Verulam Angling - Fisheries

River Ivel

FOR MANY YEARS, the VAC has been trying to obtain a stretch of the River Ivel.  At last, in 2001, this came to fruition when we acquired a good length of the river just north of Sandy. 

Early reports implied that good fish were hard to find and the following comments from one of our members may be useful.

“In the Spinney at the lower end are some very big chub up to 6lbs plus, also carp to 20lbs and Bream up to 7lbs.There are usually only small roach in that section, although very big elsewhere.

The big chub and bream respond either to worm, sweetcorn and bread but on relatively light tackle NOT specimen hunting tactics. Laying on, holding back, stret-pegging often under the bank but at least 10/15 yards below you is the accepted method.

You need to be a real old-fashioned river angler to do well there.

From the spinney up to the weir is very fast, very weedy, and the banks are about a ten foot tricky slope down to the water level.

The chub are even bigger here but the banks make it difficult.

Above the weir is slower, slightly deeper but still very weedy. This is big roach territory but only when the weed dies down. Caster over hemp scores in mild weather, but when hard and cold, double maggot or flake over groundbait is better.

These fish move about in large shoals, you either do well or catch nothing. Common knowledge locally on the Ivel is to arrive early and look for surface rolling fish for big roach in the upper stretch and the fish there.” 

My simple logic tells me that the fish should be no harder to find than other productive areas of the Ivel, but time will tell. Personally, disproving it is the challenge. As this is a new fishery to the club, we ask members to keep us informed on how they are doing at this venue.

The adjacent lakes are strictly not available to VAC members.

NOTE: VERULAM'S SINGLE bank stretch of the river Ivel is adjacent to Kingfisher AC lakes near Sandy. Members are reminded that these lakes are absolutely out of bounds.