The scene in the car park on my arrival, was not what I was hoping for, but after a month of showers and warm weather – it was inevitable that the grass would have grown like mad!

Never the less, when you have a willing group of volunteers and some heavy duty machines, what can be achieved in a short space of time is remarkable.

The fishery car park is now cut ready for the new season, and every swim has been cut and prepared for easy access. The pathway along the fishery has been cut and widened, making the walk from the car park to the top of the fishery much easier.

On a plus side, everyone spotted fish during the day, and there were thousands of fry under the road bridge. Hopefully the fishery stock levels are now starting to recover. Added to this, the Crayfish trapper  emptied his baskets, and the contents are much lower now than in recent seasons.

A big thank you once again to Thatcham AA for helping on the day. Without their support, this fishery could not be maintained to this level.

Thursday 2nd June was the final preparation work party for the river Mole at Cobham, prior to the new season starting on the 16th June.

A big thank you must be given to BGL for cutting a pathway along the whole stretch, from the stepping stones over the ditch, to the boundary. They also cut pathways to all of the swims along this section.

This just left me the section before the stepping stones to prepare. I managed to cut a circular pathway linking up all of the swims in this section.

The fishery is now in perfect condition ready for the start of the season. Tight lines to all anglers fishing this CALPAC water.

Saturday 30th April was another busy day on one of CALPAC’S premier fisheries.

The first two swims you come to as you approach the lake, had a complete makeover. The existing timber structures were removed, and new and improved swims were constructed in their place.

Much of the pathway around the lake was opened up by removing lots of overhanging vegetation.

I am pleased to report that hardly any litter was collected, which is testament to the bailiffs ensuring that members act in a responsible way and take their litter home.

Three consecutive days spent on two of our River Kennet fisheries, has ensured that season 22/23 would be an enjoyable angling experience for any members wetting a line at either Padworth or Bulls Lock.

With the very hard work completed at Bulls Lock last April, this visit was more cosmetic based. The fishery has a lovely new sign, making it easy to find, and the whole stretch of river is accessible from the bank now, apart from one very small section.

Padworth, being a much longer fishery is always requiring a lot more work. Some of this involved the removal of a few tree limbs from the river, which were  not suitable for swim enhancement. Two Buddlias were given an overdue pruning. One was starting to encroach on the pathway, and the other was impeding the backwater.

The bank fishing areas suitable for fly fishing were given a cut, ready for any early season members targeting the Brown Trout.

A visit to the Southern Channel at the weir end of the fishery, to examine the  habitat work carried out on our behalf two years ago, proved very satisfying. The gravel bar for spawning was looking very clean, and the brash berm installed to narrow the channel was looking good. Hopefully the fish will visit this area over the next couple  of months.

Another Saturday, another work party. This week saw us at the River Mole fishery in Cobham, clearing up some of the Storm Eunice tree casualties, and doing some swim preparation for the new season. Big thanks to Ken, Frank and Chris for helping me on the day. I hope the Nutella Brownie made your day worthwhile.

Saturday 5th March 2022 saw the start of our rejuvenation of the Stew Pond, to turn it into an excellent all round fishery.

The work was carried out by myself, member John Walker and the two Stew Pond bailiffs, Dave and Alex.

Most of the work was focused on cutting down overhanging branches and clearing snags in and around the swims. Alex had made swim numbers, which he fixed to all but three of the swims. He also made a ‘No Fishing’ sign, which he fitted on the steps leading to the Great Lake.

There will be a work party at the Stew Pond on the above date. Please feel free to attend anytime between 9am – 2pm.

There will be a work party on the River Mole at Cobham on the above date. Please feel free to attend any time between 9am – 1pm.

On Saturday 20th November, we started the restoration of swims on the Convent School section of the fishery.

The work focused on swims 1, 2 5 and 6, which had become difficult to access and unsafe. They were all completely cleared, to provide easy access, and re-dug to make them safer for the angler. Pathways were cleared as well, which now provides easy access to these swims.