Tuesday 30th December 2014

A SEASONAL QUIZ?

We promised you a Christmas Quiz and as usual you misunderstood exactly what we meant. As a result some emails were received complaining that it did not appear on Christmas day. Do you really think that we have nothing better to do during the festivities? Although our quiz is arguably incredibly boring, it is fairly unusual for this time of year, as it actually has nothing to do with Christmas or the New Year and has very little to do with fly fishing. We never implied that it ever had anything to do with Christmas, fishing or anything else for that matter so we have to refute the accusations that we lied to you!

After completing our quiz, those of you who still have lots of time on your hands could trawl through the past years "Latest News" and see how many "untruths" can be found. Unlike other waters we always "tell it like it is"ť and believe that honesty is the best policy especially when referring to members of the angling community, most of whom your Editorial Team appear to loath and despise. So rather than waste your time looking for reporting inaccuracies, why not add up the number of people who will probably feel insulted and abused by having the truth told about them.

Our quiz has no trick questions and some even have a vague connection to things fishy, but to give everyone a chance, many others do not.

As our No.1 contributor, we have felt obliged to repay his diligence by giving Bernard Arthur Charles Meaden, Freeman of the City of London, a head start. However, some cynics say that even the brightest super sleuth needs a Dr Watson so, to save his embarrassment, your editorial team have tried to point him in the right direction on a few of the more tricky questions. After all, with more exciting stories in preparation, we do not want to distract him for too long from hammering away on that old keyboard!

Wednesday 24th December 2014

FACEBOOK

Most of our ageing male readers will never have ventured anywhere near Facebook. If any of you have ever had the misfortune to watch The Jeremy Kyle Show you will be aware that Facebook is an ideal vehicle for every mindless idiot to hurl insults at other equally inane individuals.

Sadly, a few of our readers that do frequent Facebook are the sort of lowlife who takes great delight in bullying the weak and afflicted. It has always been one of your intrepid reporter’s missions, and that of his entire editorial team, to name and shame any such individual.

So it gives us a great deal of satisfaction to come to the aid of poor old REG KENT.

In response to the announcement that scarecrows were appearing around the reservoir, on our Facebook page, Club member JOHN AUSTIN wrote:

“Instead of fishing and wasting his time fishing, should have given Reg this job let him do something useful!!”

OK, so JA’s ability to construct a sentence is clearly not his strong point. However, we must not run him down during this season of goodwill. After all, baby Jesus was destined to also become a carpenter and I am not sure how good was his command of the English language. However, I am assured by The Reverend Streeter that Joseph ensured that Jesus was trained properly and, unlike JA, did not specialise in the use of MDF, No Nails and plastic strips to hide the rough edges.

We make no apologies for having mentioned before that the saintly Reg is famed for driving the Tenterden Community bus filled with old ladies, who are actually younger than he is (no exaggeration). We dare not publicly state his actual age or the DVLA could be on to him. We can only suspect that Tenterden Council allow him to continue to career around the countryside in a bus filled with geriatrics, in the hope that he may eventually reduce the excessive burden on their hard pressed resources.

While we are on the subject of Reg, we should give Tackle & Gun in Tenterden High Street some more free publicity by mentioning, yet again, that when Reg has nothing better to do (which is most of the time) he can be found sitting in Tackle & Gun, where he has his own chair (no exaggeration), and consumes gallons of free coffee (much as he does when at the reservoir). That mention ought to be worth a couple of free flies for Reg. However, if we also mention that Tackle & Gun have the largest selection of Barbour clothing in the whole of Kent and East Sussex at genuinely unbeatable prices, he could be looking at three or even four free flies.

Now, perhaps Andy Lush, the exalted proprietor of the Friendly Fisherman in Tunbridge Wells would like to publicise some items that he desperately needs to off-load from his vast selection of fishing tackle.... We are open to offers.

Well, we have to admit that it is a quiet News day!

AN INSTANT RESPONSE

John Delighted to learn that my latest attempt to 'unearth' a bit more history of the fishery has raised a bit of interest. I would be happy to hear from anyone with information beyond what I have so far discovered. The more controversy the better. One of the basic principles of investigative work is never to make assumptions based on what you see (or think you see). Nothing is fact until proven beyond reasonable doubt. I agree with you regarding the resting place of our mill wheel, it must remain where it is. We have no idea at present how it got there or just how many mill wheels were in use as there were often several. Having said that it would be nice if we could tidy up the area around our wheel and make it more of a feature. It is after all part of the Powdermill history. I am currently working on some 'Tales from the Blue Lamp' I will send them off in the New Year. Best wishes to you and yours, Sherlock Meaden

Bernie Meaden - Loaded Up and Ready For Anything

The bailiff can provide you with the exact location of the other half-wheel. Not sure about the “WE” reference, but the reporter can certainly lend you a spade. All you need to do is recruit a couple of other old duffers to assist in the “tidy up”. Others could donate a few rabbit-proof plants to beautify the tidied area.

Your reporter wishes you well, but having had to single-handedly plant lots of bulbs earlier this year, which hopefully you will all enjoy next spring (if the squirrels have not had them all), I don’t fancy your chances of being inundated with volunteers. Now, there’s a challenge!

Having declined to join the ‘working party’ your reporter would be happy to earmark some of our better quality timber and install wooden edging around the cultivated area to help ensure that it can be easily maintained.

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THE CHRISTMAS QUIZ

Just because most of you fly fishers are currently being forced to participate and even pretend that you are enjoying the seasonal festivities, there must still be the odd moment when you can take a quick peek at our latest news page. On some unspecified day you will be delighted to discover that we will have published a Fly Fishing Christmas Quiz. This is guaranteed to delight, enthral, engross and amuse the entire family.

Unlike other fishing questions which appear primarily in angling magazine crosswords, there will be no obscure Scottish rivers, little known salmon flies or other equally irrelevant questions that an angler in the South East of England has little hope of knowing.

So it’s time to wish you all A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Tuesday 23rd December 2014

BERNIE AND THE ‘CAN OF WORMS’

For those of you who have yet to bother reading Bernie Meaden’s latest missive - Shame On You!

Now go and read it, before continuing any further, or you will not know what we are waffling on about.

Some of Bernie Meaden’s fanatical followers took exception at our editor’s assertion that ‘those in the know’ had a pretty good idea where another example could be found. Given the other example’s close proximity to the reservoir ‘those in the know’ consider that it is almost certainly the twin. Or is it?

Although your intrepid reporter has never bothered to go and ask the landowner to view it, he is reliably informed by those who have that this example is actually only half of one. Another reason for us to speculate as to whether ours is just the other half, rather than the ‘Full Monty’.

All we need is a determined man with a spade. Or shall we let sleeping dogs lie and leave this part of the mystery unsolved. After all, even the super sleuths in the Met do not solve every case.

What on earth are we on about? Well, I did tell you to read Bernie’s bit first! - Meaden's Memories

A SNEAK PEAK

Slow but steady is the name of the game where boat refurbishment is concerned. Sanding and filling; sanding and filling; sanding and filling. So the next time an angler decides to moan about the price he has to pay to take out a boat............!

Monday 22nd December 2014

A POLICE INVESTIGATION

Bernie Meaden had nothing better to do the other day than have a wander around the reservoir taking awful photographs, including some of your unfortunate reporter. His aimless rambling lead him to the far end of the dam where he was confronted with our stone monument, a reminder of days gone by. This set him thinking about its origins and as a result of his initial investigations his latest story began to materialise. So, to read Bernie's latest report just go to the link to "Meaden's Memories" at the bottom of the menu on the left.

Friday 19th December 2014

CORMORANT COUNT

For more years than we care to remember Colin, our local birder, has been sneaking around the reservoir observing the wildlife but primarily the birds. It is always a pleasure to see Colin and find out what he has spotted, as we all share a common interest in the flora and fauna around the reservoir and its welfare.

But I was particularly pleased when he arrived today brandishing, as promised, an envelope containing details of the number of cormorants that he had recorded over the past few years. Without boring everyone with the detail a number of interesting facts emerge.

Colin first recorded the sighting of cormorants at the reservoir as far back as 14 December 1986. Over the past ten years he has conducted 66 formal and detailed bird counts. During this time there were only 13 occasions when no cormorants were sighted and in the most recent 22 surveys there was only one instance when he did not see one. He has carried out ten formal counts this year and has seen cormorants on every occasion. Throughout the year the count has resulted in an average of 7.

The most that he has seen on one of his formal counts was 28 but that was way back in 2005. The most that I have seen in the air all at once was just last month (November 2014) when 24 cormorants took fright as we sailed down towards the end of the West Arm.

Colin Bids Farewell To The ‘Fishmonger’ And Reporter As They Set Sail

As part of our campaign to deter our feathered foe, the bailiff has fabricated what could only be described as ugly monster scarecrows. However, once positioned in the bushes we have to admit that they look pretty scary.

One Of The Evil Looking Scarecrows

Hopefully, we will soon be trialling what we describe as “a pop-up man” a form of automated scarecrow. Ideally this needs to be fixed onto a small raft which can be moved about and anchored in different parts of the reservoir. This will not be the first time that rafts have been constructed, as back in the 1930’s, immediately after the reservoir was completed, our founding fathers had rafts built on which they grew plants to encourage the development of insect life in what was then just a muddy hole, albeit a very large one.

