Site Last Updated: 04/03/10 |
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March 1st Update The latest round of the Tackle Trader Winter League was held on Bradley Pond last weekend.
News at Last Very little coming in in terms of reports recently though anglers that do get out are catching some fish. Junior angler Elliot Fay caught a potential club record at Spring Ponds in the shape of a Stone Loach. We are awaiting paperwork. If you want to see the specimen concerned there is a picture in the Club Gallery. There will be some netting taking place at Rocombe to transfer 10 of the Carp which have outgrown the venue to Island Pond at Rackerhayes. The Club will be replenishing stocks at Rocombe and elsewhere with fresh stock shortly. More details in the next few weeks. Junior Newsletter February's has just come out. If you aren't receiving a copy register your E mail address by sending a message to newtonfishing@hotmail.co.uk Latest Match Reports The third round of the Tackle Trader Winter League saw a last minute change of venue from Wapperwell to Bradley due to the former being frozen solid on the morning of the match, meaning that the anglers were far from prepared for the different style of fishing required at Bradley!
Tenchfishers Session The South West branch of the Tenchfishers will be trying for some winter fish this weekend. Best of luck to the hardy souls who venture out. Ist Report of 2010 N.A.F.A. Seniors fished the second round of the Tackle Trader Winter League last weekend. Due to many of the ponds being frozen over in the cold snap, the match was transferred from Wheel and Wapperwell to Bradley. Elsewhere, the ponds are all thawing out but as yet catch reports have been scarce. Reminder to full members that renewals are now available from Mick Lee, N.A.F.A, P.O. Box 413, Paignton, TQ4 9AS. 2010 Match Fixtures These are now on the Match Fixtures page. Many thanks to Howard who pointed out I hadn't done an update yet - another senior moment!!! Somerset Levels Association of Clubs. Members of NAFA have access to a number of waters in Somerset. These contrast with many local waters and consist of drains and rivers and give some good sport. Definitely worth a try. I have added a link to a map showing where they are on the 'Waters of the Association' page. Please note we are no longer allowed to fish on the River Isle. Ist Report of 2010. Happy New Year!!!! I don't think anyone thought it could get any colder than that day for the Christmas Open but how wrong can you be? N.A.F.A. Seniors have held two matches over the Christmas period, participants braving some extremely cold conditions. The Club Christmas Match was the first, held on Bradley Pond. Winner was Rick Johnston on Peg 7 with skimmers on the ground bait feeder for 4k 650g. Second was Mark Cousins with 2k 900g on Peg 24, again skimmers on the feeder, and third was John Durham on Peg 9 with 2k 650g. The first round of the Tackle Trader Winter League was also held on Bradley. Winner was Gary Webber on Peg 18 with mainly roach on pole and maggot for 3k 650g. Second was Tim Rowe on Peg 9 with skimmers on the feeder for 3k 150g, and third was Mark Newman on Peg 24 with a similar catch for 2k 750g. Reminder for members that renewals are now available for 2010 from Mick Lee, NAFA, PO Box Paignton, TQ4 9AS This weekend sees the first round of the Junior Oakford Winter League to be held at Spring Ponds on Saturday. The draw will be at 10 am at the ponds.
N.A.F.A. held their annual Christmas Open Match last weekend. Due to recent heavy rainfall, a last minute change of venues was enforced to accommodate the 56 participants.
Many thanks to the Union Inn for hosting the event both before and after the match.
Bradley for Club members. Book in with Max at Tackle Trader. Rulebooks 2010 rulebooks are ready and are being distributed to outlets now. Apologies if you have renewed your license already, next year we plan to have them available earlier. Changes in the Committee have delayed matters this year. Noticeboards Please do not pin notices to the new signs being put up around the Club's waters - this punctures the membrane and lets water in thus shortening the life of these very new and costly signs. Visitors to Rackerhayes may be surprised with the high water levels. The ponds seem to have filled up overnight and anglers are advised to exercise extreme caution when fishing off the platforms. Conditions were so wet that at the Club Christmas Open we were unable to use Wheel Pond because of the dangerous conditions. The pipes between Dores, Island and First Ponds appear to be working well and Mal Sugden is monitoring levels and working out the best way to moderate levels between these three ponds. Please do not interfere with the new pipes as you set this work back by doing so. N.A.F.A. Report 7/12/09
Membership Books 2010 The book is at the printers and we expect it to be available from mid - December. Renewals will be sent out with a copy of the book as soon as we receive the finished article all 1200 if them!!! Fish of the Month Congratulations to Ryan Northcott who wins Fish of the Month for his 530g perch caught during one of the Junior's competitions on Key pond earlier this month. Ryan wins a £10 prize which he can claim by popping into Tackle Trader. Don't forget to enter if you catch a decent fish - details are in the membership book so don't be modest. Pictures of any decent fish are always wanted for the Club Gallery and can be E mailed to iandonaldson1956@hotmail.com Work completed at Rackerhayes The laying of drains to connect Dores, Island and First ponds has now been completed. See below for the reasoning behind this, a few finishing touches are scheduled to take place soon and nature should soon green over the digger tracks. A big thankyou to those who gave up some of their holidays to supervise and help with the work. November 11th Update N.A.F.A. Juniors fished the Newton Gun and Tackle Singles Match at the weekend on Key Pond. Winner on the day was Sam Powell with 2k 180g, this including a specimen perch of 1k and small roach on pole and maggot. Second was Ashley Smith with 1k 810g, mostly roach and a decent hybrid, again on the pole, and third was Elliot Fay with 1k 600g. Many thanks to the sponsors for their continued support. Elsewhere, the best of the action has been on Bradley and Wapperwell. At Bradley recent rain has coloured the water leading to some fine nets of skimmers and bream on the feeder or long pole. Wapperwell is producing good bags of carp and skimmers on pellet or corn on the pole or waggler. Rackerhayes has slowed up, but Dores is still producing the odd specimen of carp and pike .
