying the fishing and a very social Heron was flying around the lagoon and soon landed on the post right in front of me!!!

After two hours I switched to feeding casters only and fishing caster on the hook. This worked really well and I was soon getting better Roach and big Dace and Rudd. In fact I had Roach, Rudd, Perch, gudgeon, dace and skimmers. It was great sport and the weather for the time of year was incredible.

I was also really on form this session I had everything set up perfectly. I used a heavier than usual float with an olivette and could easily swing the rig out. the keepnet was perfectly positioned and most fish fell into the keepnet as I swung them in. I fished until half 3 so was happy to get 4 hours in but it soon started to feel a bit cool so I decided to call it a day.

As the Heron was waiting patiently I could help feeding it some fish!!!

It was a cracking session and I really enjoyed it. I love fishing in Autumn and as the fish shoal up the fishing can be fantastic. I had well over a hundred fish with about 10 being net fish. I didnt weigh in but it would have been into double figures. I was talking to someone else fishing here and he said a 29lb Carp came out from here in March. Rockland is a cracking venue and I will be back for some more soon!

Catfish being caught from the Norfolk Broads!!!!!

2011-11-19T04:38:00.001-08:00

This weeks Angling Times has an exclusive news story about a local angler who has fished for 40 odd years and has claimed to have caught many catfish in recent years from the Norfolk Broads. According to the report a 58lb Catfish was caught from Wroxham Broad, a 20lb Catfish from Ranworth Broad and many smaller fish reported to have been caught in the River Yare and Thurne this year.

I have never caugh any catfish on the Broads and Rivers, in fact the only catfish I have ever caught is one around 3lbs on the pole at Cobbleacre around 3 years ago. It was a surprise to hook into this fish as it was a lake which was not supposed to have any in? and it gave a great fight all the way to the net!

The report in AT got me thinking as it also states that in 5 years time the Broads could be full of them being the smaller fish are coming out and deemed to have spawned succesfully. This may not happen and I can't fully believe the hype until I see some Catfish coming out or catch some myself.

I would never target them specifically but I think it would be great fun catching the odd catfish on Bream gear. Im still yet to have a Carp or Tench from a Norfolk River which I would love (caught loads on commercials) the strangest fish I caugh was a dab from Surlingham when I was 14!!!! which I thought was a leaf until it moved when I went to pull it from the hook!

Anyway for me its an exciting prospect - what do you think?

Angling Report - Beccles Quay - 12th Nov 2011

2011-11-14T14:53:00.000-08:00

Beecles Quay is a cracking natural venue and probably my favourite winter haunt

Beccles Quay really is one of my favourite venues and I have been looking forward to fishing here all year. The weather was mild for the time of year about 14c and dry but overcast. There was a nice bit of colour in the water and being it was so mild we headed to the top of the quay near the river.

A couple of guys were already fishing (we didnt arrive until 12pm after getting bait and lunch on the way) and they were catching some small Roach and Perch and also had a double figure pike. This was obviously a good sign so we both starting fishing a 5mtr line loosefeeding hemp and casters and I also cupped in 4 balls of groundbait at 13mtrs hopefully for some Skimmers.

As we arrived a double figure Pike was being landed - a good sign!

We were straight into some decent Perch, in fact this is all we had for the first 30 minutes, By feeding hemp we soon got into some Roach mainly. Throughout the session I had around 6 or 7 net fish both good sized Roach and Perch up to a pound. Phil had one net fish which was a 2lb Skimmer.

It was a great session though and it stayed mild throughout. I don't think the bigger fish have properly yet arrived probably due to it still being mild and still being in the river although we both had around 100 fish each with a nice mixture of roach, perch, dace and hybrids so were happy.

The only unfortuante was the groundbait line didnt seem to work. I had one Skimmer and some Roach on it but the 5 mtr line was better loosefeeding hemp and casters. If I could rewind I would have had two lines, one to the left with groundbait and worm overdepth and the other to the right loosefeeding hemp fishing maggots and casters.

I will look forward to coming back here soon.

Preston Innovations 2011 Limited Edition Seatbox Review

2011-11-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would update you on my latest purchase, a 2011 Preston Innovation Limited Edition XS3 Seatbox! Kieran uses one of the older model Preston boxes (blue and black version from 2008) and has always raved about the quality and features it has. Also recently Phil also upgraded from his Kiley seatbox which he had got more than his moneys worth! to a Preston Innovations Space Station Compact Box which really impressed me when I sat on it.

