FISHING FOR THE PURIST IN NORFOLK
A TRADITIONAL carp-free Norfolk venue in top form right now is Rocklands Mere.
This purist’s paradise offers tranquil surroundings and natural fish.
Although it’s a small pond of around an acre, there’s an abundance of features, including lily pads, against which to present a float.
The fishing here poses a challenge, so to help you succeed, venue owner James Harrold told us a little more about the fishery: “Fish under your rod-tip, that’s my advice. Those that struggle are often fishing too far out. You only want to be one or two feet from the bank.
“Ninety per cent of the time all you need is a light waggler or float set-up, targeting the various lilypads or overhanging branches. Those that do best feed plenty of small mass baits like casters, small pellets and hempseed, fishing with a matching hookbait over the top.
“Sweetcorn also works, and
bread is really good too.
“There is a cracking stamp of roach in the lake. We electrofished it during the winter and removed several bathtubs of smaller fish. I think we will continue to crop the smaller fish out every winter, as the remainder have done really well.
“The average roach must be 8ins long, and around the 12oz mark. They do go bigger, though, with around five fish in the mid-2lb bracket, which will be fantastic roach to target once it cools down a bit.
“The crucians in here are really hard to catch, but it is absolutely full of them. Two years ago we received a stocking from the EA of 4,500 fish, to which we added a few. Over the last three years we must have introduced 6,000 crucians. The problem is that the lake is full of natural food, meaning they don’t really require anglers’ baits.
“I’d say it’s challenging but very rewarding – that one bite could result in a 3lb crucian.
“We also have plenty of tench in the lake, many of which are 3lb to 4lb, but they do get a lot bigger. The biggest officially weighed specimen went 8lb 2oz. Since taking all the carp out, every other species has really thrived.”
LOCATION: Rocklands Mere Fishery, Chapel Street, Rockland St Peter, Attleborough, Norfolk NR17 1UJ CONTACT: 01953 488694 PRICE: £10 per day (8am until dusk) FACILITIES: Fishing lodge with toilets, refreshments RULES: Barbless hooks only, no keepnets, no night fishing, unhooking mats compulsory