Rackerhayes Gates Please note we have been informed that Tesco will be repairing and upgrading the gates at Rackerhayes in the very near future - probably w/b 16/11/09. Members are asked to be aware of this and take care when entering and exiting the complex whilst works are going on. We hope you will approve of the new gates we have been assured will be set back from the road allowing safer opening and closing of the gates. Club Christmas Open Match The Club Christmas Open will be held on December 13th £2 entry, optional pools £3 for Section and £10 for overall pools. A prize for anyone that weighs in. Results and Prize draw to the value of £550 at the Union Inn after the match. Draw at the Union Inn 7.30-8.45a.m. food and drink available Book in before 12.12.09 via 01626 331613 Works at Rackerhayes There will be some work going on to re-instate the link between Dores Pond and Island Pond on November 18th and 19th. This will help in a number of ways: 1. The water levels in these ponds should become much more stable 2. The algal blooms experienced in the summer should be reduced/stopped by circulating water 3. Some reduction in weed growth may result due to increased water movement. The Environment Agency support this work and we hope all Club members will benefit in the long term. Please be aware there will be a digger working between mineshaft swim on Dores and Island ponds - Cheese spot so these areas will be closed on these days. Anyone who has some spare time and would like to help with the work contact Max in Tackle Trader New pictures form the trip to Milemead in the Gallery. Click on the link on the Homepage. Please see the Homepage for urgent information about membership renewals Changes at NAFA Apologies for the lack of updates recently but I have been on holiday and work has been very busy. At the AGM last week a new Chairman, Ian Powell, and Secretary, Ian Donaldson, were elected.Neil Bradford was elected as Match Secretary and Jamie Pearce as Committee member. All have promised to do their best for the Club and its members and will be working with the rest of the Committee to keep the Club and its waters at the 'top of the tree' regionally and nationally. I intend to have a summary of what went on at the AGM up on this soon as possible. I also hope to have news from this Tuesday's Committee meeting up here as well. In the meantime here is the fishing news: Last week N.A.F.A. Juniors held their annual "Drennan Challenge" on Wheel Pond. Winner on the day was Ashley Smith with nine carp on pole and pellet for exactly 8kg. Second was Liam Dore with 1k 800g of roach on the pole and maggot, and third was Sam Powell with a similar catch for 1k 550g.
October 13th Update N.A.F.A. waters are still producing some good catches, despite recent unsettled weather. At Rackerhayes, Dominic Holmes had three carp from Dores Pond, including a fine 26lb. mirror on boilies from Homers Lane. Lee Rider had a 15lb pike from the "Oaks" on deadbait. Weedy has been producing carp up to 14lb. on pellets or corn and the odd tench to 6lb.
At Key, skimmers, roach and some good sized perch, to 3lb, are showing.
Spring and Charlecombe for carp to double figures. Members please note that the Annual General Meeting is on Friday 23rd October, at Newton Abbot Recreational Trust Notes from September's Committee Meeting. The main items discussed were the AGM , Stocking Plans and work for the coming year. The key points were as follows: 1. AGM to be held at the Recreational Trust, Newton Abbot on October 23rd. An agenda and the exact time for the meeting will be posted to all members shortly. 2. 60 to 70 Carp of between 3 and 10 lb to be sourced and stocked in Island and Dores Pond. Club to stock Tench in Bradley, Weedy and Linhay, up to 100 between the waters and stock pond on Linhay. Silverfish to be stocked in Wheel and some larger Bream to be stocked in Island. 3. Work to be carried out on all waters, major works planned for Dores, Linhay, Wapperwell and Wheel. If possible major work to connect pipe and clear flow between Dores, Island and First. Welcome Back! Apologies to all who have tried to login recently. The technical problems have now been resolved and normal service should now be resumed. Notes from September's Committee meeting will be posted here soon and if anyone has any catch reports then let me have them via iandonaldson1956@hotmail.com September 14th Update. N.A.F.A. Juniors have been busy over the last couple of weeks with the finale of both of their Summer Leagues.
