river Cats

[Norfolkdipper]

I have heard my favourite water (R. Yare at Postwick, Norwich) has cats to 45lb, small by Elba standars, but so is the river . I know they are night feeders, but need advise on which bait & flavours to use. I imagine 18mm halibut pellets or boilies, am I right?

Mark

[viney]

Budgie (Dick Darstardly) would be the man to speak to I think

[dant]

Really???

Has more than 1 been caught? It's a new one on me.

I have though in the past heard unsolicited rumours of small cats being taken from a certain couple of day ticket waters to be dumped in the Broads on the Bure and the Thurne.

Could very well of been hear say. Although I remember a picture of one from Thurne village of about 10lbs around the same number of years ago.

If a viable breeding population ever got established in the Broads I'd think it'd go big in everysense of the word. Perfect habitat and an amazing food supply.

I'm against any illegal introductions but it might help thin the local Coot population out!

 

Norfolk Dipper I think you would do very well to get one unless you know any different, could take weeks, months or years..

If you fished Postwick with 18mm fish meal bollies or pellets you'd be more likely to get a 40lb Carp than a Cat.

[Dales]

I often hear about Cats in various rivers and don't doubt they are in a few but not sure about numbers and suspect that where they do exist they are very localised and in small numbers and it may literally only be one or two fish.

 

Mark, I think the key to getting a river cat in the UK is research and local knowledge/contacts. Try to track down as much as you can about where they have been seen and caught in the Yare, It may well be just the odd fish in a small stretch. To be honest I would find it a daunting task trying for one, I have been fishing a stretch of river for a few years now that is supposed to hold a few cats, never had one or talked to any one who has caught one themselves its always third hand information.

 

I have never been a fan of pellet/boilies for cats, I know they get caught on both but I have never caught one on either. I much prefer more meaty baits such as fish/luncheon meat/worms etc. Eels are likely to be a problem if using worm or meat in your neck of the woods. But as I have found live baits the most effective cat bait followed by dead baits for the stillwater cating I do then I would suggest them for your river cats.

 

Until I was confident of the numbers of Cats present and whether they are a viable target, I would opt to fish for the Pike with live or dead baits and if a Cat comes along see it as a bonus.

[Dick Dastardly]

Hi Mark, don't get confussed between "wild" cats and ones in boillie pounded carp ponds! Unless our stretch of river is heavily carp fished boillies would be my last sugestion. In running water cats are far more active predators than scavengers. However often bait choice is more dictated by what other species a!re present rather than the actual cats preference. My number 1 choice would have to be a live fish but as you don't want to be using a wire trace this may not be an option if there are lots of Pike present. In these situations my preference is for medicinal leeches. Nothing else l know takes these! It is a massive subject though. I'm laid up after surgery at the moment so internet acsess etc a bit on off but if you email me l will send you a copy of my "UK Catfishing" guide by return email. Should be of some help.

[RUDD]

Over the years Cats have been reported from the Waveney at Beccles, the river Thurne, Ranworth and Wroxham broads, the river Bure and the river Yare. That is a massive spread of waters.

I personally would not bother targetting them, think about it, there are hundreds of anglers, alot fishing for predators on the broads every week during the winter and I dread to think how many holiday anglers during the summer wet a line - how many Cats do you hear of getting caught?

The occasional whisper.

 

[Errrm]

I know nothing about the River Yare or fishing for Catfish but I know they have been caught on lures, if the water is clear enough is it worth targeting them with large lures and essentially fishing for a 'follow' to potentially give you a sighting of where they are and then concentrate on that area with baits. Plus you would catch some pike at the same time :-).

[gozzer]

It's worth noting that they are classed as "Non native" and an "invasive species", in our rivers.

 

Personally, if I ever caught one from a river, it wouldn't go back alive!

 

John.

[Phone]

Norfolk,

 

I bet it would be worthwhile to contact the customer service line at the EA. (bottom left of page)

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Leisure/Wels_Catfish_fact_sheet.pdf

 

As for catfish bait "nasty is trusty".

 

Phone

[Phone]

gozzer,

 

How about Zander for lunch?

 

Phone