Please be aware, CRF4 will be closed from 1500 today for an evening series match.

In recent weeks we have had damage caused to the solar panels on the bottom & middle lakes, whether by accident, carelessness or by a deliberate act. The damage to these panels could seriously affect the operation of the aeration capabilities we have installed & needless to say could impact on fish welfare. Therefore new rules to be implemented are :-

Bottom lake

Pegs 10 & 11 are now float fishing only .

These are the two and pegs facing the solar panels.

Middle lake

Pegs 6 & 7 are fishing dawn to dusk only , no overnight fishing allowed.

No juniors allowed to fish these pegs unless supervised by an adult member.

These are the two pegs facing the panels on the island.

I would ask all anglers casting towards the island to do so with utmost care or more restrictions will be put in place. I’m really sorry to have to implement these rules but the club has invested heavily & members have given time & effort to install & maintain this equipment to hopefully ensure we have a healthy fishery for us all. Unfortunately it’s one or two thoughtless anglers that have caused this & I would ask all members to report any wrong doings they see to the relevant pond warden or club official & we will try to react if we can , as we also have lives away from the lakes. Temporary signs are in place at the moment but more permanent signage will be up shortly. Any members found breaking these rules will be reported to the disciplinary committee.

Jim

Tithe bottom & middle warden

The river season opens for the Hamble and Wallington one hour before sunrise tomorrow morning (16th) – There has been a bit of confusion as the book says the closed season is 15th March to 15th June inclusive, meaning including the 15th of June.

Please be aware that Lakeside are holding an event on Friday 16th June 2023 between Midday and 1300hrs. The event will involve 15 occupiers pitching three golf balls each into targets on the lake.  The balls they are using are ECOBIOBALLs, an ecological and biodegradable golf ball which contains fish food in its core, making it perfect for our lake, the manufacturers guarantee it’s 100% safe for marine flora and fauna, it is manufactured using non-contaminating materials, and is certified as a biodegradable and non-toxic product. Once the ECOBIOBALL has been hit into the water, its external layer biodegrades in less than 48 hours, releasing the fish food contained in its core into the surrounding water – so don’t be concerned if you see it happening. It is planned to be held across the other side from the bench swim.

We are pleased to report that CRF Lake One is open again. Just to explain for those who were not aware, lake one suffered with an algae bloom. As the algae dies it absorbs some dissolved oxygen lowering the levels to the point that the fish suffer.

Short of some much needed rain to flush all the lakes through, the only option we had was to deploy an aerator early each morning to push some oxygen back into the water over 3-4 hours. The DO levels have now improved and the worst of the bloom is over so we can reopen the lake, but sadly you may see the odd dead fish and signs of the scum layer on the surface. Thankfully fish losses have been low as we were able to react quickly deploying the aerators.

Finally – If you see a brown scum made up of tiny bubbles covering the lake, all species of fish on the surface looking like they are gulping air please contact the pond warden immediately. If you can not get hold of them contact Steve (FMO) & Mark (AFMO) or another warden, bailiff or committee member asap. All the contact numbers are in the handbook.

The PDAS are experiencing some anglers venturing into the waters to either land or return fish. This is not only against the club rules but more concerning it is extremely dangerous. When attending a water please think and assess the situation. Can you land a fish safely and without damaging the fish? and can you return a fish safely without damaging the fish and without entering the water? If you cannot do these things, then please fish another swim on the venue or another venue completely.

The club will not accept anglers using the excuse of ‘fish Safety’ as a means of entering the water to gain trophy shots of them in the water returning any fish.

Whilst fish safety is paramount, more so is the safety of our members. Please do not risk your safety for a fish. Call the Wardens of the waters or FMO for help and advice should a fish become tethered or snagged.

Please be aware that Tithe barn bottom lake will be closed on Wednesday 14th & Thursday 15th of June 2023.

From 18-00hrs till 21-00hrs both days.

The club are entertaining the local scout groups.

Jim

PW

All, please be aware that CRF 1 is closed with immediate effect due to water issues. We currently have pumps running to oxygenate the water. Please let us know if you see any of the following on our waters – Brown Scum/Dead Algae, Fishing topping, restless and gulping, or a strange colour to the water that doesn’t look normal.

Please be aware that Tithe barn middle lake will be closed on Tuesday 13th June 2023.

From 16-00hrs till 21-00hrs.

This is for fishery management.

Apologies for any inconvenience.

Jim

PW

After monitoring the lake for past 5 day, we can confirm all swims have been re-opened. Please note there has been a change to 2 swims which are as follows: Peg 1 (pump house) is now a 2 rods per person swim, Peg 21 (little steps) is now a 2 rods per person swim. These have been put in place for fish safety.