GMBU Junior Carp Match. September 13th. The weather for the GMBU sponsored carp match at Spring ponds could not have been better, warm and sunny on both days. We had a fantastic turnout of fifteen junior anglers, who were all looking forward to the two day event. Day one got off to a flying start with JJ lock, hooking into a fish only 30 seconds after the “All in” and was a good sign of the excellent days fishing ahead. The fish kept coming throughout the day and only a few anglers struggled to catch. The winner on day one Slade Stevens on peg 1, with 12 kilo’s 430g, second Oliver Fay on peg 11, with 9 kilo’s 810g and third Kingsley Davies on peg 3, with 9 kilo’s 730g. Day two got off to a slower start and it took some time before the fish started coming. It wasn’t too long before the first was landed. It was a harder day’s fishing than on Saturday, however there were some quality fish caught. This included the largest fish of the event, a 4 kilo 020g common which was landed by Sam Powell. Oliver Fay started to gather quite a crowd, when he started to accumulate a large catch and he continued to catch throughout the day. The winner on day two Oliver Fay on peg 4, with a fantastic weight of 24 kilo’s 440, second Sam Powell on peg 13, with 7 kilos 950g and third George Bannister on peg three, with 5 kilos 350g. The overall winners of the GMBU carp match were 1st Oliver Fay with a total of 34 kilos 250, 2nd Slade Stevens with a total of 14 kilos 850g and 3rd Kingsley Davies with a total of 9 kilos 730g. Best Carp went to Sam Powell with a fish weighing 4 kilos 020g. Newton Abbot Fishing Association would like to thank Mike Hocking and the GMBU, for their excellent generous support again this year. The weekend was enjoyed by everyone who attended and we are already looking forward to next year’s event. To see a picture go to the Club Gallery accessed by clicking on the link on our Homepage. Feature on Junior member Liam Dore When I asked which of our younger anglers I should be featuring next in the occasional series on up and coming youngsters in the Club I kept on getting the same answer so Liam its your pics I have added to the Gallery. Liam's main interest is match fishing and he has a first class record as a junior member. It has been pleasing to see him having a go in some of the Senior matches and recording his first win earlier this year. Clearly one to watch in the future. I have added six or seven pics of Liam and his fish to the Gallery so just click on the Gallery link below. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=2AXQ_unpe-w&feat=directlink Notes from the July Committee Meeting 1 A big thankyou to all who helped make the Open Day such a success. In total over 225 individual coaching sessions took place. Many visitors were full of praise for the Junior members who ran ‘buddy angler’ sessions to go alongside the formal coaching sessions. The follow on sessions on Tuesday evenings have proved a great success with an average of 35 visitors per session and several new members joining the club. Special thanks to Paul Power and his team for organising this. 2 Don’t forget the Club’s AGM to be held on the Friday of the third week of October. Agenda items/proposals in writing with the name of a proposer and seconder to a Committee member as soon as possible please. 3 A massive vote of thanks to Jamie Pearce for all his efforts as Match Secretary in recent times. Jamie has done a brilliant job but feels it is time to hand over the reins to someone else so if this post interests you contact Adam Bojar. 4 Tesco gates are still awaiting repair and renovation. Reminders have been sent. 5 All Club waters are registered and certificated with the Environment Agency officially now and this will make stocking and moving fish much easier to authorise and carry out. 6 A club trip to Milemead fishery will take place in the October Half Term holidays. Aimed at Junior anglers Seniors will also be welcome if they pay their expenses. A coach will leave Rackerhayes. More details to follow soon. 7 Good fishing on all waters at present, reminder form Dores that if after specimen fish you must have an unhooking mat and if fishing Homers Lane please remember to lck the gate at all times. This unhooking mat rule applies to all waters. Weed problem returning to Top pond at Spring, Ray Faux, the bailiff is doing his best to tackle the problem. More works carried out at Bradley to maintain the walkway and swims. 8 Next month‘s meeting will focus on stocking and maintenance plans for the coming year. Junior Bream Record Confirmed Congratulations to Kingsley Davis whose 8lb 9oz Bream, caught in Dores, has now been confirmed as a new Junior record. A picture of the fish has been added to the Gallery accessed via the www.newtonfishing.com website Home Page August 3rd Update Last weekend was the final of the N.A.F.A. All Night Series on Rackerhayes.Winner overall was Mark Cousins on "Cow Shed" peg 96 on Linhay, with 12 tench on waggler fished various baits for 23k 300g. Second was David Sugden on peg 6 on First Pond with 12 tench on the pole for 11k 300g, and third was Liam Dore on Dores peg 110 with 2 bream and eels for 8k 500g. The final round of the Tackle Trader Evening League on Key was won by Mike Hadley on the 'Bonus Peg' with 3 bream on the pole for 4k 200g, and second was Gary Webber with 3k 500g of roach on the pole. Sawmills, Eddison and Bradley are all still fishing well for roach and skimmers; Wapperwell for good bags of carp, tench and skimmers on the pole or waggler; Spring and Charlecombe for carp to double figures on pellet or corn. Many thanks to all the helpers at last week’s Open Day / Learn to fish for free event which was a great success, with nearly 200 youngsters enjoying coaching sessions on Wheel Pond. This Sunday is the Seniors Match on Key Pond while on Saturday the Teign Trophy Junior League continues on Weedy.Contact Max at Tackle Trader for details. July 29th Update Last weekend was Newton Abbot Fishing Association's Annual Jubilee March on Bradley Pond, with persistent wind and rain making conditions difficult for the participants. 