ADTV Amanda's Angling - Fishing Small Streams & Rivers

Very early in the session, I found a swim that was packed with young chub and some fairly large dace. Fishing my local River Wensum can be challenging at times, and sessions like this don’t come around very often, especially in the winter. When they do, you really have to make the most of them.

There was a particular spot a few meters downstream that seemed to produce a bite almost every time the float drifted past it. I stayed in that swim for a good hour, catching plenty of fish, before eventually feeling like we’d got the best out of it and it was time to move on.

The next few swims didn’t show many signs of life. I didn’t spend too long in them, just a few minutes in each, trying to locate any fish. Eventually, after walking a bit further upstream, the float suddenly disappeared and I was connected to a fish that instantly felt better.

There were lots of head shakes and I knew straight away it wasn’t a chub. It turned out to be a really nice Wensum roach, the first one of the day. Continuing in this swim, I discovered a small pocket of roach, which was lovely to see, especially as they aren’t as prolific as they once were on this stretch.

The River Wensum was once famous for its big roach. During the 1970s and 80s, catches of double-figure bags of roach weighing between 2lb and 3lb were relatively common. I’ve also heard plenty of stories about big barbel, including the one caught by our very own Phil Spinks, weighing 17lb 12oz back in 2008. The Wensum even held the British record for barbel at one point, with a fish of 19lb 10oz caught in 2009.

The fishing nowadays isn’t as great as it once was, but there are definitely still some large roach to be caught. You just have to put in a bit more time and effort to find them.

After finding those roach a few swims upstream, things started to slow down again and we decided to move once more. We stopped briefly by a bridge where I confidently bet Widget that we’d catch loads. That bet was swiftly lost, and we decided to head back to where we’d started, as it felt like our best chance of catching one or two more fish before heading home.

That turned out to be the right decision. Only a few minutes after returning to the original swim, I hooked into the best fish of the trip. It was a stunning chub of around 2-3lb and great fun on the float setup.

Day two greeted us with a beautiful, misty morning. It was much colder than the day before and this time we decided to try a small stream. I’d never fished it before and had no idea what was in there, but with only a few hours available, I took a relaxed approach and just let the day unfold.

I was fishing maggots on the hook and as loose feed, throwing in just five or six maggots every cast or every other cast. It’s important not to feed too much, as the fish can end up drifting further downstream chasing the bait. Feeding little and often helps build their confidence and keeps them actively feeding in winter, which usually leads to more bites.

After catching a few small roach and dace in our first spot on day two, we moved again, this time to a weir pool we’d spotted from the road earlier. Using the same approach of feeding little and often, I managed to hook a huge brown trout.

I wasn’t expecting a trout at all, and this one put up an incredible fight in the fast flow on light tackle. We didn’t weigh the fish, as it’s really important to return trout as quickly as possible, but it was without doubt a personal best for me and a moment that absolutely made the session. 

For this session, I used a Sonik CMX dedicated stick float rod in the 13ft version. They also do 14ft and 15ft models, which are ideal for larger rivers. I paired it with a small, lightweight fixed spool reel, which makes a big difference when you’re holding the rod all day.

The rig itself is very simple. I use a Drennan loafer float attached with rubbers so I can adjust the depth easily. For the bulk of my shot, I use an olivette. With a 3g float, I fish a 2.5g olivette above a micro swivel, which connects to a hook-to-nylon leader. I then pinch on a couple of number six shots to sink the maggots to the desired depth.

After walking you through my trotting setup, we tried a few more spots, including an old mill pool, but unfortunately there was no more action. Winter days are short, so it was great to get a proper fishing fix in just a few hours.

Next winter, I’d love to go further afield and search for some bigger and better fishing. Until then, I’ll be more than happy continuing to trot my local rivers, and I hope this session has inspired you to do the same.