Bishops Waltham Parish Fishing Club
Bishops Waltham Parish Fishing Club
A very cold January match took its toll on competitors
The only match fished in January was match seven of the eight match series and with only one to go no one can beat Roger Pilling. The match was fished after a brief cold snap which saw the water clear after the rains and the fish moved into deeper water. December as we know was not only the warmest on record but also the wettest. The North Pond filled very quickly and with water now flowing into the South Pond the temperature of the water changed and the water cleared.
The regulars turned out for the 8:30am draw and with a chilly easterly wind and overcast conditions the match saw most anglers looking for small silvers using maggot. Roger Pilling drew peg 10 whilst the other anglers drew the usual pegs off Station Road. From the start the cold wind blew and at one point Roger was seen going to his car to get another layer. Paul Collins on peg 16 had dressed for the occasion but after standing in a puddle found both boots had splits in the sole and water soaked up into his socks. After fishing for four hours the cold got too much and Paul put his fish back and went home to warm up and look online for some new boots. Andy Weavil fishing next to Paul did stay for the whole match but failed to catch anything and so also did not weigh in.
Rod Langthorne fishing the bomb managed to catch a few small silvers and at the weigh-in had landed 1lb 13oz. Chris Shepherd who was seen casting a bomb to the trees from peg 18 didn't catch any carp but did manage to land 2lb 6oz of silvers to take 10 points towards the Associate Cup. Steve Edge on peg 13 landed small silvers and perch for 1lb 2oz but it was Roger who came out on top again with 6lb 1oz. Roger landed the only carp of 4lb 2oz with his very first cast and made the rest up with silvers.
The final positions on the day were:
Match Series
Associate Cup
The final match of the series will be fished in February so if you’re a club member and wish to give winter fishing a go, please come along.
No increase in subs for 2016-17 season
Assessing forthcoming expenditure for pond maintenance and restocking it has been decided to keep the subscriptions the same for the third year running. There will be a membership renewal session prior to the AGM on Friday 22nd April at 7pm at the Priory (room at the back).
Northbrook flowing strongly into the South Pond
Following the heavy rains in December and January the water returned to the North Pond and is now flowing strongly over the sluice through into the South Pond. Towards the end of January, after a couple of days of heavy rain, the level on the board by the North Pond sluice rose from 65 to 75 cms overnight. It also started to flow out over the new outflow from the South Pond, raising the water level in all of the swims.
Fish have already migrated to the North Pond
Within a few days of the water flowing strongly over the sluice and into the South Pond fish migrated into the North Pond. Carp, Bream and Roach have already been seen in the North Pond. This will cause a problem again when the water goes from the North Pond in the summer, although the new access to the deepest area of the pond from the lay-by may help in fish rescue. Hopefully this may be the last year when it is a problem if the North Pond Conservation Group is able to raise sufficient funding to create an area of permanent water next Autumn, which the fish can collect in.
Better access from the N Pond lay-by area for fish rescue this year
March and April activities
The final match of the competition year is the Points Only match on Sunday 6th March. The draw will be at 9am (quite a leisurely start) and fishing from 9:30am to 12 noon. The main activity in April will be the Club's AGM and annual prizegiving when cups and trophies are presented. The date has been set for Friday 22nd April at 7:45pm at the Priory. Some buffet food will be served. Come along to see who has been winning the trophies and catch up on the latest tips for catching fish in the pond. It will also be possible to renew membership before the meeting from 7pm. Results have yet to be finalised but Roger Pilling looks to be in a good position to receive many of the trophies.
The new version of the Match Calendar for the 2016-2017 season is being created and will be downloadable from the website when membership renewals start for the new season.
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 membership 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. Membership is now closed for the 2015-16 season but will open again for the new (2016-17) season in April.
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