9lb 3oz Tench I have added a pic of Andy Short's cracking Tench to the Gallery. Also added are a few new pics of a couple of the ponds at Rackerhayes.Click on the link below. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=2AXQ_unpe-w&feat=directlink July 21st Update Last weekend was the third N.A.F.A Early Morning Match at Rackerhayes.
July 14th Update - Six Carp in one Dores session. Last weekend was N.A.F.A.'s annual "2 in 1" match on Bradley Pond. Winner on theday was Jamie Pearce from Peg 24 with skimmers on the waggler and caster for 7k 050g. Second was Gary Webber on peg 22 with a similar catch for 6k 040g, and third was John Dore on peg 7 with roach and skimmers on pole and maggot for 3k 700g. The latest round of the Tackle Trader evening league on Key was won by junior Ashley Smith with skimmers and bream on pole and sweetcorn for 4k 770g. Gary Webber was second with a similar 4k 700g.This result shows,once again, a Junior angler breaking through to make an impression in senior matches,well done Ashley. At Rackerhayes the tench continue to feed on all ponds.Dominic Holmes fished Homers Lane on Dores Pond to bank six carp from 10lb to 21lb.Sawmills is fishing well for skimmers and bream on the feeder or long pole; Eddisonfor nets of small skimmers and roach, plus the odd bonus tench or carp; Wapperwell for mixed bags of tench, carp and skimmers on pellet or corn; Spring Ponds and Charlecombe for carp to double figures. This weekend is the third early morning match at Rackerhayes. Please book in with Max at Tackle Trader on 01626 331613. July 7th Update Last weekend was the second round of the NAFA All Night Series on Key and Bovey Scouts enjoyed their fish in yesterday evening and caught lots of roach and perch from Wheel pond. One youngster caught a baby tench which shows they are breeding in the pond - always a pleasing indication that the Club has got it right in this pond. News from the June 30th Committee Meeting The following points, from last Tuesday’s Committee meeting may be of interest to members 1. New signage will be going up on all waters before the end of the Summer. 2. The small toilet at Rackerhayes is only a temporary measure whilst the larger one is being repaired. Apologies to disabled members if this causes any inconvenience in the meantime. 3. The main gate at Rackerhayes is scheduled for replacement and renovation in the near future. 4. Please use appropriate rigs on Club waters, bailiffs have recently recovered several ‘dodgy’ rigs from trees at Rackerhayes . Fish welfare is a priority for the Club and if in doubt consult your rulebook or the bailiffs before fishing. I am sure Tackle Trader will be happy to offer advice as well. 5. A small group of Cub Scouts, supervised and aided by Club members, will be fishing on Wheel Pond next Tuesday from around 5.00 – 8.00p.m. 6. The Committee voted to suspend membership of the Somerset Levels Association of Clubs as too few members are fishing the waters this grants us access to. The Committee will be happy to discuss this again if enough members, to justify the pretty hefty affiliation fee, request a rethink. 7. Congratulations to Kingsley Davis who won fish of the month for June with an 8lb 7oz Bream from Dores. Kingsley also bagged a 22lb Carp and the picture is viewable in the Club Gallery. Kingsley wins a £10 Gift Voucher. 8.Concerns about membership levels, expressed at the start of the year, appear to be largely unfounded at present. The ‘credit crunch’ seems to be bringing anglers back to the bankside and membership represents excellent value for money in these times. The Club isn’t awash with money but is holding its own at present and funds will be used to improve stocking levels and facilities in the future. 9.Work parties continue on individual waters on Monday evenings and on Tuesday afternoons under the supervision of Phil Coles. All help is greatly appreciated. 10. Reminder – the Club/EA Open Day is taking place on August 1st – a cracking event the Club is rightly proud to host. Get on down if you haven’t been before and contact the Committee if you can help in anyway. 11. The Club Charity match raised £160 for the Rowcroft Hospice. Well done to all those who took part in raising this money. 12. Algal bloom on Island and Dores is being monitored closely and the Committee is ready to take prompt action should it become a real problem. July 2nd Update
Last week saw N.A.F.A. stage their annual three day Festival which was decided on overall weight . 30 anglers participated, sharing some excellent catches over the three days. On Friday night at Rackerhayes the winner was Rick Johnson from "Cow Shed" Peg 96 on Linhay with six tench on pole and caster for 16k 500g. Second was Phil Bailey with tench from Peg 21 on Island Pond for 9k 250g, and third was Dave Campbell on Peg 8 on First Pond, again with tench for 8K 850g.
