G. Christopher Davies

“ But let a man lie in a boat, amid the reeds, for an hour of the silvery dawn, and watch a pair of great-crested grebes, feeding their young ones with small fish, and teaching them to dive and catch fish also, all so close that you might at times touch the birds with a fishing-rod, and he will partly understand what to me is the charm of Natural History. ”

“ From them you view things as from a different standpoint; along them flows a current of life differing from that on either rail or road: the wind is your servant, sometimes your master; there is an uncertainty in the issue of the day’s proceedings, which to an idle holidaymaker is most delightful, and the slowly-moving water is more like a living companion than any other inanimate thing can be. Houses are few and far between. ”

“ The man who plants trees by the side of a navigable river, where the navigation depends upon the wind, is the very reverse of a benefactor to mankind, and only selfishness or thoughtlessness can permit such an act.
There is fair mooring for yachts just below the Inn, on the same side, but they must be kept well off the shore by poles, or as the tide ebbs they will strand and perhaps fall over. The Ferry Inn is noted for its comfort; and its limited staying accommodation is good. The fishing is very good both up and down the river, and there are good boats for hire for fishing purposes. ”

“ There are mud flats on either side of the wide channel, where herons and sea-fowl greatly congregate. The strong wind against the tide raises a respectable sea, and the tacks being longer we made rapid progress, and the motion was exhilarating. A sail across Breydon in a strong wind, is a thing I always consider a great treat. ”

“ It is a wonderfully clumsy thing to look at, and is not regarded with friendly eyes by the wherrymen, who run their wherries full tilt against it too often at night, or when, with the wind astern, they are unable to stop. One wherryman, exasperated beyond endurance, let his wherry go at it with all her force when running before half a gale, but only smashed the bows of his vessel, not moving the ferry a bit or injuring it, for it is heavily bound with iron to withstand such experiments. ”

“ They are manned generally by one man, who sometimes has the aid of his wife or children. They are nearly as fast as yachts, sail closer to the wind, and are wonderfully handy. The mast is weighted at the keel with one or two tons of lead, and is so well balanced that a lad can lower or raise it with the greatest ease, when it is necessary to pass under a bridge. Wherries are the most conspicuous objects in a Norfolk broad landscape, and are in sight for miles, as they follow the winding courses of the rivers, often nothing but the sail visible above the green marsh. ”

“ Pike are, of course, the chief fish in Norfolk, and are plentiful everywhere. In the rivers they do not run very large, a ten-pound fish being considered a good one, but in a few years’ time, with the freedom from netting the rivers now enjoy, we may expect some very large ones to be caught in the rivers. In private waters there are veritable monsters, but the stranger is not likely to make acquaintance with them.
Live-baiting and spinning with a spoon, or artificial bait trailed behind a boat, are the usual modes of fishing for pike in Norfolk. ”

“ There are lodgings to be had there, and for a place combining the attractions of lake, river, and sea, it has few equals. Of course, the Broad is within easy reach of Lowestoft, the most attractive watering-place on the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk. It has a fine pier, good houses, cliffs, a capital harbour for yachts, a harbour for fishing vessels, where the artist will find much that is picturesque, and an old part of the town on the higher ground to the north, which has many features of interest. It has not the noise and bustle of Yarmouth, but it is gay enough for reasonable people. ”

“ We sailed quietly on, down the curving reaches of the widening river, watching the slow-seeming flight of the heron, the splash of fish, the bending reeds, and the occasional boat-loads of anglers, until we came to the mouth of a dyke, about a mile long, up which we again rowed in the jolly, to explore p. 37Rockland Broad, where the open water is much more extensive than at Surlingham. Here there are several eel-fishers’ floating abodes, Noah’s-ark-like structures, with nets and “liggers” dangling about them. The fishing and shooting on the Broad are, at present, open to all. ”

“ Where it was ahead, owing to a bend in the river, there was no room to tack, and one of us would jump ashore with a line, and tow. The Ant is just like a canal, except that it has no tow-path. The fishing in it is remarkably good, particularly at Irstead shoals, where there is a stretch of water about half a mile long, with an even depth of four to five feet, and a firm, level, pebbly bottom, a curiosity in this land of boggy streams. This is an excellent spot for perch and pike. ”

“ The one sail is very handy, and if her owner has but ordinary skill and energy, he could sail her alone, and so dispense with the expense of keeping a man. Without this expense, yachting in these waters is a reasonable and very cheap amusement. These remarks are for the benefit of the great number of people who have written to me at one time or another, to know what facilities for economical boat-sailing and living exist in these waters. For fast sailing and ease of handling by a skilled person, the present improved type of sloop or cutter cannot be surpassed on any waters. ”

“ There are several preservation societies, of which the Yare Preservation Society is the chief. Mr. C. J. Greene, of London Street, Norwich, Fishing Tackle Maker, is the honorary secretary. The objects of these societies are to abolish netting and poaching, and protect the river for fair angling. The subscriptions are nominal (5s.) , and yet they are supported entirely by local efforts. As a rule, none of the anglers from London and other distant parts, who come down to Norfolk and have the best of sport, contribute anything to the societies which are instrumental in furnishing them with sport. ”

“ Rose, who well understands and can supply the needs of yachting men and anglers. There is staying accommodation at the inn, a wagonnette to meet the trains, fishing boats to let, and every attention from the host. As there is good mooring to both banks, especially above the bridge, and the river is wide and deep, Acle is rapidly becoming a favourite yachting and angling station.
Owing to the wide breadth of marsh there is a true wind for sailing, and the reaches above Acle to Thurnemouth are wider and finer than any other parts of the Bure. ”

