farmer struggling

[islandgun]

1 hour ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, That is interesting, i think a lot to do with these flood offs is Direct Drilling where before it was ploughed and if it rained it would soak through the soil better then  left compact after a direct drilling

Good point, Is permanent pasture flooding or just arable land, or both. Direct drilling /no cultivation should lead to a healthy soil with plenty of microbes and worms which would help drainage, Mole draining is the answer [given of course the ditches arn't full]  however you cultivate, the water will hit subsoil and pool if not drained properly

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, Penelope said:

The biggest Thurne system fish is John Goble's fish of 45lb and it wasn't from Hickling.

https://www.facebook.com/teltales.co.uk/photos/arguably-the-best-uk-pike-ever-caught-john-goble-with-his-45lb-broads-monster/317445348392111/

The following two books have the history of all of the big fish from Broadland.

 

Blimey, didn't realise the asking price for this book, now, £250 - 350 😲. I was only skimming through my copy recently.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=13085779189&dest=gbr&ref_=ps_ggl_20999527862&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4c_lr9eHhQMVMYdQBh0-iA1SEAQYAyABEgKCYPD_BwE

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375316548626?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=375316548626&targetid=1405537545058&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045999&poi=&campaignid=19926858371&mkgroupid=155977582267&rlsatarget=pla-1405537545058&abcId=9311017&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4c_lr9eHhQMVMYdQBh0-iA1SEAQYCCABEgKjtvD_BwE

A lot of interesting facts in those books Paul and still some big fish lurking in the Broads in this day and age despite all the fertilizers been washed off the land and ending up in the waterways , we did have some big fish in Fritton Lake and there is a big cased Pike in the hotel down there , I knew the ole decoy man ( Walter Musset ) and he was telling me that all the duck that were hatched off were eaten by the Pike and i remember him saying he once saw a half grown Canada goose taken from a clutch that were swimming across the lake , that needed to be a big fish ,     MM

[Penelope]

3 minutes ago, marsh man said:

A lot of interesting facts in those books Paul and still some big fish lurking in the Broads in this day and age despite all the fertilizers been washed off the land and ending up in the waterways , we did have some big fish in Fritton Lake and there is a big cased Pike in the hotel down there , I knew the ole decoy man ( Walter Musset ) and he was telling me that all the duck that were hatched off were eaten by the Pike and i remember him saying he once saw a half grown Canada goose taken from a clutch that were swimming across the lake , that needed to be a big fish ,     MM

Prymnesium (a salt tolerant algae) is the biggest cause of coarse fish deaths in the Thurne system; there are outbreaks every so often that wipe out huge numbers.

Dennis Pye's book, 'The Way I Fish' is a good read on piking on the Thurne in the 40's, 50's and 60's.

[oldypigeonpopper]

1 hour ago, islandgun said:

Good point, Is permanent pasture flooding or just arable land, or both. Direct drilling /no cultivation should lead to a healthy soil with plenty of microbes and worms which would help drainage, Mole draining is the answer [given of course the ditches arn't full]  however you cultivate, the water will hit subsoil and pool if not drained properly

Hello, it is both on my friends farm, Direct drilling saves the farmers a lot of money but at what cost this winter and spring, they use to mole plough here but many years ago now, This farm was part of a very large Victorian  Estate some 1000s of acres with lots of staff but now all done by contractors,