June 16th Update and Pic of 32lb 2oz Carp from Dores Last weekend was the Vernon Johnson Memorial Match, in memory of the well known matchman known as "The Old Fox" on Key and Bradley Ponds.Winner on Bradley was Gary Webber, on peg 9, with skimmers on the waggler and caster for 9K 500g. Second on Bradley was Carl Everton, on peg 22, using similar tactics for 7K 300g.Top weight on Key was Steve Walker on peg 20 with bream and skimmers on the pole for 6K 070g. Second on Key was Jamie Pearce with 5K 960g from peg 5, again with skimmers on the pole. Round 6 of the Tackle Trader Evening League was fished on Wapperwell, with Ricky Johnston running out winner on "Bonus" peg 18 with a mixed bag on pole and pellet for 10K 500g; second was Paul Gay on peg 4 with 5K 650g, and third was Jason Fay on peg 3 with 5K 100g. This weekend is N.A.F.A's annual 3 day "Festival" would members please be aware of pond closures. Pictured in the NAFA gallery is Scott Lake with his 32lb 2oz Mirror Carp caught from Dores Pond this week.Click on the link below: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=2AXQ_unpe-w&feat=directlink New Pics in the Gallery
A few new pics in the Gallery - a 7lb Tinca for Eliot Fay and two 20 lb Carp.Click on the link below. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=2AXQ_unpe-w&feat=directlink June 8th Update N.A.F.A. held the second of the early morning matches on Rackerhayes last weekend. Winner was Phil Coles on peg 13 on Island Pond with 3 tench on waggler and casterfor 6k 550g. Second was Jamie Pearce from "Cow Shed" peg 96 on Linhay with two tench on maggot for 6K 050g and third was Howard Watts on peg 17 on Island with two tench for 3K 500g. Round 5 of the Tackle Trader Evening League was held on Wheel Pond with juniorElliott Fay winning with 6 carp on the pole for 5k 050g. Second was Jason Fay with 4k 800g and third was David Campbell with 2k 050g. Elsewhere Dave Bridgemen fished Key Pond for 35lb of skimmers and bream on groundbait feeder and red maggot. Andy Barry had a 24lb carp from Dores Pond.Fish First Pond for tench to 7lb on maggot, corn or pellet; Weedy for tench to 6lb and carp to 12lb; Sawmills for bream on feeder, roach and skimmers on pole. Fish Bradley for skimmers and bream on waggler and caster; Wapperwell for mixed bags on pellet or corn; Spring and Charlecombe for carp on pellet or corn. This Sunday is the Vernon Johnson Memorial Match on Key and Bradley Ponds. Pleasebook in for the match with Max at Tackle Trader on 01626 331613
June kicks off with some bumper weights.
Last weekend was the opening round of the N.A.F.A "All Night Trophy" series
May 26th Update - Lots of big fish to report NAFA held the first of the early morning matches on Rackerhayes last weekend. Winner on the day was Gary Webber from peg 110 on Dores Pond with 9 Bream and a Tench on feeder fished pellet for 23k 800g. Second was Phil Coles from peg 2 on Island Pond with 4 Tench and a Carp, on the same tactics, for 12k 700g. Third was David Campbell with 5 Tench from the back pool of Island for 8k 200g. May 19th Update Last week N.A.F.A held the annual John Loveridge Memorial match on Key and BradleyPonds. Gale force winds and heavy rain made conditions difficult, yet some goodcatches were taken with the top 2 on each pond scooping the pool. On Bradley the winner was the in form Michael Smith on peg 9 with Bream and Skimmerson maggot or pellet for a superb 14k 250g. Second was Jamie Pearce on peg 22 with 10 good skimmers for 7k 770g.