Another Diabolical Scarecrow

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KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING

As the main double-section log store gradually fills, up the amount of timber still to be logged is down to a single large pile. The mound of cut wood, still to be sliced into smaller pieces for kindling, is being put undercover to dry out as it unlikely to get dealt with over the Christmas period. However, with one of the four stores still completely empty, there is still plenty of room for more timber to be cut, stored and seasoned for future use.

The Remaining Log Pile

Thursday 18th December 2014

FANCY A JOB AT ARLINGTON RESERVOIR?

We received an email yesterday from our friends at ‘Salmon & Trout Sussex’ advising us that South East Water has a vacancy for a Recreational Ranger at Arlington Reservoir, near Polegate, East Sussex.

A Walk With Friends Around Arlington in February 2014

Wednesday 17th December 2014

IS HE THE NEW MASTER?

So far this December we have had just two visitors and six members come to fish. Club member, T. Burn has actually set sail twice this month. Hardly surprising as he is the only one to catch fish. Having caught two rainbows on his first trip, he returned to land another three weighing 5lb 12ozs using a baby doll. Why is he so successful while all others have failed?

T. Burn in the Middle

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ROBIN REDBREAST

Just to show that Bernie Meaden is not a complete dummy when it comes to taking photos we have pleasure in reproducing his photo of our resident robin searching for insects amid the pile of sawn scrap timber.

Visitors to the reservoir will see lots of contractor’s men and equipment at the end of the car park below the dam. We understand that Southern Water is having a camera fitted on the tower and the workers are digging a trench from the tower, along the entire length of the dam, to the green shed at the end of the car park where the air pump is housed. The plastic pipe being buried in the trench will contain the video cable. I am pleased to report that the friendly (but camera shy) workers are enjoying the company of our robin who was happily rooting about in the piles of soil looking for the juicy worms on Monday. After all, it makes a change from the less succulent insects that he was finding among the timber.

Trench Diggers Equipment

So why is a camera needed on the tower. Who knows; but hopefully if it manages to capture images of your intrepid reporter going about his business, they will be more flattering than Bernie’s.

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WORK GOES ON

Work on the site of the second jetty began the other day just to establish the line so that the two are parallel. No further building on either fixed jetty or the refurbishment of the existing floating sections are planned before the new year.

Second Jetty

Monday 15th December 2014

A BLESSING OR AN EXORCISM

AN EMAIL FROM BERNIE MEADEN

I have been watching the Hastings Fly Fishers website with great interest during recent weeks so thought I would pop along and see how all the new engineering undertakings were advancing.

On arrival on Thursday 11 December I found several cars in the car park and made my way the club house. As usual the door to the rest room was firmly closed; I could hear muted conversation and knew immediately that John 'The Cake Tester' Thackray must be elsewhere. On forcing my way in and recovering from the blast of hot air that greeted me, I was delighted to see some representatives of the 'last of the summer wine club' in residence, eating cake and roasting themselves by the fire, no change there then. Shortly after my arrival The Cake Tester arrived in company with another stalwart director, Barry 'The Fish Monger' Morgan. Both were adorned in life preservers and Arctic cold water survival kit (well that's what it looked like) apparently they had been up the West arm annoying the Cormorants; good for them.

No, It's Your Turn To Skip

This Blinking Pole!

Now before I relate my little tale. The work so far in improving the jetty and access to the wheelie boats are a credit to the directors and their band of helpers who have been constructing the jetty. They are working chest deep in freezing cold water just to make things easier for us. A huge thank you, and hats off to you all. I for one very much appreciate the effort.

Now whilst looking at the new jetty the question arose as to whether there should be some sort of formal grand opening or dedication, that took my mind back..........


So, to read Bernie's latest recollection (but only for the brave) just go to the link to "Meaden's Memories" at the bottom of the menu on the left.


Editor's Note:
Bernie sent in a couple of photos that he took of more construction work down on the jetty during Thursday afternoon. The editorial team would respectfully ask Bernie to restrict his photographic endeavours to holiday snaps in future and refrain from photographing members of the editorial team. Never in his sixty odd years has your intrepid reporter ever had such appalling photos taken of him.

Tuesday 9th December 2014

IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO CATCH FISH

The fishing is certainly difficult at present and very few anglers come to fish despite the pleasant sunshine of late. However, Club Member T. Burn made the effort to come and fish from a boat at the weekend and managed to land two nice rainbows. His entry in the returns book contains a single word in the “Fly Used” column and seems to indicate that it was some form of Fritz fly but only he knows as the writing’s not clear. All I do know is that he rarely fails to catch fish as he will use whatever is necessary to succeed. Sadly, it almost certainly was not one of your reporter’s infamous Orange Fritz patterns so despised and detested by the purists but I am sure that it was something equally abhorrent.

A THING OF BEAUTY

With the first phase of the new jetty now complete our attention has temporarily turned to other important tasks. However, at the end of the new fixed jetty the depth of water does not increase significantly for another ten feet, so we will be considering the practicality of increasing the fixed length. An underwater ground survey was carried out this morning to establish the likely line of a second jetty and the ideal length of its fixed section. The bed is significantly firmer and the slope is less steep than we had to contend with during the construction of the first jetty, so we do not foresee any difficulties if and when we eventually begin work.

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THE CORMORANT MENACE

As part of our campaign to deter the Cormorants from visiting the reservoir we have taken advice from The Angling Trust and Natural England and are implementing a number of suggestions that hopefully will help deter the invading hoards. In general, Club members enjoy the birdlife which abounds on and around the water and we are more than happy to live alongside the herons, grebes and other fish eaters, but the large number of cormorants that appear daily has now become a very serious threat to the fishery.

Although they can be seen flying in and out, few visitors or members will see the cormorants on the water. This is because they are currently congregating at the very far end of the West Arm, well out of sight. They are quick to fly off when a boat comes even halfway along the arm and long before an observer in the boat can see them on the water. The first indication of their presence is when they take off and are silhouetted against the bright sky. It will be interesting to see if the ‘bunting’ that we strung across the water today upsets them and, if so, for how long. They certainly did not return this afternoon after the initial strand had been suspended above the water to flutter in the breeze. But tomorrow is another day!

Friday 5th December 2014

AN EARLY BATH

Work on the fixed portion of the new jetty project is due to be completed today (Friday). The boys took advantage of the dry weather on Thursday to complete the actual staging and just the handrail remains to be fitted together with a few cosmetics. Unfortunately, the water temperature is less than tropical and the depth being worked in was at the most uncomfortable height for the shorter workers. Talk about brass monkeys!

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CORMORANT CHAOS?

The continued presence of significant numbers of cormorants is a major problem. This seems to apply to most fisheries in our area, but larger expanses of water such as Bewl, Darwell and Powdermill suffer greatly as a result of having more remote areas where the birds can spend time undisturbed. They are with us in varying numbers every day.

We are continuing to extend the number of non-lethal scaring techniques that we use as a combination of a number of different deterrents is the recommended approach rather than just rely on one method. The latest 'fun' method for the 'old boys' to enjoy has been used effectively at other waters of our size. The jolly jape involves the use of bird scaring rockets which are launched (at an angle of about 60 degrees) towards a group of cormorants on the water. The exceptionally loud explosion overhead sets them off into flight, at which point a second rocket is immediately launched into their midst which we are assured will really scare the living daylights out of them (not to mention how it might terrify the 'old boys').

Portec Skybird Rockets

A box of the giant rockets is being displayed by none other than 'The Fishmonger', who can also be seen modelling the latest thing in 'winter woollies'. Fortunately photos of him, which once seemed to appear every week in our 'Latest News', have been absent recently. His lack of recent angling success is primarily due to the drastic reduction in the number of times that he has fished this season. Hopefully, the next photo of him will not have been taken by your intrepid reporter in the A&E department of the Conquest Hospital.

Wednesday 3rd December 2014  - NEW -

PART IV OF BERNIE'S ADVENTURE

We have pleasure in publishing Chapter 4 in Bernie Meaden's tale of his experiences during his four-week cruise to the US. You will find the link to "Meaden's Memories" at the bottom of the menu on the left.

Tuesday 2nd December 2014

FOLLOW THE CORMORANTS?

The old jetty has now been removed and is stacked on the bank awaiting removal of the buoyancy tanks. Seven of the tanks contained water of which four were full. The tanks and structure will be renovated before being floated and attached to the new fixed jetty. Construction of the new jetty began late last week. Boat maintenance continues, as the fleet is gradually put to bed for our short ‘closed’ season.

Bedtime

Buoyancy Tanks On One Platform Of The Jetty

Club Member, T. Burn afloat on Saturday

Three anglers decided to take advantage of the sunshine and the unseasonably warm weather over the weekend. Two regular visitors arrived to fish from the bank while a Club member opted to take out a boat. The fishing in the main body of water is not proving to be easy, yet no one is bothering to venture down to the far end of the West Arm where all the majority of cormorants have been seen fishing. They are not stupid and know where their best chance of a meal is likely to be lurking. Unfortunately our anglers just go to the usual spots and wonder where all the fish are. Dick Walker always used to advise anglers to go around and examine the water before deciding upon the best places to fish and the tactics to be employed. Not bad advice.

