The River Lark is one of my favourite rivers, although it seems to come into it’s best form during the winter months. The area around Prickwillow bridge gets rammed with roach. Match catches to double figures are not uncommon here. The best method seems to be on the float or waggler rods. However in the summer, it is’nt uncommon to hook a nice tench or bream on the tip using a ground bait cage feeder, with double red maggot on the hook. I have also had some cracking eels and perch from here.
Going For The Pike
The River Lark was once full of good sized pike but over the last few years, the larger ones are proving harder to find. I have had the odd double figure fish from here, but these tend to only feed during the early morning or at dusk. My biggest pike from here is 17ib. During the day however, you are guaranteed plenty of jacks.
If you are lucky, you may get a zander. A friend of mine caught one a few years back around the 11ib mark.
Baits And Methods
When I fish this river for the pike and zander, I tend to do best on sea baits. Mackeral tails and sardines seem to produce the bigger ones for me. Roach dead/livebaits are also worth a go.
I do use float setups, but tend to do best on a simple sliding ledger rig using size 6 or 8 duel semi barbed trebles.
I would like to know where i can fish on the river Lark, on a day ticket can you help?
Hi Peter,
The Cambridge Fish Preservation look after the fishing on the Lark, in Prickwillow, just outside Ely.
Tickets are £5 on the bank. Min species are Pike, Roach, Rudd, Bream and Tench.
Hope this helps!
Hi Peter,
I’ve bought a house in Icklingham in Suffolk just by the river. I noticed yesterday when I had a drive around there it said ‘private fishing’. How can I do this legally?
Many thanks if you can help!
Vicky
Hi Vicky,
I am not sure to be honest, as not that familiar with that part of the River Lark.
Best think is to check with the local tackle shops. Ther is one in Mildenhall.
If you click on the Carping On link in my local tackle shops section, this will take to you to the Mildenhall tackle shop website.
Hope this helps!
Hi John,
Whats the best tactics on the Lark when its weedy?
I’ve had a lot of roach and perch on the waggler but can’t seem to get to anything bigger.
Cheers
Paul
Hi Paul,
It depends where you go on the lark. I tend to fish a lot in the Prickwillow stretch and do well on the cage feeder.
It isn’t as weedy down there so I feel it is the best method to get to the bigger fish.
Let me know if you need anymore help!
Hi John,
I only managed a few sessions last summer but thanks for replying to my post. This year I’ve managed to get out more, pretty much always at the few pegs near Prickwillow bridge.
I’ve had a lot of good roach, rudd, skimmers and perch to 1lb on float fished maggot, worm, prawns and bread. I’ve had larger fish legering with a small bomb close in but not really had anything on the cage feeder.
I’ve had no luck with sweetcorn. Are you mainly fishing the margins? most of the time I’ve been no more than a rod length out. I was going to do a night session but haven’t sussed out the best rigs yet. I tried the lift but couldn’t get the depth right as the swim was quite uneven so I was always either over or underdepth. I’ve used the lift loads on stillwater for tench.
I was going to target either bream and tench if I do a night session. Do you know if there are any carp in their?
Cheers
Paul
Hi Paul,
I always use the ground bait feeder rod baited with double red maggot, and do well with the tench and bream.
The best time I find is early morning, or evening. There are carp in there, but very nomadic. You would have to do some searching around to track them down.
Night sessions would be worth a try, but there are a few eels there and crayfish, but don’t let this put u off!
Hope this helps!
John.
Hi John,
I managed an evening session last week, around 10ish I took my first Lark Tench of around 4lb. Worm on a 2 x SSG leger and the quivertip not much more than a rod length out. I tried a different swim and I think that was the difference. I was actually going for big perch and had a dozen decent ones so that really was a nice surprise 🙂
Cheers
Paul
Hi,
I would like to do some fly fishing on fen rivers for pike and perch etc. I wondered if you could give me some indication on where to go and hoe much it would be!
im currently member of the lark angling and preservation society, but it is getting a little to small now.
Cheers
Matthias
Hi Matthias,
The cut off channel is good for pike and perch, and does get the odd fly fisherman on there for the pike.
If you go to http://www.klaa.co.uk this should give you the info you need.
The relief channel is also good, which is owned by the same club as the cut off channel.
Hope this helps!
John
I fly fish for pike up in mildenhall jubilee fields, loads of open space at isleham marina all under lark angling.
If interested in more info on fly fishing in Anglia: pop to http://www.eaflyfishing.com
Thanks babs
Hi John, you helped me with advice a few years ago regarding the River Great Ouse and my first Zander. I am hoping you can help me on the Lark.
We will be staying “hopefully” in 2021 at a local campsite near Prickwillow.
Who runs the fishing around this area (day tickets or season) we are down just as the season starts in June and is your cage feeder tactic still worth a go or float fishing?
Thank you in anticipation
Tony