Plough Angling Club Minutes

Meeting: 17^th September 2024

In Attendance and Apologies

Present: G Cramp; T Warncken; N Ponting; L Teale; J Blackwell; D Dance; J Rolfe; B Sutton; J Pike; R Stone; E Evans

Apologies:

Minutes: Gary Cramp

Actions from Previous Meeting

• NatWest account signatories have been finalised.
• Plough Pond is Open until 31 October.
• A visiting Club (TLC Electrical Wholesalers Swindon) fished Newbridge last Sunday, 15 September. They apparently greatly enjoyed their day and a letter of thanks was received by the Chairman.

Club Welfare Officer’s Report

• Richard Stone has taken on the role of Club Welfare Officer. Richard’s contact Tel. 07551 031857.
• The Club’s welfare policy is available on our website (www.ploughangling.org.uk/safeguarding/)
• No issues have arisen this past month.

Sea Secretary’s Report

• Barry Sutton reported in Chris’s absence.
• There have been no trips this past month.
• Next trip is a 3 day event, sailing from Weymouth, fishing Dartmouth, scheduled for 23 to 25 September.
• Contact Chris Judkins if you would like to be involved in the Sea Fishing Group.

Match Secretary’s Report

• Two matches have been fished since the last meeting, all details are on the web site.
• The Gerald Sedgewick Memorial, held on Bank Holiday Monday 26^th August, was fished at Newbridge as Plough Pond was temporarily closed by the landowner. In future years, it is probable that this match will be arranged to avoid the Bank Holiday to increase numbers attending.
• The match at Soke Road on Sunday 8^th September: the cost of the venue (£50.00) was subsidised by the Match Fund (£5.00).
• The Team for the home leg of the Team Match against Wantage & Grove AC will remain unchanged from the first leg. The home leg will be held at Newbridge on 6 October.
• The Match Fund is currently £237.00. No outstanding invoices.

Treasurer’s Report

• Refer to printed minutes.

Vice Chairman’s Report

• We have received a quotation from Priory Fishery in Honiton, Devon ( https://prioryfishery.co.uk ) for the supply of Bream, Tench and Crucian Carp for Plough Pond. This company was suggested by our EA Fisheries Officer. Although we are interested in Bream around 2lb, these fish are in short supply. We could wait up to 2 years for fish of this size to be available for us. We could build a relationship with Priory Fishery to take fish annually: 2025: bream of 1lb; 2026: bream of 1.5lb; 2027: bream of 2ib.

• At the meeting, it was agreed that we order the following from Priory Fishery for February 2025 delivery:
  • 50           Bream, 1lb                    
  • 45           Crucian Carp, 6 – 8”      
  • 45           Tench, 6 – 8”                                                

• Other companies may be approached, including J S Fisheries as suggested by a Club Member, who is Manager at Millets Farm Trout Fishery.

• The Work Party at Plough Pond on Saturday 14 September was well attended and installed the three pre-planted Coir Rolls supplied by A.G.A. Group. Each roll is pre-planted with twelve Carex Riparia. These plants have been used previously between Pegs 5 and 6. Special thanks to Nick Ponting, who provided transport for the Coir Rolls and also provided the stakes. We hope this trial will provide proof of concept and strengthen our case for a future grant application to continue this work. A report on the work carried out is available on our website (https://www.ploughangling.org.uk/plough-pond-development-update/).

Chairman’s Report

• Adam, our Bailiff at Newbridge, will transfer £155.00 into our account from sale of Day Tickets and the water booking on 15 September. The Club would like to thank Adam for his continuing support to Plough Angling Club.
• As part of the ‘Building Bridges’ campaign by the Angling Trust, we have now received multi-lingual signs to be positioned at either end of our fishery at Newbridge. The signs are to deter illegal fishing and fish taking. The signs are still to be backed and installed.
• Since the last meeting, we have gained four new Members. These have come from our website Contact Page.
• Water testing at the pond (14-Sep-24) showed that a spike occurred in Nitrate levels, probably from the spreading of slurry on the nearby fields.  All other contaminants measured (Nitrite; Phosphate and Ammonia) are absent. Levels of dissolved oxygen remain high at 80 to 90%. Water temperature is falling and currently 11.5^oC. pH 7.5.
• Water quality testing at Newbridge is continuing as part of our role in the national study of rivers by the Angling Trust. The phosphate level of 0.85ppm, recorded on 26 August, was above the reportable level (0.303ppm) and was therefore reported to the EA. Nitrate was high at 10ppm, although there is currently no reportable level for this contaminant.

New Actions

• A pleasure fishing session for one Club Member at Plough Pond produced 25 fish, a mixture of perch, roach and rudd.
• The next Working Party at Plough Pond will take place on Thursday 31 October 2024. Additional cormorant deterrents will be installed (tapes, mannequins) and the island will be cleared of vegetation and burned.
• 64 crayfish have been removed from the Pond this year.
• Newbridge Field 1 has been booked by RAL Angling Club on Thursday 17^th October 2024.
• The Christmas Meal will be held at the RBL Sports & Social Club in Hanney on Sunday 8 December 2024 at 15:00.
• There has been an increase in interest in booking Newbridge by visiting angling clubs. This comes via our website. We currently limit visiting clubs to four Sundays each season, but more midweek matches may be available. However, we should be mindful of the livestock activities at the farm and ensure that these activities are not compromised or upset by leaving gates open and careless car parking.

The meeting ended at 8:40pm.

The next meeting will take place at the RBL Sports & Social Club in Hanney at 19:30 on 18^th October 2024. All welcome.