zeal monachorum fishing club

July News

Hi All

We have set a date for the opening of our new clubhouse for 9th August, which will be a bar-b-que with drinks provided. We would just welcome a donation towards the expenses of our huge insurance policy. All are welcome, you don't have to be anglers to enjoy the day. There will be a fishing competition for all juniors, prizes will be awarded. This will be weather dependant, with a decision being made the day before. It should be a great day so please come along and support us. There will be limited parking so car share, or a good walk for the more able bodied. Posters will be around the village a week before the day with all the details.

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June News

Hi All

I never thought that I would say this, but most days it has been too hot to fish. Work is still being carried out down at the lake with Steve doing the mowing and other remedial work. We are going to install our new generator in the next few weeks. This was kindly purchased with the generous Mid Devon grant. Steve is going to built a unit to house it with sound baffles to minimise the noise. The gosling are doing well and will soon be moving to graze on the adjacent fields.

We are still looking for pictures of local scenes for next year's fishing club calendar. All pictures to be sent jpeg to Mike Russell at zmon.news@gmail.com

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May News

Hi All

We would like to thank everyone who supported us on our open garden day at Monks Croft, especially all the ladies who baked and helped in the kitchen. We managed to raise just over £300 for the fishing club and a donation to St Peters Church. Luckily the weather held out for us. If anyone who missed out on the day wants to visit, they can call round anytime to enjoy the garden, just give us a ring. Steve is pressing on with all kinds of projects down at the lake. Thanks Steve. Unfortunately we haven't managed to do any fishing yet as we have been very busy with the garden. It was with great sadness that we learned this week of the passing of Margaret Down from Beer Farm who was a member of our fishing group. She will be a great loss, such a lovely lady.

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April News

Hi All

The weather seems to be improving but the water is still very cold and the carp seem to be on the bottom. Steve has now finished lambing and is able to begin tidying up around the lake. We hope to get the decking at the front of the hut done and look forward to the grand opening soon. We have obtained two lots of floor covering which will make it easy to keep clean. We haven't heard of any large carp being caught at the moment, but that's probably because of the water temperature and the carp aren't feeding so well. Looking forward to some hot weather so we can get some fishing time in ourselves. Watch out for posters this month when we will be opening the garden again as the wisteria flowers at Monks Croft. Any proceeds will be going towards the running of the fishing club.

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March News

Hi All

Firstly the lake is drying out nicely, but it will be a while before the mower can be run around. While we are on the subject of maintenance we have lots of willow that needs trimming. For any craft people out there it's ideal for basket weaving or fence making. Please feel free to come along and take as much as you require. We are not doing much more to the surround of the new clubhouse until our man Steve has finished lambing. Now the weather is improving, you keen anglers lets see what specimens can be landed. We have just a couple of spaces left for any new members, or day tickets available at the price of £7 per day.

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February News

Hi All

Although the weather has been foul Steve has managed to complete all the painting of the new clubhouse. I am so glad that he has raised it so far off the ground as this prevents any flooding and a good circulation of air underneath. We have purchased two rolls of top quality linoleum for the flooring, which Steve will fit sometime this week. We have also been given a number of items from one of our members Geoff Denford, whose father recently passed away. John was a great friend and his son Geoff has kindly donated a nice wall clock and a barometer and some other items for the new clubhouse.

The fishing club would like to send our deepest sympathy to all the family of Jean Burrow from The Waie Inn, who has recently passed away. She was special lady, a stalwart of the community and will be sadly missed by all.

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January News

Hi All

A very Happy New Year to all and very good fishing for this coming year.

Thank you to all who purchased a calendar this year and helped us raise £100 for The Mid Devon Farming Life Group and a special thanks to Andy and Maria Richardson who allowed their beautiful pictures of their Brazilian holiday to be used in the calendar. It has been an amazing start on the new clubhouse construction with the help of the great work carried out by Steven Hopper and other members. We have now completed the basics and Steve will be finishing off the decking and the painting with the help of any members who wish to help. If you haven't already renewed your fees, please let us have asap. The fees and day tickets stay the same as last year.

We are continuing to remove the smaller fish, allowing the larger fish to grow on in size and weight.

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December News

Hi All

Sorry to have to start with bad news, but we have recently had complaints about dogs off leads around the fishing lake. We pay £1,000 per year insurance and it covers us for many things, but within the rules all dogs around the lake must be on a lead. Anyone not obeying this rule is spoiling it for everyone else. You must remember we have livestock in the fields around us and that is another good reason for following the rules. The good news is our member Steve Hooper has been working like an absolute Trojan. We thank those who have also given us a hand in the building of our new club house. We will be having a grand opening in the spring.

Unfortunately we have not had the best of weather, but as soon as things start to dry off, we can have a total clean up in the area. Another piece of good news is we have recently ordered two large fish traps. These will remove any small fry from the lake, which starves the lake of oxygen. We can pass some of these fish to other clubs if they require them. We have to stress that before other clubs can use these fish they have to have a health check by the Environment Agency and they will have to pay for this service.

Happy New Year with good fishing.

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November News

Hi All

We just wanted to start by saying how sorry we were to hear of the loss of Peter Heal's wife Rita and we send our condolences from the fishing club to all the family. We are still waiting for a few good days to begin dismantling the old shed and moving it to rehouse the boat. People are still fishing and catching some good carp, even though they are now feeding on the bottom. The calendars are selling well and make good Christmas presents for the family and friends. Please contact Jane on 07749329832 if you require one.

Happy Christmas to everyone.

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October News

Hi All

Good news: the new clubhouse has now arrived and is kindly being stored at Rob and Jean Peck's until we get a chance to assemble it at the lake. There will be a lot of ground work and manpower to do before it can be put into place. If anyone has a spare hour or so to help dismantle the old shed please do get in touch with Ken on 07749329832 it would be much appreciated.

