Newsletter 3/07
Newsletter 3/07



From The Chair

Harefield Pit 1

Harefield Pit 2

Rowley Lake

A Lost Treasure

Curators Report

Trophy Awards

Match Schedule 2007/2008

A little Crayfish Information

Harrow Angling Society 1937 - 2007















From The Chair

Our esteemed Treasurer John Barnes has left for pastures new leaving a big legacy and a huge void to fill. Terry pays tribute to one of the Societies longest serving members elsewhere in these pages for his hard and diligent work over the years. He will be missed and hard to replace, all the best to John. Our membership although slightly down on last year, shows continued signs of recovery with the churn of members reduced from last year. I believe this trend will continue given the success of our waters this year especially Harefield No1, the lake has been popular even in January! With this newsletter you will receive your renewal form. Please ensure you complete it as soon as possible and send it to Paul the Membership Secretary. You may have to wait a while until you have done your working parties and get your 'Stamps' if this is the case the fishery managers are very much looking forward to seeing you on their parties. If you have any tools, equipment or materials you think they may find useful, please contact them. Please continue to support our editor Dave Cargill as he continues to grow the newsletter, please feel free to contribute. The website continues to be successful, I have plans to improve it when the time allows, but please continue to use it and enjoy it. My thanks to Paul the membership secretary, who is about to undertake again the task of issuing your membership, please be sure to fill in your forms correctly, and send him the necessary for him to do his job quickly and effectively. Thanks to the Secretary for all the hard graft he puts in behind the scenes to keep the Society running. Thanks to Dave & Sharon for continuing to produce the best club magazine around. Thanks to the fishery managers for keeping the waters in such great condition. Thanks to Larry for allowing us to use his home for our Committee meetings (and for all the tea and biscuits). Thanks to the Bailiffs for there vigilance on the bankside and to all you members who without you there would be no Society Please do not forget the AGM on Wednesday 11th April. I look forward to seeing you there.

Vince Sutton

Fishery Manager's Reports Harefield Pit 1

Alas we are coming to the end of another season but the last two months have seen plenty of doubles gracing the banks. Stockies have been reported from 4lb to 8lb, Tench from 4lb to 7lb 8ozs and Bream from 4lb to 9lb 8ozs. The lake has also given up a number of 20lb + fish with the best being a Mirror Carp of 29lb 12oz to Mark Davies. Pike have been very elusive this season so if any members have caught one please send in a report. We are still waiting for the Perch to arrive and when they do we shall let you know via the web site. We would like to thank Dave Hambly for the night and day match that he ran back in the summer, there will be another match held along the same lines this summer, full details in the Curators report. We would also like to thank all the members who have fished the lake for helping to keep it clean and tidy. Keep up the good work. This year the dip tanks will be recharged so please continue to use them on every visit, our bailiffs have been asked to monitor their use. Back in January, as most of you will remember we had high winds which brought down trees at the south end of the lake. Therefore our forthcoming work parties will concentrate on this area. If you plan to attend the work parties please bring along tools to help with this task. Work party dates for the close season are as follows:- Sunday 15th April Sunday 29th April Sunday 3rd June None of these dates fall on Bank Holidays so please make every effort to come along. More hands make light work! There will be no weed control this year apart from the front of the helipad swim We would like to thank our bailiffs and all of you who turned up for the previous work parties for all the sterling work carried out. Just a quick reminder that boats should not be taken on to the lake by any members or bailiffs, without permission from the Fishery Managers, and cars should not be taken any further than the car park. There is no vehicle access around the lake. Good luck for the coming season see you on the banks Tight lines

Larry & Dave.

