Dear Members
I believe that it is only right to start my report this year by offering a huge vote of thanks to all the members that have stuck with us through 3 very difficult and challenging years. When you think back to the day we were told that we were losing 11 Acre and being given Oxford Water instead our future as a club looked very bleak. But time and determination have worked in our favour and I firmly believe that we have now turned a corner and our future looks promising.
So where are we heading and what do we have planned?
Let’s start with Jubilee, which for the last few months has been covered with rope to help stop the cormorants helping themselves to our stocks. It looks as if this plan has worked and the fish are now confidently feeding. Members are already catching Tench, Bream and Crucians in good numbers which is great news so early in the year. The ropes are due for removal on our first working party on 14th May 2017. On this day we intend to remove part of the tree on peg 10 to help make the fish move around the lake rather than act as a holding area and single hotspot. We also plan to put small clumps of lilies close to as many pegs as possible, with the landlords consent. This is to create areas where lilies can be easily reached, offering more options for fishing. A new entrance gate has now been added and we intended using a tumbler lock which will be added on 1st June, the combination number will be printed inside your membership booklet. Please remember to lock the gate as you enter and exit the site to assist with security. Also please keep the combination number to yourself, to save it having to be changed for security purposes. The committee has agreed that the feeding of our fish is to continue once a week, this will take place between April and October to help our stocks grow and remain healthy.
Matches for Jubilee are being planned this year, Steve Horwood is currently working on a match calendar where it is hoped that we will have a balance on Jubilee and Oxford Water that are spread out across the months so as not to stop pleasure anglers fishing the lake of their choice on a Sunday morning
Later in the year we will be taking delivery of another 1000 small Tench, which are being supplied by the EA. It is planned to put them in a separate location and grow them on as stock fish for the future. We have also taken delivery of 100 small Golden Tench that again will be grown on before being added to the lake in approximately 2 yrs time, all being well. I would like to offer my thanks to Alison Neal who has been caring for these fish during the winter months and will be very reluctant to let them go, I am sure she has named every single one J
Oxford Water
Last summer the dreaded weed returned and made fishing very difficult, also the lake sprung a leak and the water level dropped a good 3 feet. I am pleased to say that the leak was soon fixed and the water has been back to its original level for some time now. The weed is a very different story and continues to be a summer problem. We met in November 2016 and discussed with the National Trust the possibility of introducing the EA approved dye that stops sunlight entering the water and promoting weed growth. Sadly The National Trust would not allow its introduction due to its conditions on water management. Please rest assured that we will continue to work on a long term solution for this problem, but in the meantime we will continue to carry out regular dragging sessions to help improve member’s access to the water. One good thing that came out of this meeting was the permission in principle to extend our lease for at least 3 more years when our current lease comes to an end on 31/05/18. It is a pleasure to be able to report that we will still have a water to fish on the Stowe complex for the coming years.
Members had reported that the road leading to the car park had become difficult to drive down due to holes developing. This has been rectified and should now make the entrance far more accessible. The working party for this water is arranged for 21st May 2017 where we will continue to manage and maintain the pegs to the best of our ability. Please make a note of this date along with the Jubilee working party date, the more people we have there the easier the work is for everyone and the more we can get done.
Radclive River
Over the next 3 years we have had agreement from the EA that they will be providing us with a delivery of 500 small Barbel each year to a total of 1500 by 2019. When visiting the river they were very impressed by the work carried out to make fishing accessible to all, and felt that this was a perfect place to introduce Barbel for the future. This is a fantastic offer and from the feedback I have received so far, members are very excited at the prospect of seeing Barbel in our stretch of river, up and downstream of Radclive.
I would like to express my thanks to the committee, who continue to strive to push the club forward for all of our members, with new ideas and positive actions. Members of the committee have also taken time to completely revamp our website adding information regarding all the waters that we have access too. Can I ask that you also help to keep our website alive and up to date by sending in your photos of fish that you have caught whilst fishing one of these waters, promoting Stowe Angling Club to all.
Lastly a final date for your diary, our AGM which will once again be held at The Buckingham School on London Road in Buckingham at 8.00pm on Tuesday 9th May 2017. Please come along, listen and have your say in how you would like to see Stowe Angling Club run over the years to come.
Best wishes and successful fishing over the next 12 months.