Our calendar this year is completely different and has been put together by the Photo Group with pictures kindly donated by Andy and Maria Richardson taken on their recent trip to Brazil. The price this year will be £8 allowing for the slight increase in paper prices with profits divided between the Fishing Club and the Mid Devon Farming Group. The photos in the calendar are amazing and a wonderful insight into the lives of the animals and birds of that Country.

Don't forget the village Christmas Party is on Friday 5th December, £25 per person for a 2 course meal with a donation to the band. Please let either Jane on 01363 82400, or Ruth on 01363 82326 know so we can give numbers to the Waie Inn. It should prove be be another great evening with good food, good company and the making of good memories.

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September News

Hi All

As we write this I am pleased to say the rain is falling; it has been long awaited. The lake is down, although we are lucky to have a spring, which keeps the lake fuller. Our next big task for us all is to get together and once again clear the inlet pipe and our outlet pipe; this is most important for the winter months ahead. News from our coordinator Mr Peter Heal, we have not as yet been given an arrival date for our new clubhouse. We will keep you informed about its progress. Once again a reminder this week: the Environment Agency is reporting fouling of most fishing waters due to the use of boilies and preformed baits. Pleas do not use them in our lake.

Don't forget that calendars are now available at £8 each (a calendar with a difference this year). Profits will be shared between the Fishing Club and the Farming Network Life Group.

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August News

Hi All

Good news this week as we have now ordered our new clubhouse and are awaiting a delivery date. Within the next 2 weeks we need to organise a full work party, a date which I will pass on to you all, to take the stuff out of the old clubhouse. Rob Peck is bringing his trailer down for this purpose and is also kindly letting us store any equipment in his barn. It has been brought to our attention that some people are fishing with boilies. We as a club request that you do not use them as they tend to contaminate the lake, other clubs have had problems with this. I am meeting Steve as some point as we need to clear the water inlet and outlets to the lake before the heavy rains come.

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July News

Hi All

Sorry to start with bad news, but we have a problem with people fishing and not paying. This is not going to help the club or our funds, but please be aware you are on camera. We have had a response from a new chap Steve who has kindly offered to help us on the construction of our new club house. Fortunately his job is constructing new timber buildings. He is now prepared to meet members of our committee to sit down and discuss the situation. He feels that we would be better off constructing our own building as it would cost less and build exactly what we want.

We have not been fishing as we have been very busy with other activities, i.e. house maintenance etc., but we have had reports of some good sized carp being landed and all looking very healthy. We will be having a work party this month, please let us know if you can help. Please contact us on 07749329832.

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June News

Hi All

We would like to start off by thanking all those who visited our open garden last month. We are pleased to say that we raised £300 and have donated £150 to the fishing club and £150 to St Peters Church. This was made possible by the kind donations of cakes and help on the day by the support of our wonderful villagers. It is a thought that maybe the village could do a number of open gardens perhaps next year if there was enough support.

The next subject is re the old boathouse. Jane and I and a number of members visited the lake making plans for taking down the old boathouse, which we intend to do this month. Anyone who is available give us a shout and we can let you know when we have a date, weather permitting.

Nice to see Tiger back fishing again after not being too well. Welcome and good fishing to him.

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May News

Hi All

It is with great sadness with have to inform all our members that our friend Mr Mike Bostock has suddenly passed away. He was responsible for many superb drone pictures of the lake, some quite humorous including the Loch Ness monster and such like. He will be sadly missed along with his pictures and our heartfelt thoughts are with his wife Susie and her family.

On a better note it is wonderful to see that the weather has improved at last. We are now looking to organising a fishing competition for the younger members, who I know can't wait. We would like to also say how pleased we are we hear the good news of our friend and member Peter Heal's wife Rita who is now well on the road to recovery in Tiverton, after being very poorly. Our best wishes go to Peter and all the family. Get well soon Rita.

As you know we have recently received a grant from Denbrook, we will soon need a work party to take down our old shed, which is to become our boathouse and clear the ground to put a base in for the new clubhouse, when it arrives. Mr Rob Peck has kindly given his permission for storage of the kit to build it at his barn. Anyone who feels they can help please give us a call on 07749329832.

Mr Mark Kersey, one of our members has agreed to take on the job of general maintenance around the lake, our sincere thanks go out to him, as it is becoming very difficult for me and Jane to do all the required jobs.

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April News

Hi All

We are pleased to announce to all our members that we have secured a grant from Denbrook Windfarms for £5,000 to replace our old aged clubhouse, which has served us well for 16 years, but after it was vandalised needed updating. We intend to use the old one as a boathouse. We will require at some point a get together to organise work parties and a meeting to show the members the type of building we are securing. We have been lucky enough also to have been given funds at the beginning of the year and we have purchased a new generator. This was granted by the MDDC Community Fund. As a club we appreciate all the help we have been given. When all the work has been carried out we hope to have an open day for all at the lake. All are welcome.

Anyone with any woodworking skills would be much appreciated.

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March News

Hi All

Nice to see some fine weather. First I want to start with a big thank you to Pete Copp, one of our fishing club members, who has cleared all our fallen branches and most of the debris that had fallen into the stream. He has worked very hard and it is much appreciated by all. Not sure if Mark had a hand in it as well, but thanks go out to him also for offering. Soon we will be able to get in and do some more clearing up, but the ground it still very soft and soggy. Please any members who wish to join for this coming season, we would appreciate your fees asap, as this year our insurance premiums have been a lot higher. We are still awaiting a decision about funding from Denbrook Windfarm and will keep you posted on any developments. We are keeping everything crossed.

Now the water's warming, the fishing should be improving.

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February News

Hi All

Unfortunately the weather has been foul over the past few weeks and any idea of a work party has been kept on hold, as we would probably be doing more harm than good to the grassy banks of the lake. I would like to point out that the amount of water coming down South Down Brook has prevented our overflow, thus causing the lake to flood at points. I would please insist that anyone walking their dog at the lake please be very careful as the banks could collapse at any point. We now have a very large depth of water, so please be very careful. As soon as the weather starts to improve we can attend to the situation.