The New Jetty Under Construction

Thursday 27th November 2014

PROOF THAT HOBBS PARKER MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY

Jonathan Chapman of Hobbs Parker fame is always seeking a bit of extra publicity for his Ashford based firm. They will sell anything from old bangers, crumbling dwellings, mangy animals and anything and everything which they are able to con the innocent punter into bidding for. So it is hardly surprising that regular exotic fly fishing holidays are the norm.

Despite a touch of envy your editorial team have great pleasure in publishing his latest email complete with tempting photos. Thank goodness he isn’t running some dodgy Travel Agency or he would not just be able to empty your pockets, but probably also leave you stranded on some God forsaken location.

HIS UNCENSORED EMAIL (Just a bit of tidying) Feel free to mess this up and add a few insults and untruths.... (What sort of people does he think we are? We never tell lies but some people do feel insulted when we tell the truth) Fly fishing for Pacific salmon off the coast of British Columbia. (Sechelt) (This will have you franticly opening Google Maps to find where on earth British Columbia is, let alone Sechelt. If it's any consolation even we had to look up Sechelt) Those of you who fancy a challenge in stunning surroundings should try throwing a fly at Pacific salmon in the ocean as they 'stage' (gather) off the many creek and river mouths waiting for rain. After a year or two at sea the returning fish gather at the creek mouths and estuaries making some fantastic and challenging fly fishing opportunities. Local fishermen can be seen parked and scanning the water looking for tell tail signs of leaping fish. Coho salmon are the main attraction for the fly fisherman in the autumn averaging from 8lb to 12lb (I've had them up to 20lb). Chinook salmon also put in an appearance, but in less numbers, and can run much bigger. My best is 42lb (not on fly) but in other areas of B.C. much bigger specimens are regularly caught. Large numbers of Pink salmon run in late summer averaging from 4lb to 7lb and are great fun on the fly. Big numbers run in alternate years, last year (2013) was some of the best summer fishing I've had and both my son and I had sore arms on one particularly memorable day. Roll on next year! Different areas of B.C. have different runs at different times and I can only speak for the places I go to. Flights are not too expensive and apart from a licence the fishing is free! I have been fishing there regularly for the past fifteen years or so and 'my beaches' are far from the best but when they're on.... wow! You may think that the fish are just waiting to be caught and it's just a matter of casting.... wrong! Like all wild fishing you get good times and bad.... I have had many fruitless days wandering the beaches looking for fish and other days casting every 'killer pattern' I have tied at literally hundreds of fish with no reaction.... I guess that’s what keeps taking me back. If anyone fancies a go or needs any help or advice feel free to get in touch.... I'll help if I can. Once the rains come and the fish run the rivers that can be brilliant too but that's another game all together........

Wednesday 26th November 2014

OUR FEATHERED FRIEND

Scott Evans continues to nurse the victim of a road accident who is gradually improving and we are keeping our fingers crossed that this beautiful hawk can make a full recovery and be released back into the wild. Scott is photographed with ‘Captain’ Chisholm. (See the video in our Latest News on Monday 17th November).

Visitors to the reservoir may see Scott constructing the new fixed part of the boat jetty which is scheduled to begin at the end of this week. The existing jetty is being removed, dismantled and refurbished. The two sections will be joined by a flexible ramp. In the longer term, we hope to be able to construct a second jetty so that there is plenty more room to manoeuvre the boats. Boat anglers at Powdermill are only too aware of the difficulty in berthing their boat on a crowded jetty.

CLEAN & TIDY

At this time of year there are always plenty of annual tasks to do at the reservoir, but currently the emphasis is on putting the boats to bed for the winter. All the wooden boat seats have to be removed, sanded, re-varnished and stored away.

Clearing some of the dead or dying trees from behind the lodge have enabled part of the wooden exterior wall to dry out and the verdigrises’ which covered it has disappeared. Opening up the other end will enable the remainder to improve and could even reduce the slipperiness of the path. Hopefully this will extend the life of the ageing shack which so many people think is quaint. In truth it’s a money pit which needs so much spent on it that I sometimes despair. My daughter-in-law, who insists that it is charming and antiquated recently described it as “being Shabby-chic; but more shabby than shic”.

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WHAT’S ON YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST?

As we hurtle towards December and the countdown to the Christmas festivities, most fly fishermen are too preoccupied to come fishing. Most are planning their assault on the shops to purchase some impressive gift for their nearest and dearest. Sadly, most recipients will be disappointed.

For the past ten years or so your intrepid reporter has insisted on purchasing his own present to avoid the constant disappointment of being confronted with some other family member’s idea of what will delight him. The earlier you buy it the better (preferably as soon after Christmas as possible) so that by the time you get to open it, you have almost forgotten what it is. Never disappointing and just what you wanted!

Thursday 20th November 2014

WORK GOES ON

Although few anglers come to fish at this time of year there is always something going on. It is hardly surprising that there is always plenty that needs to be done before the winter sets in. Unfortunately there is always more to be tackled than we can reasonably manage so the longer the mild weather continues the better.

Getting Ready For Winter - Logging

Getting Ready For Winter - Boat Maintenance

Wednesday 19th November 2014

NORMAN HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

Club member Norman Harle and his wife have moved from Staplecross to East Anglia to be nearer their son. Norman is an avid fisherman and will fish for anything wherever he goes whether it be game, coarse or sea. He is always on the lookout for somewhere to fish and is particularly noted for always finding time to fish when on holiday abroad while his long suffering wife takes to the shops. For the past two years he has been the winner of the Darwell Cup (heaviest fish in 2013 and 2014) and this year was the first to take the members season limit of 120 rainbows. We will miss him.

Norman Harle

Monday 17th November 2014

EVERYONE CAUGHT TROUT THIS WEEKEND

The headline is true but one could argue that it possibly is a bit misleading. Dull and cloudy but not cold and virtually no wind; the weather is not perfect but given that it is November, it is reasonable. However, Club member John Noble was the only angler to fish at the reservoir this weekend and, although he chose not to take a boat, he managed to land a fish from the dam. Bank anglers have been having a particularly hard time as most fish appear to be out of casting range, but then John is a particularly long caster!

John Noble

Saturday 15th November 2014

THROUGH THE WINDOW

On Friday morning, during a brief coffee break, ‘Captain’ Chisholm excitedly instructed your reporter to look out of the window. Having only minutes earlier been bemoaning the fact that he had not seen a kingfisher at the reservoir for many years, your reporter was delighted to be confronted with one sitting on the railings in front of the lodge. Mesmerised by the beautiful colours and not wishing to alarm the bird he dared not go to get his camera and the two just sat and admired the kingfisher until it finally darted away.

At the End of the Long Arm

If that was not sufficient ornithological excitement for one day, come the afternoon during another brief coffee break, what should arrive to sit in exactly the same spot but a magnificent Sparrowhawk. This bird was so relaxed and stayed for so long that your reporter finally decided to cross the room to get his camera and take a few shots through the window. This specimen would appear to be a fully grown adult female. Sparrowhawks are regularly seen perching on the fence posts along the dam, but this was your reporter’s closest encounter. This was one occasion when your reporter wished he had brought one of his better cameras rather than just his ‘pocket’ model.

Despite there being no anglers present on Friday, we only observed four cormorants, happily fishing in the main body of the reservoir. However, the majority tend to congregate at the end of the ‘long arm’, where they generally have the area to themselves as hardly any boat anglers have bothered to go down there this season.

Our Sparrowhawk

The previous Friday your reporter and had sailed around the reservoir inspecting the banks and had counted no less than 25 cormorants fleeing from this the end of the long arm as he and his companion approached. They were also surprised at the large number of tufted duck feeding in the shallows in the same general area and on the way back were even more delighted to see a dabchick (little grebe) darting in among the overhanging branches.

With few anglers around to disturb the wildlife, the bird life abounds both on the water and in the air. Even the normally shy deer are making regular appearances on the far bank in full view of the lodge.

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BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Visitors to the reservoir will notice that lots of work seems to be underway. Despite the unsettled weather, we need to take every opportunity to use the quiet winter period to get jobs done. With Powdermill’s beautiful surroundings also having the reputation of offering relative peace and quiet it is important that we try to restrict our noisier activities to when few anglers are present.

Never Mind the Weather - Indoor Wood Chopping

The Plant

The New Road

The Suez Canal II

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WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE - SO WHERE ARE ALL THE FISH?

The recent rainfall has meant that the reservoir is back to its full capacity and is actually pouring over the overflow. As a result of all the rain the normally crystal clear water is slightly clouded, but still far from sufficient to cause visibility problems as far as the fishing is concerned.