After selling my Daiwa Tournament Seatbox a few years back (which was a fantastic box but very heavy and bulky) I went a bit drastic and used an Octoplus Canal stool for 6 months which I have to say was just way to small, wobbly and uncomfortable with a hard plastic seat. I then settled on a Matchbox SX3 seatbox over a Preston Compact and thought this was the right choice after having the Drennan Team England Matchbox many years ago.

However, despite being happy with it to a point the build quality and stability concerned me and I knew it wasn't what I really wanted long term. I just felt that Preston has now got the market covered for boxes and accessories (all my accessories are already Preston) So when I was visiting Peter for a chat at 'P W Anglers World' I noticed he had a Preston Box I have seen before!

As these seatboxes are limited edition only 900 have been made with 2 allocated to each shop across the UK respectively and I immediately liked the look of it. I couldnt resist after checking it out in full and with a suitable deal completed I was the proud owner of one and now for the review:

This stunning silver name plate really shows off the quality of the Preston Limited Edition Seatbox system

Upon first glance the box has a nice black matt and shiny quality finish and discreet Preston wording around the back with a silver coloured logo on the front. I will find a suitable sticker for the back of the box just to brighten it up a little from behind. The footplate (4 bar) also has a black hardened plastic cover and rolls underneath the box for transport, this is a god send considering ive been having to unscrew and screw the footplate back in which was a complete pain.

The tightening screws have a very nice feel to them and easy to use which will be great in winter and the legs are non marking.
When using the Box for the first time I was immediately taken aback by the stability, absolutely no movement at all by the box or footplate, the box was easy and quick to set up. It doesnt have a spirit level but I really dont think its neccasary but seems to be the strange craze at the moment (marketing ploy). The gel seat was very comfortable and my version has a pole seat which personally I dont use as I should with a pole but it's still fine for all uses.

For the money this really is an impressive box, in fact I rate it higher than the Daiwa Tournament box which retails for near £500

The clips are a very big upgrade in comparision with the previous years models and Ricky Teale from Preston does a great demo on a youtube clip of how they snap off without breaking they are also very easy to use, easy to replace and really impressed me compared to the previous clips.
Under the lid is a generous compartment for floats and line you then have a large multi compartment side drawer which houses all my hooks, shot, disgorgers etc. Its also handy how it pulls out from the side unlike front draws which get in the way when trying to open fishing.

The next drawer unit comes with £30 quids worth of winders of various sizes to cover both Rivers and Stillwaters all in seperate dedicated trays. Both of these are locked in a nice quality pin. The base unit is surprsingly large and fits all my reels, catapults, rod rests and keepnet arms etc in with ease.

Even when fully loaded I was very surprised at the overall weight being surprisingly low, its about the same weight as Phils compact fully loaded which is impressive as it sits taller. The box also has mudfeet and the thinner legs in comparison to the compact which is fine for me being 11 stone.
Finally all the materials are high quality and its all well put together.

Im thinking of adding a small stip sticker to the back watch this space!

I really enjoyed using it Saturday and I know its the right choice for me. For the price retail of £239.99 including the free winders and trays it is an absolute steal. I cant reccomend it enough and I have in the past used Kiley, Watercraft, Leeda, Octoplus, Match box and Daiwa boxes and this blows them all out of the water in my opinion.

I had a bottle of limited edition Lucozade Cola to go with my limited box! btw the cola was very nice

The accessories in my view are also the best on the market especially the double clamp feeder arm. Well done to Preston Innovations I remember when I worked in the trade and we first started getting the onbox gear in. I was dubious that a company could overtake the established Octoplus but I was 100% wrong they are now the market leaders in my opinion and they provide some of the best match gear available - and no I don't work for them :-)

Phil's new space station compact is a cracking piece of kit with a nice blue alloy frame but for me the limited edition is the one to have!!!

Angling Report - Ludham Bridge, River Ant - 6th Nov 2011

2011-11-07T06:09:00.000-08:00

It's always interesting to see how the boats barely pass through Ludham Bridge!

It was a damp cold and windy day but we decided that Ludham Bridge would be worth a try as its simple fishing 4mtrs to hand and we were confident the fish would still be here. I arrived about half 12 and Phil arrived soon after and within 20 minutes we were fishing.

