North Pond fish rescue, AGM presentations, Club at June Ponds Event, new membership season starts in June
Fish Rescue as North Pond dries up
By the time you read this the North Pond will probably be completely dry. At the time of writing the water level is dropping rapidly after weeks with no rain. The Fishing Club have had three unsuccessful fish rescue attempts to date but there is still too much water (about 30cm (12") depth over a large area) so the fish are very elusive. About sixty carp have been seen near the footbridge, a shoal of roach in the middle and many large and small eels. When the stream stopped flowing, the water in the South Pond started to flow back into the North Pond through the sluice boards, which are not totally sealed. Fish initially collected here but soon disappeared when we arrived with nets. We are keeping a close eye on water levels and members are waiting for a phone call to summon them to a rescue attempt as soon as conditions are right.
Presentations at the AGM
The agenda for the AGM was rearranged this year to bring the Junior competition presentations to the front of the meeting, followed by food, and then the general AGM business and the Senior presentations. This seemed to work well and meant that the Juniors could leave, if they wanted to, after the food was served. The Junior members were presented with their prizes for the various Junior competitions and all those who took part received something. Connor Crosswell, who did especially well in this years competitions and won the Junior Match series, received a fishing rod and a free years membership to the Club.
It was agreed to hold membership fees for 2011/12 at the same rate, bearing in mind the financial pressures that members are facing at the moment. After the break for buffet snacks, the AGM business was conducted and the Seniors were presented with their cups and trophies for the 2010/11 season's competitions.
Club at Pond Event on June 18th
The club will have a stand at the Ponds Event being organised by the North Pond Conservation Group. This will be in Station Road by the South Pond, approval has been given to close that section of the road for the day. Many organisations will have stands there. There will be a "Hi-Tech Wild-Trek" trailer which has a big screen display of invertebrate life under a microscope. This will be netted from the South Pond during the morning.
It will be fascinating to see just what does live in the ponds that we do not normally see. From the test samples taken earlier there should be plenty to see, and to enthral everyone, especially youngsters and those who still consider themselves as youngsters, whatever their age. Existing members will be able to renew memberships at our stand and parish residents will be able to join. There will also be information available about the Club's activities. The event starts at 10am.
June & July activities
For the first time there was no Close Season on the pond this Spring, so individual pleasure angling continued. The new season's competitions start in June. The full match calendar will be published on the web site and sent out with membership papers.
The main activities in May and June will be work parties. Paul Collins has been working hard during the season on pond maintenance and bailiffing, but more hands are needed to tackle some of the jobs. An important task will be installing the barley straw bales. These are wrapped in netting, taken out in the boat and fastened in the pond. They perform an important role of stopping algal blooms in the water, which would turn the water green and starve the fish of oxygen. It is going to be especially important this year with the predicted drought and sunny conditions. When work parties are taking place it will be necessary to close the pond.
Joining the Club
If you are interested in joining the club please contact our membership secretary Cathy Naylor on 01489-890086, or contact our chairman Roland Palmer (after 6pm) on 01489-894063 for an application form. More information is available, and a form can be downloaded, from our web site.
Subscription amounts for the new season, which starts in June, have been kept the same as for the previous season. Membership is open to anyone who lives in Bishops Waltham, plus a small number of Associate membership places (for those living outside the Parish). Priority is always given to Parish membership, especially juniors. All of the Associate membership places were taken up for the 2010-2011 season and there is a waiting list for places for next season. Anyone living outside of the Parish wishing to join should contact Cathy to put their name on the waiting list.
Membership can be renewed at the pond this year
As an experiment this year, two mornings were allocated for renewing/joining at the pond. Parish members were able to renew on Sat 21st May at the pond. Associate members can renew/join on Sat 18th June 10am-1pm at the Club's stand at the Ponds Event, being organised by the North Pond Conservation Group. Parish members can also renew/join at the Club's stand if they missed the opportunity in May.
Club web site
For more information about the club and its activities, the club's web site can be found at: