Has been a while since I have had a days fishing, due to work and other commitments, but fitted an evening in on the tidal Hundred Foot River. Fished the feeder rod, and had plenty of nice roach, skimmers and an elusive eel. Had a zander rod out in the evening, but nothing took an interest. Probably did’nt help with the seal floating around my swim!
Hi,
Firstly I’m finding the website brilliant, and it covers all the main drains.
When I was a kid I used to fish in the cut off channel at Mildenhall, and come out with heaps of Roach / Rudd whatever.
Now I getting back into fishing, and live near Witchford, so I am deciding to go fishing down at Sutton Gault (north or south of the road), the questions I have is :
–At this time of year, what is best, the counter drain, River Delph, or the New Bedford (100ft drain) ? I will be taking few pike spinners, waggler set up with maggot set up or sweetcorns, or ledger and wire trace with dead bait etc. As Im taking my kid, hopefully it shouldn’t be too long to get a bite ?
Can you advise which one I’m likely to get the best action this time of year !
Many thanks
OLIVER
Hi Oliver,
I live in Sutton and Sutton Gault is my local water.
The River Delph and the Hundred Foot drain, are best this time of year for the usual summer species like Roach, Rudd, Bream etc.
If you want a Tench, your best bet is the River Delph.
As for the Pike, the River Delph between Sutton Gault and Mepal produces very well when it comes bigger pike in the winter, but the jacks are ravenous in the summer though on the lures.
When the River Delph floods, the Counter Drain also produces, but you need to work hard to find them. Leap frog methods are best.
Any more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
Thanks for your site, it is extremely useful to the visitor to the fens.
It is nearly fifty years since I used to visit Littleport with my parents. The visit this year is a massive disappointment in the quality and access to fishing now available. I tried to get on the Middle level twice, once at Upwell and then at Three Holes. Upwell was impossible for me to get to. I never realised that you need chest waders and a sickle or scythe to reach the edge of the water and fish, reeds cover both banks on average to six to eight feet out from the bank. Having sighted the moorings at Three holes I thought we would be ok for some roach fishing on the hemp, only to have a boat turn up as we were tackling up, nice folks, they said that the Middle level was out of the way, and I never saw another boat on it at all!
Fishing at Well Creek was poor, despite being given a special mention in the Angling press as doing well for Rudd Skimmers and Perch, which would have been nice, not to any numbers but we did catch fish. We tried to access the water that Welney AC own on the old Bedford, you need to get passport photos, join the club and then pay for a ticket, pity the guy in charge was away on holiday so we spent another tenner on photos before finding out that was it!
Littleport seem to look after their water better than Kings Lynn AA, and the Great Ouse is a beautiful looking river, an evening feeding two swims and fishing gave me a few perch, and I did see one old lad catch a decent bream, we live in hope!
Next morning, very early, we go over the bank, only to find the very two pegs taken before us, so much for prebaiting!
However, the five anglers on the bank that morning, including the baited swims never had one bite between them, mine, I had to hook and hold onto a very strong fish, presumably a tench, which eventually won and pulled the hook out of itself, another tenner wasted, and being told you have to be there by 3AM to get a bite didn’t go down too well!
When asked of we wanted season tickets rather than paying a fiver for a day ticket was an offer I found easy to turn down.
The saving grace was Mepal on the New Bedford, it is a real pleasure to fish a bit of running water, with brilliant access and get a bite a chuck on the whip catching some lovely quality Dace and Chublets for an evening. The last day I tried the Hundred foot at Denver, quite a drop in levels whilst I was there but managed to get hold of some nice skimmer bream on the feeder.
Overall, very disappointing, the fens is a dead place for the ordinary angler, fishing relatively early (5-6AM) is a waste of time, I will not be returning down here, a real shame as the folks round here have been lovely and friendly, and our digs were superb. The Lamb and Flag at Welney is fantastic for food, but I come down here to fish, and generally they aren’t there in any great numbers unless you are virtually night fishing. Good luck with the blog, I will keep my eye on it. You are doing a good job.
Hi Will,
Sounds like you have been having some bad luck fishing the fens.
Not all the fenland water ways are that bad. I tend to fish the out of the way/less pressured drains and rivers, and do very well.
Hence the website.
Feel free to email me if you want some advice on where to go. As for the New Bedford at Mepal, I fish this regularly and do very well, as it is literally on my door step. Plenty of fish, including some nice perch.
Having just read this I find it totally different to the fens I know and fish most weekends. I cannot believe how you managed to pick spots with either no access or no fish.
The only factual point as far as I am concerned is your comment regarding Littleport looking after their section which is quite correct. However compared to King Lynn they have much less to look after. Klaa do a marvelous job on the Ouse (TMB) and the middle level. The level has many spots with good access from St Germans down to Pingle. Many areas there are literally hundreds of clear pegs and good cut banks.
As for no fish well you have only got to read Johns exploits here to know that is not true. I have consistently caught every weekend since the season started. The first couple of weeks on Ten Mile Bank you do need to start at first light and you will catch until about 7am if its bright. However the middle level is known for fishing all day.
The last 3 weekends I have just fished TMB match style. Fishing the slider mainly but tip rod aswell. I have caught skimmers roach bream and perch consistently. One day I didnt start until 11am due to being poorly but still caught very well through to 5pm.
So over all I am sorry you had a bad time but for any other anglers reading this I can assure you the fens is not a dead place for the ordinary angler. The edges of every swim I go to are full of fry and fish topping all over. The fens are in a very healthy state at present. I am catching many 3inch bream. What better sign of the future of the fens can you want.
John
Hi John,
I’ve just got a static caravan in the Boston area and am thinking of re-acquainting my self with the fishing on the middle level having not visiting for over thirty years. Could yo provide advice on where access is good as well as fishing up to the end of November?
Cheers
Steve
Evening,
Anywhere along the Middle Level is good for access and fishing in November, especially for pike and zander. I visit it a lot myself, and have had success.
Go to: http://klaa.co.uk/
This will give you all the info you need. I am actually heading there the first weekend of October, so keep an eye on my diary, too see how I got on.