We both set up 4mtr rigs to hand. I prefer to use a Drennan pinkie pole float and was using a size 20 B520 which the barb nipped down. We started by feeding hemp and the every few put ins a small walnut sized ball of darkened groundbait (Sensas Gros Gardons 3000 and some cocunut molasses) within minutes I was into small roach on maggot.

I was frustrated at myself because I was using maggots and casters from last week and despite them being in the fridge all week they were no good the maggots were hard and rubbery and the casters were to dark for my liking and had burn marks. Lesson learnt and I will make it a rule to get fresh bait for every session. Phil had made the same mistake and we were both kicking ourselves.

However most put ins resulted in small roach or hybrids and we were also getting the odd decent Rudd which was nice no Skimmers or Perch for some reason. The better fish didnt seem to be around (I was convinced our bait didnt help) although I did have 10 Gudgeon which was great I don't think I have had 10 Gudgeon in a short session. So I won the Gudgeon match which we have and always laugh about Phil still had about 7!!!!

We didnt weigh in or use keepnets but I would say we had up to 100 fish each just many were small was nice to get some fresh air though. Im really looking forward to a session at Beccles Quay soon.

Angling Report - Bramerton, River Yare - 29th October 2011

2011-11-06T11:59:00.000-08:00

Back to Bramerton this weekend and why not after last weekends fantastic catch. We arrived around 4pm and knew the fishing would be hard until dark. Phil was already fishing and had a few Roach on the pole but nothing to spectacular so myself and Kieran set up a feeder and all three of us started to cast out on a regular basis to get some bait out.

It was nice and mild for the time of year and slightly breezy with high coloured water - ideal for Bream. Kieran was first into a fish on corn and caster and he had a good sized golden Bream of 7lbs. The fishing picked up after dark at around 6.30pm and all three of us were hooking into good fish. They werent really biting properly and the bites were quite delicate though.

I found the best bait was hair rigged sweetcorn with a caster on the hook. In fact I couldnt get a bite on double corn or worm???!!

We fished through until midnight, it was a cracking session Kieran had 5 good sized Bream Phil had 7 and I managed 13 so happy days we all went home satisfied :-)

Angling Report - Bramerton, River Yare, 22nd October 2011

2011-10-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

Kieran fishing in front of an Electrical warning sign! It was for underground cables so it isnt as bad as it seems!

After hearing of a 100lb Bream catch in a 5 hour match along the famous Riverside stretch in Norwich we decided to give it a go as we thought the fish must have moved up early. Upon arrival the water was crystal clear with a low tide but we set up happy to be fishing and the sun was out but it was hard going.

Kieran set up a waggler close in and I set up a pole 8 mtrs out and carefully cupped in hemp with each run through. It was completely dead and for 3 hours we didnt even have a bite

The water was so low that Kieran had to climb down a ladder to get some water for his groundbait!

After not getting a bite we decided that if we carried on it would be a blank so with the time being 4pm we quickly headed to Bramerton Common hoping to get some Bream after dark. When we arrived their were a few people fishing was a good sign so we quickly set up feeder rigs and started getting some groundbait out by casting to a line clip.

At about 6.30pm we had our first wrap round and Kieran landed a cracking Bream which must have been 8lbs. The fishing was then frantic and we found that fishing corn and caster worked best. By 11am I was getting very tired and despite the mild conditions and the Bream feeding well we started to finish the session we had both caught loads of good Bream so were more than satisfied especially when I thought a blank was on the cards.

Happy days!

My fish were not as organised as Kieran's (see below)

Cracking Goldern river Yare Bream

Not bad for 5 hours fishing!

Angling Report - Bramerton - 1st October 2011

2011-10-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

We were in the middle of a heatwave and temperatures were around 27c which was a new record for October. We initially had a look at Postwick but it was packed with anglers enjoying the sun and no where to park. We then though it would be worth a look at Bramerton and despite loads of people on the green enjoying the weather we managed to get the corner swim to the left.

We both decided to fish the pole during the daylight hours switching to the feeder as darkness fell. The tide was high but running out with the annoying thing being loads of weed, leaves and branches were constantly catching the line which was frustrating. However I was soon catching plenty of good sized Roach and Perch with a good few being net size.

As darkness fell and the air cooled we switched to the feeder I was probably casting out a but to far and it took a while to get a Bream bite. Phil had switched to the feeder and had 2 so I knew they were there. I kept the groundbait going in and I also switched to hair rigged double corn and then had some decent Bream which were fighting hard in the strong tide.

