2003 NEWS ITEMS

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01-12-03 ~ Work Party on Sunday, 14th December at Capesthorne

Another work party has been arranged for Sunday, 14th December on Capesthorne Main Lake. The Society would urge any member who has a few hours spare to attend. If you think you can help; please contact Brian Banks on: 01260 277979 or click here to email.

27-11-03 ~ Staffs Predator Awards Night

Staffs Predator Group are delighted to announce that T.V. personality and experienced angling ‘all rounder’ Matt Hays will be giving a slide show and presenting awards at the groups December meeting.

SOTAS members are most welcome to attend the event which will be held at Smallthorne Pioneer Club on Monday 8th December 2003 - Doors open at 7.00pm

Entrance fee is £3.00 with OAP’s & Juveniles FREE.

25-11-03 ~ Astbury Mere Stocking

Fisheries Manager Geoff Hayes sent in this picture showing the stocking of some prime tench into Astbury Mere at the weekend. The picture was taken on a mobile phone, no less! In addition to the tench, a large consignment of rudd was also added.

The stocking was the first of many planned for the water over coming months; all with the intention of making the Society’s Astbury Mere the North West’s premier specimen water.

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24-11-03 Knypersley Catch

We’ve heard of some good catches coming out of Knypersley over recent months; one such capture is the fine mirror carp pictured below. The fish went 19lb 8oz on the scales and gave junior member Jonathan Salt a new personal best.

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31-10-03 Work Party Notice

Work Parties have been arranged on Capesthorne Main Lake to help reduce the weed. Equipment has been secured to help rake swims in order to keep swims clear over the winter period. There is a Work Party this Sunday (2nd Nov) and another arranged for Sunday November 16th. Others will be arranged periodically over the coming months.

The Society would urge as many members as possible to attend. For further details please contact Brian Banks on: 01260 277979 or click here to email.

17-10-2003 Stock Pond Fun!

Society member Keith Nicholl E-mailed to let us know how he’s been getting on lately. Most of Keith’s fishing is done with his eleven year old son Matthew, and together they have been spending enjoyable sessions on Ellenhall and Capesthorne Stock Pond.

The image below shows Matthew with a lovely mixed bag of carp taken on a recent session on the Stock Pond – Keep the photos coming!

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16-10-2003 ~ Notices of Motion for SOTAS AGM

The Committee will put the following proposals to the Members at the Annual general Meeting (AGM) on 6 November 2003. If any Members wish to propose an amendment they must do so in accordance with the procedure specified in the Constitution. Please remember that no amendments will be accepted at the AGM.

GENERAL FISHING RULES No 13.
Insert the following:- "Long shanked hooks are not allowed on any Society water"

ASTBURY
New rule:- "A maximum of three rods may be used."

SUBSCRIPTIONS for 2004
The subscriptions to remain unchanged from 2003.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The following positions need to be filled at the AGM:-

POSITION EXISTING NOMINATION RECEIVED
Chairman J Davey seeking re-election
Treasurer A Perkins seeking re-election
Fishery Manager G Hayes seeking re-election
Match Secretary A Simcock seeking re-election
Committee B Banks seeking re-election
P Smith seeking re-election
vacancy Mr Julian Grattidge (Web-site manager)
vacancy Mr Richard Duka
vacancy Mr Shaun Docksey
vacancy

Members are reminded that all business at the AGM is carried out in accordance with the Constitution which is published in the membership Card. If you wish to put any proposal, amendment or nomination to the AGM it must be received by the Secretary by 23 October 2003 in accordance with the Constitution.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU WILL ONLY BE ADMITTED TO THE AGM IF YOU SHOW YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD. It must be signed and contain a signed photograph.

Albert Perkins
Secretary / Treasurer

14-09-2003 ~ More Pictures

Pictured below is Society member Jonathan Salt with a 15lb mirror carp from Bolesworth Castle taken on Trigga Boilies; also pictured is Jonathan and father with barbel from the Fauld stretch of the Dove (mentioned in catch reports below). The barbel fell to caster and sweetcorn.

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13-09-2003 ~ Catch Reports & News from September Meeting

The first thing to mention is that there are Work Parties taking place on Knypersley on September 20th and 21st. The Society would be grateful to any members who are able to attend. Attendance will go towards closed season work parties for early fishing.

Some excellent catch reports were received during the September meeting and it’s nice to see that our still waters and rivers are in fine form providing good sport for members.

Horsebridge Pool
Reports of good bream to 4lb, with perch showing well. Pike are showing along with small chub, decent roach and dace.

Redesmere
On the 5th September we reported a 10lb bream taken by Nigel Weston; Nigel took the magnificent fish whilst fishing with his father on the last night of August from the Pines. After a fishless session the week previous, Nigel was delighted with the result taking the fish at around 11pm.

The 10lb 0oz bream fell to a single fruit flavoured boilie fished at fifty-yards over a bed of pellets and boilies. Nigel is pictured below with his new Personal Best – A cracking result!

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Carp reports for Redesmere remain elusive at present; although many good captures have been passed on through the grapevine, including a six-fish haul for one member. One fish we have received pictures of is Committee member Paul Smith’s capture of ‘The Male’ at 33lb 3oz. Paul took the fish from the shallows area using MB Baits. The fish was Paul’s second of the season after taking a 20lb mirror from Sleepy Hollow shortly before. Paul is pictured with ‘The Male’ below.