We have received a lovely letter back from the MS Society thanking us very much for the donation we gave them from the sale of our calendars. We would like to thank everyone who kindly purchased them at Christmas time.

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January News

Hi All

I hate to start with the weather, but we have had some horrendous gales and drenching rain. I am afraid to say that it has taken its toll down at the lake and Pete and Mark are attending to the chain-sawing of the fallen trees. Our work party is going to be making progress with the repairs as soon as the weather improves. Personally I can't wait to see some bright sunny days, I don't mind if they are chilly at least we can get some fishing in. Anyone who wishes to give us a helping hand, please don't hesitate to give me a ring. I hate to remind you all, but the fees need to be paid by the end of February. Seniors £70, juniors £16 and day tickets £7.

Wishing you all good fishing for 2025.

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December News

Hi All

Happy New Year to you all.

I'll start with the bad news. As you know, we were not compensated by our last insurance company after we had been with them for 15 years, so decided to cut our losses and go with the NFU. We are insured for absolutely everything, including legal fees, which means we can sleep safely in our beds knowing that we have full cove for every member. Unfortunately the fee for the insurance cover has trebled. One member who wishes to remain anonymous has paid for this year's cover, but we now have to think about next year's cover so unfortunately our fees are going to have to go up to £70 per adult for the year but keep the juniors at £16, and day tickets will also remain at £7. We are being carried at the moment by the sales of our calendar and the generosity of one member. Hopefully you are all happy with this and will understand the situation. At some point in January we will have to have a meeting to discuss our future regarding our new club hut and the moving of the old hut to be made into a boat house.

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November News

Hi All

We were approached by Margaret Down of Beer Farm, asking if she was too old to go fishing, as she now required a hobby after retiring from farming. We said you are never too old to learn to fish. She came to the lake and had her first lesson and I think enjoyed it. We sat for a while just watching the kingfisher doing aerobatics around the lake before putting line to water. I think she enjoyed the tranquility as well as getting a bite and getting a fish. Fish don't bite so quickly in the colder water in the autumn, but eventually we all had a hand in landing a nice common carp. She has agreed to come back. Excuse the pun but I hope she gets "hooked". Anyone else in the village who would like to take up fishing, please give us a call.

Just a little reminder about the rubbish at the lake. By all means bring your drinks at the lake, but can you please take your bottles and cans home with you, as we cannot recycle once they go in the bin.

Happy Christmas to all members and villagers and a healthy New Year.

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October News

Hi All

Unfortunately we were unsuccessful with our bid from the Denbrook Fund for monies to replace our aging clubhouse, but have been requested to apply again next year. We have also made a request to Mid Devon Community fund for monies to purchase a generator for the lake, which will enable us to have electricity on site. More interestingly we have had the young members again catching lots of good sized fish. We would also like to congratulate young Danny Magarotto, who (see picture below) landed himself a 19lb common carp when his dad took him on a trip to Darracott fishing lakes. Well done Danny what an amazing fish. The calendars are selling very quickly (£8 same price as last year) so please let us have your orders ASAP by ringing us on 07749329832. We are hoping to carry out some more work very soon and still have a winter competition for our juniors.

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September News

Hi All

The lake is fishing very well, with many good fish being landed. We have had some concern regarding the green bloom on the surface of the lake. I have assured most people that when we have a long spell of warm, humid weather with no rain this appears. This is caused by willow pollen and nothing to be concerned about. We are trying to arrange a fishing competition for the younger members of the club in the next few weeks. We have our review coming up soon for a request for some Denbrook money as we need to renew our damaged clubhouse as you know. It has lasted us for 17 years and was secondhand. If successful we would like to use the old clubhouse as a boathouse.

This year's fishing club calendar is now available. We have kept the price the same as last year at £8, with one half of the profits going to M.S.Society and the other to the fishing club. Please ring Ken or Jane on 07748329832, or 01363 82400 to order your calendar.

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August News

Hi All

We have been very busy recently and have not been able to get in any fishing ourselves. But we are pleased to say that our junior members seem to be leading the way. I have included this picture of Alfie Heale with the 9lb carp landed on his first cast. He also caught a 6lb plus carp and a rudd well over a 1lb which took a floating pellet off the surface. Rob Peck's grandchildren Harry and George had some nice tench and carp. I hope to get down and do some ledger fishing myself later this month.

If any members fancy clearing around some of the swims, so we can have a junior competition later on in the month.

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July News

Hi All

The lake is fishing well with lots of good fish being caught by many members. I managed to spend an hour at the lake the other day while Jane went around with the mower, and I caught a lovely 81b common carp. The condition of the fish I caught was very good, which shows the ecosystem is working.

John Lethbridge will be doing a lot of clearing around the sides of the lake soon. With all the rain it is getting very overgrown and needs attention. We are all looking forward to an Indian summer so we can enjoy some lovely days at the lake, either fishing or just enjoying the solitude.

Pictured below are Rob Peck's two grandsons who recently landed their first fish at the lake - a 31b common carp. George, on the left, caught it while Harry, on the right, helped with the landing net. Well done to them - let's hope we see much more of them over the summer

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June News

Hi All

Lovely to see some nice warm weather arriving, long may it continue and we can all get some good fishing in. We would like to welcome a new member Gelvin Williams who has recently joined. That is the good news. We have recently had an amazing work party of Pete Copp, Mark Wilson and his son Jax who worked tremendously hard and gave us a really good day's work around the lake. They did comment there was a surprising amount of dog mess around the lake. We understand that it is the odd few that spoil it for the rest. If it continues and people don't pick it up and put it in the bins provided we would reluctantly have to ban dogs from the lake. Being dogs lovers ourselves this is something we do not want to do.

