Heacham River, Norfolk

[River Roach]

All of the wensum through fakenham is pretty easy because the club stretch is day ticket. So you always have access to any of the river (apart from the odd private garden) through fakenham. Where the river runs through the town is all free, it's carrys on through the common which is also all free. If you find wensum lodge hotel your there. Follow the river as far as you can walk ether way and your good to fish. The club stretch is clearly marked and day tickets are available from fakenham tackle. All quite hard to explain but such a small town you won't have a problem findin it.

[River Roach]

Made my way down to the river for a walk today and boy am I exited. Whilst watching a huge shoal of dace, out of a reeds cane 3 of the biggest roach I have ever seen. Between a 2-3 lb. I also saw a lovley tench of about 3 lb and a few huge trout. I know where il taking my fly this week

[River Roach]

Forgot to mention the kids I had to have a firm word with how we're catching the lovely dace.

[DaceAce]

Forgot to mention the kids I had to have a firm word with how we're catching the lovely dace.

Well and truly out of season for the dace! Better stick with the trout for the next 3 weeks.

[River Roach]

Yep think I might have to go after those trout tomorrow night

[Bigoll]

RR - good for you telling the kids to clear off before the season opens! The Heacham is the only river I've ever come across an EA bailiff, so maybe they'll get nicked officially too - the last time I encountered one I was just about the only person fishing there who had a rod licence. Makes me mad!

Great to hear that there's a good stock of fish to stalk this summer! Were you walking the section between the beaches or upstream towards the golf course / downstream towards the nature reserve? I think it'll be July before I can get there so save some of those chunky roach for me

[Bigoll]

Unless you were referring to the free stretches of the Wensum, in which case still save a few chunky roach for me

[River Roach]

I walked the section between the beaches. I had a go after those trout Tuesday night. And failed. Everything is so so easily spooked there. I saw some top which looked very trout like. Managed to hook it on a dry fly and was even fooled into believing I was play a big trout. Until I landed a black and gold koi. Nearly two pound mark was great fun on a light fly set up.

There was evidence of fishing taking place in all of the swims, with bait bags and corn tins everywhere.
With the mrs mum being quite envolved involved in the local council she has offerd to bring it up in Tuesdays meeting. So fingers crossed there will be some bins for all the rubbish and some nice big signs stating to closed season and warning people about licenes ect.

[Bigoll]

Yeah, there's a lot of human traffic along there so the fish will naturally be a bit skittish (that said, there are thick shoals of dace behind the toilet block at north beach each summer and they don't care about anything!). Bad luck on the trout front but the koi sounds interesting!

It really annoys me that people are fishing the river out of season, and littering it into the bargain. I've mentioned it to my old man who's on the council himself so maybe they can get one of those Angling Trust signs put up to warn people off; maybe even the EA could send their bailiff along one day as they do in the summer. As for the litter, there are bins at both beaches so it's just people being lazy and uncaring - the same reason they fish illegally!

[Rutland Rod]

You are whetting my appetite for your local river ! my mate and his wife popped in just now on their way from Leicester to their caravan an nearby Snettisham Beach, lovely warm muggy evening after this weeks heavy rain, they said we could have their caravan for a nite or two midweek, an offer we will take up, a few miles drive to Heacham and hopefully from your reports a bag of very mixed species !
Tight lines
Dave