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Close season plans

Couple of commercials with the kids.
certainly not my idea of fishing but they love chucking a float out in the margins for them daft carp that hang em selves. It’s great fun for me watching them perform like champion anglers.
As far as I’m concerned my 10 year old daughter held the record on one of those lakes with a fully scaled 22lb mirror but the all round season members Weren’t keen on believing she’d done better than them.
we weren’t bothered about it but when they didn’t put her pic up on the gallery page I was a bit miffed.
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Some fluff chucking early to mid-April on my local river if conditions allow, before the tench fishing gets going, then it’s tench from May - July. Probably won’t fish for barbel until August - Sept now.
 
Think I'll socially isolate for a few hours this weekend on a trout lake. I need to get away from all this coronovirus madness at work (and home). Thank goodness for this wonderful hobby of ours! 🙂
 
With a few days left from my weeks holiday iv been eger in the garage sorting all my gear out and wiping everything down and clean it all to an inch of its life. ( a bit of OCD ) will be joining a new club this year which has sone really nice streches of the river wavaney and afew pits which boost some cracking fish.
 
3-4 sessions gravel pit tenching for me. Gems. Lovely looking fish. Colours...black with fluo yellow white underbellies. Not huge. 7-8 lb maximum but great fishing sport.

Taking the opportunity to have a mass clear out of paperwork. Also, the dreaded tax return!
 
Sorting out the Tench kit has killed a few hours this morning. Hopefully will be allowed out in time to use some of it...

Been steaming through Tony Miles’ books on my Kindle, there’s a few on the Kindle Library that you can ‘borrow’ for free if you’re a Prime member. @Stephen Crowhurst lent me a physical copy of Elite Barbel, which is brilliant for those who haven’t read it.

Hope everyone is staying safe and keeping yourselves busy.

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My local club Burton Mutual Angling Association have just closed all waters for fishing with immediate effect.
 
Have been caring for my mum for the last couple of months after a Bowel cancer Operation went wrong. She has a pond in her back garden with Koi and Commons to about 14lb, sadly we lost a 21lb Koi last year. I told mum if things get hard we might have to eat Carp, struck and played her for about 1 second before she realised I was joking.
 
Sorting out the Tench kit has killed a few hours this morning. Hopefully will be allowed out in time to use some of it...

Been steaming through Tony Miles’ books on my Kindle, there’s a few on the Kindle Library that you can ‘borrow’ for free if you’re a Prime member. @Stephen Crowhurst lent me a physical copy of Elite Barbel, which is brilliant for those who haven’t read it.

Hope everyone is staying safe and keeping yourselves busy.

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Im seriously considering placing three buckets in the garden and keeping my arm in with a 5g jig head. I’ve actually spent the last two days putting madam in time out, it’s going to be a long three weeks...
 
All clubs I'm a member of have put out closure notices for all waters, many people can't seem to understand that 'stay at home' was directed at EVERYONE!
Some clever soles are now bivvied up in the local park which is an SSSI with a closed season. They must regard themselves as doubly special. Police are patrolling the park so they will hopefully be disabused of the notion that they don't need to stay at home or are exempt from compliance with bye-lawes.
 
Wye and Usk are being sensible:


Fishing Passport Newsletter​
mail
Wednesday 25th March, 2020​
COVID-19 Update for Anglers
Following the announcement on Monday evening of more stringent restrictions on movement, we would like to inform everyone that for the time being at least, Passport fisheries are being largely kept open but under different rules.
The Government’s official document on COVID-19 allows for “One form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household.”
While we have to appreciate that covering all activities is impossible, this statement is ambiguous when it comes to fishing. Despite the crucial “for example” many people and organisations have interpreted it as meaning that running, cycling or walking are the only activities allowed. There have also been questions over whether people should travel to take exercise. However, as the BBC pointed out last night, the Government just want people to use their common sense when it comes to this issue.
To many, fishing is just as much a form or exercise as a walk. It also has significant mental health benefits and because the Passport has tight limits on the number of people allowed onto a fishery each day (often exclusively), it is an effective form of social isolation with a very low infection risk, providing official advice is followed.
Understandably, some fishery owners have chosen to close including many clubs and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, whose reservoirs do not have restrictions on angler numbers and whose surrounds are open to the public.
While the situation may change at a moment's notice, remaining Passport fisheries will remain open under the following provisos:
  • Only one angler (or two who are in isolation together) can book, travel to or be on a fishery per day. We will monitor booking activity and cancel without refundanybody who disregards this. Where double bookings have been made in advance, we will refund all but the first booking.
  • The one angler only applies to all fisheries. For Wild Stream beats, the standard rule of moving to another beat if there is a car already in the parking area must be adhered to.
  • Anglers fish only waters that are local to them.
  • Anglers take all precautions when visiting a fishery to protect themselves and others. This includes staying more than two metres away from anyone else, wearing gloves to open gates, climb stiles etc and to wash their hands thoroughly when they return home. If you have to stop for fuel, wear gloves when using the pump and use contactless card payment (soon to be increased to £45 maximum).
  • Owners always retain the right to close their fisheries with immediate effect.
  • If the restrictions on movement change or are clarified by the Government, the above could be changed at a moment’s notice.
Everyone understands the urgent need to slow the spread of the Corona virus and to do all we can to help the NHS and other frontline services to cope in the coming weeks.
But for many people, being allowed to spend a few hours alone on the riverbank will be just as important for their mental and physical wellbeing as going for a walk, cycle or run will be for others. It will also carry zero risk of spreading this virus unlike, say, taking a stroll through West London and bumping into a cabinet minister on a jog.
We urge everyone to stick to the above rules on booking and fishing. Failure to do so will result in individual fisheries being withdrawn or a total cessation of Passport fishing. First and foremost, it will endanger yourself, your family and other people.
 
Anglers should only drive to work if needed or to buy food items,. I'm disgusted at the approach of the Wye and Usk , remember if you have an accident on your way to fishing you might well need the NHS, do as we are told stay at home fishing at these times isn't important, my fishery is locked and closed to everyone. Think of others and stay safe.
 
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