The new coarse fishing season for rivers which started on Tuesday will bring anglers dedicated to flowing water out of their three-month hibernation.

Chris Boughton

Angling in West Suffolk

By Chris Boughton

The new coarse fishing season for rivers which started on Tuesday will bring anglers dedicated to flowing water out of their three-month hibernation. Anglers in south-west Suffolk have the Stour and Glem, while further north are the Lark, Little Ouse and Blackbourn. Fishing on the Stour between Sudbury and Haverhill is controlled by clubs including Sudbury/Long Melford, Haverhill and London organisations, with membership and day tickets available at Sudbury Angling Centre. There is also a small stretch of free fishing by Rodbridge picnic area near Long Melford. The Stour is a scenic river running mostly through open countryside with roach and chub the dominant species.

Brandon, Lakenheath and Bury clubs control fishing on various sections of the Little Ouse which is particularly noted for its excellent pike fishing. This is a typical fenland river which flows slowly into the Great Ouse just north of Littleport. The river is around 20 yards wide with depths of up to 10 feet. Lakenheath Angling Club offer stretches at Cowles Drove, just outside Lakenheath, and Bury AA has a section called Redmire, just past Shippea Hill railway station on the road to Littleport.

About 12 miles north of Bury St Edmunds, fishing is available on various stretches of the River Blackbourn, from Sapiston Mill to Euston.This a very narrow winding river where the dominant species are roach, dace, chub and pike. This is also a Bury AA water, with membership available from Tackle Up in Bury St Edmunds.

It would be very interesting to get anglers' feedback, good and bad, on fishing trips to any of these rivers. Just email details to the address below or post on the angling forum which is accessible via Bury Angling Association's website.

On the match scene, it has been five wins in six matches now for Lucky Jack Wetherill in the association's weekly veterans' series. The latest triumph came at Barrow Lake with a mostly crucian net of 13lb 6oz, taken from peg 18, close in to the near-bank reed bed. Andy Walker, two pegs away at peg 16, came second with 6lb, primarily one carp and Keith Smith took third spot with a mixed bag of 5lb 2oz from peg 1. After heavy rain had taken a lot of colour out of the water, it was a real struggle for most of the anglers.

Two regulars at the association's lakes at Water Lane and Middle Reservoir are junior members Joe (12) and Jack (13) Phillips. Between them they have totalled over 40 double-figure carp since April 1, and particularly impressive were those taken at Middle Reservoir, where you really have to know what you are doing to get good results.

If you would like your local angling stories, match results or photographs included in this article then please email them to: westsuffolkangling@live.co.uk