July 2023 News

Maintenance Update

Following a request from a member we have made an alteration to the height barrier at Badgers Wood. Following extensive work by the engineering team the gate has been fitted with a (jockey) wheel which should make it easier to open and will also reduce the stress on the bolts.

In addition the approaches to Badgers and George Cragg have been substantially cut back to improve the sight lines when leaving the ponds.

The bulk of the work at the moment is strimming and cutting back, as, after the earlier hot spell we have had continuous rain so everything is growing at double speed. Unfortunately it is not just the grass and land based plants that need to be kept under control but the Norfolk reed at Badgers has gone mad with some of the runners reaching halfway towards the island. At the moment we are controlling it by cutting and pulling by hand but it will need more permanent solution in the Autumn.

Training Days

The junior liaison team will not be holding any training events this year. This is a pity because they were always well attended and resulted in a number of new members for the club.

Crucian carp and Barbel

It seems to be a tale of two stories at Badgers Wood as the crucian carp we stocked over the years are finally starting to show. Nothing of great size but lovely little hand-sized fish and it is not unusual to catch a dozen or so, if you use the right tactics. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the barbel. There have been some decent fish caught over the last three years or so with the best of over 5lbs, but unless our members are being very secretive we haven’t had reports of any caught this year. Apologies if you have caught one this year but the fish photos don’t have a date on them so If you have caught a barbel recently could you please send in a photo. By the way, a gudgeon does not qualify as a baby barbel. 

Oldmans Lake

Is anybody missing a carp rod and reel ? We were called out to Oldmans recently as one of our members got hooked up in a load of line coming from one of the islands. After rummaging around in the owner’s boat we managed to collect at least half a dozen tangled rigs etc and eventually hit the jackpot as one of the rigs was still attached to a carp rod. Although the rod and reel are somewhat muddy they will be alright after a clean up as they don’t seem to have been in the water too long and the reel was still fully functioning. Fortunately there was no fish attached to the hook end of the rig – and no angler at the rod end. 

However on the downside the owner and his son are fully aware of what has happened and in particular are extremely angry that for whatever reason a rod has been left unattended which has resulted in it being dragged into the lake. This is an extremely serious matter and as well as being in contravention of club rules I would have thought it was common sense not to leave a rod unattended especially on a water that contains fish in excess of 20lb. These are very valuable fish and the owner has made it clear that if this sort of thing continues we will lose the water. I won’t give you the full chapter and verse of his messages but he uses the phrases “this is a sign of really bad angling “and “there must be some really bad anglers going down there. I don’t want my fish to be subjected to this”.

As mentioned we managed to rescue the rod and reel so if this belongs to you please contact Tony Elkins to arrange collection. Telephone number is on the membership card.

This rod and reel episode is in addition to a recent incident at the same water when the owner was called out after a report of a tethered fish and although the fish had managed to free itself the owner found a number of very dangerous rigs in the vicinity. Most of them had been in the water for some time so we were able to explain that braided hook links , barbed hooks, fixed rigs are not permitted under club rules. However it is clear that some were recent and we are seeing more and more examples of rigs and hooks which are in clear contravention of club rules. The club bailiffs will be more vigilant so don’t be surprised if you are asked to bring rods in so we can check the rigs and hook links etc.

Earlier in the year, at the same venue, one of our members parked his car across the gate into the field restricting access to the other users of the site. As this is the third incident this season, the owner’s patience is wearing thin. 

Please use the correct tackle and behave in a responsible manner as we don’t want to lose another rented water due to the actions of irresponsible members.

100 Club

To finish on a more positive note the 100 club for June was won by Stuart Morton. July’s winner will be announced in the next newsletter.