Withies Pool is looking better than ever

Many hours of work has been completed to make all 27 pegs fishable.  However that is a massive understatement not only can they be fished but they also now look in pristine condition.  The owners think it has never looked so good and I agree.  This has not been a easy task and many thanks must go primarily to Bob Evans,  Gary Seadon and Richard Ford.  It is a big shame we currently cannot fish but once we can it will be in beautiful surroundings.  

Angling Trust Latest advice Tuesday 24th March

- stop fishing and stay safe

Fishing is not allowed for 3 weeks

I kept looking at the wording but unfortunately we are not allowed to fish now in a match or otherwise.  Please see below statement from the Angling Trust:

LET'S BE CLEAR. THE LOCKDOWN MEANS NO FISHING. WE WILL SEEK CLARIFICATION AS TO WHETHER FISHING IS AN ALLOWED FORM OF EXERCISE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT FOR NOW WE CAN'T LEAVE OUR HOMES FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE REASONS STATED BELOW. STAY SAFE

People in the UK will only be allowed to leave their home for the following purposes:

Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
One form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household
Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home
Police will have the powers to enforce the rules, including through fines and dispersing gatherings. To ensure compliance with the instruction to stay at home, the government will:

Close all shops selling non-essential goods, including clothing and electronic stores and other premises including libraries, playgrounds and outdoor gyms, and places of worship
Stop all gatherings of more than two people in public - excluding people you live with
Stop all social events, including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies, but excluding funerals
Parks will remain open for exercise, but gatherings will be dispersed.

All matches cancelled

There is no way I can get around the latest laws now, even though fishing is very safe.  We have all been instructed to stay at home for at least 3 weeks. 

All matches are cancelled until the Government relaxes laws.

Please stay safe.

Mark.

Match this Wednesday at Court Farm Fishery

I have contacted the fishery, written to my MP for guidance on fishing (it is social distancing and also the most non team sport attended in the UK).

I also have senior committee member support.

We do need to make even more changes for our safety. I am going to be much stricter on paying out money. There will be no requirement to be within 2 metres of each other.

The draw will be 9.00 please arrive around 8.30 with fishing from 10 til 15.00 or 15.30 as it is going to be 15'c!

Match fee is £15.

If non essential travel is strictly enforced then it will be cancelled. The final decision will be made after any government briefing on Tuesday evening.

I will confirm or not on here and on the forum page Tuesday evening.

Thanks for your co-operation. I will try my best but hopefully you will understand if we have to cancel.

Mark.

Matches will be held until any Government movement restrictions are implemented

Good Afternoon,

Fishing is recognised as a very safe form of social distancing. I will be making sure that the away matches I am running will be as safe as possible.

Nobody will be required to be within 2 metres of each other.  If it is not too windy I will place the pegs on the back of my car and anglers will point at one. If the weather is against us then the organiser or someone allocated by them will draw all the pegs. (FRIENDLY banter will be encouraged).

Payments will be placed in a box and I will use protection to place prize money into envelopes. Winners can either leave the money in the envelopes for 5 days at home or wipe the money to sterilise it.   It is helpful that money is plastic now.

We are very lucky that fishing falls into a category where it still can be enjoyed with safety.

If a total travel ban is implemented by the government then matches will be suspended straightaway.

Just one final thing, there maybe differing views on this crisis but whatever your views are please adhere to the distancing rules and any others rules implemented by the organisers.

Mark
Club Secretary

AGM Feedback from meeting on Tuesday

The AGM was conducted on Tuesday. Highlights include:

Fishery rent negotiated and paid for 2020/21 season.

Small increase in match fee's on a Wednesday and Sunday - Carried unanimously
Wednesday Affordable Open now £10 with the extra £2 going on Prize money. The price for members and non members will be the same - £10.
Saturday Open remains the same at £12 but will be for members and non members.
Sunday Club Matches increase by only £1 to £12. This extra £1 will go on prize money.

There will be more 'Special Matches' with bonus prizes on Sundays. This and being able to fish anytime makes becoming a member worthwhile and extremely good value for money.

Keeping the opens the same price for members and non members should encourage more income for the club and ultimately more benefit for members.
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Bob Evans remains Treasurer
Mark Court becomes Secretary
Phil Simnett has resigned as Chairman. This is due to taking over Tony Hemming's matches and other commitments. Phil will continue to look after the fence batteries and remain part of the club. John Davis as President and behalf of the club thanked Phil for his service.
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Easter Egg match (Open) - Easter Sunday 12th April
John Davis very generously donated a load of Easter Eggs and a couple of alcoholic bottles as prizes.

The club will add to these prizes to make the Easter Match well worth taking your chance in.
It is an Open so bring friends. The match fee is £12 for all. The prizes are EXTRA to the normal prize money so a good payout is also guaranteed. As per the clubs normal policy Monies and prizes would be spread out to give the best chance for the many to get a prize.
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Don't forget to join before the new season. Membership take up so far is good and we have had a couple of welcomed donations.
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The future is looking good.
Mark
Club Secretary

This weeks matches  - Wednesday Jam Factory on Ash.  Sunday is the return to Top Barn

This Wednesday's away match is at the Jam Factory on ASH. Please arrive around 8.30 for 9.00 draw.  Match fee is £15 with £8 going on payouts.