By the end of the session we had both had loads of Roach and Phil had 9 Bream and I managed to haul in 10 so was a good result.

Angling Report - Surlingham Ferry (Postwick) - River Yare - 24.09.2011

2011-10-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

I wasnt planning on fishing today but the weather was sunny and 20 degree's all day so I couldnt turn down the opportunity for a few hours fishing. I arrived opposite Surlingham Ferry at around 4pm and knowing it would be dark by 7.30pm I quickly set up on the boat mooring.

Annoyingly a boat was already moored up in the corner so I couldnt get my favourite swim. The tide was very very low and the water was crystal clear so I went straight on the pole 5 mtrs to hand and put 4 balls of Gros Gardon out and started feeding hemp with maggot on the hook.

I didnt know whether the groundbait would put the fish of being it was so clear and it took a while to get the first fish in which was a net size Roach. However by keeping the hemp going in and fishing just off the bottom I put a steady stream of good Roach and strangely Rudd together I also had a cracking Perch in perfect condition which was wellover a pound.

I didnt get any Skimmers which wasnt a surprise in these conditions but I was happy to get some good Roach with many of them being net size fish.

Angling Report - Ludham Bridge, River Ant - 17.09.11

2011-10-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Interesting session to report on this week. Myself Kieran and Phil decided to fish Ludham Bridge again after the recent good session and also Phil had 29lb of silver fish during the week so we knew it was on form. The weather was fairly mild but their were lots of threatening clouds which luckily kept blowing over without raining on us.

We started fishing from about 3pm and after balling in we were fishing 4mtrs to hand and pulling in big Roach and Skimmers with each cast. I was managing to get the bigger fish by fishing caster and really had a run of big Roach all over a pound in fact I must have had ten pound plus Roach which was fantastic the Skimmers were also feeding well so all was good.

We had some bad luck with Kieran locking his keys in the car and having to have his window put through to retrieve them - I wont tell you how he did it!!!! See below to watch Phil breaking in:

Kieran also had some one walk past as night fell and step on his landing net handle crushing it in the process! Not a great session for him but he still caught plenty of fish so it's not all bad :-)

Anyway as it turned dark we all carried on fishing the pole but couldnt get any bites which was due to the fish simply not seeing the bait in the flowing water. I did set up a feeder and had a decent Skimmer and Roach but it suddenly started raining and with storm clouds coming over we called it a night . I had about 20lb, Phil had around 15lb and Kieran had about 10 so we had a pint in the pub at Wroxham to finish the evening off

Angling Report - Ludham Bridge, River Ant 07.09.2011

2011-09-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Phil had this cracking Roach on the 4mtr line on single red maggot. The scales gave it 2 pounds - result!!

It was very windy today we had a look at the Coldharbour stretch which I hoped would be ok but unfortunately the wind was to strong here. We then had a look at Ludham Bridge on the River Ant and luckily a couple of anglers were packing up and they had both caught a few fish during the morning. Due to the wind which luckily was on our backs we set up simple pole rigs Phil went for 4mtrs to hand and I opted for 3mtrs for better control.

We both balled in around six balls of groundbait each and loosefed hemp fishing maggots and caster on the hook. It took a while to get bites but by keeping the hemp trickling in we both started catching well. It was great fun getting a mixture of big Roach, Skimmers, Gudgeon and the odd big Perch.

Phil managed to keep them coming for slightly longer by fishing a size 20 hook I found the fish seemed wary of my size 18 and I also kept hitting a snag at 3mtrs so I went out to 4 mtrs which wasnt ideal being I had balled in and fed hemp on the closer line. By the end of the session though we both happy and had mixed silverfish nets of between 15 and 20 pounds.

A guy stopped by who was staying in Norfolk on holiday and he recognised me from the blog!! I didnt catch his name but it was good to meet him and have a chat. We packed up before dark as had planned to be back for 8pm.

I will be back here again as soon as possible as I reckon that a few good Bream would come out on the feeder after dark. I did lose one big slab on the pole line so I reckon some have moved round here from St Benet's cant wait to find out!!!

Angling Report - Postwick, River Yare - 03.09.2011

2011-09-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well surprise surprise Ive had another session at Postwick and unfortunately it wasnt as easy as the last. Upon arrival at around 10am myself and Kieran found the bank very busy and had to fish at the end we would usually ignore, on top of this the wind was very strong although temperatures were well over 20.

