This is important! The Angling Trust is collecting national sightings of not only Cormorants, but Goosanders and Mergansers too. The idea is to persuade Government to allow more of these fish-killing birds to be culled by increasing the number of licences to shoot them. All you need do is report which species of bird you see and where to www.cormorantwatch.com 

You can download more information by visiting www.anglingtrust.net/cormorants

Please just put this into your smartphone if you have one, or remember to report sightings via your computer/tablet when you get home.

IF WE ALL PLAY OUR PART WE CAN HELP PROTECT OUR WATERS FROM THESE DAMAGING BIRDS.

One of our Bailiffs has reported skein nets and long hook filled lines being found on our water. This has been confined to the Buildwas section, but could happen anywhere. There have been incidents of canoeists setting these traps at night along our river and many others in the country. It is both cruel and illegal.

Would all members please keep a sharp eye out for lines tied to overhanging branches, or fixed to wooden stakes and banged right in to deep grassy banks. I appreciate these are not easy to spot, but please do have a look at any area that could be a good place to set them.

All you need do is remove anything you find and release any fish caught by them. Please let me know too.

Bernie

Will all members please note that the landowner of the meadow adjacent to the new Car Park DOES NOT want anyone walking though his grass, except on the cut path provided, the other side of the style. This grass is needed for Winter animal feed and if it gets trampled down it will not be fit for this purpose. Please respect this request and tell you mates who do not have access to the Internet about it.

Bernie

Are you fed up with the ridiculous situation regarding the Government's stance on culling cormorants? Then here's a chance to do something about it. Just download the form below and get as many anglers as you know to sign it, then send it in. It's the only way we will get something done about this problem. The second file explains the background to this petition and where to get further information.

petition sheet.pdf (54.56 kb)

Accompanying Letter.pdf (54.37 kb)

A member last week had to clear a huge amount of litter from peg 27. There were empty meat tins, pellet bags, hook packets etc etc. This is absolutely disgraceful and should not be happening. The angler concerned knows who he is and it will not take me long to catch you if you continue with this appalling practice. The committee will take disciplinary action against you and anyone else caught littering the fishery and could include being banned from LAS waters.

You have been warned!

Bernie

I have been informed that a dog recently managed to get a fishing hook into its mouth whilst its owner was walking round Cressage Meadow. This was obviously very distressing and shouldn't happen. But this serves as a timely reminder for all members to ensure that they are particularly careful when handling hooks (and line) as they can be extremely dangerous to dogs and wild life.

I have had two reports of foreign people, probably Eastern Europeans, either fishing, or asking members about fishing, in Cressage Meadow. Would all members please challenge anyone who seems to be suspicious on our waters. Just politely ask to see their membership card and if they don't have one, explain that this is a private fishery and that they need to contact myself regarding membership. If they refuse to leave the water, do not argue with them, but just call the Environment Agency on 0800 807060 to report the incident. Please put this number into your mobile 'phone now, so you will not have to call me to do it, as this will save time!

I have been appalled at the amount of litter left in pegs around Cressage Meadow in these opening weeks of the season. This has not been a problem in past seasons, so I must assume that something has changed to cause this situation. I would remind members that if anyone is caught with litter in the peg they are fishing, it will lead to a ban from the Society. So PLEASE take you litter home with you, as it just gets a us a bad reputation, injures wild life and ruins the countryside. Even if you did not drop it, pick it up and take it home.

The Society negotiated a deal with the Cressage Club last year to enable ALL members of LAS to use it. The club is open at 7 p.m. on weekday evenings and from 12 noon at weekends. Beer prices are very low and you can get a bite to eat too. So when you have had a day on the river and would like to wash the dust out of your throat, do drop in. You will be made most welcome.

Our Trophy Replica cabinet is also on display in the club, where you can see who has won the 33 LAS trophies every year going back to 2000.

To find the Cressage Club, turn left out of the Cressage Car Park and in a 1/4 mile turn immediately left at the War Memorial junction. The club is then 100 yards up this road on the right. There is a car park behind the entrance.

Just to update all members on Graham Davis's progress. I had a telephone conversation with him just after the match last Sunday (17 July) and he is now home and has been able to walk round his fishery. He was completely exhausted when he got back and showering tires him out too. But this is good progress, as the doctors reckon it will be 3 - 6 months in total before he gets back to as good as he is going to be.

The reason he 'phoned me was to enquire about the match result, wanting to know who caught what from where. He does hope to be fishing the river before the end of the Summer League matches. However, he was worried that he would not be able to lift the landing net out of the water with a barbel in it, so I assured him that it would be fine for Pam to help him with this, as all the lads want to see him back on the bank.

I know you read these web pages regularly for the match reports Graham, so get well soon mate, as we all miss you and Pam on the banks at Leighton.