river ant (johnson steet )

[baitmaster]

well the last few days has not been the best and i really needed to get out fishing even if to get my enthusiasm back .
now tactic wise was easy to decide which would be feeder fishing over beds of ground bait but where to fish was gong to be a bit more harder to choose .
now the choices were at the moment either the ghostly st bennets abbey or the white mill on the thurne ,or the long walk up to the thurne mouth also there are the spots on the river bure and ant to that have been kind to me too.
the car was loaded and i headed up to towards the thurne but as i got to ludham i stopped at the bridge that crosses the ant which they called johnson street . there was an angler just packing up so i went to have a chat about the venue .
he told me that he has a few bits and bobs but nothing very big and was then leaving .
well strangely it made my mind up that i would fish here as i,ve driven over it many times and never stopped to fish it .
the gear was soon ready and firstly a few balls of ground bait was balled in just on the slower edge of this pacey stretch of the river ant .
i watch the holiday makers pack there gear way as the light faded and thought shame they really miss some of the best river fishing around here . it did not take long for my fish slab to grace my net . and in the flow it did not make it easy

sorted another bream from a new venue this was soon followed a smaller bream and it was looking like it was going to be good here


no sooner had i recast that the tips swooped round in fine traditional bream bite style and the rod satifyingly arched over and the bream did not make it easy for me but i manage any way .

well the fishing carried on like this and bream followed bream to my waiting and this was just what i needed a good really good session to get my enthusiasm back and this was doing just that

the bite still came thick and fast a few were missed but i was not bothered alsothe roach decided they wanted to get in on the act as well and the odd one got caught and these looked a nice size
http://www.seafishingonline.com/copp...reet%20008.jpg
i was thinking to my self why have i been driving over this venue and not ever stopped to fish it and i thought it must be because its a popular stopping spot for the holiday makers and i like to get out of there way
still the fish came but as midnight chimes started to ring out from a distance church the flow slowed up and it started to turn to come in .

i stayed and fished on for an hour as it was coming in and i was missing bite now but these were not classic bream bite but more like roach and i felt that with the turn of the tide the bream had moved away and this made it easier for me to pack away and while the people on the boats slept i quietly slipped away . but i have to say it was really enjoyable and certainly will fish it again .

tightlines
kevin

[Fishing Forum Admin]

Lovely bream there kev and just goes to show how different times effect how a water fishes ( plus how good an angler is )

[Greenheart]

Nice bag of Snottys there Kev. Good report mate. The Ant's a river that you don't hear much about. Obviously a nice little water.

[Norfolkboy]

Nice one Kev, some lovely sized bream there.

How did the car perform?

[baitmaster]

no dan the fan is broken


tightlines
keivn

[baitmaster]

thought you might like to read this

RIVER ANT

ant mouth
Today, the Norfolk/Suffolk Broads are one of Britain's most popular holiday destinations though the broads themselves provide only a part of the attraction. The area has a whole network of rivers which connect the Broads to local towns and to the sea. These rivers are now festooned with hire boat bases and holiday cottages but before the holiday onslaught there was a thriving commercial trade which often provided small communities with their only means of transport.

The River Ant begins at a junction with the River Bure in the heart of the Norfolk Broads . The head of navigation is at a staithe in Dilham , 8 miles north of the junction with the Bure. North of here, what were once the upper reaches of the River Ant, are now known as the North Walsham Canal. The river's source is at Antingham Ponds

Apparently, the River Ant has been navigable for many centuries, it connected Dilham and North Walsham to the River Bure, creating a direct link to the sea at Great Yarmouth. The waterways reference books do not give a full history of the river other than in the sections on the North Walsham & Dilham Canal which used the River Ant for part of its route. Today the river is very popular and is an important part of the Norfolk Broads network. In fact, there are a number of broads on the river itself


ludham bridge (johnson street
Following the River Ant upstream, the route begins at Ant Mouth on the River Bure to the east of Horning. The junction has changed over the centuries with the river Bure now running from west to east whereas it used to turn south where the River Ant ran into it. The old southern course of the River Bure can still be seen along the unnavigable part of Fleet Dyke.

About ½ a mile north of Ant Mouth the River Ant reaches another unnavigable dyke. This one, named Hundred Dyke, heads east for about a mile and then enters the River Thurne. Past the dyke, the River Ant bends north west and comes to Ludham (road) Bridge within a few hundred yards. Just before the bridge there is a boat yard on the east bank and there are public moorings on both banks above the bridge. The village of Ludham is 1½ miles east along the A1062 while Horning is 2 miles to the west. The nearest pub is the Dog Inn, about 800 yards east.


how hill
North of Ludham Bridge the River Ant meanders about but is ultimately heading north. After 2 miles it straightens out a little and passes Turf Fen Wind Pump on the west bank. The settlement of How Hill is a few hundred yards further upstream on the east bank. There are a a number of attractions in this tiny place, including How Hill Nature Reserve & Environment Centre, Boardman's Trestle Mill and Toad Hole Cottage Museum. The latter is a tiny cottage in the nature reserve which has been preserved as a museum showing the living standards on the Broads about 100 years ago.

One mile further north, on the west bank, is another small settlement. This is Irstead where there is a pretty church overlooking a green and a tiny staithe (wharf). To the north and south of this are some of the most attractive riverside residences to be seen anywhere in the country.