One other thing I would like to mention is that we have it on good authority that is is not good to feed the geese with bread; it is also highly dangerous, as encouraging them to eat bread while the anglers are using floating crust can only cause accidents to happen and this is something we wish to avoid.

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May News

Hi All

Firstly I would like to thank Pete Copp for all the help he has given us in replacing a flat tyre on our ride-on mower, for all his work spraying the car park with roundup and for all the other tasks he has carried out for us. Jane has now managed to give the lake a quick mow. We also welcome Mark Kersey as a new member, with his son joining next month. Our request for funding from Denbrook has been acknowledged and we await their consideration later on in the year.

The lake is fishing well. Those brave souls who have fished through the wind and rain have had good results. Hoping now the weather has warmed up the carp will now come up on the surface for the fly fishing members.

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April News

Hi All

Firstly I would like to thank everybody for their kind wishes whilst I was away in hospital, I am now back up and running thanks to Exeter and Plymouth hospitals.

Looking forward to some better weather, I don't think we can have anymore rain, or possibly the next generation of humans will be born with webbed feet. Once again I keep promising to trawl the lake, but we have not just had the correct weather conditions to do so. We have just recently made an application for a grant to replace our old wooden hut with something more substantial, hopefully by next year. Jane has been wanting to mow, but unfortunately the ground is far too wet. The cameras are working well and maintenance is being carried out by Andy Richardson. Its seems to be deterring any possible vandals. Has anyone managed to take any photos of our resident kingfisher the year?

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March News

Hi All

Hopefully when you read this Ken will be out of hospital after suffering a collapsed lung at the end of February. It is being repaired in an operation at Derriford. He will be recovering over Easter with his daughter in Suffolk. The lake is fishing well, apart from the cold spell a few weeks ago. The cameras are working well and hopefully doing their job of deterring vandals. The daffodils are all out heralding that spring is here.

Any problems while Ken is out of action, please contact Peter Heal on 07970 074091.

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February News

Hi All

I wanted to thank all members who turned up to our last meeting. It was quite successful and we aired many points. We discussed that one of the main things we require is to raise some funds for the club. We are about to make an application to Den Brook for a new boathouse as the old one is falling apart after 14 years. All the boys built it with recycled materials. We have also decided we are going to have a quiz evening at the Waie Inn, date to be arranged. We discussed putting the fees up to £60 for next year, and day tickets up to £7 for adults and £5 for juniors, to help boost the club funds. We require extra funds to maintain the new cameras.

Our hearts and thoughts are with Marion Quick and the family after the tragic loss of our good old friend Bill. We'll miss our morning encounters at the lake. Without the generosity of the family we would not have this wonderful facility.

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January News

Hi All

Happy and healthy New Year to all members and visitors to our fishing lake.

The first thing we have to report is that after this year we will no longer be using the Angling Trust to insure the fishing club. We have been members for over 15 years and we feel somewhat aggrieved when, following our first insurance claim which was less than a £1000, they felt there were circumstances which meant that they were unable to pay out. As from 2024 we will be looking to source new insurers. We will be having talks with NFU and will keep all members posted on developments.

We are pleased to report that our cameras are now up and running and all should be aware whilst fishing, or walking around the lake you are being observed by cameras. We are sorry that we have had to do this but unfortunately there are certain people who feel they must spoil a lovely wildlife area and venue.

We're hoping that the weather steadily improves and we can all get some good fishing in. We would like to get our fees in ASAP as we have had a lot of expense this year due to vandalism and the weather.

Fees will be same as last year £50 for adults and £16 for children under 16 years. Day tickets are £5 for adults and £3 for children.

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December News

Hi All

Happy and healthy New Year to all members and villagers. Unfortunately we have no angling pictures as we don't have a waterproof camera! Sorry, we do not have a great deal to report due to the wet and cold weather and not many anglers have braved the elements. We would like to thank Adam Huntington Whiteley who has been working on siting our new cameras in strategic positions. We have had some difficulty due to the availability of strength of signal in the area of the lake. As soon as the weather improves and we get a good stretch of decent weather we will once again make an attempt to trawl the lake, taking out the small fish and passing them on to others clubs. This improves our oxygen levels in the lake. In the next few days we are going to contact John Leithbridge to do a final trim around the lake before Spring.

The calendars this year have sold very well and we only have 3 left. Thank you to all who have supported our cause this year for the Fishermens Mission, who support families of fishermen lost at sea. We split the profits between the club and a different charity each year, which helps funding for the lake. Without this help we would find great difficulty in running the club, as anglers have dwindled since lock down.

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November News

Hi All

Having completed all the work on the island, thanks once again for everyone's magnificent efforts. We have had storm Ciaran that left its mark, but we did not get the full brunt. What we did get was masses of rain which has brought the levels of the lake to overflowing, which can only be a good thing. Nothing like re-oxygenating our water. Pete Henshaw has had some nice bream recently and the lake is fishing really well. There are a few calendars left, so if you are wanting to send some away for Christmas presents, please let us know asap. Telephone 01363 82400 or 07749329832.

Have a Happy and Healthy Christmas to all.

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October News

Hi All

Firstly it has not been a very good month for us, 3 massive trees down on the lake, problems with vandalism, plus I had to put Teal my trusty springer down. My grateful thanks to all our neighbours and friends; without them we wouldn't have got through it. I would also like to thank all our neighbours and friends who helped with us with the clearing of some of the debris on a work party day, they all worked so hard. A special thanks to Denbrook for their generous donation of £1,000 for us to fit solar cameras at the lake and thanks to Adam Huntington Whiteley for all his help in arranging the installation. Having said all of this, people have still been managing to fish the lake despite the fallen trees. Only yesterday Pete Henshaw landed an almost record roach. I want to remind all members not to forget that calendars are now on sale at £8.00, all photos taken by the Zeal Monachorum Photograph Group. Proceeds to be divided between the fishing club and the Fishermen's Mission. Also if anyone is interested don't forget to order your tickets for the village Christmas dinner and dance at the Waie Inn on 8th December, all welcome. Please contact us on 07749329832 or 01363 82400.