This Sunday is the return to Top Barn.  Please arrive around 8.30 for 9.00 draw.  Match fee is £15 with at least £8 going on payouts.

Top Barn Address

Top Barn Harvest Shop,
Holt Heath,
Worcester,
WR6 6NH.

Help required during the 'closed for fishing' month of March at the Jubilee Fishery.  Just a few hours on a couple of days would help greatly.

If you can help Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays over the next 5 weeks of March please contact Bob on 07747655514.  Jobs will be allocated on skills, fitness and agility so even I would be able to help in some way!  Typical things to achieve include clearing and burning of weed in Withies.  Removing of debris from Phil's Pool and general tree cutting, strimming and peg tidying on all pools.

See you soon.

Mark. (for Bob Evans).

Ray Nosworthy Wins Meat Bonanza Match

Sunday 23rd February 2020

New Guestimate Match Total Weight Option on Matches - Update

The aim is to guess the overall total weight of fish all angers catch in a match. If are within or exactly 1lb over or 1lb under the amount caught, then you win the pool. If nobody guesses within this amount the money rolls over. Anglers will be requested to weigh in any weights over !lb. This will be for any matches I attend and is totally voluntary. Guesses will be recorded before the match starts and winners will be notified on the Web page and Forum. I will also post near misses etc.

Rules:

1. This will be run if I am attending the matches. I will add MT next to the fixtures I am planning to attend each week. If for any reason I do not make the match then it will NOT be run.

2. There must be at least 7 anglers present at the match start, just like the bonus/golden pegs.

3. The lowest possible guess must be 30lb. If you don't think a match will produce 30lb overall then do not enter. If a match total does not reach 30lb the money rolls over - no refunds.

4. If a match is unexpectedly abandoned after commencing then the money rolls over - no refunds.

5. If I am forced to leave a match mid term then the match organiser will provide a copy of the weigh sheet to me and I will provide results ASAP.

6. If the pool money is not won before the end of the season then the Pool will carry over onto the away matches during the close season and will continue into next season.

7. There will be no minimum entry requirement. If you don't start guessing until the pool reaches a certain level then fine, this is ultimately about collecting money for fish fund.

8. The pool will be run on any matches I attend. This includes opens/away matches. I may not attend a river match for-instance and in this case the pool could well be run on a Saturday Open that I don't normally attend.

9. If two anglers guess the weight exactly the same but one above and one below the pool with be split 50/50.

10. If I make a genuine mistake, saying adding up the weights you have until the next match to let me know. Once the next match starts then previous match discrepancies will not be valid and any wins will not be paid. I will adding a new page to the website which will include all entry details and where possible a picture of the result sheets. Please check your entries.

11. If someone accidentally forgets to weigh in an amount, or there is a weighing malfunction or any other issue then my decision will be final. If in the unlikely event there is a objection then I would need to informed and a letter written to the committee details your issue. This statement is required but I am not expecting any issues!

I will start this on Sunday with the pool starting at £10 plus a £1 from each entry.

Mark
Club Admin Officer.

Approx 230lb's of Carp added to Jubilee Pool

A bargain we couldn't refuse. Received 4th November 2019

Approx 230lb of Carp added to Jubilee Pool

We received an offer of 200lb's of carp from JS Fisheries at a price which represented a 60% discount on anything I could find on-line.  One of the leased pools at his fishery had been sold so the fish needed to be moved and as we are a local club they were offered to us.  The deal was for 200lb of fish averaging 4 - 6lb.  When they arrived today Jack thought there would be more than 200lb and we estimated the final total received was 230lb's a bonus 15%.  As there are currently on-going negotiations with the owners for next years rent I notified them that these fish will be financed solely by donations and I would finance the delivery and collect donations independently.  The committee was very keen to get these fish but only on these terms.

Donations so far are £100 from myself plus approximately 40 Pink Bluetooth speakers which will be sold for only £5 with 100% going to the fund (sold 5 so far with more orders pending)  £25 plus £100 pledged from Ron Evans.  If members just give between £5 - £20 the required figure would be achieved and surpassed in no time.  I will update the forum with each donation (anomalously unless stated) and update the news page weekly.  Please see forum for exact purchase figure. I also plan to hold the occasional 'fish fund match' pending committee approval, with the first hopefully during the Christmas period.

Donations can be made to Mark Court at the fishery or via Paypal to courtieboy@gmail.com.  I will add more payment methods on the forum.  If you wish to donate via the treasurer Bob Evans please let him know it is for the fish so that he can pass the money on.

Tight lines,

Mark Court

Club Admin Officer.

PS If as expected the figure required for these fish is reached reasonably quickly JS Fishery has already stated that he will do us another great deal on Bream when they become available during the colder months of Jan - Feb.  We would be looking for around half the amount we received last year.