Booton Clay Pit is both one of the oldest and
most prolific small venues in Norfolk (approx 2.5
acres) with a reputation for being a hard venue and
with an equally long line of hard core followers
having been part of it's history at some point in
the past, some of which are famous names.
It is
said that the pit was dug to extract the clay which
was then used in the construction of the houses in
the surrounding villages. The stories, myths and
legends about this place are numerous and a chat
over an evening cuppa with some of the old timers is
an entertaining session in itself.
Booton Clay pit
is a venue that I knew I wanted to spend some time
on from the first time I ever visited it and have
done just that for about the last five years now.
The account I am about to convey to you is one built
from my own experiences and those of some good
friends who have fished it for
far longer than I have and who's help and knowledge
have been invaluable to me.
A stunning small water
The Venue The pit lies 1.5 miles from the B1149 Holt Rd,
turning left Buxton Rd merging to Church Rd just
after an S bend, the car park is immediately upon
you on the right hand side. Alternatively, take
Church Rd just before entering Reepham on the
Norwich Rd. The pit is then 1 mile on your left
before the S bend.
The first thing you will see
from the car park is a wonderfully mature lake with
sedge beds scattered around the open water during
the warmer months and reed fringe with overhanging
trees nearly all the way round the lake, making for
a very picturesque setting during the summer.
So what does this small water offer that makes it
so great? It would be true to say that the lake
holds specimen sized fish of most of the species in
it and according to who's version of events you
listen to, there are well documented figures for:
Carp to upper 20's, Pike to 26lb, Perch and Crucians
to 3lb, Bream and Tench both knocking on the double
figure mark and the odd hefty Roach too.
The pit famously held two thirties back in the
70's & 80's, the bigger of the two having not now
been seen for a few seasons and the smaller one now
weighing in at around the 24/25lb mark. This is the
fish many refer to as 'Rhino'.
Incidentally, if it's a big Common that you seek
then Booton is the place you’re likely to bank one,
with around half a dozen Commons at the upper 20lb
weight.
Approach If there's one particular type of angler Booton
will appeal to, it's the stalker. An early morning
stroll around the lake will reveal Carp all over the
lake and many in the margins. A stealthy approach
here with a piece of quill and a lobworm can be very
rewarding, but be warned for the Booton Carp hate
noise, so this is probably best achieved during the
week or on quieter weekends.
The static approach will also work here but does
pose its own problems. The banks of Booton Clay Pit
are very narrow and one bivvy can make it difficult
for you to get past or indeed for you to leave in a
hurry, so always best to check along the bank first
to see when people are planning on moving on or off.
Methods
25lb+ Common from Booton
Having decided on your approach to your fishing at
this lake you need to consider your method, and this
is really a two fold answer. If you’re a general
specialist angler you should be considering a pellet
and pulses approach paying particular attention to
bait location.
It's worth noting that people who turn up at this
venue with a couple of pints of maggots rarely catch
anything to speak of and often leave feeling that
there's nothing much to be caught here. For the
Carpers, floating baits, seeds and pulses, boilies
and particles will all work but your bait needs to
be good quality and well presented. The Booton Carp
really have seen it all and your chosen method will
need to be sharp to stay ahead.
The two best bits of advice I would offer, do not
over bait and make sure your tackle is up to the
job. Booton Carp fight like dogs and as you would
observe, they haven't got very far to go to reach
some form of snag in any direction. So, 2.5lb T/C
rods and 15lb line are the generally accepted
minimum requirement here.
I would NOT recommend the use of leadcore
leaders due to the amount of underlying snags.
Finally a special mention on the topography of
this lake. You can find water depths at Booton from
1ft to 18ft and anything in between. It has more
bars, gullys and beds than probably anywhere else I
can think of for its size. If you want to enjoy some
consistent success at Booton then you'll need to do
your homework with the marker rod, I really can not
stress this enough, it really is water whereby
effort will equal results.
So there is my review of Booton Clay Pit, a place
that I love with a thousand fond memories if I never
went there again.
Please bear in mind that this is just my view of
this venue and others may tell you a different
version, the best way is to try it for yourself and
see what you make of it. Please be respectful to
these fish and always use an unhooking mat and some
Carp care solution. Always take your litter home!
Other Species: Roach, Rudd, Tench, Bream,
Perch, Crucian, Pike Prices: £10 per 24 hours (under 16's must be
accompanied) Facilities: Portaloo on site from June to
September only. Rules: Unhooking mats to be used, no boats,
no swimming, no dogs. Please prepare particles
thoroughly. Access:
Check multimap link.
A stunning small water