On Key Gary Webber won from peg 22 with Bream and Skimmers on pellet for 5k 560g,second was Mike Hadley on peg 20 with a similar catch for 4k 950g.
Wednesday was round 2 of the Tackle Trader Evening League on Key Pond. Gary Webber was top weight from peg 20 with Bream and Skimmers on the pole and pellet for 4k 800g, while Rick Johnston was second from peg 22 with a similar catch for 4k 600g. The first of the Early Morning Match series will be fished this Sunday, 24th May, atRackerhayes while the Evening Match scheduled for Wednesday 27th May will now beheld on Tuesday 26th May on Key and Bradley Ponds. Please book in for these matches with Max at Tackle Trader on 01626 331613. Elsewhere Steve Dart had a superb Tench of 9lb 10oz from Dores Pond along with 4Bream to 6lb on feeder and maggot. Also on Dores, Dickie Mortimore had 7 Bream to7lb, Andy Barry an Eel of 5lb 9oz and Dom Holmes a fine Leather Carp of 24lb. Ben Sharp fished Island and had 5 Tench from 4lb to 6lb on pole and maggot. Firstand Linhay ponds are also producing Tench to 5lb and Carp mid double figures.
Fish Wheel Pond for bags of Carp to 4lb, Sawmills for Bream to 6lb on feeder; Eddison for Silvers, odd Tench and Carp; Wapperwell for mixed bags of Carp, Tench and Skimmers on the Pole or Waggler; Spring Ponds for Carp to 10lb and Charlecombe for Carp to 15lb.
The Junior Section have the first round of the Teign Trophy Summer League onSaturday 23rd May,see Max for more details.
May 14th Update. Big Carp from Dores.
N. A. F. A held the annual Pairs Open on Sunday 10th May on Key and Bradley May 8th Update Last weekend saw the annual Tackle Trader Two Day Open on Rackerhayes. Despite bright conditions some good fish were caught. Overall winner was Mark Cousins, thanks to a fine catch of Bream and Tench caught on the second day from peg 112 on Dores, to go with a few Perch from Linhay on day one for a total weight of 16k 800g.
April 30th Update Some good fishing is to be had with some sizeable specimens coming from many waters. An 8lb 12oz Bream was taken from Linhay, Elliot Fay caught April's fish of the month a 3lb Perch from Key Transport (Picture in the Gallery). Rumours are circulating about a 12lb Tench caught from Island but at the moment that is all they are. Anyone who knows something definite about it please let us know. N.A.F.A hosted the annual Charity Match at Rackerhayes last weekend on Island, First and Linhay Ponds. www.newtonfishing.com or contact Max at Tackle Trader on 01626 331613
Please note there is a temporary keepnet ban on Wapperwell where the Bream are spawning. New Pictures in Gallery Junior member Luke Cannings had a good session on Dores recently. He caught a 3lb Eel using pellet close in to the bank and then took a 6lb 2oz Bream at about 60 yards range. Luke also had another 5lb plus Bream. Any pictures you may have from NAFA waters can be sent to iandonaldson1956@hotmail.com for inclusion in the Club Gallery which can be accessed by clicking on the link below. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=Gv1sRgCOz3pc_un_SC2AE&feat=directlink Double Update April 21st Holidays for your webmaster mean there are two updates for you to read. April 21st Update The final round of the Oakford Junior Winter League was fished on Wheel Pond last Saturday. Many thanks to the Oakford Service Station for sponsorship of the Junior Winter League- the next Junior match is on Saturday 9th May - www.newtonfishing.com for more information. Key is fishing well for Bream on feeder and Roach, Perch and Tench on the Pole. April 14th Update The final round of the Tackle Trader N.A.F.A Winter league was fished on Wheel and Wapperwell Ponds last Sunday. April 8th Update The penultimate round of the N.A.F.A Tackle Trader Winter League was fished on Key and Bradley Ponds last Sunday. Notes from March Committee meeting Stocking. Final numbers of Tench stocked are Wapperwell 30, Island 52, Linhay 15, Spring (top pond) 15 average size of all fish just below 2lb. Island had a 7lb Bream, 4 skimeers and 50lb of Roach and Perch introduced. Weed Treatment. All finished on top pond at Rocombe, Spring Ponds which is now fishing well and there is a little more colour in the water now. At Dores approximately 15% treated to make many clear spots and also to make platforms easier to fish. Let us have feedback on success, or otherwise, on what has been done. Work Parties. Wednesday afternoon sessions will stop soon and Monday evenings will be the time to get involved. Phone if you can spare some time, numbers on the contact page.Island pond has been re-pegged and trimmed, the ropes removed from Wheel pond and some work is being done on First pond. March 27th Update and Feature on top Junior Elliot Fay Round 4 of the Junior Oakford Winter League was fished at Spring Ponds on Saturday. Winner was Kingsley Davies, on peg 1 with 4 carp for 4k 750g, recording his first match win. Second was Elliott Faye with a single carp of 3k 590g and third was Ashley Smith, again with a single carp of 2k 490g. As well as coming second in the match above Elliot Fay, Slade Stevens and Jason Fay are fishing in the Junior and Intermediates Festival at White Acres early next month. The trio will be taking on anglers from all over England so we wish them the best of luck. Finally Jason, Elliot's older brother fished Dores last weekend to take 4 Bream to 7lb. Josh Black mirrored this with 4 Bream to 7lb also. The Junior Bream record is certainly looking vulnerable!!! There have been pictures of Elliot with some of his best catched from NAFA waters added to the Gallery. Take a look using the link below. