Information Sheets

April 2012

GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT

2012-13 PERMITS

Things are moving along with the new permits and I hope to take receipt next week. Along with the permit card and Rule booklet each member will be issued with a car park sticker that will need to be displayed in the member’s vehicle. The member will need to add his permit number with a ball point pen before fixing like a tax disc to the vehicle. Spares of these can be obtained from myself. The new Night Permits will be issued from the following shops Reading Angling Centre, Thames Valley Angling, Tadley Angling Centre,

Woodley Tackle Box, Yateley Angling Centre, Kings of Maidenhead and Acorn Angling Centre in Didcot.

They will also be available from myself and Graham Hawkins (Associate Members Secretary).

NORTHMOOR

A reminder to all Clubs that we have taken this venue back on to our books and any Club wanting to book the venue for matches could they please contact Paul Wilding. The only parking on the venue is at the Ferryman Pub end.

SANDFORD WEIR

If any of the Clubs receive permit applications from members based near to this venue i.e. Oxford area could they please contact myself as we are looking for a Bailiff for the water.

BEAT 3 (FOBNEY ISLAND)

We appear to have come to an agreement with Reading B.C. over the continued use of the venue. This will however be from the south bank thus avoiding any conflict with the bird watchers based on the island. This will give us a more private venue that will be gated at both ends. I have a meeting this week to tie up the financial side of the project before work commences by our Fisheries Officer this coming Monday. A new path and new swims will need to be installed tom be ready for June 16^th.

DROUGHT CONDITIONS

The continued drought will probably see a hosepipe ban come into force this week, this probably should have been in operation last year. Water levels in the Kennet are dangerously low and it may well be that we will need to carry out fish rescues if things don’t improve. The E.A. are gearing up for this situation but they will not be able to cope with the demand and it may mean us calling on our Clubs for assistance.

KHV RESTRICTION

The all clear on the Pingewood Lakes came a couple of days after our last E.C. meeting. I did manage to get it in the information sheet to the Clubs but to make it clear we can now use nets on Cottage Lane Lakes, Englefield Lagoon, Farnham Flint and Pingewood Lagoon. The restriction on keepnets will remain on Brown–Lee Pool and RDAA will continue to supply keepnets for the booked matches. This is due to us looking after the newly introduced stock which we know to have a clean bill of health

FISHERIES REPORT 

LOWER BENYONS :- The Red section has had the pathway widened and any low overhead tree limbs taken out. This is in order that I can get the mower along this section come the early summer. I have been promised that the reeds on the inside margin on this venue will be removed by B.W. in the coming weeks. This will then open this venue back up to anglers wishing to trot stick floats etc. 

WYLIES LAKE :- Things are starting to take shape and I’m hoping to have at least the left hand and top bank swims opened up by the time you read this report. There may be a brief postponement of the work going on at Wylies and the work I have booked in to do at Wallingford as it looks as though we will be starting the clearance work at Beat 3B backwater next week. I hope you would agree, this work has to take precedence over any other work as currently we can’t fish anywhere on this venue. The work to be carried out will include the relocation of 18-20 swims onto the south bank and an access path the whole way up from the cottages to the weir. The time frame for this work is around 2-3 weeks so, hopefully I can drop back onto the work I have already planned.

FLOATING PENNYWORT :- I have also had a meeting with all the interested parties concerning the Pennywort and its spread into the Kennet. One thing that was suggested was a local action group be set up and group members carrying out monthly hand picking tasks. Obviously, this is something we will support and will be doing our bit to help out.

VOLUNTEERS :-Those who look on our website will have noticed I have asked for volunteers to come forward to help out around the venues. The announcement has been on the site for two weeks now (as well as a mention at the AGM) and the up take has been slow at best. Other than Bailiff’s and people already volunteering for roles, I think the total is 3 so far. A little disappointing! Hopefully, this will improve before the closing date I have imposed on applications. I may look at extending the application period but, I can’t lengthen it by too much as, if we’re to try and get this off the ground, I need a cut-off date in order to set up health and safety inductions, formulate a work schedules etc.

BAILIFFING :- This continues, with the current totals up to 1782.

