Improve Your Coarse Fishing (UK)
Cross Drove
To call it a commercial would be a disservice. Chris Vandervleit is your guide to incredible variety
Thetford, Norfolk
An in- depth guide to the best stillwaters, rivers, and canals that you can fish for the price of a day ticket
MOST stillwater fisheries are seamlessly packaged into a particular category. Commercials are clearly defined by their stocking levels, facilities and design, while estate lakes are often shrouded in beauty within the confines of a huge plot of land.
Then there’s park lakes where a multitude of species can be caught a stone’s throw away from families feeding the ducks and children excitedly zooming around a play area.
But there are a few venues that are so unique that they fail to match the criteria of any particular group.
These waters have characteristics that can’t be rivalled elsewhere and no matter how hard you try, they can’t be compared to anything else on offer.
Located in Norfolk on the outskirts of Thetford is one of these rare gems.
Cross Drove Fishery truly is one of a kind in every sense of the word. Its 70- peg design is unlike that of anywhere else in the country and there are surprises galore waiting beneath the surface.
Drennan and Mainline Match man Chris Vandervleit was brimming with superlatives when questioned about the complex which first opened in 1997.
“This fishery is like no other and I love everything that it offers,” exclaimed Chris.
“Every peg provides a different challenge and it’s no exaggeration to say you literally don’t have a clue what will come to the net next.”
Wild paradise
Although solid platforms – 70 of them – have been installed around the lake, that is where any comparison with a commercial ends.
Its shape is truly unique and take a stroll around the banks and you’ll soon feel like you’re lost in the middle of nowhere. Swims are located around the perimeter and along the peninsulas. In truth, it can be hard to work out how you got from A to B!
There are little bays with dense reedbeds that constantly knock as fish patrol in between, open water zones with clumps of lily pads and teasing corner pegs that look immensely appealing.
“A lot of these swims certainly aren’t for the fainthearted and you must get it right from the first second after hooking a fish as they fight so hard,” he said.
“Some anglers have complained about the greenery being overgrown in places but that is part of the charm.
“If it was all hacked away then it would be in danger of becoming similar to other commercials and that isn’t what the owners or most visitors want.”
Diverse stocking policy
The mystery of not knowing what you will catch next appeals to a lot of anglers and you get that in spades at Cross Drove.
You’ll find plenty of the usual carp, F1s and bream but there’s a lot of other species, some of which you’ve never encountered before.
“You could easily finish the day having caught eight or nine different species and the zander and catfish are probably the most unusual of the lot.
“Although they are predominantly predatory fish, they have bred over the years and it’s common to catch smaller examples of both when fishing the pole.”
In order to give yourself the best chance of catching literally everything swims, careful consideration needs to be given to your tactics and Chris believes going down the natural route on the bait front is a safe option.
Bait bombardment
Arriving at peg four to show IYCF just how good the venue is, Chris was greeted by an array of signs that fish
“You could easily have caught eight or nine species and the zander and catfish are probably the most unusual”
were present in the area. Eruptions of bubbles frequently appeared as fish disturbed the silt on the bottom and the lilies shuddered violently for brief moments as big fish mooched beneath.
“These signals can give you a bit of a headache as to where you should fish but I tend to keep it simple with just two lines.
“The first is in open water on the long pole. The lilies attract the fish but I stay a few feet away as hooking anything tight up can be a recipe for disaster.
“My main line of attack is down the margins. I plumb up and try to find 2ft of water because this is the ideal depth to catch all species.”
The long line is fed with a big pot of worms, casters and dead maggots at the start while the margin is given a different treatment.
“I throw three big balls of groundbait down the edge by hand as the commotion definitely draws fish in. The shoals could be anywhere at the start and you need to do something to draw them towards you.”
His favourite mix is an even blend of Mainline Match Margin Mix and Method Mix.
Unwelcome visitor
Starting off down the edge, Chris had an inkling that the early bombardment would lead to an instant run of bites. And he was right. A couple of F1s and a brown goldfish were soon banked.
“You really have to work for your bites here and I certainly don’t expect to get one a bung all day long.
“The fish don’t act like those in commercials behaving in a more natural manner. They don’t have to rely on the bait from anglers because the vegetation is full of natural food.”
A lull in sport followed and a switch to the long pole line did little to resolve that. A top- up of bait was required and just as he was about to reach for the dump pot, his eye was caught by something breaking the surface.
“That is the tail of a massive catfish slapping the surface! It is 4ft deep there and I reckon that fish is feeding on the deck – imagine how big it is? No wonder we are struggling for bites with such a big predator knocking about.”
Its tail appeared on numerous occasions over the next couple of hours, even leaving a huge vortex at one point as it lunged at a passing fish.
Sport steps up
Once the predator departed, sport picked up. In the last couple of hours, fishing a whole worm down the edge, Chris banked a 20lb- plus carp ( a known fish as a result of its tail defect) a brace of zander, a 2lb catfish and plenty of bream, F1s, rudd and brown goldfish.
“Having no idea about what you’ll catch next is really exciting and that along with the design and natural feel of the place keeps me coming back time after time.
“The UK is home to thousands of stillwaters but you won’t find another one like Cross
Drove,” he concluded.