Inside Information, Brancaster Staithe
I remember when I first became interested in sea angling back in the 1960's reading and re-reading every scrap of output from all the big names at the time such as Gillespie, Gammon and Moncreiff, and always when it came to quality Tope fishing, the area around the entrance to The Wash, that large watery indentation separating the coastlines of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, would be right up there in the main mix. Unfortunately, recent reports of big Tope from the area have been as much a piece of angling history as the people who wrote those reports I read all those years ago. Or so I thought, until recently, when I started doing a bit of online research into the area and came across the venue of Brancaster Staithe over on the north Norfolk side. It was actually while watching TV survival expert Ray Mears trying (unsuccessfully) to catch Bass to eat from the Norfolk shoreline that my interest was initially re-kindled. But I have to confess, probably in the company of most other sea anglers, that as a boat fishing venue, Brancaster Staithe was a completely new one on me.
Getting There
As ever, dependant on where you are travelling from, the directions will differ. But for most people heading there from outside of East Anglia, it will very likely involve some time spent on the A1 or A1(M). From the north, heading east on the A17 from Newark into Kings Lynn is going to be the best exit option. From the south, the M11 then the A10 are probably as good a route as any. Either way, Kings Lynn is a must, then out on to the A149 through Hunstanton, which is the main north Norfolk coast road taking you right through Brancaster then Brancaster Staithe. Inside the village boundary, take the narrow road opposite Northshore's Sports and Leisure store down to Mow Creek where all the boating activity, of which there is plenty, in centred.
Facilities
On the face of things, Brancaster Staithe is just one more in a series of beautiful little Norfolk country villages dotted along the Hunstanton to Cromer coast road. In fact, it doesn't even look like it should be anywhere near the sea. Then you make that turn down towards the 'harbour', and it's like being catapulted into another world. I couldn't believe the measure of boating activity there was going on down there. You literally couldn't move for people dragging yachts about the place or trying to trailer small boats. They call it a harbour, but actually it's anything but. There are launching facilities and there is a pick up point for a ferry boat out to the 'Katie Louise' which is an excellent 12 metre Gemini Cat left on a mooring in the outer section of the creek, because all access here, small boats included, is controlled completely by the buoyed channe,l and of course the tide. All on water access, including the slip, has to be sqeezed into the couple of hours either side of high water, after which the creek effectively empties leaving you either stranded inside, or afloat outside for 8½ hours until it fills up again. Car parking is whatever you can find in the way of space wherever you can find it, and is free. There is no fixed charge for putting small boats in either from the gravel slip, and in that connection, there probably won't be anybody about either, as they use a donation box with a suggested fee of £5.
Like a lot of east coast venues, it's often possible to get afloat and fishing somewhere on most days as the prevailing wind for the UK tends to be from the west to south west. Obviously, it won't always be from that direction. But unless it's from the north or has some east in it, then a boat as big, comfortable and as seaworthy as 'Katie Louise', which is a 12 metre Gemini Cat, can usually tuck in somewhere to find a few fish. And what a boat this is. Without doubt the best equipped charter fishing boat I have ever set foot on, not only in terms of handling and electronics, but layout too, with a huge angler friendly wheelhouse set up so that everyone can sit at a table for lunch, which is also provided. Unusually in terms of base location, Adam Wright who owns the boat, operates a split venue business, working out of Brancaster Staithe over the summer months, and Lowestoft during the winter for the Cod.
The Fishing
Besides being shallow and tidal, and at high water attracting in loads of Mullet, Flounders and a few Bass, Mow Creek also has a very narrow buoyed channel which you have to follow if you don't want to run aground. Adam no longer skippers the boat having handed the helm over to Chris King while he oversee's the acquisition of some equally impressive new boats designed with maintenance of the offshore wind farms, plus some angling in mind. And out on the immense deck is Tammy Fisher who looks after the tackle, bait, and general fish handling side of things. Interestingly, and unusually it has to be said too, Tammy is looking to get her boat skippering qualifications, which if Mary Gavin Hughes over in Ireland is anything to go by, is something we should all look forward to seeing more of. Judging by her tackling up, bait preparation and fish handling skills, including tagging the Tope on behalf of the British Shark tagging scheme who analyse the data gathered down at Southampton University, she should do well. The hands on enthusiasm, willingness to get her hands dirty, and sea legs are most certainly there.