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=Gv1sRgCOz3pc_un_SC2AE&feat=directlink March 18th Update Last week the N.A.F.A Juniors fished the 3rd round of the Oakford Winter League on Bradley Pond. March 11th Update Round 8 of the N.A.F.A Tackle Trader Winter League was fished on Wheel and Wapperwell Ponds on Sunday, despite gale force winds making conditions difficult, some excellent catches were recorded. March 2nd Update Round 7 of the N.A.F.A Tackle Trader Winter League was held on Wheel and Wapperwell Ponds at the weekend. Predator Pics in the Gallery Winter is the time for Pike and a really nice fish has been caught from Dores Pond. The fish was caught by Junior member Harrison Male and bumped the scales down to 18lb 4ozs. The fish was caught on a floatfished sprat and Harrison was deadbaiting for the first time. All his previous fish had been taken on lures. Also pictured is Dad Brian, who looks more than a little envious!!!! Also added to the Gallery is a picture of Junior member Elliot Fay with a Perch just shy of the 3lb mark taken from Key Transport a couple of years ago. It is little wonder he looks so pleased! What a lovely looking fish. http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=Gv1sRgCOz3pc_un_SC2AE&feat=directlink Notes from the Committee Meeting 24.02.09. Stocking has now taken place, see below for details in earlier post, with the exception of the Tench which are ready for delivery. On March 6th some swims on the front waters will be closed as the Environment Agency are running a workshop for Clubs in the area to build floating islands which will be planted up with aquatic plants. These should prove a real asset in the future and the Club should keep many of the islands built. It is worth noting this is an indication of how highly thought of the Club is by the EA. The Environment Agency Open Day is confirmed for August 1st so put the date in your diary and pray for fine weather. There has been a massive amount of work done in recent months on the Club Waters. Please bear in mind the Club has 14 waters and all are maintained by unpaid volunteers.With the nesting season coming soon work will wind down but if you are out and about say thanks to our bailliffs and work part members who are absolutely brilliant. Linhay has had a lot of the winter debris cleared and the top pond at Rocombe has had massive amounts of weed removed. This removal, together with eco friendly treatment this Summer will hopefully bring about the long sought after answer to the weed problem on the water Tench and Carp Feeding At long last the fish are coming on the feed. Richard and Malc Wood fished at Homers Lane to take 8 Tench to 6lb between them and a 9lb 6oz Carp was also part of their bag. 'It was great fun' said Richard. I bet it was and hope to get out there soon to bag a few Tincas as well. New Pictures in the Gallery and February 23rd Update The Club's Junior section is very strong and periodically the spotlight will be put on one of our Junior members. Look in the Gallery for Sam Powell with some cracking fish from Newton Abbot waters. Apologies if the limelight is a bit embarrassing Sam but those are splendid fish!!! http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/newtonangler/NAFAGallery?authkey=2AXQ_unpe-w&feat=directlink The 6th Round of the N.A.F.A Tackle Trader Winter League was fished last Sunday on Bradley and Key Ponds. Encouraging to hear some of the Club's classic Tench stock are coming on the feed after my rather gloomy report only two days ago. It just goes to show how unpredictable fishing can be. That is one reason we probably love it so much!!!! Go on you anglers get out there who knows what you might catch. February 21st Update The lack of good fishing weather is reflected in the lack of catch reports. Anglers getting out there report some fish being caught but nothing to write home about at present. Work parties have been busy and the cold weather has seen weed dying right back which has to be good news for all anglers. The treatment of weed for the summer in Dores Pond and the top water at Rocombe Spring Ponds should be aided by this cold snap. If you haven't already done so check out the new Gallery by clicking on the link on the Home Page. Thanks to Elliot Fay for his pictures which have been added to the Gallery. Any more please E mail them to iandonaldson1956@hotmail.com February 11th Update. Extremely cold weather again affected fishing for round 5 of the NAFA Tackle Trader Winter League with all 22 anglers struggling for bites. February 4th Update. Apologies to those of you who have been checking the site regularly for updates. Technical problems meant we were unable to post any updates for a while. These difficulties have been resolved and there is now a link to our new Club Gallery on the Home Page. Take a look and mail any