2024 Annual Game Meeting
Saturday 26th October
11am to 3pm
Antrobus House
39 Salisbury Rd
Amesbury
SP4 7HH
Entrance to Antrobus House limited parking https://what3words.com/appetite.worker.opts
Additional Parking nearby: https://what3words.com/district.tacky.scavenger
Dear members,
We have completed precautionary fish health checks in our coarse lakes at Steeple Langford, Dandys and Petersfinger.
The fish at Steeple Langford are in good condition.
This is not the case at Dandys and Petersfinger Lakes.
The sample from Dandys showed presence of the parasite Ergasilus Briani.
Ergasilus Briani attaches between the gill filaments of its host, using its specialised antennae. Once attached, it uses its serrated mouthparts (situated on the underside of the body) to feed on mucus, blood and epithelial cells within the gill tissue.
The fish sample from Petersfinger also showed presence of Ergasilus Briani and in addition, Ergasilus Sieboldi.
The latter infects the gill filaments of a wide range of freshwater fish species using two, large, pointed antennae. It has a life cycle with many stages, but only the adult females are parasitic. It tends to favour some fish species more than others, for example bream and tench.
Both parasites are Category two parasites and we have reported it to the Environment Agency.
It is highly important that members disinfect their nets and fishing equipment after fishing on any of our coarse lakes, to avoid cross contamination. Please leave your nets in the sunlight until fully dry, and/or use the dip nets provided in our fisheries before you start fishing.
We’ve been lied to’: Feargal Sharkey and green activists to take to streets over water pollution.
21st August 2024
Feargal Sharkey says the country has been “lied to” and “fleeced” over the lack of clean water, as it was announced that green groups and sporting bodies will take to the streets in autumn to protest.
The environmental activist and singer, who has been vocal about his concerns over sewage being dumped into Britain’s waterways, will be joining the wide range of groups including River Action, Greenpeace, the Wildlife Trusts, British Rowing and British Canoeing for the march in London on 26th October.
The former Undertones frontman called out water companies for dumping sewage into Britain’s waterways and the regulator for not doing more.
“The truth is we’ve been lied to, we’ve been misled, we’ve been fleeced, we’ve been had and […]
S&DAC Newsletter Summer 2024 Download
EDITORS RAMBLINGS
This time I am going to open the newsletter with a plea to those that can get onto the forum where important updates are posted without having the extra work to copy out newsletters or deal with those who claim to be unaware. It is a mine of information on fishing and fisheries. See page 40 in yearbook for details. It saves Andreas the pressure and the team time on the phone to repeat information already out there as they have things like saving our rivers and bureaucrats to deal with. The cost of batteries for Andreas heart and blood pressure units don’t come cheap either. I know we are a secretive bunch and do not want to let on how we did but at least sign up, read it so any information is imparted, questions asked and confusions ironed out.
Year on year we have breaches of rules and etiquette, these are usually minor but shouldn’t occur and is a frustration to the club and bailiffs. The first thing is to read the rule book and if you are in doubt, ask. Things like nymphing or wading where anglers shouldn’t, New Zealand style set ups and double nymph have been found on fisheries where they clearly aren’t supposed to be, a fresh indicator and nymph was found in a tree at a beat where dry fly only applies. A member signed into a beat on a day we aren’t allowed to fish and there has been a shambles when busy at the Stapleford fishery where anglers didn’t sign in and out correctly with anglers wandering off their preferred beat. We have to remember that some of our landowners […]
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I am sure that those of us that enjoy a bit of winter fishing on the rivers and lakes have been thwarted by the deluge of rain with rivers and even lakes overwhelmed by water. Some meadows are covered in water and it was said that a boat was required to even get to the banks. I gather there are quite a few for sale at Dover at the moment along with motors and engines –one careful owner.
There have been a few who have managed to find a window and been rewarded with the odd fish. Another cracking chub was landed on the Avon and a 50cm grayling on the Wylye. With all this weather the rivers have been flushed out and hopefully the year ahead looks as if we will have reasonable flows. In the short term it looks as if there may be some banks that will be inaccessible as in previous years and openings delayed if it considered unsafe or footfall may cause further damage. Alas this is one of the results of climate change and has been an issue in previous years. It isn’t something the club wants to do as anglers are chomping at the bit to flick a fly but there are many considerations before any decision is taken. The keepers and volunteers are doing all they can but nature has a way of thwarting efforts.
As the club moves forward it constantly reviews its policies and one that is being updated is Health and Safety along with safeguarding. As a club we have responsibilities to anyone who works, uses, volunteers and is a member of the club. These policies have to […]