Bishops Waltham Parish Fishing Club
Bishops Waltham Parish Fishing Club
During November conditions for matches 5 and 6 of the eight match series, were dry but windy. Both matches were fished from the south bank, keeping the wind behind us, with the hope that it would allow good presentation of the bait. It was also hoped to keep the anglers warmer, by keeping the wind off their face.
Few carp showed in Match 5
Match 5 saw four anglers arrive for the draw as both Rod Langthorne and Chris Shepherd, our associate members, were missing. Steve Edge drew peg 13, Andy Weavil peg 14, Roger Pilling on peg 15 and Paul Collins on peg 18. As normal, all anglers started on the feeder but as the match went on and the carp failed to show, some switched to the waggler and started fishing for the silvers like roach and rudd. After five hours fishing, Steve weighed in 4lb 2oz of silvers and Andy had one very good carp of 6lb 4oz, after borrowing some bread from another angler. Roger weighed in 24lb 8oz of carp, giving him first place, and Paul weighed in 12lb 9oz of small carp from under the trees for second place.
The final results were:
| Points | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Roger Pilling | 10 | 24 lb 8oz |
| Paul Collins | 8 | 12 lb 9oz |
| Andy Weavil | 7 | 6 lb 4oz |
| Steve Edge | 6 | 4 lb 2oz |
It was very windy for Match 6
Match 6 was fished in very windy conditions and the usual six match anglers turned out for the 9am start. All pegs from 13 to 18 were filled and brollies were prepared just in case the rain did show. Feeder fishing with pellet or bread for the carp and maggot for the silvers were the chosen baits, with meat or worm on standby if they failed to work. Both Rod and Chris started long on the feeder towards the straw bales but with no carp showing they started casting shorter and started catching some quality roach and skimmers with Chris landing a good roach/bream hybrid of 2lb plus. Paul on peg 15 didn’t get the chance to visit a tackle shop for bait so with only worm and meat landed one small carp and small skimmer. Roger on peg 16 casting close to the bales caught very little until the last hour, and then landed 6 small carp. Andy on peg 17 did his best but once again failed to weigh in. Steve on peg 18 fishing out towards the trees and now starting to copy Roger, by using bread, landed some very good carp with one "lump" of 6lb plus.
Final weights and points were:
| Points | Weight | |
| Steve Edge | 10 | 14 lb 4oz |
| Roger Pilling | 8 | 8 lb 9oz |
| Paul Collins | 7 | 2 lb 4oz |
| Andy Weavil | 0 | DNW |
Associates results:
| Points | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Rod Langthorne | 10 | 8 lb 2oz |
| Chris Shepherd (A) | 8 | 6 lb 10oz |
Will the pond freeze this winter?
With predictions of a cold winter we could see the pond frozen again during January and February 2016. This always has some impact on the matches, but flexibility in the match calendar allows for rescheduling. A successful approach tried in previous hard winters has been to crack the ice if it is thin, to provide a clear area to fish. These conditions are usually associated with crystal clear water though, which can make fishing very difficult. It really tests the skill of those competing.
Ice on the South Pond last winter
January to March activities
The final match for 2015 is the Hangover match at year end. The Match series continues with the final two matches in January and February (weather permitting). Only one match per month is scheduled for the first three months of the new year to allow for adverse conditions. If the pond should be frozen then there are other weekends available to reschedule cancelled matches.
The full set of competitions is in the latest version of the Match Calendar which can be downloaded from the website.
Joining the Club
If you are interested in joining the club please contact our membership secretary Cathy Naylor on 07934-895513, or contact our chairman Roland Palmer (after 6pm) on 01489-894063 for an application form, or download one from our website. The membership year runs from mid-June. Membership is open for renewals and new members. Applications can be done by downloading a 2015-16 form from the website and sending, with an SAE, to our membership secretary (details above and on the web site).
Membership is open to anyone who lives in Bishops Waltham, plus a number of Associate membership places (for those living outside the Parish). Priority is given to Parish membership (especially juniors), but anyone living outside of the Parish wishing to join should contact Cathy for an Associate Membership space for the 2015/16 season.
It is rare for anglers not to catch fish at the pond, which makes it ideal both for more experienced anglers and for youngsters starting out. As a mixed fishery, with fish like carp, roach, rudd, bream, perch and the odd eel - there is something for everyone. There are carp to 10lb plus, many between 6lb and 8lb, lots of roach, bream and also perch over 1lb. If you love your fishing and don’t want to travel far then join us - your local club. Its always nice to see new anglers on the bank and hopefully we will also see you at the matches.
Club web site
For more information about the club and its activities, the club's web site can be found at:
www.bwpfc.org.uk
Paul Collins and Barry Jerome