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From The Chair
A number of factors have made this the best year for the Society since 1997 especially in terms of membership. Our waters have improved as a direct result of the hard work of the Committee, Officers and you the members. In the coming season we need to build upon this success and ensure that the Society continues to grow, whilst keeping our own unique friendliness and pleasant surroundings. With the newsletter you will receive your renewal form, please complete it as soon as you can and send it to Paul the Membership Secretary. You may have to wait a while if you are planning to do working parties and getting your 'stamps', if this is the case then the fishery managers are very much looking forward to seeing you on their parties. If you have any tools or equipment or materials you think they may find useful, please contact them. The Editor Dave wishes to grow the magazine, so please consider exploring your literary side. The website has recently been given a revamp and I hope you like the changes. I am always desperate for pictures of HAS fish for the site, so please feel free to send me snaps with a SAE for their safe return or email them to me, one at a time. I have added a new message board which looks much better than the previous one and has more functionality, it's a good place to chew the fat so please log on and take part. It is the place for all our information and I update it on a very regular basis My special thanks to all the Officers, Committee, bailiffs and you the membership. See you at the AGM on 14th April. Vince Sutton
Harefield Pit 1
As the end of the season approaches we would like to invite you all to join us in the close season work parties. Many hands make light work and it's always good to meet the membership face to face.few months of the season have been slower than the start and middle, however, a few carp have been caught with the largest being around 18lb. The bream, tench and silverfish have been elusive to say the least! The pike fishing has been fair but we have been informed of a certain angler that likes to take some of his catches home. If this is found to be true we will take immediate action. On the left hand side of the point you will notice that a considerable amount of the overhanging tree has been removed. This has been done for fish safety reasons. A large amount of 'floater' fishing tackle was found in the branches under and around the waterline including barbed hooks. Can we remind members that fish safety is paramount and barbed hooks will not be tolerated. Please use common sense when fishing around bankside features. There has been some opposition to this work but fish safety must come first and the trees will soon grow back. A large amount of litter is being found poked into bushes and brambles. PLEASE TAKE ALL LITTER HOME Hope to see you all soon. Larry and Steve.
Harefield Pit 2
All in all a good year down on Pit 2 which we'll try and sun up for you. Roach Plenty of roach being caught in the 4-10oz bracket. More people fishing for them which is good to see. Best fish reported 1lb 3oz. Loads of good hand sized fish in certain areas which is amazing considering the cormorants. Tench Not so many caught this year with reports being few and far between and the best fish being landed was 6lb+. Bream A lot of bream have been caught many on conventional tackle to 11lb+ plus those caught on carp tackle. The Society lake record was broken by Pat with a fish of 12lb 9oz. Well done indeed. Eels A few fish caught to 3lb+. Carp 90+ carp out this season to 30lb 12oz. Fishing has been fairly easy this year due to the weed being mainly marginal. Some fish down in weight due them puking up TC's bait!! Well done to Hippy who had 3 fish in his first year and also to Beavis for his first 3 carp from Pit 2. Congrats to GT who broke both his Mirror and Common PB's in one day! Eric also had a 25lb+ fish in the summer, nice one. Surface baits took carp to 29lb+. Hambo was knocked off his top spot this year due to madness. Turnip winkled a couple out and Baity remained consistent with one fish just like last year. A good year I'm sure you'll all agree and we are pleased to say that all the fish caught were in immaculate condition with no mouth damage. Let's hope that continues. Good luck to Johnny Boy get one before the end, it's long overdue. Pike A lot of pike caught mainly small. Not many double figure fish caught but a report of a 20lb+ fish has filtered through. Lots of anglers doing the usual things rather than trying something different. Let's hope the last few weeks of the season chucks up a couple of lumps. Working party season is coming up. Can we please ask anyone attending to bring wheelbarrows and shovels etc? We are intending to do some urgent work on the peat bank. Brillo will supply the entertainment. Thanks to the 2 and a half bailiffs who keep an eye on the place and we would all like to remind the membership of a few important rules that must be adhered to. NO boats, NO barbed hooks, TWO rods only and leave no waste, human or otherwise.
Cheers. GT and Les.
Rowley Lake
I had hoped that the back end of the season would bring glad tidings of bulging nets and specimen fish. Sadly I think it will have to wait again until next year. This time last year the run up to the season end was mild with fish showing and being caught. Unfortunately the last 2 days were written off by a bitter easterly which killed the fishing dead. This year the run up has seen cold easterlies frost, sleet and snow. However, the forecast for the last couple of days is mild with southerly winds so some of us might get lucky. Whatever happens no doubt the usual stalwarts will be out there at the last knockings trying to winkle out that one last fish. Please let us know how you get on. The fish list on the web site shows that Rowley had another bumper year with stacks of fish, particularly Bream, being caught and many satisfied customers to boot. Good to see that there is a growing contingent out there that don't just want to catch Carp. Although those that do won't be disappointed.