It's Cold In There

However, it would be wrong to suggest that the fishing is anything but hard at present. With the aerator having now been switched off for some weeks, the fish are really well spread throughout the reservoir. Anglers are having to work hard and move about to try and locate fish. With little fly life in evidence the lure anglers appear to have the advantage. Nevertheless, everyone who has succeeded in catching a rainbow agrees that they are fighting particularly hard in the cold water. And, believe me, when your reporter is obliged to don his chest waders to carry out some watery task he is only too aware that winter is almost upon us as he wades into a depth of around 27″. Ernie Wise was not the only one with Short, Fat, Hairy Legs!!!

Wednesday 5th November 2014

ANOTHER GLORIOUS DAY?

On Saturday 1st November, Club member Geoffrey Pilcher had managed a limit bag in the glorious sunshine. Sunday and Monday were wet and miserable. After two days with no activity at the reservoir it was a relief to wake up to find that Tuesday, in complete contrast to the previous two days, was sunny and the air was still. The prospects looked very good.

Unfortunately both the BBC and ITV morning programs featured the usual incompetent weather forecasters who had predicted plenty of showers across the South East. Hardly surprising that no visitor arrived to risk a soaking and only two Club members, both Tuesday regulars, arrived to have a go.

Don Burt - Enjoying Another Beautiful Day in Paradise

Don Burt and Paul Strivens appeared loath to actually remove themselves from the comfort of the lodge despite the splendid weather. As both are regular fishing ‘failures’, the other inhabitants of the lodge were not in any hurry to encourage them go out, only to blank and put others off from fishing.

Finally Don rowed off, but only as far as the nearest marker buoy where he proceeded to cast in all directions but caught nothing. Later, when your reporter stated that it was time to finally finish sawing the remaining timber, Paul decided to go fishing before he got press-ganged into helping.

Not long after settling in on the dam Paul was seen to be struggling with something that was powering its way around the reservoir while he hung on like grim death. So intent on getting an action photo of this titanic struggle, your intrepid reporter actually broke into a trot along the dam. As Paul had almost played the fish to a standstill before his exhausted photographer arrived, Paul felt obliged to wait before finally bringing it in. However, much to his disappointment and the reporter’s frustration, it soon became apparent that the ‘monster’ that had put up such a good fight was actually a normal sized fish which had been foul-hooked. It appeared to have gone for the dropper, missed, turned and got the point fly hooked in its side. Had it been in the tail it would have probably ‘smashed’ the line and been another ‘monster’ that got away. Paul had seen plenty of fish moving which were out of casting range before this shoal of about a dozen rainbows swam past, just under the surface, but actually within reach.

Paul Lands a 'Monster'

Paul's Foul-Hooked Fish

Poor old Don came in for lunch having also seen plenty of fish, but they were also out of reach between him and the dam. So it appears that the crafty rainbows have worked out that there is an area between the dam and the marker buoys (inside which the boats are not allowed) where casters cannot reach. They obviously enjoy swimming up and down just to infuriate and frustrate the unfortunate angler.

After a revitalizing lunch back in the lodge, Don decided to try his luck from the dam, given that he could not reach the cruising fish from the boat. After a short while, the observers in the lodge were gobsmacked to see Don’s rod bend. Your reporter, having completed sawing, refused to rush out again on another fools errand. Having only brought his small camera, he commandeered Mick Coleman’s Lumix Bridge Camera with its 600mm zoom lens and proceeded to take photos from inside the lodge through the filthy window. Unfortunately, Mick had fitted a red filter as he had come to try and capture the sunset. With no time to unscrew the filter the images appear weird to say the least. Will they ever get published? Unlikely as Mick has only recently moved into Digital, having been a died-in-the-wool black and white film man and anything associated with transferring images to computers are akin to the voodoo performed by witch doctors.

- Don Burt - All Wrapped Up and Ready To Go

- The Kindling Mountain - Sawn and Ready For 'Chopping'

No sooner had Don caught his fish than he decided that honour was satisfied and he could also call it a day. Both anglers departed, happy that the weather had been wonderful and, although the fishing had been frustrating, they had had some success and neither would go hungry that evening.

With the charlatans at the Met Office forecasting more rain and misery in the next few days, only the hardy (or do we mean foolhardy) are likely to go fishing. Hopefully, those that do will be a better class of angler!!!!

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PART III OF BERNIE’S ADVENTURE

We have pleasure in publishing another chapter in BM’s recount of his experiences during his four-week cruise to the US. You will find the link to "Meaden's Memories" at the bottom of the menu on the left.

Saturday 1st November 2014

WINTER PRICES

Friday 31st October 2014

THE ROAD TO SUEZ

The original intention today was to dig out the ‘Suez Canal’, but the machinery suppler had let our contractor down, so instead Scott started work on the roadway leading down to the hard standing. The heavy equipment is now arriving next Thursday, so we have a week to worry about the water level, which is gradually creeping up as a result of all the rain and will hamper the excavation.

Scott- Working on the Road

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THE BIRDERS

Colin, our local birder, arrived this morning with three fellow birders. To really infuriate them, all you need do is refer to them as Twitchers. There is a world of difference between the two and, on this occasion, your intrepid reporter took one look at Colin’s unsavoury looking companions and decided to remain uncharacteristically polite.

It transpired that they were very happy having observed a flock of over 100 Greylag geese over the reservoir. Having seen hundreds (if not thousands) of Greylags feeding off crops on Hayling Island earlier this year, your reporter remained unimpressed, but they assured me that it is very unusual to see them around this area.

The Birders

I did not have the heart to inform them that we had spotted a few flying over the reservoir earlier in the week. I believe that the open season for ducks and geese runs from the beginning of September until the end of January. As no one shoots game birds around the reservoir they had better stay put if they know what’s good for them.

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MORE DEER SIGHTINGS

The fallow deer that had appeared on the far bank last Tuesday had been females, but this afternoon a buck appeared sporting a superb set of antlers. With no boat or bank anglers in the vicinity the buck seem very relaxed and happily grazed in the open for at least twenty minutes. However, there was no sign of any accompanying does. Later, as the light began to fade a couple of females also came out of the woods for a short while in exactly the same place.

There were two bucks calling on and off all day. One was south east of the reservoir and the other seemed to be to the west. Although there appear to be less each year, it is reassuring that there are still a few about despite indiscriminate shooting and deer fencing.

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AS DARKNESS FALLS

Only one boat was out this morning, containing that dastardly duo - The ‘Cuckoo’ and his ‘Carer’. One fish was hooked and lost and that was the sum total of their morning’s excitement. A visitor arrived in the afternoon, went out in a boat, but did not stay very long and reported that there was no sign of any fish or any fly life on the water. Despite your reporter’s suggestion that he stay longer and get his money’s worth, he insisted on going home to the bosom of his family, having maintained that he had still enjoyed a pleasant if uneventful couple of hours.

As Darkness Falls

Later, as darkness fell, a stroll down to the jetty revealed that the reservoir, which had remained inactive all day, was finally coming alive. Initially, a small shoal of Rudd could be seen rising to the left of the jetty, but this soon spread all around. The fish appeared to be taking something off the surface but it was not possible to see anything. Then larger single fish began to make ripples further out and as it got darker the number of rises within the limited view increased. These were almost certainly rainbows. They were all definitely feeding and not just surfacing. If only our visitor heeded your reporter’s advice. But even if he had, he would probably still have left before all this activity began.

If things are not going to happen until this late, we may have to fit lanterns to the boats and a beacon on the jetty to guide them ashore. Or maybe we could erect floodlights. On second thoughts maybe floodlighting is not such a good idea, as our Power Companies are apparently already struggling to meet demand. With the threat of power cuts this winter, such an event while someone is in the middle of the reservoir would not be funny. However, it would provide us with something interesting to report for a change.

Thursday 30th October 2014

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

Wednesday was awful with rain all day, yet one hardy visitor refused to be deterred. Our friend Richard Thomlinson, who visits us occasionally from his home near Haywards Heath, is not one to be put off by bad weather. This is just as well as this is not the first time that he has turned up when most anglers would remain at home, let alone go out in a boat in the middle of a reservoir. In such awful conditions he really does deserve to catch something but sadly the most likely catch will be a cold.

Having been professionally involved with wood since1987, his company Thomlinson’s Oak Framed Buildings have produced some wonderful constructions. We always enjoy hearing about his recent projects. Despite its title, they do not just deal in oak, as the cost of this material can be prohibitive and not always appropriate. If you ever need a timber expert or a high quality build you could do a lot worse than speak to Richard.

And No! Your reporter had to forgo the plan to finish sawing, but the weather will also delay the next timber delivery so all is not lost.

Wednesday 29th October 2014

A MIXED DAY

The temperature on and around the reservoir on Tuesday was significantly colder than the day before and anglers were occasionally sneaking back to the lodge to warm up by the roaring fire. However, this was not a day for remaining in the lodge and observing proceedings out on the reservoir from the comfort of the lodge as there were urgent activities to undertake before the rain arrives on Wednesday.

Men from Southern Water were due to arrive to try and locate our water meter. Two men, two vans and two sets of equipment duly arrived and the hunt was on, with the bailiff, Fishmonger and reporter in close attendance. Despite wandering about with a couple of metal detectors and prodding the ground the whereabouts of the elusive meter could not be found. This was indeed a puzzle as the meter reader (not a SW employee) had been regularly “reading” the meter. We, along with the chaps from SW look forward to finding out how readings were taken. X-ray vision could be the answer or maybe he’s a mole.

