Wallers Haven

1066familyman said:

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. Some really useful stuff here. Amazing what NSC turns up!

We'll have to walk a few stretches again to see what put ins are available anyway. I've a feeling up by Boreham bridge the sides are too steep, as said. I'll look near the Marsh road bridge as well.

We've only had a handful of kayak trips so far. All very leisurely with the kids and just going for the peace, tranquiilty and the wildlife, not racing the thing!

In answer to the question about any agro with anglers. The couple of anglers we've encountered so far have been absolutely fine as we've just given them a wide birth and a nod and a wave and no problems. That's basically how I want to keep it.

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Exactly how it should be.........and anyway a shower of maggots is quite unpleasant I'd imagine, amazing how far you can send them with a fishing catapult

dazzer6666 said:

Exactly how it should be.........and anyway a shower of maggots is quite unpleasant I'd imagine, amazing how far you can send them with a fishing catapult

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Fished with my dad as a nipper on the Rother in a comp once. Our swim draw happened to have a dead sheep floating near by. Stunk to high heaven and was full of maggots. My dad's response to any of my complaints was to tell me to stop moaning as at least we're never going to run out of bait

Another East Sussex kayaker here. Barcombe Mills is great, you can out in down by the bridge to go north up to the Anchor. Very peaceful and great wildlife eg heron. Flat water ideal for kids. Anglers are fine, a wide berth and nice and slow. It's tricky to put in south of the bridge (my missus ended up in the drink!) but a great trip down to Lewes. You can get out at Tesco at high tide. Also, South ease has a great slipway, just need to get the tides right as it is fast there.

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The other great trip we do at the height of summer is off the beach at Seaford. You can paddle along beside the cliffs and see the Kittiwakes from where no one else can! Ideally, wait for a flat, warm day if going with kids. Seaford beach is steep enough to do a racing start!

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Update:

Our third and best kayak trip on Waller's Haven today. Each time we've put in by Boreham Street bridge and it's been fine, even this time of the year with extensive reed growth on the margins.

Absolutely perfect weather for it today and barely any wind, which is rare down there. Paddled all the way from Boreham Street bridge down to the A259 bridge and back again for the first time. Not a single person on the river bar us.

Wildlife sightings even better than usual today, and to be fair it's always good when out kayaking:

The usual Herons, Swans and a family of ducks hiding under a Hawthorn tree.
Lots of pond skaters, dragonflies, damselflies and also wasps on the lily pads. Gave up rescuing the wasps stranded on the water and drowning once we realised we'd be there all day doing that as there were so many of them.
Birds of prey - Kestrels and/or Sparrowhawks (still always struggle to tell the difference). A couple of Buzzards circling up above and one of them flew right across the river really close to us. Stunning!
A Coot and a Blackheaded Gull.
Little brown jobs - Reed and Sedge Warblers and/or Reed Buntings?
At least half a dozen Kingfisher sightings. One of them was perched on a reed and didn't fly away as we drifted past so offered up a great view!

Best sighting has to be the two Fen Raft Spiders. The first one was huge and sat on a lily pad. Immediately we floated past it dived down underneath the water. Saw a second one on the return at the base of a reed right at the river edge. Really big spiders and had no idea what they were at the time as never seen one before. Research this evening has definitely narrowed it down to Dolomedes Plantarius, which are quite rare and only found in 4 sites in the UK, Pevensey Levels being one them. What a treat!

Pic here, although not our own unfortunately:




In summary, who needs a stressed out transfer window when you can spend the day floating on the river

I can 100% recommend Wallers Haven to fellow Kayakers on here

Fished Wallers Haven for many years. Your best bet Is Boreham Stree bridge. Much shallower. You'd be best checking with Southdown Angling to see if there are any planned matches on. That would be a definite no no to kayak through that. Try giving Polegate Angling a phone call to see if he can tell you match dates.

Whitterz said:

Fished Wallers Haven for many years. Your best bet Is Boreham Stree bridge. Much shallower. You'd be best checking with Southdown Angling to see if there are any planned matches on. That would be a definite no no to kayak through that. Try giving Polegate Angling a phone call to see if he can tell you match dates.

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It's a good point. If we rocked up there when there was a match on then we wouldn't kayak. It wouldn't be fair on the anglers and would be no fun for us. We put in from Boreham Street and we'd see soon enough from the bridge if there's a match on or not.

Whitterz said:

Fished Wallers Haven for many years. Your best bet Is Boreham Stree bridge. Much shallower. You'd be best checking with Southdown Angling to see if there are any planned matches on. That would be a definite no no to kayak through that. Try giving Polegate Angling a phone call to see if he can tell you match dates.

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This. Always enjoyed matches there.

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