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September News

Hi All

We are now in the process of having solar cameras installed at the lake, at considerable cost after our break-in and vandalism. It is a shame that we had had to take these steps, as we are only trying to provide a wildlife facility for all. A big thank you to Adam Huntington-Whiteley who is helping us with the installation. We will be repairing the doors to the clubhouse with metal to deter further break-ins. Our fishing club calendar is now ready and available. This year the pictures have been taken by members of the Zeal Photographic Group and profits to be divided between the fishing club and The Fishermens Mission, who look after retired and ill ex-trawlermen and their families. We have had to increase the price of the calendar this year to £8, due to an increase in paper costs. Please ring either Ken or Jane on 01363 82400 or 07749329832. Good fishing.

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August News

Hi All

It is a very sad bulletin this month. As you may have already seen on Facebook, some mindless vandals have broken into our clubhouse down at the lake, left a disgusting mess in the toilet and generally behaved in a despicable manner. This grieves me as this is not the first time this has happened down there. Fortunately last time this happened Tina Bowyer alerted us to cars going up to the lake at night. These individuals were caught fishing illegally without a licence and without permission. It was reported to our PSO when we had one, but unfortunately the police took it no further. Those individuals were not children and some of them lived in the village. I have tried to call the police today to no avail and have reported it online. We have an incident no. and that's probably all we will get from our report. We have probably had about £500 of fishing equipment stolen, plus any monies in our day ticket box. The cost of the repairs is probably going to be a couple of hundred pounds. Thank you to Mike and Sue Bostock, and Andy Richardson who kindly gave us a hand clearing up as I am still incapacitated with my leg. The photo shows some of the damage that has been done. It is so sad for the people who give us a hand down there and enjoy the facility. We will now be trying to raise some money to install a solar powered camera system.

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July News

Hi All

It is nice to see that during this drought period the conditions at the lake have been good regarding water quality. This is mainly due to the fact that we have a natural spring at the centre of the lake. We also have numerous natural oxygenating plants in the lake and it is fishing very well. It is really pleasing to see our younger members enjoying the facility. Here is a photograph of young Alfie Heal catching his first crucian carp. Spencer Magarotto and family have also had numerous top quality carp.

I have this month contacted the Environment Fishing Officer to enquire when they intend to trawl the lake to remove a lot of the small fish. I am still awaiting a response, as they did promise to do it last Autumn, but like many others things cut backs in their expenses has prevented this. If we do not get a response soon we will have our members carry it out as we have the equipment.

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June News

Hi All

The lake is fishing very well with some nice fish being caught. Alfie Heal landed his first tench and it was nice to see the excited look on his face. Also, a very large grass carp in superb condition was landed by Felice Magarotto. Well done to you both. After the no-mow May, Jane has been round on the ride-on-mower, and a big thank you from the bottom of my heart goes to Andy Richardson who went around and strimmed all the fishing swims and the shed. As you know I can't do much at the moment as my leg is in a fracture boot and will be until September, so I would appreciate any help you guys can give us.

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May News

Hi All

Here are two photos of recent catches by Danny Magarotto. I thought the picture of the tench was most impressive as they have only been in two years and they were ony 2 inches long whey they were put in, which proves they are feeding well and are happy with their water conditions. Also a superb carp in excellent condition as you can see. The lake is now fishing well due to the warmer weather. I hope to see you guys down there putting in some competition. Looks like the kids are showing you the way. Looking forward to a good season and organizing another competition later on in the year.

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April News

Hi All

Haven't had much time for angling last month obviously as we were making preparations for our open garden and lake visits. Ken spent two whole days at the lake and noticed plenty of fish rising. He also noticed two reels of line, one at the end of the island with hooks and floats on, both tangled in the trees. Please once again do not try to cast next to the island as each time I need to get the boat out and it is dangerous for fish and birds and wildlife in general. Sorry about the moan but it is becoming a pain.

Young Danny Magarotta went fishing on Monday 3rd last month with his dad, but unfortunately he left his new landing net at the lake. If anyone has seen it and taken it for safety please could they left us know.

The garden and lake opening was very successful and we had approximately 100 visitors in total. The weather was very poor on the Saturday, but thankfully it improved dramatically on the Sunday and we managed to raise approximately £700 for the NGS, whose total proceeds go to various charities. We would like to thank all who attended for their support. We would also like to thank the following people who helped us on the two days. Margaret Harris, Jan Summers, Sally Rowden, Emma Davies, Ali and Joss Birchwhite, Mike Russell, Vanessa Bond, Sue Bostock, John and Barbara Pincombe, Andy Richardson, Kenny and Margaret Down and the Quick family for allowing us to use their land. Everyone who visited thoroughly enjoyed their time both in the garden and down the lake. Apologies if we have forgotten to mention anybody else who helped out.

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March News

Hi All

We are at present carrying out some work on the wooden platform swim stands. The work is being carried out by Alex Wrightson. Alex was a previous junior member of the club and once lived in Rose Cottage with his parents. Alex is now a landscape gardener in Ottery St Mary. He and his work colleague are providing their services completely free of charge to help the club out. This is very much appreciated by all. It should be completed for our coming season.

I just want to remind you all that our garden will be open for the NGS along with the lake on 1st and 2nd April. All proceeds from this go to many charities, so please try and support us. We would also be glad of any unwanted bottles for our bottle stall. We have just renewed our fishing licences so please be aware that fishing without a licence is illegal. Juniors under 16 do not need one.

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February News

Hi All

Last chance for fees to be paid or else you will need to buy a day ticket, as we have people on the waiting list. Thank you to all those who have paid their fees.