Search for the Elusive Water Meter

No sooner had the water meter hunt been abandoned than the emphasis switched to fish smoking. “Captain” Chisholm was making his usual mess preparing the fillets while the bailiff spent most of his time attempting to relight the burners. The reporter had grudgingly been instructed by the ‘Captain’ to fabricate these new burners out of a couple of the bailiff’s rusty old tobacco tins. They worked after a fashion but either refused to light or turned into a raging inferno. I the uninitiated could view the entire process they would not be so keen to consume the results, but no one has yet to go down with food poisoning.

The reporter’s obsession with creating a mountain of fuel for the wood burner has not abated and sawing continues apace and the mountain continues to grow. The activity continues to disturb the peace of other Club members who have take to scurrying past lest they get roped in. Weather permitting, on Wednesday, the ‘Captain’ and the ‘Fishmonger’ are scheduled to start chopping the pieces into kindling, while the reporter finishes cutting the remaining scrap timber. The bailiffs skills are directed towards stacking the logs; a highly skilled activity, so we are lead to believe, but does not appear to involve a great deal of sweat.

Growing Timber Pile

The extraneous activities distracted from the usual observation of anglers successes and failures. However, we did hear that fish were being caught from both boat and bank. Sadly, we are obliged to report that instead of basking in the glory of his success last Sunday, Paul Strivens foolishly reappeared in the hope that he could repeat his surprising performance. Needless to say, lightening rarely strikes twice in the same place. Another regular failure, Reg Kent, did not disappoint. But, in fairness, he spent most of his time in the lodge scoffing any item of food that he could find. Sponge cake, crumpets dripping in butter and Jaffa cakes all disappeared down his gannet-like throat.

Tuesday 28th October 2014

BOATS ARE BEST

All five boat anglers caught fish on Monday, but the four anglers fishing from the dam in the afternoon struggled because of the wind direction and failed to catch. With the fish seeming to be out of the reach of the bank fishermen at the moment, the use of a boat is a positive advantage. The fish are not deep and most fish are being taken close to the surface or even on a dry fly.

Peter Ralf on the Dam

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ANOTHER APOLOGY?

Your intrepid reporter prides himself on being brutally frank but also open and honest. So we must apologise to Paul Strivens for having berated him last week for letting the side down having failed to catch yet again. He was so incensed he reappeared at the weekend and proceeded to catch lots of fish. Rumour has it the he was so embarrassed at his recent pathetic performances that he had actually sneaked along to the Fishmonger in Tesco and purchased a few specimens. Your reporter would like to come to his defence, as we can assure all the sceptics that Paul is too mean to spend good money just to enhance his standing among Club members. After all, given your reporter’s low opinion of the vast majority of members, there is a distinct advantage in just being part of the crowd and keeping a low profile. So, just a flash in the (frying) pan Paul?

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A STEP AHEAD OF THE LATEST POTENTIAL DISASTER

With the onset of winter and the urgent need to build up stocks of timber, the woodcutters are franticly working to ensure that the fires will keep burning for many winters. Unlike UK Power Companies, who are apparently now in danger of causing an energy crisis, the ‘old boys’ in the woods are determined to ensure that they will be self-sufficient if a disaster occurs. Their main concern is the potential loss of power for the kettle. So now they are looking for an old kettle which can go on top of the wood burner. Yes, we know you can buy a new model, but the word ‘buy’ is not one which sits well with their philosophy on life. Anyone know where one is going begging?

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FLOWER POWER

Last Friday, Sue and Martyn Brignall came to remove the geraniums from the ‘flower’ boat. As usual the plants will be nurtured over the winter and returned in the spring. Boats are designed to resist pressure from outside but this old tub is under pressure from the soil inside and is gradually collapsing. Hopefully it will survive another winter.

Flower Boat

Flower Garden

Plans to develop the ‘Secret Garden’ are gathering pace. The garden is so secret that even those involved are not only confused as to its whereabouts but are not absolutely sure what it contains.

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THE RUT

The deer rut is well underway around the reservoir and all afternoon on Monday a stag could be heard calling. His grunting sound can be misinterpreted by the uninitiated as coming from a wild boar. During the past week there have been lots of deer sightings and a couple have even emerged from the woods, come down to the reservoir and appear to watch the anglers. In addition to the usual colours there are a number of black deer which are the progeny of a lone but very prolific father.

Monday 27th October 2014

BERNIE’S LATEST ADVENTURE - PART II

Hot on the heels of Part 1 comes Bernie’s account of what I suspect was his most emotive and poignant visit of the entire trip. Sadly mere words on the screen do not compare to listening to his moving account. Maybe we should be considering a video. Can we put up with your reporter in the role of Film Director?

OK, we will stay as we are, as better the devil....

You will find the link to "Meaden's Memories" at the bottom of the menu on the left. Please do not miss this one.

Bernie Meaden 'In Action'

Sunday 26th October 2014

A SALUTARY LESSON

This item could well have been entitled “JUST STICK TO REPORTING THE FACTS”

Your disgraced reporter is now obliged to eat humble pie, having expressed severe doubts on Friday about our lone visitor’s ability to catch any fish on such a day. Yes, the weather was indeed bad, the afternoon rain was indeed constant, and the fresh faced youngster did not look like someone with a great deal of experience despite having caught fish on previous visits.

Your despondent reporter spent Friday evening in a depressed state, worrying as to how the poor chap had fared, certain that yet another eager youngster had almost certainly been put off fly fishing for life. Your reporter’s repose was disturbed by visions of the poor young man reverting to more youthful angling pursuits, returning to his snug and cosy bivy where only the screech of the bite indicator would force him to venture out into whatever the weather had to throw at him. Not being able to contain his anxiety, your reporter made a fleeting visit to the reservoir on Saturday morning, just to confirm his worst fears.

Very well done! And a Dry Daddy on such a day - now that’s real class!

So in future your reporter will try to learn to keep his views to himself, stop distressing anglers unnecessarily, and just stick to reporting the facts.

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MORE ANGRY ANGLERS

Saturday morning proved to be very traumatic as, on arrival at the lodge, your reporter was immediately confronted by a very angry Bob Sanger, who demanded to know why virtually everyone else but himself had been recently mentioned and praised for their successes.

So without further ado, readers please note that BOB SANGER managed to catch two obviously confused and desperate rainbows from the dam on Saturday 18th October.

Bob Sanger - His Best Side!

For his many fans, I can exclusively announce that he will be making a star appearance at Brick Farm fishery at 7.30am on Sunday 26th October (or was it Monday 27th October), where he will be taking part in some insignificant Club competition. Not HFF but some other fishing club that he is a member. Please do not hesitate to go along to meet him, as he will be only too happy to sign autographs, answer any inane questions and demonstrate his angling expertise while taking part in this competition. We look forward to reporting on his success.

For those of you who may have difficulty recognising Bob when you get there, it gives your editorial team no pleasure in publishing the least offensive photo of him we could find in our archives.

Saturday 25th October 2014

A MISERABLE END TO A PRETTY GOOD WEEK

Thursday was dull and cloudy but the lack of rain and wind tempted five Club members to arrive to fish during the morning. Yet again the normally useless collection of old duffers managed to defy your pessimistic reporter’s prediction and began catching fish. Even Terry ‘The Cuckoo’ Beeching succeeded in landing two rainbows. Only one unfortunate soul failed to catch.

Paul Strivens arrived fairly late and left reasonably early, a beaten and broken man, having seen everyone else land fish. Sadly, Paul did not even have a touch as he sat on the dam alongside the successful Arthur Macey, so he could not even claim that you had to be in a boat to succeed. Having started with a bang at the beginning of the season, Paul’s ‘luck’ has gradually faded.

Terry 'The Cuckoo' Beeching

Rather than keep going on about how miserable he is, your editorial team dug deep into the archives to remind Paul of better and happier days. We are therefore pleased to reproduce this previously unpublished photo from March 2014. There could be an added bonus, as most Club members just look at the pictures and so will assume that Paul has just caught this fish. This may help restore his status amongst his fellow no-hopers and improve his self esteem. So no need to throw himself into the water and end it all yet.

Friday began dry but by mid morning the rain began. Only one angler had dared to come to fish and he was in his early twenties. Your reporter was somewhat alarmed as it is vital that young fly fishers are nurtured and on such a day the prospects were poor. Not wishing to risk a disappointed youngster, the chaps huddling around the fire made sure that he was well aware that his chances of any success were virtually nil. Fortunately he had already been a couple of times this season and had caught fish on both occasions, so he was fairly relaxed about his prospects. Feeling sorry for the foolishness of youth, your reporter directed him to this week’s hotspot. Although the advice he received lacked any conviction, off he happily went, undaunted and un-phased at the prospect of eventually returning fishless. The optimism of youth invariably overrides common sense.

Paul Strivens

By the time that your reporter departed, the lone boat could just be seen through the hazy rain, its occupant still flogging away. In most other circumstances, having an entire 56 acre trout water for your exclusive use for a day would be wonderful. However, on such a day as this we can only hope that, unlike Paul Strivens, this youngsters luck stays with him and he manages to go home with the enviable record of never having blanked at Powdermill. We promise to inform you, but on this occasion be prepared for some bad news.