pictures in to iandonaldson1956@hotmail.com Despite artic conditions round 4 of the NAFA Tackle Trader Winter League, fished on Wheel and Wapperwell Ponds, saw some good weights recorded. January 26th Update Round 3 of the NAFA Tackle Trader Winter league was held on Bradley Pond last weekend. Key Pond was not used due to flooding caused by heavy rain. January 19th Update Round 2 of the N.A.F.A Tackle Trader Winter League was fished on Wheel and Wapperwell Ponds on Sunday and, despite the torrential overnight rain, good catches were taken. January 12th Update. Unfortunately due to the freezing weather conditions both the Junior Match planned for last Saturday and the Senior Match planned for Sunday had to be cancelled. Richard Hamlyn, Club Chairman outlines the underlying strategy behind recent works on the Rackerhayes Complex. Many of you will be visiting Rackerhayes for the first time in 2009 in the next few months and you will notice that there have been considerable works carried out on Island Pond in particular. I would like to take this opportunity to explain what our strategy is to this pond and why we have done the things we have. As many of you know Island pond has suffered from a decrease in water quality over the last few years which gave rise to repeated algae blooms. This culminated in a disastrous de-oxygenation of the water with the resulting death of the majority of the large carp in the water. In order to try and do everything we could to prevent a repeat event we engaged with the Environment Agency, Aquatic Consultants and our own Committee Officers with special responsibility for the environment to come up with a plan to prevent further disasters. The science behind our problems can get complex, but so as to simplify this explanation, ponds can be broadly divided into those which are “algae dominant” and those which are “weed dominant”. It goes without saying that Island Pond hade become algae dominant and all the actions we are taking is to reverse this and make the water weed dominant again as this is the environment that fish thrive in best. The first thing that was done was to improve the circulation of water around the pond so there was greater “mixing” taking place of water from different parts and depths of the water. This has been achieved by the cutting of channels leading to the point and also linking the gulley with the back pool. The de-stratification unit anchored in the front waters is now fully commissioned and working well along with the three tethered floating islands that will help to recycle the nutrients brought up to the surface by the unit as well as providing a safe habitat for fry amongst their root systems that hang some three feet below the surface. One of the critical deficiencies on the water was the lack of marginal weed growth due to the shading effect of overhanging trees. These trees are also the cause of the excessive leaf litter in the ponds which have been unable to break down fully via natural bacterial activity, and have steadily built up through the years. We have now thinned out the offending trees and are now embarking on an intensive programme in the Spring of planting those species of submerged plants that thrive in less than 1 Meter of water. There are also very encouraging signs of natural weed recovery in the margins already, especially emergent plants like Common Reed and Flag Iris. These areas will ensure better spawning, fry survival, and natural oxygenation through photosynthesis in the future. In order to stimulate the breakdown of the detritus build up at the bottom of the pond, and to encourage these nutrients to be recycled in the form of weed (rather than algae) growth, we have added chalk to the water and will do this repeatedly as we monitor the beneficial effects. By “opening up” the area between Island and Dores and by creating a gap at Car Park Corner we have greatly improved the flow of the prevailing winds across the surface of the pond; as the interface with the air at the surface of the water is the primary source of oxygen in any large pond. I know that some of you regard every tree as sacred, but if you look closely you will se that there has been a thinning rather than an eradication, and that those trees in the water that provided a “feature” as well as a nesting environment for Moorhens and Coots, are still there. Also be aware that all the mature trees removed have been Alders and these trees have a fixed life span. Many of them were already rotten at the centre and posed a risk to anglers in strong winds. In these Health and Safety conscious days we live in the club has a duty of care to its members and we are constantly trying to strike a balance between safety, ascetic beauty, environmental diversity, water quality and providing value for money for our members. I don’t pretend that we get it right all the time, but we learn from our mistakes and we build on our successes and I welcome your comments if you see me wandering around the ponds. Richard Hamlyn (Chairman NAFA) January 6th Update. Despite freezing conditions last weekend there was an excellent turn out for the first round of the Tackle Trader Winter League.
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