“ It is not deep enough, however, for yachts or laden wherries. The Broad is largely affected by the tide, which sometimes leaves its shallows exposed. The river, as I should have said, is tidal up to Norwich, and the force of the tide increases with every deepening of Yarmouth Haven. We rowed up the dyke which leads on to the Broad, a small sheet of water, overgrown with weeds and very shallow, but a capital nursery for fish and fowl. The fishing upon it is preserved. Rowing across it, we entered another dyke, and emerged into the river again, and caught up the yacht. ”

“ The watermen on these rivers are very civil, but they look with disfavour upon anything which interferes with actual sailing.
Well, the view from Postwick was worth seeing. The curving reaches of the river, animated with yachts, wherries, and boats, lay beneath us, and the green marshes were bounded by the woods of Thorpe, Whitlingham, and Bramerton, while the ruined church of Whitlingham stood boldly on the brow of the opposite hill. ”

“ She has a tall and massive mast supporting a single large sail which is without a boom, but has a very long gaff launching out boldly at an angle of forty-five degrees. The curve of the brown or black sail from the lofty peak to the sheet is on all points of sailing a curve of beauty. ”

“ The soil of the greater part of the river-beds is vested in the Crown, therefore angling is free to the public. Strictly speaking, the shooting over the Crown rivers is free, but this does not give persons a right to shoot an inch over the banks. Looking to the fact that the Bure is very narrow, and passes through private game preserves, let me earnestly entreat visitors not to fire off guns either at birds or at bottles (which last amusement appears to p. xiiibe a favourite one) above Acle bridge. The sport to the visitors is nil, while the annoyance to the riparian owners is extreme. ”

“ The usual plan is to row along the river while your dogs work through the reeds on the bank inside the river wall, or embankment, which generally runs parallel with the rivers on each side. Flight shooting is also successfully pursued, but of course you must obtain information as to the best spots in the line of flight. Oulton Broad is free, but is much shot over. Breydon Water is a capital fowling-ground in hard winters. It is the “happy hunting ground” of Yarmouth gunners. An easily managed sailing-boat of light draught is useful for this kind of work. ”

“ The Muck Fleet, which we passed below Acle Bridge, is their outlet into the river Bure. They are very easily accessible from Yarmouth by rail to Ormesby station, on the North Norfolk Railway, and boats may be obtained at the Eel’s Foot, and the Sportsman’s Arms, the former having fair staying accommodation. The fishing is free, at all events to persons going to the houses named, and p. 137uncommonly good sport is to be had amongst pike, rudd, and bream, the number of a catch being counted by the hundred, and the weight by the stone. ”

“ The bream are so excessively abundant that they spoil the fishing for other fish, notably for perch, and I think it would be an excellent thing if the different preservation societies would set apart a few days each year for systematic netting to thin the bream, replacing the other fish, and selling those retained. What is the good to anglers of catching thousands of small bream? Are not a score over a pound weight each better than ten-score fingerlings? ”

“ Persons also are not allowed to land. It is to be hoped that the good behaviour of the public will remove all idea of closing the Broad to the public, which would be nothing short of a calamity. The regattas on this Broad which used to be such sources of amusement, have been quite discontinued, partly on account of the difficulty in getting the present racing craft up the North River, and partly through the reluctance of yacht owners to ask the favour of sailing where they formerly supposed they had a right. ”

“ All flowers and grasses which grow in such luxuriance by the riverside, within the river wall, or the three yards from the river margin where the navigator has an indefeasible right, may as well be gathered for pleasure as die and rot. ”

“ Loud talking or laughter in the boat does not appear to intimidate the fish, but knocking or any disturbance which communicates a vibration to the water is decidedly objectionable, especially in shallower streams, and often causes a great interruption to the fishing. Have found a pair of lawn-tennis shoes or slippers very good to wear in a boat when fishing, for this reason. ”

“ All riparian owners adhere stoutly to their just rights. It must be remembered that the rights of the public are limited to passage along the navigable rivers and the navigable broads, and the use of the banks of navigable waters for mooring purposes and for towing. ”

“ For fishing, pure and simple, Ormesby Broad is as good a place as any to visit.
The other lake I have not described is Fritton Decoy, a long curving lake, about a mile from St. Olave’s station, on the Yarmouth and Lowestoft Railway, and Haddiscoe station, on the Norwich and Lowestoft Railway. It is only open to anglers from April to September, being closed the rest of the year, to protect the wild-fowl decoys, which are still worked on it, by the two proprietors. For a note upon these decoys, and others in Norfolk, I must refer the reader to a paper upon decoys, written by Mr. Thos. ”

“ There is no rigging to the mast except the forestay, which is mainly of use for lowering the mast, the latter being balanced on the tabernacle by a ton and a half of lead on its heel, so that it is raised as easily as it is lowered. These wherries sail very fast, very close to the wind, and are often managed by one man. Yachts built on the wherry plan are very comfortable craft, and easily managed. ”

“ In the morning there was no abatement, and although it was off the land, we shirked the wetting we should get at sea, and decided to go over Breydon, and up the Waveney. As the tide would not make until the middle of the morning, we took the jolly and rowed down to the harbour mouth at Gorleston. It is interesting to note how, for three miles, the river flows parallel with the sea, and, on the average, under half a mile from it, the dividing land being nothing more substantial than shingle and sand. ”

“ The fishing here is remarkably good. I do not think any objection is made to angling for coarse fish, but permission must be obtained for pike fishing. The Broad, though the water is fresh, is affected by the rise and fall of the tide. Going on one night in the dark, I missed the channel, and ran so hard on to a “hill,” that in the morning when the tide was at its height, we had to lay the yacht on her side by means of lines and tackles to the nearest channel posts ere we could float her off. The Broad is easy of access, p. ”