Has the weekend be any better? Hopefully a few anglers will brave the unsettled weather and your reporter can be optimistic once more.

Thursday 23rd October 2014

IT'S ALL GO

Five Club members took the opportunity to fish in the calmer wind on Wednesday, without being constantly at risk of being impaled by an errant fly. The pleasant weather encouraged three to each take out a boat while the other two stuck to fishing the dam. Steve Stern was fishing from a boat close to the far bank (roughly opposite the hut) and was apparently enjoying some success. At lunchtime I was informed by Derek Coles, who had rowed in for a coffee, that Steve had already caught three. At this point Derek had not netted a rainbow, but had caught a superb perch in beautiful autumn colours. Yes, even the resident coarse fish (perch and rudd) can be especially pretty at this time of year.

Fortunately, your reporter was otherwise occupied for most of the day so was spared from having to sympathise with the two pathetic individuals on the dam who spent most of the morning watching fish rise out of reach of even their longest, wind-assisted casts. At this time of year when one would expect activities to quieten down we seem to be busier than ever doing all the jobs that need to be done before winter sets in. However, judging by the roaring fire and the number of crumpets being toasted and chestnuts being roasted, you would think that winter has already arrived in the lodge. To add to the culinary delights there was a choice of two home baked cakes, courtesy of Mary Chisholm and Steve Stern. Even ‘The Fishmonger’ abandoned his strict diet to have a bit of cake for the second day running. And why not? After all, Powdermill is all about enjoyment. I only wish someone would convince your down-trodden reporter.

Wednesday 22nd October 2014

MET OFFICE - "SEVERE WEATHER WARNING TO WHOLE OF BRITAIN"

At this time of year it is great to see that every day someone decides to come fishing irrespective of the weather conditions. We work very hard to try to ensure that we can provide the best fishing possible throughout the entire season, not just during the ‘Mayfly’ period for which we are noted.

Don Burt - A Lull During the Storm

So, despite the gale force winds which were battering much of the UK on Tuesday, I was pleased to find that Don Burt had arrived as usual for his weekly fishing expedition. However the bailiff was loath to allow him onto the water in a boat, so Don opted to fish from the dam. One rainbow was all he could manage as he battled with the gusting wind, but at least it did not rain. We were pleased to hear that there were quite a few fish in evidence although because of the hurricane many were just beyond casting distance (his excuse for not catching more).

With the next couple of days expected to be slightly calmer but cloudy, we hope to be able to welcome the odd angler. And I do mean ODD!

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AUTUMN COLOURS

Even if you are not foolish enough to fish, it is well worth making the effort to fight your way through the wind-blown debris on the lanes to reach “the most beautiful water in the south east”. At this time of year the vegetation around the reservoir is beginning to don its autumn colours. As the bailiff and your intrepid reporter wandered along the dam, moving the staging higher up before they floated away on the rising water (the staging, not the bailiff and reporter), they could not resist stopping to gaze in wonder at the stunning beauty that surrounded them.

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NOW FOR MORE SERIOUS MATTERS

With the acceptance of the offer on the last of the four shacks up for sale in Fir Tree Close, developers are now turning their attention to more important issues. Work is about to recommence on the ‘Suez Canal’ project and we also expect to begin major improvement work on the area surrounding the boat jetty. All this effort is intended to benefit those anglers not as mobile as they once were. For regular updates on these exciting activities, just continue to visit this ‘Latest News’ page.

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A TIMELY REMINDER

With the Clocks going back an hour next Sunday it will become darker in the evening. But all is not lost as during NOVEMBER & DECEMBER visiting anglers will be able to take advantage of our Ł20 four-fish all-day ticket. So from dawn to dusk you can enjoy some wonderful fishing in fabulous surroundings at a bargain price. Plus, if you want to set sail in one of our boats, you can do so for a mere Ł10 for the entire day. Share one with a friend for only Ł5 each. And if you get cold and wet, you should be able to dry out in front of the roaring fire, while receiving plenty of tea (or coffee) and sympathy from those more sensible individuals lounging about in the lodge. Our generosity knows no bounds!

Wednesday 15th October 2014

IT’S ALMOST AKIN TO ‘DUFFERS FORTNIGHT’

Despite the rain on Monday two Club members and a visitor came to fish in the morning and two more visitors arrived in the afternoon. Even more surprisingly, they all caught fish. Tuesday turned out to be dry but slightly colder and generally cloudy and miserable. The barometer in the lodge indicated that the pressure was still falling - not a good omen. Although no visitor deigned to fish, three Club members turned up in the morning. One opted to fish from the dam while the other two went out in individual boats. Another Club member arrived at 2pm to take an afternoon boat. Although conditions would not seem to be ideal, yet again by the time that your reporter departed at around 2.30pm all four anglers had caught fish.

Monday 13th October 2014

SPECIAL WINTER PRICES

EXCITING NEWS FOR MEMBERS Fishing for Club members will be extended this year to the end of December at no additional charge. MEMBER - NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR NOV & DEC BUT A 4 FISH LIMIT DURING NOV & DEC (still subject to the total season’s 120 fish limit) MEMBER - ALL DAY BOAT  Ł5

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CASTING LESSONS

Many prospective fly fishermen come from the ranks of coarse or sea anglers who want to try something different or fancy extending their angling options. Others who have no specific angling background tend to be persuaded to try by existing fly fishermen who do not necessarily have the skills, time or patience to try to show the unfortunate victim how to make a half decent attempt at casting.

Sometimes it is just as well that the fly fishing friend or relative does not attempt to teach the novice. Speaking from bitter experience, your intrepid reporter still cringes when he recalls his benevolent neighbour showing him how to cast in the field behind their houses. While using a Bob Church Reservoir rod (as stiff as a poker and as heavy as a sea rod), the object of the exercise was to obtain the maximum distance by any means. I still own a pair of these rods and look forward one day to getting them out of storage and ruining someone else’s potential technique.

Derek Coles

Fortunately, we only get a handful of enquiries each year from prospective students. Although our Bailiff is not a qualified instructor, he can sometimes be grudgingly persuaded to attempt to give the odd brief (but free) lesson. However, I am delighted to report that throughout the year I have had the pleasure of watching new Club member, Derek Coles, effortlessly cast a superb line in all conditions. Derek has had the benefit of lots of professional tuition and it shows. He has also had the opportunity to go fly fishing in so many different situations that he has been able to put his training to good practice and successfully hone his skills. I believe that he is also more than capable of explaining and demonstrating what is required and passing this on to a bemused novice.

Would he be willing to provide the occasional brief demo and lesson? Leave it to me to persuade him on your behalf. Just email us at mail@hastingsflyfishers.co.uk.

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BREACH OF PROMISE & ACCOMMODATION

News features on both these items are currently on hold due to legal issues, but further developments are expected within the next forty-eight hours.

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FISHING LAST WEEKEND

When your reporter departed late last Friday afternoon the sun was shining and the couple of boats out on the water had bags over the side. The afternoon had been spent chopping all the timber that was sawn to lengths ready to be made into kindling and we managed to fill yet another one-ton sack. So it’s back to sawing more timber, if weather permits.

Sadly, the weekend has been a bit of a washout and I do not expect to find that there had been much action over the two miserable days. Will next week be any better?

Thursday 9th October 2014

Wednesday 8th October 2014

SUNSHINE AND SHOWERS - OCCASIONALLY AT THE SAME TIME!

Despite the heavy overnight rain followed by occasional showers during Tuesday, four insane anglers insisted on arriving to fish on Tuesday morning. Dr Stern, back from a few days ‘up north’ in Yorkshire, had the good sense not to take his usual boat and risk pneumonia. On this occasion he fished from the end of the boat jetty where he could make a hasty retreat back to the lodge if things turned nasty. On strolling down to photograph him, not long after he arrived, I was surprised to find that he had already caught a rainbow. Earlier, John Keeling had also landed one, midway along the dam. Our only visitor was fishing on the far bank and therefore I could not say if he had caught anything, but Anton is an experienced angler (and superb fly-tier) and I would not expect him to end fishless.

Dr Stern fishing off the Jetty

The only angler foolish enough to set sail and risk a soaking was Club Member, Don Burt. The previous Tuesday Don had inexplicably managed to catch three rainbows. However, I was reassured to note that he had reverted to his usual pathetic performance and by the time that he rowed in to meet his daughter for lunch he had failed to locate anything. Fishing the water around the ‘bubbles’ where everyone else has been catching fish (including himself the week before), he was somewhat bemused by his current lack of success, despite using identical methods. But then no two days are ever exactly the same and you have to be flexible. Hopefully his luck will have changed in the afternoon and I will be able to confirm that, despite the dodgy weather, everyone caught fish on Tuesday.

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BIJOU RESIDENCE

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An early viewing is strongly advised.
Offers in excess of 177,836.90 Albanian Lekë.
Option to lease part of car park for car-wash facility.