We are still awaiting to hear if we have been successful in our grant application to build new fishing platforms out of recycled plastic. This in the long run will save us money as they are not perishable like the wooden ones. They are also impregnated with non-slip surfaces, which will alleviate anybody having any accidents, as the wooden ones become very slippery and we keep having to wire mesh them. We would also appreciate it if anyone requires any of the willow for craft purposes before we trim it back. Weather is now improving and we will probably be able to get the boat out and remove some of the line hanging from the trees around the island.

On a more serious note, some unscrupulous person has cast a Meps spinner into the trees leaving a load of gut and line hanging off it. This not only looks unsightly, but also makes me think that this person does not have many fishing skills. It is a bad advert for us as a club and very dangerous to wildlife and nesting birds. Please if you do have any waste line wrap if around your hand cut it in half and throw it in the bin.

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January News

Hi All

The weather has been dire, certainly not ideal fishing weather. Lets hope the weather will improve next month. The one good thing that has come out of fishing last year is that Danny Magarotto, one of our young anglers, landed this wonderful carp and it is just so nice to think this picture found its way into Total Carp a worldwide magazine. This puts our little fishing club in Zeal Monachorum on the map. It is so pleasing for us as a small club to see these juniors being so dedicated to their sport. We had a small competition this year as the local people know and a very nice carp was landed by Devon Heal. All the boys and girls are all doing well and Danny's sister Saffy also landed some nice carp, one of which was a fine crucian carp. It is time for some of our older members to try and land some big ones. Maybe we should have a competition this summer adults against juniors. I can see a few red faces, me included, if we get beaten. That's a thought for the summer.

Please could we have all membership payments in by the end of February, otherwise you will have to buy day tickets.

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December News

Hi All

Happy New Year to you all. We have been so busy and haven't done any more work down at the lake. Another call out for anyone who needs any willow, you can help yourself at the lakeside. It is ideal for any budding basket weavers or hurdle makers. WI please take note, if could be your next project! We are still negotiating our grant money to carry out our new facilities, we will keep you all informed.

As for our next year's fees, juniors stay the same at £16 per year and I am afraid with our insurance increase, adults will have to pay £50 for the year, which is still very reasonable. Please can we have this money in before the end of January to make sure we have all the members catered for. Day tickets will stay the same at £5 per day for adults and £3 per day for juniors.

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November News

Hi All

Firstly, we owe Mr David Bowyer an apology for not mentioning his name on the photographs on the back of this year's calendar as he kindly came along to our Junior Fishing Competition in August, as did Mike Bostock and Mike Russell. Secondly, I would also like to thank Spence Magarotto for the amazing photograph of Danny, his 11 year-old son, who landed a 12lb 8oz carp, a specimen fish in wonderful condition which you can see in this month's parish magazine. I would also like to congratulate both Danny and Saffy for their diligence which has been rewarded by the improving skills that these two juniors have aspired to. Well done.

We have applied for a Council grant to improve our facilities down at the lake, including some improved fishing platforms for the less abled using plastics from recycled food containers and bottles made by a local company. If all our plans go ahead and the monies are available, we are hoping to improve the facilities for all our members and villagers to come and make use of the lake area. We will once again be requiring work parties to help do some cosmetic work. If there are any basket weavers in the village we would be more than happy to let you have as much willow as you require as we will be doing some pruning this winter, so if you would like to come along and help please let us know on Tel No: 07749329832.

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October News

Hi All

Firstly just to remind you our calendars are now available and selling out quickly, this year our chosen charity is the R.N.L.I, so if you require one please get in touch with us on 07749329832 ASAP.

After coming back from our holiday we are now planning to run the mower around the lake and start on some jobs before winter sets in. The lake is still fishing very well and we have had some nice pics from Spencer Magarotto and his children Danny and Saffy, so hope you anglers will get out there while the fine weather lasts and report back to us on your better catches.

Callum our Fisheries Officer is planning a winter trawl of our lake taking out the small fish. I promised I would let you know the date when it happens so you can all be present. We are going to apply to MDDC for some funding for the refurbishment and building of fishing platforms for the less abled anglers. We are probably going to need between £800-£1000, this is purely for the materials. I know that with all your help we can build the required structures.

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September News

Hi All

These are the results of Ginge's big fishing bash held in August. First prize for the largest fish caught (for the Selwyn Johnson Cup) was awarded to Alfie Heal for his 9½lb common carp and the runner up was Harry Escott with a 7lb common carp. The most fish caught on the day was won by Harry Escott with a total of 12lb mixed fish and runner up was Devon Heal with a lovely 2½lb tench. Consolation prizes were awarded to Saffy and Danny Magarotto, Charlie Heal and Declane.

It was a very hot day and we would like to thank all the juniors and their parents who braved the tropical heat. We would like to thank our chefs Andy Richardson and Andy Smith, who were our version of the Hairy Bikers and cooked our burgers and hotdogs brilliantly. We would like to thank all our photographers for their super photos of the day. A special mention to Peter Heal and his grandchildren for their enthusiasm on a very hot and humid day. The event was very well attended and lots of appreciation shown for David Bowyer's good work carried out on Trevor Rounsley's commemorative bench. I would personally like to thank all the guys who have helped in building the awning protecting the bench. We would also like to thank Joss and Ali Birchwhite who helped us set up the gazebos the day before, but unfortunately were unable to attend on the day, due to being called away for a family emergency. We would to thank Mark at Taw Valley Breweries for his keg of Zeal ale, which was consumed with great pleasure.

Calendars will be available from October, same price as last year at £7.50; if you require one please let us know on Tel 07749329832.