VENUE NEWS :- Around the lakes, the fish in some of our venues are starting to become active with Tench being caught at Wylies, Cottage Lane and Whistley. The Carp are also waking up with fish being caught regularly at Flint and Cottage Lane. Pingewood has also managed the first couple of fish this year in the last week.    

February 2012

GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT

KENNET WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE. 

Del and myself recently attended a meeting with representatives of ARK (Action for the River Kennet). This is a charity based in Marlborough who have been very successful dealing with the issues of the river at the upstream end. They have now expressed an interest in following this through to the confluence of the river with the Thames. As such they are about to be appointed by the  E.A. as the lead body for the WFD. They as a charity have been very successful in gaining funding and we were both impressed with their setup. We will know more following a meeting of the Kennet WFD on January 25^th.

KHV RESTRICTION 

Cefas have informed us that they have not carried out the tests yet on the sentinel fish that were collected from Cemex’s Match Pool in late October. This is due to the increased workload on the staff and facilities at Bampton that has resulted in increased KHV outbreaks.

CRAYFISH TRAPPING 

Due to a change in E.A. policy RDAA are not allowed to block book the tags to go on the traps. Each member will have to apply individually. Forms are available from myself or download from our website in the Forum section.

FLOATING PENNYWORT 

I have been led to believe that all work has now been completed with more spraying to follow in the spring. We need to keep an eye on this and keep the relevant parties informed.

FISHERIES REPORT

GALE DAMAGE 

The high winds of 2 weeks ago didn’t really affect us too much with only a few small trees down around various venues.

LOWER BENYONS”RED” SECTION 

 Work tidying our venues continues with this venue next on the list.

STOCKING     

Brown – Lee Pool has just received 920 small carp  (6-10 inches). Hope fully this will increase catch rates in the Spring for Clubs that have booked it for out of season matches.

 VENUE NEWS

 It has been very quiet around the venues  with only the odd angler out. The rivers are still producing the odd chub, with at least two 6lb plus fish from Whistley Mill River. Padworth Canal in the last week has produced a number of good perch to 3lb plus.  Anglers fishing for our lake pike are being rewarded with a few jacks and there are rumours of one of Whistley Mill’s bigger fish seeing the bank recently.

BAILIFFING             

The bailiff figures are currently 1585 visits with no out of the ordinary problems.

March 2012

GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT

PROSPECTIVE  E.C. MEMBERS

We have several applicants for the vacant E.C. positions and these will be put up for election at the forthcoming AGM. The applicants are John Morton (Reading Fishing Club), Robert Richbell (Adventure A.C.),Trevor Slater (TRBLAS), Andy Chapman (TRBLAS), Mick Carwardine (Thatcham A.A.).

VENUES

Following the Finance meeting we have decided that Mill End will no longer be on the permit list from March 16^th 2012. The venue has not been a success due mainly to the high banks. 

BEAT 3 (FOBNEY ISLAND)

We have a meeting with Reading Borough Council scheduled for March 1^st where I hope we will come to some agreement regarding fishing from the southern bank. This will require some banside work carried out but will certainly be better for us in the long term. The high banks that were a problem regarding safety are not a problem on the southern bank.

DROUGHT CONDITIONS

Water levels are a major problem at present on all of our rivers but mainly the Kennet. If we do not have some very significant rainfall over the remainder of this winter and the coming spring then I fear for the Kennet.

KHV RESTRICTION

I have heard that we are now clear of the KHV restrictions following the testing of the sentinel fish from the CEMEX Burghfield Match Pool. This means that the keepnet restrictions are now lifted except we will retain the ban on Brown-Lee Pool. This is to try and safeguard the stock that we have introduced.

DOGS ON VENUES

Following conflicting rules between the Permit and the Specimen Group rules we have decided that dogs will be allowed on venues. The new rules will commence from June 16^th 2012 The venues they are not allowed on (due to lease clauses|) will be Padworth Mill, Mapledurham, Northmoor and Longwater Lake.

The dog’s owner has responsibility for the animal at all times and the dog must be tethered or on a lead at all times.

BROWN LEE – POOL

The lake has received a further stocking of 920 of 10 to 12 inch carp. This should boost the catch rates for the coming season’s matches.

FISHERIES REPORT

VENUE WORKS

 For most of the last month I have been at Lower Benyons Red section. The path has been steadily becoming narrower due to the encroachment of the brambles and trees. The path is now wide enough to take our 4 foot wide mower so this should be ample for anglers.

