Pre-Booked day tickets only
Only anglers that have booked will be allowed to access the fishery.
No visitors, spectators or guests please.
To book a day ticket please email rocklandsmerefishery@gmail.com
2025 Prices
Day tickets £15.00
Group bookings - exclusive use £120.00/day
Fishery Open 1st March - 31st October (weather dependent)
Rules
-No spectators, guests or hangers on. This a private fishery & only anglers may access the lake.
Rocklands Mere is a Crucian & Tench fishery. We have NO CARP PRESENT and like to think that our anglers appreciate the nature of the fishery and how it is managed to encourage these two main species to thrive. We pride ourselves in being a "wild" fishery and have lily pads, weed and overhanging trees. We do not have manicured banks or many designated "swims" just a natural, peaceful environment in which to enjoy a days fishing.
A Few pointers to help you enjoy your day...
Rocklands Mere is a unique fishery, probably a little different from most and due to the species present it can be challenging, so here is a little information on how to get the most from your day.
Float fishing is by far and away the best method to fish the Mere with the majority of swims being very "intimate". Very light, sensitive floats such as pole floats or similar produce the best results, particularly for the Crucians. We recommend 4lb mainline depending on the action of the rod. Longer, softer rods may be more forgiving therefore lighter line/hooklengths can be used. Size 14-18 hooks are usually the norm however this will depend on baits to be used.
Most fish are caught within a rod length or two from the bank, normally next to weed beds or lily pads.
Throughout the course of the season we aim to keep as many swims as possible free from weed and selective weed raking is carried out most weeks. If anglers wish to do a little specific weed raking in their chosen swim, they are permitted to do so providing it does not affect other anglers. One thing to mention about weed raking and aquatic vegetation control is that during the Summer months, if carried out too frequently and on a large scale, it can be devastating to water quality and can result in sudden oxygen crashes particularly at night.
Baits
As usual, all anglers will have their favourite baits and most will certainly work at RMF. With the recent removal of a large biomass of small Roach and Rudd, Maggots and Casters have been by far the most successful bait this season. Small 4mm-6mm hookable pellets are a close second. Other baits definitely worth mentioning are worms, small cubes of luncheon meat, cockles and sweetcorn, with bread also being deadly on the right day.
Our Season
Historically April/May/June is the best time of the year. Depending on the Spring weather and water temperatures, April usually sees the fish starting to wake up from their Winter slumber and feeding heavily before spawning. Weed growth is at a minimum, water levels are perfect and the lake is starting to look at its best. With warmer, longer days in May, this can be really good fishing with a few days in June usually seeing sporadic spawning activity before settling back down again.
In a normal year, July can be as good as early season. Lily growth has peaked and they are now visible, weed growth is in full swing. Depending on weather and rainfall, the lake should still be at its maximum levels. August can be a challenging month if hot and rainfall has been to a minimum. The water levels have been known to drop in August but any significant rain see's an almost instant overnight increase. The fishing at this time of year is somewhat dependant on weather with early mornings and late evenings being the best times of day during hot/sunny spells.
The cooler temperatures in September means a more typical day can usually be had and fishing is usually more consistent compared to August. Cooler nights and shorter days mean that water temperature starts to decrease too.
October can be very good, especially if Autumnal weather is kind to us. A sudden cold snap being the only thing which can affect things significantly at this time of year.
The Old Mere
The Mere was created in the early 1940's due to peat extraction which at the time was used to heat the local houses in the village of Rockland St Peter. The Mere was then left to flood and over the years a wet woodland habitat developed. In 2001 James Harrold bought the Mere and surrounding woodland and after a lot of hard work, time and effort Rocklands Mere Fishery was born.
Being just over an acre in size and full of features, it lends itself perfectly to traditional float fishing tactics. Depths vary from 4 - 6 feet and Norfolk reed, reed mace and hornwort, not to mention the extensive lily pads provide an excellent habitat for the fish, sadly somewhat of a rarity on many waters today.
Crucian Carp
Crucian Carp (Carassius carassius)
A cryptic, mainly benthic, freshwater fish, with a long dorsal fin (sans barbs), a rounded forehead and no barbels. Normally of olive golden-brown colour, the pelvic fins are pinkish with the first ray having darker (blackish) pigmentation. Found in freshwater systems, but characteristic of ponds and river backwaters.
History in Norfolk (Copp & Sayer 2009)
The region of Norfolk and northern Suffolk, but excluding the Broads (Ellis 1965), is thought to be a stronghold for C. carassius
Recent research on the distribution of C. carassius in Norfolk (Copp & Sayer 2009, Sayer et al., submitted) has revealed a species occurrence decline of around 80% between the 1970s and 2008–2009 (of 28 ponds known to have contained C. carassius in the 1970s, only five retained the species).
The threats to this species in Norfolk (and neighbouring counties) include:
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Genetic contamination through hybridization with introduced varieties of common carp (Cyprinus carpio), including ‘koi’ and ‘chagoi’, which are released into open waters.
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Loss of habitat due to river regulation
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Changes in agricultural and landuse practices, especially the terrestrialisation of ponds.
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A previous lack of recognition of C. carassius as a characteristic pond species.
Rocklands Mere Fishery is working closely with Dr Carl Sayer (University College London) who is responsible for the Norfolk Biodiversity Action Plan to save the species from extinction in Norfolk and to provide a habitat in which to enable Crucians to thrive. With careful management of our current pure strain of Crucians as well as re-stocking verified fish from selected sites we aim to develop a fishery which is not only a perfect habitat for this species to regenerate, but enable anglers to enjoy a somewhat forgotten way of fishing for a species sadly dismissed by many anglers today.
Wild Norfolk Crucians being stocked into our breeding pond to conserve the future of the Species.
Crucians being surveyed and harvested from our nursery pond.
Tench & other species
Tench thrive in the Mere and the two species live alongside each other in perfect harmony. Although there may be no records broken, Tench average 3-4lb with larger specimens reaching 7lb in weight with plenty of smaller specimens to keep the swim fizzing all morning.
Specimen Perch and Roach are also present in the Mere.
Prices