As in my nostalgic glance back to the 1960's, Tope are still the main target fish here in these parts, and from what I have gleaned from a range of sources, these look to be pretty much anywhere and everywhere right across the entrance into The Wash on both sides. Obviously, there are going to be some areas that are more attractive than others, and in that sense, a look at the chart, either on paper or electronically, should give up a lot of clues. The things to be looking for are channel edges, the bases of banks, and deeper water runs between whatever features there are which these fish can use as highways to travel and hunt along. Exactly what it is they are hunting and feeding on is another matter. I didn't actually try small baits as I was told by Chris and Tammy that off past experience of people trying them, there is little else to be had on the main Tope marks using either worm or small fish strips, and that includes Dogfish, which can't be bad. There are plenty of Mackerel about the place though throughout much of the Tope season, which can start as early as April and potentially extend on through into October. But Mackerel are not the main food source of Tope, though they will eat them if they get the chance, particularly on the hook. So with little else on the bottom where the Tope like to hang out, the considered wisdom is that they are there primarily to mate and drop their young, a fact borne out by the numbers of big female fish caught, many of which are obviously full of pups.
Don't get me wrong. There are other species about in the area to be targeted. Just not where the Tope are mainly caught. You do get the odd Ray from time to time. But if you want Rays specifically, and the boats here do deliberately target them early in the year as well as towards the seasons end, the harder ground out towards the offshore wind farms and over on the Skegness side seems to be the best place. The Skegness side also attracts in the Smoothhounds. Other species caught can include Gurnards, Blonde Rays and Dabs, plus of course Cod and Whiting over the winter months which 'Katie Louise' taps into at the beginning and end of her 'summer' stint at Brancaster Staithe, preferring Lowestoft as the main winter venue because it isn't tidal, allowing trips always to be fished during daylight hours, which leaves us with the subject of the Bass. I spoke with Adam about the potential for finding discrete holding areas to fish with bait, but he said it was a waste of time. The Bass here tend to be at the smaller end of the size range with shoaling tendencies, which although they do tend to hang around specific areas of attraction close into shore in some of the deeper indentations just out from Mow Creek, they also like to wander around, for which reason people find them easier to locate and catch on the drift using Hokkai's or similar lures.
On the day of my visit, we concentrated our efforts over on the Lincolnshire side of The Wash pretty much at the base of where the deeper water starts its shallowing run up in to the shore. This mark was just about on the limit of uptiding depth, though at peak flow on what was only a middle range tide, nobody was managing to hold out across the tide, even with Gemini grip leads. Not that that seemed to matter much, as one lost fish, plus what turned out to be the biggest Tope of the day at 71 pounds came along very early on while the run was at its maximum. But with so much shallower water about to go at, I would still pack the uptiding gear as well as a drop down outfit, with braid as opposed to monofilament on the reels to help cut the tide. For end tackle, I personally would go for 12 inches of wire backed up by four feet of 80 lbs bs mono as a rubbing length, and hooks around the 6/0 to 8/0 mark, unless there are also Rays about and you fancy picking one or two up if they are feeding. For Rays specifically, or the Smoothhounds for that matter, you could get away with just four feet of 60 lbs mono and a 4/0 hook. But just to be on the safe side as the Tope here can be anywhere, on top of which they also grow big, a short length of tooth beating wire on the end would probably be the safest option, and a circle hook to help avoid gut hooking for a safe release.
Mark No. 1 – The Hole – N 5307961 – E 00040841
The clue here is in the name. This particular mark is located just to the north of Burnham Flats where it drops from around 12 metres to 16 metres and can quite easily be picked up from the chart or navigator and on the sounder. This is predominantly a clean ground Tope mark that has produced some very good fish over the years.
Mark No. 2 – Brancaster Road – N 5300494 – E 00042956
In contrast to the predominantly clean soft ground close in to the Norfolk side, Brancaster Road is a fairly hard ground mark over which the Bass can concentrate. As has already been said, drifting with Hokkai's or similar small lures is usually the best approach.
Fact Box
Shop - Though essentially a boating shop, E F Snelling in the village does carry some fishing tackle. Otherwise its Hunstanton Tackle, 8 Greevegate, Hunstanton. Tel. 01485 535141.
Launch Site - In the village at the top of Mow Creek. A wide stoney shallow slope into the water accessable for a couple of hours only either wide of high tide with a donations box for launches.
Tides - Hull tide tables. Tide Times
Saftey - Great Yarmouth Coastguard Tel. 01493 851338.
RNLI - Inshore RNLI support at both Hunstanton & Sherringham. Main lifeboat station at Cromer Tel. 01263 512237. Lifeboats
Weather - Great Yarmouth Coastguard Tel. 01493 851338 or MetOffice
Charter Boats -
'Katie Louise' - skipper Chris King available April through until September. Norfolk Fishing Trips, Tel. 01485 512474 or e-m@il
'Sarah Anne' – skipper Clive Johnson Tel. 07769292291 or 07713506475 or again at e-m@il
RATINGS OUT OF 5
Location and travel - **** (4)
Facilities - *** (3)
Tackle Shop – *** (3)
Location Safety - **** (4)
Fish Quality – ****( 4)