Tuesday 7th October 2014

THE FIRST WEEKEND IN OCTOBER

I can only apologise to Keith Blundell for doubting his ability to match John Austin, his bitter arch-rival. John could not wait to contact Keith to crow about his success last Friday which is why Keith appeared the following morning determined not only to catch his six fish but also to match his nemesis by doing so by midday. His success just goes to prove that a bit of intense rivalry can bring out the best in our otherwise lethargic Club members. The fish fell to a Buzzer and a Hopper, both predominantly black.

Henry and his Pal

Visitors have also been having a modicum of success. The Browns (who I believe are father and son) each had their four fish limit while boat fishing using a black buzzer and Cats Whisker. Another visitor, Mr N. Hook, a local butcher, managed three while bank fishing from the dam. Regular visitor Henry Smith, who lives just down the road in Sedlescombe, caught two from the far end of the dam. Henry was accompanied by his friend who was enjoying his first visit since undergoing major heart surgery. It’s good to see him back in action. Your reporter was pleased to photograph the happy duo. Henry is the one in the ridiculous hat.

Rev. Phil Streeter

Keith 'El Mustachio' Blundell

I am normally very happy to mention our regular visitors and friends from France, but they let me down on this occasion, as on Saturday Messieurs Vasseur and Dewez only managed one each.

The only fish to fall to a dry fly last weekend was caught on Sunday by Club member Phil Streeter. I am always scandalised to find that the Reverend Streeter has been out fishing on a Sunday. However, Phil is not one to conform to the common perception of you average ‘Man of God’, but is still the nearest thing to a ‘Saintly Man’ that the Club can muster. Bless him!

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AND THEN THERE WAS MONDAY

What a change in the weather. Rain, drizzle and more rain. Not a single angler was prepared to brave the miserable conditions on Monday. Given the forecast for an unsettled week ahead, I do not expect many Club members to brave the elements, let alone day ticket visitors. So, roaring log fires and crumpets will be the order of the day for the ‘old boys’. However, all is not lost as there are a few inside jobs awaiting such a week as this.

Nevertheless, given that the good fishing continues, any improvement in the weather should be seized upon before autumn turns to winter and fly fishing is left to the hardy few. As fishing continues until the end of December, we can only hope that there are also plenty of fine winter days for the ‘normal’ angler to enjoy.

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A HAPPY ANNOUNCEMENT

It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce the engagement of Fiona Smith and Lee Partridge (eldest son of our bailiff). It is not normally the practice of your reporter to say pleasant things about anyone associated with Hastings Fly Fishers, but there are occasions when it is difficult to find something derogatory or cynical to say.

Fiona Smith

Lee Partridge

Over the years Lee has always been willing to lend a helping hand and is the ‘muscle’ behind most of our activities which call for brute force and ignorance. Your intrepid reporter, the bailiff and even other Club members have no problem providing the ignorance, but ‘brute force’ is in short supply.

Despite Lee’s few good points, your reporter really cannot understand what Fiona sees in a shaven-headed hulk who spends most of his day tending to brainless pheasants and then goes out all night hunting elusive game. Although it’s traditional to run down the boy and extol the virtues of the girl, in this instance Fiona really is the best thing that has happened to him. But I am told that love is blind and Fiona does occasionally have to wear glasses.

Sunday 5th October 2014

ANYTHING YOU CAN DO

Before our lethargic and lazy editorial team had got around to publishing the report of John Austin’s performance last Friday, the jungle drums had been working overtime. So, on making a flying visit to the reservoir on Saturday morning, your reporter was hardly surprised to find John Austin’s regular boat partner and arch rival, Keith Blundell, out in a boat in the same area on the ‘bubbles’, obviously determined not to be outdone. The bailiff confirmed that Keith had already caught a fish. In the hour or so before your reporter left, he saw Keith land another two.

Will he tempt another three? Not if a couple of visitors have anything to do with it as, on seeing Keith playing fish number three, they could be seen franticly up-anchor, rush over and moor as close as decency allowed, but on the other side of the line of bubbles. They promptly hooked and landed one which Keith will no doubt claim should have been his. That’s OK because Keith now has a ready-made excuse if he fails to match Austin’s haul.

DR. LIVINGSTONE, I PRESUME?

With the reservoir at what is almost certainly its lowest for this year, now is our last opportunity to create the channel through the reeds, onto the recently excavated concrete area in front of the lodge. Your intrepid reporter, in the spirit of Stanley (shades of Stan Laurel rather than that of Henry Morton Stanley) donned his chest waders and slashed his way through the last of the reeds to emerge in the open at the edge of the Potamogeton natans (broad leaved pondweed).

He then disappeared from view behind the reeds much to the consternation of the bailiff who was not sure if he had drowned and was genuinely relieved when his hero emerged, still slashing away with the lethal scythe in the style of the Grim reaper. Now comes the hard bit - excavating the channel.

Saturday 4th October 2014

A CLUB MEMBER GETS HIS LIMIT AT LAST

John Austin is no slouch when it comes to catching fish, irrespective of if its sea, coarse or fly fishing for trout. As the man most likely to finally end the failure of any Club member to catch his limit, I was pleased to see him out in a boat when I arrived on Friday morning. However, the first angler to land a fish was yet another visitor. By mid-morning I had seen every boat angler net fish but the four anglers on the dam remained fishless despite some abortive ‘takes’.

John Austin

The Catch

While wandering along the dam commiserating with the unfortunate anglers I was obliged to come to the assistance of poor old Reg Kent who was struggling to attach a Daddy to one of those nasty little metal clips which are supposed to make it easy to change flies. I too struggled to get the eye of the hook onto the clip which was unnecessarily tight and was relieved to finally manage it without damaging the delicate legs of the imitation Daddy.

Reg Kent

The Daddy

Further along, I stopped to chat to Arthur Macey, who was pictured earlier in the week ‘not catching fish’ on the dam and was well on the way to repeating his previous pathetic performance. He informed me that John Austin had caught at least three fish. By the time that I was ready to leave, at about 2pm, John had rowed in with six rainbows weighing just under 11lbs. Hopefully other boat anglers will have followed suit but as for the sad group of anglers along the dam I hold out little hope of any success. Will I be proved wrong when I next look at the returns ledger? Probably not!

Tuesday 30th September 2014

BETTER TO BE A VISITOR THAN A MEMBER

A glance at the entries for Sunday in the returns book proved, yet again, that it takes visiting anglers to show the Club members how to catch fish. I can remember a time, not so many seasons ago, when it was inconceivable for the monthly rod average for Club members to be lower than that of our day ticket visitors. I can even remember Doug Rigby at a Club AGM asking why it was that visitors failed to match the success of our members. Well, not any longer!

Arthur Macey on the Dam

Saturday 27th September 2014

A VERY SATISFACTORY WEEK’S FISHING

A steady trickle of visitors each day combined with the usual Club members has meant that the reservoir has had an air of activity not normally associated with this time of year. With the current pleasant weather conditions forecast to continue into October, we can hopefully look forward to more anglers coming to enjoy some good fishing before the cold weather sets in.

A Visitor On His Way to the Boats

Despite the large number of fish present, I would not wish to suggest that the fishing is easy. However most anglers are catching fish but do not expect to get your limit, and you certainly won’t unless you are prepared to really work for it. Most anglers are happy to have a reasonable number of ‘takes’ to maintain their interest and are pleased to take home one or two fish. At this time of year the number of ‘takes’ which translate into fish on the bank is unusually low. No doubt someone can explain why?

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THE LABOURS OF HERCULES

Having published some pictures of shack number four at the start of construction, we are pleased to show you the finished ‘building’. Having now constructed more than sufficient dry storage for our wood, we can now resume the felling and logging of the dead and dying trees as well as the chopping of scrap timber to make into kindling. Anyone wishing to dispose of their scrap timber is more than welcome to add it to the pile awaiting our attention.

The students of Greek mythology amongst you will know that Hercules had to perform twelve Labours, but fortunately he had the help of Hermes and Athena, sympathetic deities who showed up when he really needed help. Sadly, fables rarely mirror reality and the only help received by your intrepid reporter from fellow Club members during the protracted construction of the shanty town was the occasional nosey parker or know-all who was only too happy to make some inane comment or give the usual unwanted advice.

Friday 26th September 2014

HARD WORK CAN BE THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Although there are very few Daddy longlegs (Crane flies) in evidence around the reservoir, the trout are still willing to take an offering. However, patience is the key when using one. For the less patient, a small green buzzer seems to be a good option.

Wednesday was not an easy day but Geoffrey Piltcher proved that dogged determination can pay off. He took a boat onto the bubbles and fished for most of the day in the same spot and his perseverance was eventually rewarded with 5 fish. Earlier Geoffrey was photographed in the car park assembling rod number one. He normally sets up three rods but on this occasion for some inexplicable reason he took only two. The other unusual occurrence was to find him wearing long trousers rather than the usual shorts. A sure sign that winter is just around the corner which may not be a good omen, but it was a pleasant change not to find him displaying his less than attractive legs.

Thursday was equally difficult but everyone caught one or two fish apart from Paul Strivens who despite an excellent start during the very early part of the season, has subsequently reverted to his usual lack-lustre performance. Fortunately Paul manages to remain upbeat and can be relied upon to be one of the ‘jollier’ members who can occasionally be found chatting in the lodge.