Next venue on my list to receive a major trim is Wylies, which should be started in the next week or so.

VOLUNTEERS

 I am proposing to draw up a ‘volunteers list’, this volunteers list will be a maximum of 25 strong in order to maintain an element of control. All volunteers will have to attend a Health and Safety induction and will be supervised by the venue controller or myself during any work parties. The list will operate on a yearly basis with any new volunteers being added only if people drop out. I am hoping to include some volunteers in the up and coming work at Wylies and hope this will be the spring board to making this scheme workable.

BAILIFFING

 The permit checks by our bailiffs are slowing which is to be expected at this time of year. The current tally to date is 1678 checks.

VENUE NEWS

Around the venues there has been little to report as the lakes have had a lid on for the last 3 weeks or so and the rivers have been very quiet, although they are starting to fill up with anglers now the weather is on the turn, so I hope to have heard of a large barbel or two coming out before the end of the season.

January 2012

GENERAL SECRETARY’S REPORT

 FROXFIELD

 Things appear to be getting back to normal on the venue. Match weights appear to be slightly down on the “A” section but this could also be due to the colder weather returning and not so much the dewatering. Now that this latest problem has diminished I will be returning to B.W. to sort out the boats and parking for next season. As at present there is no movement of boats through this section until next Spring it will help the venue return to normal. Having said that the recent Open resulted in a winning weight of 33llbs of perch albeit on top end of “C” section. 

BEAT 3 (FOBNEY ISLAND)

 Work has now been completed by the Environment Agency on this project but due to the amount of mud etc on the banks we have not reopened the venue on safety grounds. We are at present talking with Reading B.C. regarding an alternative arrangement. Negotiations are looking favorable at present but there are still a couple of stumbling blocks, mainly finance. If we can negotiate this move then some clearance of paths and swims will be required but this could be completed for fishing to resume before the end of this season.

  FLOATING PENNYWORT

 Most of the weed has now been dealt with including the spraying in the backwater drains. The last remaining job falls on British Waterways who I am told have already carried out the removal / spraying of the sections on the River Kennet. I understand that the barrier of weed that was blocking the confluence of the river and Foudry Brook and preventing any more weed escaping into the Kennet has now broken away and has washed downstream presumably into the Thames. We must all be vigilant in looking out for the return of the weed and reporting it back to the relative parties via RDAA.

DOGS ON VENUES

 At present we have conflicting rules between the General Permit and the proposed Night Permit where dogs are allowed during daylight hours but not on the Night Permit. The E.C. will make a decision on this at the January meeting.

FISHERIES REPORT

VENUE WORKS 

 As mentioned last month I have been cutting back and trimming the swims around Pingewood with just the Cottage bank now to complete. I will be moving onto Lower Benyons Red section in the New Year.

   BRITISH WATERWAYS

  The Chairman and myself had a long awaited meeting with British Waterway’s, Waterways Manager.  The purpose of the meeting was to outline a way in which we would have a greater say in the way BW plan and carry out their planned vegetation maintenance.  Without going into boring detail, the present way in which they carry out such tasks is not acceptable to us or the ecology of the river.

We have asked for a written agreement to be drawn up between BW and ourselves, with three key stipulations,

we have written notice of any planned works that may affect our fisheries, 60 days in advance.

If we have concerns about the planned works and can substantiate our concerns with either case studies or evidence from a third party, we will be listened to and a compromise sought.

We will receive a copy of the ecological survey, for comment, prior to any work being started. The meeting finished well us both leaving with a verbal agreement to the above.

 We now await the first draft of our written agreement. Yet again, as with our B.W approved maintenance programme, RDAA will be the only Angling Organisation in the country to have such an agreement.  

BAILIFFING

  The permit checks by our bailiffs are slowing which is to be expected at this time of year. The current tally to date is 1420 checks.

 VENUE NEWS

  On the fishing front it’s been pretty quiet with only the odd barbel being caught to the brave few on the more noted barbel stretches. Chub have saved a blank session for many anglers this last month with some good fish to six and a half pounds coming out.

 Most of the carp anglers have now hibernated and our lake venues are only seeing the odd pike angler, most of which manage a jack or two from the likes of Englefield Lagoon.