John Miles
Catch reports from the Website
Here is a summary of catches reported to our ever expanding website. Pit 1 Not too many reports are being received for Pit 1 but what we are getting is quite encouraging. Ten reports of Bream being landed, all fish being between 6 lb 12oz and 8lb 1oz. Eleven reports of Pike, with the largest of 8lb 2oz. Tench reports show fish of up to 6lb 4oz being caught. The majority of reports are of Carp catches, lots of double figured fish and two of over 20lbs, the biggest of these being 21lb 4oz Pit 2 As already mentioned in the Fishery Managers report a good season has been had by Pit 2 anglers. Twenty-six reports of Bream being caught, many of these over double figures. Pike reports show ten fish being landed to 17lb 1oz. As usual Carp reports are a bit thin on the ground, but 8 fish recorded to 30lb 12oz. One Tench reported to 5lb 4oz and one Roach of 1lb 3oz. Rowley Another good season for this consistent fishery, with website reports showing seventy-two Bream caught, with nine going to 6lb or more. Fifteen reported Carp captures the largest of these weighing 22lb 4oz. The Tench tally was twenty-six with two fish breaking the 7lb barrier to 7lb 3oz. A few Pike to 15lb and one Eel of 1lb 8oz. In summary This is by no means the extent of the fish caught by our members but only represents those reported to our website. However, I think you'll agree that these catches alone are an impressive haul. Please make every effort to get your catches recorded by submitting details to our Curator, Lee Winter for entry to the website.
Dave Cargill
Of Local Interest
With the traditional pike season in full flow, my mind was focused on the capture of large pike, past and present. I was browsing through Fred Bullerm's 'Doomsday Book of Mammoth Pike' first published in 1979.This remarkable book which took 15 years of research, records pike of 35 lbs and upwards, caught in the UK or Ireland. A great read and a must for all anglers interested in pike fishing. Among the various accounts of great fish caught over the years, my attention was drawn to the exploits of a Mr Alfred Jardine, who died in 1910 at the age of 82. In angling circles, Alfred Jardine is still today recognised as one of the great pike anglers of yesteryear. The list of outstanding pike catches, credited to him over the years certainly bear testimony to this and can only be acclaimed. Sometime in the late 1800s, stories were circulating the angling grapevine (what's new), that our own local 'Ruislip Reservoir' contained some monster pike. This was in the days before it became a Lido, mainly for water skiers. To substantiate this revelation, a fine fish of 35 lbs was captured by an angler resident in nearby Harrow. This anonymous angler and others at that time, were said to be aware of the presence in the reservoir of a much larger fish. Alfred Jardine was one of the others and decided to have a try for this rumoured monster. He later related to a friend how he hooked a very, very, large fish on one of his subsequent visits to the reservoir. This great fish tore off 150 yards of line before snapping it like cotton. 'I never even had a chance to turn him', said a disconsolate Alfred to his friend. Sadly, sometime later, due to a very severe drought, the reservoir was drained to help replenish the local canal, not much consideration being given to the water's fish stocks. Among the decaying mass of dead fish left, was a monster pike estimated to weight at least 50 lbs. This was undoubtedly the fish Jardine had hooked and lost. It was interesting to note that had Alfred Jardine successfully landed this huge fish, it would have made him the English Record Holder, even to this day. Although these events took place many years ago, in fact over 100, I must admit to being somewhat surprised that Ruislip could produce such a mammoth fish. Living fairly locally to the water for many years, I have never actually fished it. It remains something of an unknown quantity to me. I cannot recollect every seeing it mentioned in the Angling Press, past or present. Looking generally at big pike, it was interesting to note that some very big fish of 35 lbs plus, were recorded in Fred's book, taken from relatively small waters. This led me to wonder about our own expansive Harefield No. 2. Could it, with the benefit of its great size, produce such fish? I have heard over the years, from reliable sources, that some exceptionally large fish have been hooked and lost. I suppose one must treat such stories with an element of caution when you look back at our records and see a great fish of 28 lbs - 6ozs, witnessed by Steve Jenner, who knows what the future may hold. Well that's it then, it only remains for me to wish all our pike anglers a very successful season.
Of Local Interest - B Bean
p.s. - In passing, this is the same legendary Alfred Jardine who designed and gave his name to the famous snap tackle we still use today
Top Tip's
Can I take this opportunity to remind members that any 'top tips' sent in will be judged by our Secretary and the best entry will be awarded a special prize, so get your thinking caps on and spill the beans on those best kept secrets. Send them to Terry Skelton at the address inside the back cover or by e-mail at tysn@cheapside7.fsnet.co.uk.
Tackle Auction
If you are anything like me you will have a shed or garage full of tackle from yesteryear collecting dust and mildew. Well the opportunity is here for you to turn it into cash. Harrow Angling Society is holding a tackle auction. All sales will be subject to a 10% handling fee to go towards club funds, so not only will you be clearing out your shed but you'll be earning a few quid and helping your fishing club too. As long as it's in reasonable condition we'll try and sell it for you. The auction is planned for the November meeting so if you have anything to sell please contact
Terry Skelton.