Graham
I believe that it is only right to start my report this year by offering a huge vote of thanks to all the members that have stuck with us through 3 very difficult and challenging years. When you think back to the day we were told that we were losing 11 Acre and being given Oxford Water instead our future as a club looked very bleak. But time and determination have worked in our favour and I firmly believe that we have now turned a corner and our future looks promising.
So where are we heading and what do we have planned?
Let’s start with Jubilee, which for the last few months has been covered with rope to help stop the cormorants helping themselves to our stocks. It looks as if this plan has worked and the fish are now confidently feeding. Members are already catching Tench, Bream and Crucians in good numbers which is great news so early in the year. The ropes are due for removal on our first working party on 14th May 2017. On this day we intend to remove part of the tree on peg 10 to help make the fish move around the lake rather than act as a holding area and single hotspot. We also plan to put small clumps of lilies close to as many pegs as possible, with the landlords consent. This is to create areas where lilies can be easily reached, offering more options for fishing. A new entrance gate has now been added and we intended using a tumbler lock which will be added on 1st June, the combination number will be printed inside your membership booklet. Please remember to lock the gate as you enter and exit the site to assist with security. Also please keep the combination number to yourself, to save it having to be changed for security purposes. The committee has agreed that the feeding of our fish is to continue once a week, this will take place between April and October to help our stocks grow and remain healthy.
Matches for Jubilee are being planned this year, Steve Horwood is currently working on a match calendar where it is hoped that we will have a balance on Jubilee and Oxford Water that are spread out across the months so as not to stop pleasure anglers fishing the lake of their choice on a Sunday morning
Later in the year we will be taking delivery of another 1000 small Tench, which are being supplied by the EA. It is planned to put them in a separate location and grow them on as stock fish for the future. We have also taken delivery of 100 small Golden Tench that again will be grown on before being added to the lake in approximately 2 yrs time, all being well. I would like to offer my thanks to Alison Neal who has been caring for these fish during the winter months and will be very reluctant to let them go, I am sure she has named every single one J
Oxford Water
Last summer the dreaded weed returned and made fishing very difficult, also the lake sprung a leak and the water level dropped a good 3 feet. I am pleased to say that the leak was soon fixed and the water has been back to its original level for some time now. The weed is a very different story and continues to be a summer problem. We met in November 2016 and discussed with the National Trust the possibility of introducing the EA approved dye that stops sunlight entering the water and promoting weed growth. Sadly The National Trust would not allow its introduction due to its conditions on water management. Please rest assured that we will continue to work on a long term solution for this problem, but in the meantime we will continue to carry out regular dragging sessions to help improve member’s access to the water. One good thing that came out of this meeting was the permission in principle to extend our lease for at least 3 more years when our current lease comes to an end on 31/05/18. It is a pleasure to be able to report that we will still have a water to fish on the Stowe complex for the coming years.
Members had reported that the road leading to the car park had become difficult to drive down due to holes developing. This has been rectified and should now make the entrance far more accessible. The working party for this water is arranged for 21st May 2017 where we will continue to manage and maintain the pegs to the best of our ability. Please make a note of this date along with the Jubilee working party date, the more people we have there the easier the work is for everyone and the more we can get done.
Radclive River
Over the next 3 years we have had agreement from the EA that they will be providing us with a delivery of 500 small Barbel each year to a total of 1500 by 2019. When visiting the river they were very impressed by the work carried out to make fishing accessible to all, and felt that this was a perfect place to introduce Barbel for the future. This is a fantastic offer and from the feedback I have received so far, members are very excited at the prospect of seeing Barbel in our stretch of river, up and downstream of Radclive.
I would like to express my thanks to the committee, who continue to strive to push the club forward for all of our members, with new ideas and positive actions. Members of the committee have also taken time to completely revamp our website adding information regarding all the waters that we have access too. Can I ask that you also help to keep our website alive and up to date by sending in your photos of fish that you have caught whilst fishing one of these waters, promoting Stowe Angling Club to all.
Lastly a final date for your diary, our AGM which will once again be held at The Buckingham School on London Road in Buckingham at 8.00pm on Tuesday 9th May 2017. Please come along, listen and have your say in how you would like to see Stowe Angling Club run over the years to come.
Best wishes and successful fishing over the next 12 months.
Graham