Harefield Pit 2

Hello to all.The weather we have had over the winter period has been remarkably mild with lots of wind and rain which has had a temporary effect on the lake, nothing major but it made life difficult for a while. Firstly the big winds of January bought down many trees, the most notable being the cracked willow behind the Bream swim on the canal bank, the one with the hornets nest in it. As you can see most of it ended up in the road. Thankfully the council have now done the necessary work and have chopped down and stacked the logs making the area safe once more, it's a bit muddy where the tractors have been working but we now have more parking areas along the canal bank! Also, as I write in mid February, the water level is quite high due to the rain we have had. Some swims are affected more than others, wellington boots are needed for the Railway bank. The work done previously on the outlet stream has been beneficial as water is shooting out; its just more is coming in at the moment! It's not as bad as previous years when banks were inaccessible for weeks or months, but I think we will just have to put up with this inconvenience every now and then. On the fishing side of things a few Pike have been caught over the winter months, the biggest I know of being a high double of 17lb or 18lbs, maybe someone has had something bigger! . Personally I have had a few sessions, mainly evenings and early mornings either with the jelly's or spinners. My biggest Perch was 2lb 12oz and my biggest Pike was 14lb 8oz, which on a six foot spinning rod was highly enjoyable. On the carp front, after the 50 or so fish that were caught before the last newsletter it has been very very quiet, most of the regulars deciding against fishing the long, cold nights and pursuing ventures elsewhere. I know of only one fish being caught since last November, this being a 30lb 12oz mirror to my fellow fishery manager Les Skidmore, so well done Baldy, you got your lump for the year!! Hopefully the weather will remain mild and we will see a few more fish on the bank before the end of the season. The mad dash to get the rods in the water before the "close" usually throws up a few and I have been seeing fish sticking their heads out and leaping over the past few weeks, you never know, someone may catch one of the elusive monsters before the shutdown. Looking forward to the close season working parties please make a note of these dates, they are different from those on the renewal forms, my apologies for this but I have changed jobs and am now working a different shift. Work Party dates are as follows:- Sunday 15th April Sunday 20th May Sunday 10th June Jobs to be done on these dates are: Railway Bank path. You are probably aware that the boggiest areas were covered with hard core and shingle last year. This year we aim to join the patches up, we have the materials in place and also the loan of some equipment (Digger, Dumper Truck, Whacker plate) so a few people are needed to just spread the gear around, not as hard as last year!! Peat Bank. We need to replace some of the wood on the "Bridge Section" on the path and also on some of the jetties in the swims. Anyone with suitable wood please bring along or contact myself or Les on the numbers on the inside back page of the newsletter. Other jobs elsewhere on the lake will include the usual preening of trees, swim front repairs and obviously cutting back the pathways, plenty to be done so please come along. Now for the bit I don't like, a bit of a moan. Whilst away on a foreign fishing trip with Les I received a phone call from one of the bailiffs informing me that persons fishing the lake were shooting with a gun / rifle. The matter was dealt with by the committee and the people responsible have now been expelled from the club. It seems like common sense to me but PLEASE DO NOT BRING FIREARMS ONTO OUR WATERS. Also, in what could have been related to the gun incident, rubbish and human faeces were found on the "Pylon" swim. Please take all rubbish home with you, and if the call of nature is required either dig a hole etc or dispose of properly by taking it home with you. I'd just like to wish you all the best for the year ahead. Maybe a few more people will come and try for the specimen Bream, Tench, Roach, Perch, Eels, Pike and Carp that can all be found in the pleasant surroundings of Pit 2.

Bonjour!! Ian and Les

Rowley Lake

I am writing this at the end of February. The weather is mild with the wind from the South West and all the indicators are for a good last couple of weeks. If it stays this warm we will surely be winding them in. Looking back I see I said that last year and the weather turned freezing during the last week and all hopes were dashed. Still, that's fishing. Overall, this year has seen Rowley continuing to produce consistently with Carp being the top of the list as usual with specimens up to 27lb. Will it do a 30 next year? Watch this space. Now the Bream have been thinned out perhaps the winter fishing is a bit slower than we would like, but having said that, Tench continue to be caught throughout the winter and the Christmas period, with I guess a few more anglers on the bank, saw a fair few caught with the odd one showing up as recently as last week. The summer saw a number of half decent Roach and Rudd being caught on the float and we would welcome more reports of such catches to give us an indication of the trend with these silver fish which are generally in decline elsewhere in the Colne Valley. Similarly, we need feed back with regard to the fish stocked in 2005 - Small Carp (mostly Commons), Crucians, small Tench and Perch. From the netting in 2004 we also know that there are still large numbers of skimmer Bream in the lake and indications that these fish are being caught and how they are growing are all important. So please don't just limit your reports to the bigger fish. If you have a good day (or even a not so good day) on the float or feeder let us know. If you are targeting the Tench or catching them by accident in pursuit of Carp (and we know you are out there) give us a call. All reports are welcome and really the reports of the lesser fish are more important and of more interest, than those for twenty pound Carp, as they enable us to gauge and plan future Fishery Management. Just drop me a mail or give me a buzz - it only takes a minute. Liming will be carried out again this year in order to assist in the breakdown of silt and generally help to enrich the lake's eco system. This will be done outside of the regular working parties so all volunteers welcome and can I rely on you boys who helped out last year? No buggering off to France fishing or trips around the World to get out of it!! As we have had so much rain this winter paths around the lake have taken a bashing and we will be looking to sort these out. So could anyone who has access to scalpings and/or wood chippings or similar please give me a buzz. Similarly if you have any half decent timber to get rid of please let me know. Whatever you do at the back end - good luck and keep in touch.

Cheers John Miles.