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FAR FROM THEE MADDING CROWD

Friday is expected to be a bit of a disaster as a number of regular ‘failures’ are threatening to make an appearance. One such angler is none other than “The Wood Butcher”. Sadly, your intrepid reporter will subsequently be forced to listen to a whole series of pathetic excuses to justify their incompetence. However, he has learned that people tend to avoid coming near him while he is working, just in case they are roped in to assist. So in order to avoid having to feign sympathy for the ‘old boys’ current failures, he can currently be spotted in the trees behind the lodge, constructing yet another ‘shack’ in what is rapidly becoming a bit of a shanty town. However, there is no truth in the rumour that he plans to let them out to illegal immigrants, although a car-wash service in the car park would be a welcome facility. As shack number 4 nears completion, it is hoped that this will be the last for the time being.

Sheds 3 and 2

Shed 4

Shed 4

Shed 4

Tuesday 23rd September 2014

HOW’S IT FISHING?

People phone, email or even turn up in person to ask how it’s fishing. At the beginning of last week a chap actually drove the 30 miles from his home to the reservoir and, because your reporter could not assure him that he would catch fish, he decided not to ‘risk’ his Ł30 and departed. The weather was wonderful, the reservoir was a picture and fish were being caught from both bank and boat, but not everyone had succeeded in landing fish so it was not possible to guarantee his success.

Today (Monday) was such a day, when it turned out that limits could not be guaranteed. Everyone claimed to have had takes but lots of fish were not hooked and two of the frustrated and bemused anglers returned empty handed. No one managed a six fish limit and the best was four fish. Everyone could see loads of fish and at one point there were about fifty swifts franticly taking small black flying creatures from a small area on the water, in a spectacular display. Then equally suddenly, the birds were gone.

One visitor resorted to using a Cat’s Whisker, stripped at speed, to take his two fish. The bailiff was not impressed, but if that’s what it takes, why not?!

Another angler decided to try a Daddy longlegs although none were in evidence. He immediately had fish taking his offering. In a very short space of time he had four fish take this fly but only felt one and eventually caught nothing. So who was this unfortunate angler? Oh no! It’s Mick ‘The Wood Butcher’ Wood again, making a complete farce out of yet another potentially good opportunity.

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BERNIE’S LATEST RECOLLECTION

Bernie Meaden and his wife are off on yet another luxurious P&O cruise. On this occasion it’s a four week cruise to the USA and Canada. I think that this is their twentieth P&O cruise and as usual they are sailing from Southampton. Although Bernie is a retired Metropolitan Police Officer, your intrepid reporter will not tolerate anyone mentioning bribery or corruption in conjunction his eye-wateringly expensive sea voyages.

Hopefully we can look forward to some interesting anecdotes when he returns. However, I recently received something to keep us going while he is away. On this occasion he takes us right back to the beginning of his angling adventures. You will find the link to "Meaden's Memories" at the bottom of the menu on the left. Don’t miss it.

Saturday 20th September 2014

ANOTHER GOOD DAY - WELL, ALMOST

Every angler who fished yesterday (Thursday) caught fish.........Oh, except for Mick ‘The Wood Butcher’ Wood.

On this occasion the Bailiff was quick to come to his defence by explaining that he arrived very late in the evening after all the ‘activity and action’ had subsided. The well known angling writer, Brian Harris, and his two companions were apparently packing up by the time that Woodie arrived. The three visitors had gone onto the dam at 2pm for the start of the evening session and the two men both had their four fish limit while their young lady companion had two fish.

Mick ‘The Wood Butcher’ Wood

It just so happens that the latest delivery of stockies had arrived at midday and there is a theory among some Club members that newly introduced fish upset the existing fish and the fishing goes ‘off’ for a day or so. However, there is another theory that stockies are used to their last feed at the fish farm at around 5pm, and at this time of day they will be looking for food but will not expect anything later. Sometimes the fishing reflects these theories and at other times it doesn’t! So, who knows? However, Woodie is insisting on using the latter theory as his excuse and he’s desperately sticking to it.

The sad truth is that, after the usual horrendous expedition with ‘Captain’ Chisholm in the wheelie boat last Tuesday, he decided to sneak along under the cover of darkness to enjoy some time fishing on his own for a change. So while the more intellectual amongst us were at home in front of the TV correctly answering all the questions posed on “Eggheads” (BBC2 at 6.30pm) he was franticly thrashing the water in the belief that it was only the ‘Captain’ that has been holding him back. Unfortunately for him his nil return was immediately spotted by your eagle-eyed reporter, when glancing at the returns book, the following morning. So now everyone knows that not only are his efforts down to his incompetence alone but that he has also ruined what should have been another great day’s fishing report.

To make matters worse he actually admitted to losing a fish because the hook could not have been tied on properly. For goodness sake! Sometimes I despair and wonder why we bother.

Your reporter’s next visit to the reservoir will not be until Tuesday and he genuinely believes that during his absence the vast majority of anglers will have continued to enjoy excellent fishing. Hopefully, ‘The Wood Butcher’ and ‘The Captain’ will be taking a break.

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LOOK-ALIKES

Did you know that the Bailiff is one of twins? And when it comes to fishing expertise, the Bailiff’s twin sister can show many so-called expert anglers how it should be done. Newly retired, she can now enjoy more time with her equally highly skilled angling husband, fishing their favourite waters around the country. ‘The Wood Butcher’ was recently overheard suggesting that it would be great if the Bailiff followed her example. Given that the Bailiff has just tried to excuse Woodie’s latest pathetic performance, some might suggest a level of ingratitude.

The Twins

Friday 19th September 2014

A WONDERFUL TIME TO GO FISHING

Your intrepid reporter’s return to Powdermill has coincided with a very significant improvement in catches - with virtually everyone landing fish, even some of the most incompetent amongst you. This entire week has been a delight especially for your reporter as he has not had to commiserate with disillusioned anglers returning from a fishless expedition looking for someone to reassure them that it is not their fault when it invariably is!

Thursday's Delivery

To be even more optimistic and make life even easier for you all, I have yet more good news. This very afternoon, we have had another fish delivery. Now, I know that we keep going on about the number of fish being caught in relation to the number stocked, but yet again more have gone in than have come out since the previous stocking.

So, with such pleasant weather and potentially excellent fishing prospects, why are so few visitors making the effort to come for a day’s or evening’s fishing? I could hazard a guess, but how many people dare I offend at any one time!

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GRAVE DIGGING?

Despite the ageing membership of the Hastings Flyfishers Club and the popularity of our beauty spot, we currently have no plans to start selling burial plots around the reservoir. This is just as well as the legality of doing so may be questionable. The rumours began when anglers were recently confronted with a series of grave shaped excavations adjacent to the path leading to the boat jetty. Hopefully, next spring will reveal the fruits of our labour.

Grave Digging

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WALL TO WALL SUNSHINE

It was so sunny and warm this week that even our resident lizards could not resist leaving the security of their rocky homes along the dam and venturing further afield to make the most of the unseasonal weather. Your reporter snapped this fellow climbing up the lodge wall in order to gobble up the unfortunate insects that were also there to enjoy the warmth of the early afternoon sunshine.

The Mowing Continues

A Resident Lizard

The warm weather has also stimulated the grass into more growth. At a time when we would normally be putting the mowing equipment away for another year, we find that we are having to continue mowing and strimming. ‘Woodie’ is particularly alarmed as, being responsible for hand-mowing the Golf Course, it looks as if his work is not over despite having announced some time ago that he had finished for this season.

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TWO MEMBERS REACH THEIR SEASON LIMIT

Norman Harle just pipped Martyn Brignall this week as they both reached the 120 fish allowed for members to kill in a season. Norman was particularly peeved as his very last fish was the smallest that he had caught all season. I find it hard to sympathise.

Sunday 14th September 2014

BACK IN BUSINESS

Your intrepid reporter returns from his travels to find that anglers are no longer struggling to catch the odd fish but are now actually able to catch their limit. The number of sixes and four fish evening limit catches that have been recorded in the past couple of days reflects the continued high stocking combined with the gradual drop in water temperature. So, for the less hardy amongst you, the remainder of September should be an ideal time to come fishing before the really cold weather.

Your reporter arrived at the lodge just in time to witness the return of the Powdermill Trophy to Mick Wood, after it had been engraved with his name as the 2014 winner of our prestigious annual competition. Being an Arsenal supporter he could see the funny side of the blue ribbons!

Saturday 30th August 2014

WHAT DO I KNOW!

First thing this morning (Friday) I replied to an email from a prospective visitor advising him to wait a couple more weeks before undertaking the 200 mile round trip to the reservoir. Not unreasonably, he does not want to undertake such a journey if the fishing is poor. I believe that it is not easy at present, but that by the middle of September even our most incompetent Club members should be able to catch fish once more. So imagine my surprise on arrival at the reservoir to be told that Bernie Meaden had set off in a boat the previous afternoon and managed to actually land five fish and lost a number of others. So, as the bailiff maintains, the fish are there and can be caught.