Plough Angling Club Minutes

Meeting: 20^th August 2024

Present: G Cramp; T Warncken; N Ponting; L Teale; J Blackwell; D Dance; J Rolfe; C Judkins

Apologies: V D’Souza; B Sutton

Minutes: Gary Cramp

Actions from Previous Meeting

• Action on changing our NatWest account signatories is progressing. All three signatories have signed the online mandate and we await processing by the bank.
• Our Stocking Coordinator (Bill H) is looking at stocking bream of 1.5 – 2lb in late February 2025 (pprox.. cost £1000.00). Martin Moore has been contacted by Bill but there has been no further update from them. We will look elsewhere. The Chairman will contact our EA Fisheries Officer for his view.
• The annual Barbeque and Presentation Evening on Saturday 20^th July 2024 proved to be a great success, with a good night had by all. The Club wishes to thank the RBL for staging this event for us.

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 been reported.

Sea Secretary’s Report

• 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

• A total of 3 matches have been fished since the last meeting, all details are on the web site.
• The away leg of the Team Match, fished at the Volunteer Pond in Grove on 28^th July, resulted in a narrow win for W&G AC by 10 points.
• The home leg of the Team Match, scheduled for 6^th October, will be fished on The Thames at Newbridge.
• The Plough Angler of the Year match at Buscot Park on 4^th August was subsidised by the Club’s Match Fund (£60.00).
• The next match is scheduled for Bank Holiday Monday 26^th August at Plough Pond (Gerald Sedgewick Memorial 2^nd Leg).
• The match at Soke Road on Sunday 8^th September: meet at Wantage Market Square at 07:30. Those interested in fishing this match should contact Danny.
• The match fund is currently £243.00, with no expenses outstanding.

Treasurer’s Report

• Refer to printed minutes.

Vice Chairman’s Report

• A.G.A. Group were contacted regarding our order for 3 x 2m pre-planted Coir Rolls. These are required for the marginal planting trial along a section of the island. The plants are growing well. Delivery will be arranged for Friday 13^th September, directly to the Pond if possible.
• A Work Party has been scheduled for Saturday 14^th September to position the coir rolls around the island.

Chairman’s Report

• No further reports have been received from our Bailiff at Newbridge (Adam) since the last meeting.
• 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.
• Water testing at the pond (15-Aug-24) shows that Nitrate levels remain low and stable.  All other contaminants measured (Nitrite; Phosphate and Ammonia) are absent. Levels of dissolved oxygen remain high to super-saturated (100 – 150%). Water temperature is currently 18.5^oC. pH 7.5.
• We received sad news this week from the Angling Trust in that Kris Kent, who spear-headed the Water Quality Monitoring Network, has died. As a Club, we are grateful to Kris for taking a keen interest in our monitoring activities and supporting us in our contact with the Environment Agency. The WQMN will continue.
• Water quality testing at Newbridge is continuing as part of our role in the national study of rivers by the Angling Trust. It was proposed at the meeting that our Risk Assessment for this activity should be amended to enable a Club Member to carry out the sampling and measurements at Newbridge on their own , rather than have to be accompanied. The following conditions apply: a lifejacket must be worn whilst at the river; a responsible person must be contacted by the tester on arrival and on departure from the river.

New Actions

• Plough Pond is temporarily Closed this week. The Pond is closed whilst the Landowner carries out slurry pumping. The landowner was concerned that Members attending last Sunday’s match had driven over the pipeline running along the track and crossing the entrance gate. The pipeline was empty at the time, so no damage resulted. The Club received no prior warning that this activity was taking place. In future, if access is restricted, the match could be fished on the river or postponed.
• Weed levels in the Pond have increased this season, with silt weed now present on the bed. The presence of some water weed is beneficial for dissolved oxygen levels and fish refuge. This will continue to be monitored.
• 55 crayfish have been removed from the Pond this year.
• A discussion point will be raised at the AGM to stock the Pond on an annual basis.
• Newbridge Field 1 has been booked by RAL Angling Club on Thursday 17^th October 2024.

The meeting ended at 8:40pm.

The next meeting will take place at the RBL Sports & Social Club in Hanney at 19:30 on 17^th September 2024. All welcome.