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River Dove
The Fauld stretch has been providing excellent sport for members with multiple catches of barbel, chub and grayling. Society members John & Jonathan Salt have had some excellent results of late, with a day session providing fourteen barbel best to over 8lb, four chub best to over 4lb, and grayling.

John Salt also reported a session the week previous where he took eight barbel; most around the 6lb mark with a couple over 7lb.

Knypersley
A carp of 19lb 8oz was reported by Jonathan Salt.

Ellenhall
Anyone reading the match results from last weekends Ellenhall match will know how well the place is fishing at the moment with pleasure anglers fairing just as well, some superb weights have been reported.

Members Shaun & Darren Docksey spent a couple of sessions on the Bull Pool last week taking countless carp on the pole. Shaun explained that all the fish were all in absolutely perfect condition and averaged around 3lb with a good number up to around 7lb. The action was non-stop from the moment they tackled up; providing excellent weights over just a couple of hours.

09-09-2003 ~ River Dove Barbel

Junior member Nigel Weston has E-mailed images of a couple of cracking River Dove barbel. Pictured below is Nigel with specimens of 7lb 5oz (left) and 6lb 5oz.

Both fish were taken from the Turkey Sheds stretch - Keep the photos coming!

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05-09-2003 ~ 4lb Rudyard specimen

News has reached us of a massive 4lb perch from Rudyard Lake. The water has been in fine form for predator anglers of late with many good fish coming to the bank, including a good number of specimen pike. Full report and photos to follow.

05-09-2003 ~ Responsible behaviour please!

The SOTAS Committee would like to remind members that responsible behaviour is paramount when fishing Society waters. Foul language, littering, and disrespect for the Country Code will not be tolerated. Members breaking the Society rules will find themselves in front of the Disciplinary Committee.

The warning comes after a member was reported to the Committee for ratification and expulsion following foul and abusive language during the Society’s Victory Cup match and first round Challenge Cup at Bolesworth Castle.

The Committee reminds members that Society rules and guidelines are in place to benefit us all; providing relaxed surroundings in which we can all enjoy the sport.

05-09-2003 ~ Junior member ‘does the double’

A Sunday night session on the last day of August proved fruitful for a 13 year-old Society junior member; taking a cracking bream of 10lb from Redesmere. The fish was taken at range on lightened-down carp gear over a bed of spodded bait. Full report and photos to follow.

05-09-2003 ~ PB’s Galore at Bolesworth

Another venue producing well at present is the Society’s Bolesworth Castle estate lake. Recently reported was a haul of double figure carp from the field side swims for a new member to the Society; the best fish setting a new personal best at over 18lb (common).

Another member doing well at Bolesworth Castle is Paul Davis. Paul has been spending quite a bit of time on the venue since joining the Society last year and has taken a huge number of double figure carp with some trips offering several doubles per session! The photographs below show Paul with his new personal best carp of 17lb 9oz taken from the Snags Swim at Bolesworth.

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05-09-2003 ~ Stock Pond success

The acquisition of fishing rights to Capesthorne Hall Stock Pond has proved a highly popular move with Society members; with many pleasure anglers reporting excellent mixed-bags of silver fish and carp.

Float and ledger tactics have been scoring well, and a number of carp have also been taken off the surface. Junior member Chris Knapper had some excellent sport on the Stock Pond after a session carp fishing on the Top Pool.
“I’d just finished a session on the Top Pool where I took a cracking double figure common and was up by the Stock-Pond waiting to get picked up.”

Chris went on to explain, “Surprisingly, there was nobody on and I could see small carp topping all over the place; needless to say I had a rod set up within minutes, and after putting out a few mixers I managed about ten carp off the top before my Mum arrived to take me home – The place is rammed with fish!”

05-09-2003 ~ Top Pool Twenty

SOTAS Press Officer Julian Grattidge managed to get amongst the fish on a recent trip to the Society’s Capesthorne Hall Top Pool.
“I managed to sneak on for a mid-week overnight session and found all the fish ‘parked-up’ in the shallows; I free-lined a Shellfish B5 single hook bait and a handful of B5 pellets to a clear spot in the weed a few rod-lengths from the bank and received a screaming take early the following morning.”

“After a heated battle the fish went in the net and I was made-up when it went 25lb 9oz on the scales (shown below). I can’t believe just how well the place is fishing this season; last year was great but Top Pool regulars have already taken more fish this season to date than came out during the whole of last year!”

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Julian went on to say, “I don’t think it will be long before the water throws up a really big surprise; there’s already been about ten 20lb+ plus fish out this season, of which four were over 25lb. The growth rates over the last couple of years have been fantastic; a mirror taken a couple of seasons ago at 26lb came out just after spawning this year a shade under 28lb and we know of two current fish bigger than that one!”

Top Pool regulars are now looking forward to a productive autumn on the water, and stress the potential for other species as the weed starts to abate. The water contains a good head of quality tench which have been commonplace throughout the year. Fish to over 6lb have taken on mini-boilies and popped-up corn rigs, along with countless bream well over the 5lb mark. Pictured below is a Top Pool tench of 5lb 12oz caught recently by Chris Knapper.

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