Due to the wind I could only fish at 6 mtrs which wasnt ideal. Kieran was getting a few feeding hemp but I couldnt get them going early on. After 2 hours I put 12 baby's heads out and started feeding hemp aggresively to draw them in. Im not sure why I didnt ball it in earlier because as soon as I did I really started catching, this was to late for me to beat my last weight and I was kicking myself.

The fishing switched and Kieran started struggling whilst I was bagging. Kieran had to leave early so didnt put groundbait out but he had already caught well early on. By the end of the session I easily had a double figure net no Skimmers all Roach and Kieran had a similar net full so wasnt to bad after all.

Will definately fish a different venue for the next report!

Angling Report - River Yare Postwick - 31.08.2011

2011-09-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Myself and Phil decided to have a day session at Postwick but this time going for Roach on the Pole. Usually you don't get so many Roach along here but after all the Roach I caught a few days back I was keen to give it a proper go. Knowing the best method of balling in at 8 mtrs and switching to caster hookbait asap I started off well catching plenty of big Roach from the start.

The first two hours were fantastic with the tide running in at a nice steady pace and hardly any wind fishing was easy and I was catching big Roach with each run through on a small 1.5gram float. Phil started off slow for the first few hours feeding hemp without balling in and this showed me again that balling in really works well along here as it did years ago in matches

The weather was fantastic and I was getting a real mixed bag. I had some nice Skimmers, Roach, Perch and even a big golden Rudd which was a nice surprise.

By the end of the session I had a good 15lb plus and Phil had just under 10lbs so it was a good session all round will be back soon to have another go!

All caught on the pole at 8mtrs mainly on caster hookbait

Angling Report - River Yare Postwick - 27.08.2011

2011-09-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

After a having 14 good Bream from Postwick a few weeks back we decided to have another evening session to hopefully get more! Unfortunately the weather wasnt good was dry but very very and the wind was cold!

Im enjoying a few extra sessions at the moment due to 2 weeks holiday from work so was in good form setting the gear up. Kieran and myself set up open end feeder rigs casting far out to the boat channel and using corn and worms as bait.

During the dayling hours from 4 until 8 we were getting lots of plump Roach and Skimmers and really bagging up on the feeder. Half pound Roach every cast on corn was fantastic Inc the cracking Roach pictured below which wasnt far off 2 pounds!!!!

Caught on feeder and corn

Darkness fell at 8pm and the fishing got harder. We were getting the odd decent Roach and by 11pm Kieran had 4 Bream around the 4 - 5lb mark and I managed 7 of around the same size. We were more than happy with this after catching loads of Roach. The wind was was cold and seemed to be picking up so we headed of early fully satisfied.

Angling Report - Barford Pleasure Lake - 20.08.2011

2011-09-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Cracking Mirror Carp caught close in on the waggler with Meat on the hook

We fancied a stillwater session this weekend so headed over to Barford Pleasure lake which is a cracking venue. Kieran was already there when I arrived and we were both fishing for Carp close in on the waggler and I also set up a pole rig for silver fish up in the water at 13mtrs feeding maggots.

I started off catching plenty of silver fish on the pole line and baited up the waggler line with a mix of 2 and 4mm barford pellets. Kieran caught quite a few good fish close in early on like the nice Carp below.

We fished all day from 9am to 7pm and I was knackered by the end of the session as I had a breeze blowing in my face all day and caught loads of silver fish and around 5 big Carp also a few net size Bream and Chub. Kieran had loads of Carp and Bream early on but strangely it didnt fish as well towards the end of the session.

Caught this strange looking Carp. Looks like it swallowed a football

All in all it was a good session and nice to have a few nice Carp.

Angling Report - Postwick - 13th August 2011

2011-08-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

Stunning view just before dark

Great session to report on this week. We decided to fish Postwick and with the recent rain I was confident of having a few good fish. We arrived fairly late around 7pm and I was pleased to see the water was nice and coloured with a flood tide.

We both set up groundbait feeder rigs and being we were on a bend I like to cast fairly far clipping up and casting to a far bank marker of course! Bait wise I was using my favourite River groundbait mix and for hookbait was using maggots, caster and corn which I know works well here for the Bream.

I was soon hooking into some decent Roach and Skimmers and before dark managed a couple of better Bream around the 4 - 5 lb mark - happy days!!! The weather was superb it was lovely and warm. In fact in these conditions I could have easily fished all night.