A lost Treasure - Devon's gain is the Society's loss

After many years, first as our Auditor and then Treasurer, John Barnes has retired and moved to Northam, near Bideford in Devon. We have much reason to be grateful not only to John, but also his wife Marjorie, for their generous contribution to the running of the Society. John has been a member since 1971. His first role with the Society was as auditor, a duty he carried out until the sad loss of our Chairman/Treasurer Jack Clarke in the mid-eighties, when John took over the Treasurer's duties. Throughout those more than 20 years, he has done a first class job, and always with great willingness, enthusiasm, and the professionalism befitting an accountant that has been his chosen career. But more than that, he and Marjorie have allowed the Society to use their home over all those years for our regular Committee meetings. Marjorie never failed to have sufficient supplies of tea, coffee and biscuits as a welcome break during our evening's discussions, refusing any form of reimbursement. We shall miss John's meticulous reports that continually monitored our balance of Income versus Expenditure, so that when it was necessary to spend significant sums on working party equipment, fish stocking etc., we always knew what money was available. Most of all we will miss his humour! Until we can find a replacement, he is continuing as Treasurer from Devon - an example of the modern idiom of working-from-home you might say, and courtesy of electronic mail. However, we hope to find that replacement soon to allow him to get on with the serious business of enjoying his new-found freedom that retirement brings. With that in mind, and knowing how keen they both are about exploring the countryside, during the Committee's annual Christmas dinner John was presented with a very comprehensive picnic haversack, with pockets for wine bottle and thermos etc. etc., and even a cheese-board. This was given on behalf of all Members, as a symbol of the thanks we owe them, and to remind them of the Society in the years ahead. We hope you join with us in thanking them both, and wishing them many years of happiness exploring the lovely countryside and seascapes of Devon.

Terry Skelton

Curators Report

To date for this season 278 catch reports have been received from 29 different anglers. This represents only a small proportion of our membership but does provide an indication of what has been happening on our waters. All 278 reports will be entered into a prize draw at the AGM for a free years membership - the more captures you have submitted, the better your chances are of winning.

Number 1 - 189 reports

Number 2 - 9 reports

Rowley - 79 Reports

Information based on catch reports received up to 21st Feb 2007

Trophy Awards

All of the witnessed reports will be eligible for the club trophies. Here is a list of last season's winners and runners up.

    Winner Highly Commended
Terry Gibson Memorial Cup Awarded to the angler who reports the most captures of Carp in a season Andrew Kempster 7 Carp Mark Walter 6 Carp
Ron Porter Memorial Junior Cup Awarded for the best fish caught by a Junior Dominic Busby 8lb 1oz Bream (No1) N/A
Junior Runner Up Cup Awarded for the best runners up fish caught by a Junior Dominic Busby 5lb Tench (No1) N/A
Pike Shield Donated by Steve Jenner for the best Pike caught on Society waters. Brian Busby13lb 7oz (No2) Brian Busby12lb 7oz (No2)
Les Mead Memorial Trophy Awarded for the best contribution to the club publication. Dave Cargill for the magazine Sharon Cargill
Ken Miller Rowley Lake Trophy Awarded for captures at Rowley Lake, excluding Carp and Pike Micky Grice - 1lb 8oz Crucian Carp

Mark Walter5lb 5oz Tench

Jamie Matthews 5lb 8oz Bream
K.D.Sleigh Ladies Cup Awarded for the best fish caught by a lady. Rachel Bell - 17lb 14oz Common Carp (Rowley) Rachel Bell 15lb 15oz Mirror Carp (Rowley)
Harrow Angling Society Cup - No1 Awarded for best fish caught from Harefield No1, excluding Carp and Pike. Dave Prasad - 7lb 3oz Tench

Brian Busby9lb 11oz Bream

Ken Lockhart 9lb 11oz Bream
Harefield No2 Shield Donated by Mick Read, this shield is awarded to the best fish from No2, excluding Pike & Carp. Paul Kempthorne - 8lb 15oz Tench

Phil Skidmore11lb 8oz Bream

Dave Cargill11lb 8oz Bream
E.H. Cooke Carp Bowl Awarded for the best Carp caught on Society waters. Les Skidmore - 40lb 12oz (No 2) James Samuels 29lb 8oz Mirror Carp (No 1)

 

Match Schedule 2007/2008

Sat 14th & Sun 15th July - Pit 1 Summer match and 70th Anniversary BBQ

This is an all species match and BBQ for HAS members. Swims for this event are limited so tickets will be sold in advance on a first come first served basis from the AGM onwards until all tickets are sold. These tickets will be priced at £4 per match for 2 rods and are non-refundable.

The fishery will be closed to all other anglers from 7pm on Friday 13th July to 12pm Sun 15th July.

The plan for this match will be in the following format.

Members are reminded that keepnets are required for all fish below 5lb in weight. All other captures are to be weighed, witnessed and returned.

