The historic significance of Ketteringham’s Fishery, is such that it has maintained interest among the angling fraternity for some five decades. Featuring in several books by respected angling authors including Tony Miles, Trefor West, John Wilson, John Bailey, Dave Plummer, Steve Harper, Chris Turnbull and others, these Costessey and Drayton stretches account for many tales of piscatorial success. For two decades, the fishery was a veritable Mecca, especially for barbel fishermen, with anglers coming from all over the country to sample or indeed plunder its rich treasures.

The effects of earlier dredging and an increasing amount of agricultural abstraction were seriously undermining the rivers ability to provide its inhabitants with any amount of suitable habitat in which to spawn. The problem of the inability for several of the species to be able to sustain their populations, was compounded by the installation of a massive abstraction pipeline, to provide Norwich with water, positioned immediately upstream of the fishery. This then reduced the flow rate to a comparative trickle and the consequent deposition of silt and sand sediment, effectively ‘ponded’ the entire stretch.

Although big fish were still being caught, up to the turn of the century, the gradual decline in flow/habitat meant that there were very few, if any, juvenile fish ‘coming through’ to replace these.

All the efforts of the ‘Save the Wensum Action Group’ were unfortunately destined to have been in vain, though from some of those involved, the Norfolk Anglers’ Conservation Association was formed.

After its experiences of the pioneering habitat restoration scheme further upstream at Lyng’s Sayer’s Meadow, the NACA in partnership with the landowners, Environment Agency, English Nature, the Countryside Agency and others embarked on a large scale scheme to restore, or at least largely improve the riverine habitat at Costessey. In simplistic terms these works would be targeted at attempting to provide desirable habitat for several indigenous endangered species, in particular water vole, brook lamprey, bullhead, otter, white clawed crayfish and water crowfoot. In addition they would also largely benefit other fish species such as barbel, chub, brown trout, dace and roach.