By 1am we decided to finish the session I was still getting plenty of bites and felt I could have easily kept them coming for many more hours. Kieran managed 4 good Bream and a good net of Roach and I managed 14 good Bream and a load of Roach so was more than happy and content to leave.

Can't beat a River Yare Bream!!

It was a struggle lifting the net out :-)

14 Bream in the net

This is what I fish the rivers for!!

Probably have a stillwater session next week for a change so will report on that soon - happy fishing

Playing a Carp on the waggler at Barford (Pleasure Lake)

2011-08-29T14:59:00.001-07:00

Angling Report - Buckenham River Yare - 7th August 2011

2011-08-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

These yellow poles have suddenly appeared for some reason. Im assuming they are to keep the boats away but not sure?

I was going to have a weekend off but was tempted by Phil to have an afternoon session on the River Yare at Buckenham. The river was high and coloured and I went for a simple pole set up about 7mtrs out.

Hookbait was maggots and casters and I was feeding hemp with every run through. The fishing was ok with plenty of decent Roach coming out. It was a bit hit and miss and we were having good runs of fish but then it would go quiet for ten or so minutes.

Phil tried the feeder for Skimmers but it just seemed the Roach were playing ball. By the end of the session which was only 3 hours long I must have had 6 to 7lb Roach and Phil had a similar catch. Was nice to have a session at Buckenham the views are fantastic and you really get away from it all.

Angling Report - 30th July 2011 - St Benets Abbey, River Bure

2011-08-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

The famous landmark of St Benet's Abbey which is haunted by the ghost of a Monk

Finally the weather was warm, sunny and dry so we couldnt wait to fish the St Benets Abbey stretch on the River Bure. This is probably my all time favourite stretch of river and you really feel like your fishing a special historic place. Also the area is haunted by the the ghost of a Monk who rows from Ranworth Broad to the Abbey where in medieval times he found the Vikings had skinned alive his brothers so your always on the look out after dark!

Anyway after stocking up with bait consisting of maggots, casters, corn, worms and a groundbait mix of 50/50 Sensas Bream & Lake 3000 we headed to the bank and set up on peg 2 (opposite the Abbey) at about 5pm. I knew this swim was worth a try as the match results in the low numbered pegs had been high.

I set up a feeder casting 3 quarters of the way across and Kieran did the same but was casting half way across. We started getting fish immediately mainly Roach upto half a pound and I even had a Gudgeon! The water was fairly coloured after all the recent rain so I was confident of some Bream and we soon started getting Skimmers before dark.

Where else would you rather be?

Standard bait for a river session inc a bottle of Ale!

Kieran brought his powerhouse lantern which is the ultimate tilly lamp!

After dark the Skimmers got bigger and we started getting better fish mainly on worm and caster although a few were caught on corn as well. We fished through until about 2am, we wanted to stay until at least 3 am. However despite it being mild it got incredibly foggy and damp in fact it may as well have been raining as we were absolutely drenched!!! We knew we had caught some good Bream so we decided to pack up and head home to bed.

Kieran had 11 Bream in total and I managed 21 Bream so was over the moon with this especially knowing I would have had more if we were staying.

No Bream were harmed in this photo!!

Happy days!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fish are never huge from the Bure

It was a fantastic session all in all and the best of the season so far especially with the bites still coming when we decided to pack up. Will definately be back here again soon :-)

Angling Report - Wroxham Broad - 22nd July 2011

2011-08-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

I was being lazy and decided to use the chair!!!

I was really keen to give Wroxham broad a try after some cracking catches of Bream last year. The forecast for the weekend was heavy rain so we decided to fish Friday evening into dark. After getting home from working and loading the car etc we didnt arrive until 7pm and were fishing by 8 so we decided to fish through until 1am.

Surprisingly we were the only two people fishing and it was a nice calm evening with no wind, fairly warm and dry which was the main thing! I went to the Fairford Airshow last weekend and got absolutely drenched so didnt want a repeat performance!!

During the light I was catching good Roach with each cast alternating between maggot and caster also a few small Skimmers. Once it was dark the fishing started to get a bit difficult and the Roach stopped feeding. I switched to corn and also started adding corn in the groundbait feeder to get the fish interested.

I managed to get 2 decent Bream around 4lbs doing this but by 1am we were both knackered and bites were few and far between so we called it a night. Kieran wasnt Bream fishing and had put a deadbait out but unfortunatley to no avail. It was an ok session but we will do it properly next week!!