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August News

Hi All

As you know we have now fitted the new bench in memory of Trevor so pop along and see it. It's in a perfect setting, a lovely place to sit and contemplate. We have done a lot of work on the swims recently, but there is still more to be done. Unfortunately it takes time as some of our work party are on holiday. We have had a meeting with Callum, our Enviromental Agent, who is planning to trawl the lake in early January, taking out all the small fish. The lake is fishing very well. Jane and I had a good couple of hours the other day landing two 10 lbs carp, as you can see below.

The tench are now growing on well. We also had a number of new enquiries for membership, two of which are from Bow.

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July News

Hi All

We are very pleased to announce that we have been able to finish the awning for Trevor's bench at last. We have now put it out by the side of the lake and the views from it are amazing; please pop along and see for yourself. I want to thank all those who helped including the 2 Andys, Joss, Daz, Mike, Jane and Ali. We would be pleased to see any villagers who come along to the fishing competition on Sunday August 14th. There will be prizes for all who take part. There will also be Zeal ale on tap from Taw Valley Brewery along with burgers. We need as many children as possible from the village to enter; please contact Ken or Jane on 07749329832. The lake is fishing very well and there have been some very nice tench, carp, roach and rudd landed recently.

Hope to see you all at Ginge's Big Bash Fishing Competition.

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June News

Hi All

I would like to start by welcoming two new members from Bow village, Pete and Ray. They fished this week and had a very successful day and they are very pleased with what they caught. They had some nice carp and one of our tench, which we put in this year up to 1½lb. We have made a start this week with the ride-on mower, as we observed a no-mow May for the wildlife. We will be continuing with the work parties this month and are hoping to organize a clear day for our junior competition. So any young children wishing to enter, please contact Ken or Jane on 07749329832. We would welcome any guys with a spare strimmer to come down and strim around each fishing swim. Give us a call when you are able to go down.

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May News

Hi All

Sorry we don't have much to report this month because, as most of you probably know, Jane and I have been out of action with Covid. I am pleased to say we are now both testing negative. We are about to go on our holidays for 10 days after which we will be back in circulation for all you keen anglers. Andy Richardson one of our members has been fishing the lake. He found it hard work and the fish were not easy to catch at the moment, but managed to land a nice 3lb + carp. Hey guys, if they were easy to catch it wouldn't be as interesting as it is. When we get back we will be planning our big fishing bash for Ginge, so all you juniors I hope to see you down the lake and practising for the big day. There will be prizes for all and we hope to make a good day of it.

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April News

Hi All

A huge thankyou to Andy Smith, Andy Richardson, Daz Hardesty, Joss and Ali's son Alex, Colin Crothers and Mike Russell for taking some pics of the damage after the storm. We couldn't have managed without these guys as they helped re-build the damaged awning over the late Nick Tyler's bench. Also thanks to Pete Henshaw for rebuilding our resident scary scarecrow, preventing the cormorant from stealing our fish.

Our open garden and lake was a great success with two wonderful days of weather, raising nearly £1000 for the NGS. We have to thank John and Barbara Pincombe, Joss and Ali Birch-White, Andy Richardson, Daz & Vanessa Hardesty, Isabel Harris, Lynne Warren and Sally Rowden who maned the car park, took people to the lake and helped with the teas. Also Margaret Harris, Jan Summers, Isabel, Sally and Tina Bower who provided wonderful cakes, and Kenny and Margaret Down for the use of their farmyard as a parking area and signs. Thanks as well to Emma Rosenbalm who sold her beautiful cards in the summerhouse, not forgetting all who provided bottles for the tombola and Maureen Franklin-Smith for manning the stall and everyone who came to support us and the NGS. It would not have been possible without all of you and your contributions.

Ken was in charge of walking around the lake informing people of its origin with Teal and I swanned around the garden chatting all day.

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March News

Hi All

We are planning a big clear up after the storm down at the lake. We had bits of tree down, also the awning over Nick Tyler's bench has been demolished in the storm and needs replacing. We also have to consider building the awning for Trevor's bench. If anyone from the fishing club or any villagers can lend a hand it would be much appreciated. Also to remind all anglers to make sure you have your new fishing licences as we do have occasional visits from the local Environmental Fishing Officer. We cannot accept any responsibility for members or non members fishing without a current licence.

Let's hope we have some more pleasant weather this springtime, so we can get some serious fishing done. This year we will be organizing Ginge's big fishing bash, with prizes for all. We are sorry that it was delayed after our man Ginger passed away, but it came just after the second lockdown. Let's hope we can now get back to some normality.

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February News

Hi All

Not much to report this month. I was pleased to see our brave angler Andy Richardson, who managed to fish in all that cold and frosty weather, landed 2-3 carp all around 6lbs. Hats off to him. Things are a little dormant at the moment awaiting spring weather to start all our little jobs. Can I just remind all members who haven't paid their annual fees to let me know if you wish to join again, as we have a waiting list. We are opening our garden again for the NGS on 26th and 27th March and this will be the first time since Covid. This also includes walks around the lake, so if anyone wishes to offer their services on the day, it would be much appreciated. Please give us a ring on 01363 82400 or 07749329832.

Hoping to see you all on the day.

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January News

Hi All

Hope this year proves to be a better one as regards the pandemic and hoping we see no more restrictions.

We are still awaiting news on when the Environment Agency intend to do the trawl of the lake, but think it will probably be in the spring now. No doubt we will see some hard frosts in the coming months. It has been such a mild wet winter things seem to be growing out of sync for this time of the year, but I am sure it will all eventually sort itself out. We have strimmed all the lefthand bank, which will soon be showing the wild daffodils and hope to do the rest very soon.

It was good to see that over the Christmas period Spence, one of our members, took his young son up there to try out the new rod that he received for Christmas. I have had no reports of anyone else doing any serious fishing, although the weather has been mild enough. We have spoken to Graham Vincent who is going to construct the awning for Trevor's bench and he has decided to start in early spring because it has been so wet.

