The fighting sticklebacks of the Sussex wetlands

[Vagabond]

Species Hunt 2007 No 2 Three-spined stickleback.

Last year, the stickleback eluded me. The Brighton Road Lake at Tunbridge Wells used to swarm with sticklebacks when I was a schoolboy in the late 1940s. A visit there in October last shown no sign of them – nor did a visit this morning – just tens of thousands of tiny tadpoles.

Now nest-building sticklebacks in the spring are not easily overlooked, so it looks as if the Tunbridge Wells sticklebacks are history. The stickleback is not a fish particularly common in the central Weald anyway. No doubt there are isolated pools and ditches that have sticklebacks, but unless you actually walk by such water and see the Jack Sharps for yourself you are unlikely to know about them – there’s no secret grapevine on stickleback location. In fact, once the Brighton Road lake was ruled out, I couldn’t think of any local waters likely to produce them. I remembered some ditches at Kilninver, near Oban, where I introduced my grandchildren to the delights of stickleback hunting. But that was 15 years and 700 miles away!


So some reconnaissance was necessary. One thing I did know was that sticklebacks tolerate brackish water, so my first thought was to explore the dykes and ditches of the flat lands that border the upper estuaries of the Sussex Ouse , The Adur, and similar rivers.

Country like this



What I was looking for were ditches that were only inundated by the sea at high springs. They would only get a dose of salt water once a fortnight. Rainfall and groundwater seepage would dilute that to, I hoped, a suitable habitat for sticklebacks.

Exploring such country means plenty of legwork. I found plenty of ditches, and some indeed had sticklebacks in them. Here is a typical stickleback swim.


However, I found a snag. The sticklebacks were breeding, not eating. Every turquoise and scarlet male was holding a territory, seeing off other males, and trying to entice the grey-silver females to stay. Just like chavs at a nightclub “If it’s a bird, chat it up, if it’s a geezer, punch its head”

My scrap of worm on a Size 20 was ignored. Mile after mile of ditch held the same pattern. I found myself studying territory boundaries, territory size as a function of individual aggression, aggression as a function of distance from home territory, etc etc. “You are not here to write a thesis on stickleback behaviour,” I told myself “just to catch one of the beggars - move on”.

A few more miles of ditch, then……….At last! A shoal of about a dozen sticklebacks, swimming together. All a dull grey and obviously feeding on something on the filamentous weed I could see on the bottom. Out went the stickleback bolt rig (SG shot 3” from the hook) and a scrum formed around the bait. The shot moved, so Strike!

…and here she is, 2.25 inches of fighting stickleback weighing perhaps a dram and a half. Received wisdom suggests stickleback varieties from brackish water tend to be larger than those from inland waters. Not so in this case, these were about the smallest breeding stickles I have seen.


In terms of time and effort per pound of fish, this is a most demanding species ! However, I enjoyed the day’s fresh air and sunshine, the reconnaissance (five hours) the actual fishing (fifteen seconds) and putting another point and a half on the scoreboard.

Must look for an easier species tomorrow……

[Norfolkboy]

Great report again Vagabond, enjoyed that one!

Well done, sounds like you worked hard for those points.

[fishypaul]

well done vagabond, did you try livebaiting for them ?

[pingu]

well done vagabond

tried in vain several times over last two years for one, saving grace was my fave haunt is stream by pub which makes it far more bearable

[Omahayank]

Good determination and good job VB!!

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Brill report mate

[Greenheart]

Great report Vagabond. Sounds like you had hours of fun