For tickets and other enquiries call Dave Hambly on 01895 825228 between 7pm and 9pm.

Fri 14th, Sat 15th and Sun 16th September - Pit 1 48 hour Carp Match with BBQ

A 2 night Carpathon fishing from 5pm on Friday 14th Sep through to 12pm on Sunday 16th Sep. The draw for swims will be at 4pm on the Friday night.

There will be an short interlude at 1pm on Saturday 15th Sep for a BBQ and tactics talk on the Social point.

The cost per person is £10

The fishery will be closed to all other anglers from 2pm on Friday 14th Sept to 12pm Sun 16th Sept

£3 per head for 2 rods. For Pit 2 meet on the Workings, for Pit 1 meet in the Moorhall Road car park for 8am, the draw is at 8:30am, match commences at 9am and finishes at 1pm. Pike and Perch are included for weighing in.

The prize fund will be determined on the day and based on the number of attendees.

Guests are welcome to participate for the day without the additional cost of a day ticket when accompanied by a full member.

A little Crayfish Information

Many of you may or may not know Harefield Pit no.1 has a large population of Crayfish. It looks like the ones in the lake are the European / Asian crayfish. This sudden influx is a legacy from Harefield Lake and it appears they are moving down the valley. I guess it won't take long before they are established in Pit no.2. Not knowing much about them I decided to do a little researching to find out some more information. Below are some of the facts, but no tips to beat them at knobbling baits or ruining rigs! Crayfish, also called crawfish or crawdad, are closely related to the lobster. Over fifty percent of the 500 species occur in North America. Crayfish also live throughout the world and nearly all live in freshwater, although a few survive in salt water. Crayfish are usually about 3 inches long. The smallest species are about 1 inch long and the largest is 16 inches and can reach 7lb in weight. Crayfish are characterised by a joined head and thorax, or midsection, and a segmented body, which is sandy yellow, green, or dark brown in colour. The head has a sharp snout, and the eyes are on movable stalks. The crayfish also has several pairs of specialised food handling legs/ bailers to cycle water over the gills, and five pairs of swimmerets which are under the abdomen These legs are used for movement and if broken they can be regenerated. Crayfish also own one pair of clawbearing chelipeds, which it extends in front of its body while moving. These strong pinchers are specialised for cutting, capturing food, attack, and defence. Crayfish have a hard outside skeleton. This jointed exoskeleton provides protection and allows movement, but limits growth. As a result, the crayfish regularly gets too big for its skeleton, sheds it, and grows a new larger one. This process is called moulting and occurs six to ten times during the first year of rapid growth, but less often during the second year. For a few days following each molt, crayfish have soft exoskeletons and are more vulnerable to predators and other crayfish. Crayfish are both territorial and cannibalistic Crayfish are common in streams, rivers, lakes, and canals. They often conceal themselves under rocks or logs. Here they probe cracks and crevices between the rocks looking for food. They are most active at night, when they feed largely on snails, algae, insect larvae, dead fish, worms, corn, fish eggs, tadpoles and some eat vegetation (various water plants)..and boilies! Studies have shown that adults (one year old) become most active at dusk and continue heavy feeding activity until daybreak. Young crayfish are more likely to be the ones out during bright sunny days, while the older crayfish are more active on cloudy days and during the night. General movement is always a slow walk, but if startled, crayfish use rapid flips of their tail to swim backwards and escape danger. Most crayfish live short lives, usually less than two years. Therefore, rapid, high-volume reproduction is important for the continuation of the species. Many crayfish become sexually mature and mate in the October or November after they're born, but fertilisation and egg laying usually occur the following spring. The fertilised eggs are attached to the female' swimmerets on the underside of her jointed abdomen. There the 10 to 800 eggs change from dark to translucent as they develop. The egg-carrying female is said to be "in berry," because the egg mass looks something like a berry. Females are often seen "in berry" during May or June. The eggs hatch in 2 to 20 weeks, depending on water temperature. The newly hatched crayfish stay attached to their mother until shortly after their second molt.

John Westley

Harrow Angling Society 1937 - 2007

2007/08 sees Harrow Angling Society enter its 70th season of fishing I would like to celebrate this milestone with a feature in the next edition of the newsletter. To do this I am appealing to the membership, especially some of our longer standing members, to supply me with material from their archives. I am looking for photographs, stories, historical facts and figures about our waters and experiences of the day with as much date detail as possible. It would be nice to look back and see how our society has changed over the last 70 years and indeed how fishing in general has evolved over 7 decades. Whether you have been a member for years or recently joined, please help us to celebrate this anniversary. (please email your contributions to dave@dcautosparx.com or postal address detailed on the inside back cover, by 1st September) If not already in electronic format, photographs can be scanned and returned. Looking forward to your contributions.

Many thanks Dave Cargill Editor