Half a mile further upstream the River Ant enters a very narrow and quite shallow section which lasts about 100 yards as it passes the unnavigable Turkey Broad and then broadens out into a wide pool of water known as Barton Broad . Although this broad is fairly wide the navigable channel for powered boats is limited. The routes across the broad are marked and must be followed. A major dredging and restoration plan is underway which will eventually allow much fuller use of the broad, a visitor centre is also planned. Barton Broad is almost unique in that it has an island, named Pleasure Hill, though (as far as I am aware) this is not open to the public and is currently quite overgrown.

irstead
In February of 1997 it was announced that a grant of £1.15 million had been awarded to the broad by the Millennium Commission to help fund the restoration work. The broad is already a very popular spot, much used by yachts and it is an excellent place to learn how to sail - in fact this is where Horatio Nelson was taught.

There are a number of navigable routes across Barton Broad, the first of which takes boats across the south west corner into Lime Kiln Dyke. This route across Barton Broad passes the north side of Turkey Broad and then heads west for about a mile to Neatishead. Near the entrance to the dyke is the Nancy Oldfield Trust Pontoon while half way along the dyke is a tiny inlet heading a few hundred yards south to Gay's Staithe. There are public moorings at the staithe and the Barton Angler Country Inn is at its head. Just before the head of Lime Kiln Dyke is Neatishead Staithe where there are also moorings. Boats must turn here as the last few hundred yards of the dyke are unnavigable. In Neatishead village is the White Horse pub

At the head of this dyke (which is about ¼ of a mile long) there is a mooring point at Barton Turf staithe . There are a number of small inlets off the south west side of the dyke and these are home to a number of boatyards. The way back to the River Ant does not have to be a return journey along the same dyke because another dyke (known as Paddy's Lane) heads east (again for about ¼ of a mile long) to rejoin the main river. There are public moorings on the north bank of this dyke. These 2 dykes, together with the river, create a triangular island which is known as The Heater.


stalham dyke
Back on the river and continuing north it is just ½ a mile to the entrance of the next navigable dyke, this time on the east bank of the River Ant. This is Stalham Dyke which runs for just over a mile in a north easterly direction towards the large village of Stalham. Half a mile along this dyke is an entrance into what looks like another dyke heading east. However, this is actually the remains of Sutton Broad. It stretches away to the east for a mile though it is no wider than a large river. At its head there is a staithe, a boatyard, moorings, a car park and a long, low building which was once called the Wherryman's Arms. The old pub was once described as a "smuggler's den" but when it closed in the 1840's the building became Sutton Staithe Farm. Some 80 years later it was in a very sorry state but in 1928 it was fully restored and became the Sutton Staithe Hotel. The busy A149 passes right by the staithe and the hotel (now a rather nice pub with modern extensions).

At the head of Stalham Dyke are numerous small inlets holding numerous marinas and hundreds of boats. The main hire boat bases are situated on the new A149, about ¾ of a mile short of Stalham village centre while a small settlement of houses and a farm (known as Chapel Field) are situated alongside the head of navigation on Stalham Dyke just beyond the hire bases.


hunsett mill
Beyond the entrance to Stalham Dyke the River Ant meanders around on its narrow course northwards. Less than ½ a mile north of the entrance to Stalham Dyke, Hunsett Mill is situated on the east bank. In 1972 this windmill was described as "the most beautiful mill in Broadland". It is a brick structure with a white cap and sails. Of course since 1972 many windmills in the Broads have been restored and opened to the public but this one remains a popular subject for photographers. Sadly, for those without a boat, it is well out of reach but, anyway, it is a private building in private groiunds.

Past the mill the river is narrow (though deep) as it curves left until it is heading north west. After 1¼ miles it reaches Wayford Bridge where there are boat yards and day boats which can be hired as well as public moorings and the Wayford Bridge Hotel ( Woodfarm Inn).

During dredging work here in the 1970's workmen came across solid ground on the river bed near Wayford Bridge (which carries the A149 to North Walsham). Closer attention revealed a road which turned out to be the original "Way Ford". While this was a nice historical find, it means the river is very shallow here at only 3 feet deep.

Above the bridge there is mooring space on the west bank and holiday "house boats" on the east side of the river. These, basically, are holiday lodges looking like garden huts, standing in the river. They must be popular as they have been in use for decades but from the outside they always remind me of the swamp-hut prisons in the film The Deer Hunter!

About ¼ of a mile above the Wayford Bridge is a junction where the unnavigable Upper River Ant heads straight on towards the north while the navigable route is to the north west. The Upper River Ant is also the course of the North Walsham & Dilham Canal but sadly this has not been navigable since before World War 2. Up until recent years the first mile or so to Honing Lock was still navigable though hire craft are not allowed on this section today.

Beyond the junction, the navigable route continues north westward for just one more mile. Strictly speaking this waterway is the Smallburgh River though the first ½ mile is known as Dilham Dyke and the final ½ mile is known as Tyler's Cut.

tightlines
kevin

[gullyworm]

Some right slabs there Kev,well done.
Looks a lovely spot mate.

[fishypaul]

great posts there kev,getting to be a slab catcher in your old age

love the ant,thats the type of river i like

[pingu]

sounds a cracking session there kev well done

[Rob M]

Whats all this snottie catching going on?! Well done mate, now get out there and catch some carp!

Rob