We have today sent a cheque for £100 raised from the sales of our calendars to MND (Motor Neurone Disease) and we would like to thank everyone who purchased a calendar and helped us raise the money. If you have not paid your subscriptions yet, please can we have them in by 15th February.

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December News

Hi All

Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year. Please all stay safe. We recently had a call from our local Environment Agency Fishing Officer Callum, asking if he can do a trawl in our lake to take out a lot of the small fish and we have given him our permission. He is going to let me know when the weather improves, so if any of you guys would like to come and lend a hand, please let me know. It is a very wet and messy business but good fun. He will inform me when the date will be. Also fees are due the end of January, still the same price of £45 for adults and £16 for juniors. Children under 10 are free. We will now wait until the spring to install our commemorative bench for Trevor.

Looking forward to your support in the New Year.

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November News

Hi All

The weather has deteriorated at the moment, so not much activity down the lake. We are still awaiting on the builder to put the awning up for Trevor's bench. We are pleased to say that the fencing is now complete and we are very satisfied with the result. We thought it better to put new weather-protected posts in, but still leave the old posts as a secondary measure, as this was cheaper to do rather than removing the wire and refastening it. The calendars have proved to be very popular, but we have a dozen left if anyone requires one for a Christmas present. Please ring Ken or Jane on 07749329832. We had a good break away last month in Suffolk and look forward to getting back into the swing of things.

Have a very happy Christmas and please all stay safe.

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October News

Hi All

As you will all be aware by now we have received a generous donation from the Den Brook Wind Farm Community Fund and we heard today that the fencing company are going to start work immediately which is good news. Unfortunately with other commitments at the moment we have not been able to keep up with the mowing around the lake.

As ever builders are always busy and we are still awaiting the start of the awning covering the late Trevor Rounsley's bench. We have it housed in our mower shed to protect it from the weather. We owe an apology to the Rounsley family for the misspelling of their surname on the plaque. We now have a replacement plaque with the name engraved correctly and David Bowyer is kindly going to replace it.

The lake is still fishing well. We have had a new member Andy who has recently moved into the village and we welcome him. Now is a good time to get the angling in while the weather is still fine. The calendar is selling very quickly so if you haven't purchased one, please let Ken or Jane know. This year the profits will be divided between the MND charity and the fishing club. We are also hoping to build some fishing platforms for the less able bodied anglers before the end of the year.

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September News

Hi All

I am pleased to say the lake is fishing really well. We have had a few holiday-makers fishing the lake and they were very impressed and possibly encouraged a few new members. We were asked to take friends fishing with their grandson and our friend Mrs Babara Pincombe, born in Zeal, the daughter of the late Norman and Mary Vicary, landed a very nice common carp, for her first ever fish. She was very pleased and it shocked her husband John as he didn't think she would have the patience, but was most impressed (could we have another new female member).

We're hoping for a mild winter so we can get some more angling in.

We have recently applied for some funding from the Denbrook Fund to help replace our fencing around the lake. Happily this has been approved.

Its that time of the year again when we print next years calendar and this is now available. This year we have made a small increase to the price from £7 to £7.50 due to increased printing costs, but we hope that you can all support us again. We will be dividing the profits to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and the fishing club.

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August News

Hi All

Managed to get around the lake and do some more mowing and clearing of the swims and it is now looking very tidy. We are pleased to welcome back Galvin Williams, one of our recent anglers who is about to become a new member. He had a great day fishing with his daughter. He has recently recovered from an illness and really enjoyed his time at the lake. We would like to thank Mr David Bowyer and all who contributed to the bench for Trevor who is greatly missed by all. He has now completed it and we are just awaiting the engraving of the plaque. I am not sure if David is providing photos of the bench for the Monachorum Matters magazine, but Jane and I went to see it and it is amazing. We will let everyone know when the bench is in situ. We are sorry we can't give you a date for our fishing competition, but we need a clear spell of weather before we announce it.

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July News

Hi All

We have managed to repair one of our lawn mowers, which gave us a chance to get around and do some work which we will continue until we get things back to normal. The recent heavy rain has improved the oxygen levels in the lake and fishing has been very good. Councilor Peter Heal has joined as a new member of the club and we welcome him. He was fishing at the weekend with his grandchildren and we can show you this photo of Devon Heal with his 6lb carp. He looks very pleased with this achievement. Here's hoping they will get hooked (excuse the pun) and will continue to fish with us.

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June News

Hi All

I am writing this from my daughter's house in Suffolk. We haven't seen our grandson for over 12 months. We booked this holiday sometime back when we knew of the lifted lockdown. Rupert Dodge and myself intend to do a lot of work on the fishing swims on our return. We also require our mowers to be serviced before we can run around the outside perimeter of the lake and trim the grass. I have had many emails asking for people to fish. I think now at this point it is not necessary to book any appointment to fish, but I do advise that you use the gel provided in the toilet, or to bring your own gel and to safe distance. I don't think we should let our guard down. Apparently some good size fish have been caught recently at the lake, but not as big as one of our members Pete Copp, who had been fishing at Shobrooke and landed himself a 27½ lb carp. Nice one Pete.

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May News

Hi All

It is with mixed feelings that we talk to you guys this week. We lost one of our most valued members after his long battle with throat cancer. Known to all, especially to all the kids who fish the lake, as Ginge. Ginge and his brother Alex were two of our earliest members. My early memories of Ginge were of him turning up to the lake on his black Kawasaki chopper bike with straight through pipes making enough noise to wake the world with his long grey pony tail and scruffy beard and a rolled up fag hanging out his mouth and a fishing rod across his back. If you didn't know Ginge and his brother Alex you would soon get to meet them. Ginge looked like a pirate, but under that exterior was a perfect gentleman, who really loved people and would go out of his way to help anybody, young or old. If they had the wrong bait or lost a float, or even a young kid who had got his rod into a muddle, Ginge was always there to help.

There were many things people didn't know about Ginge: his first love was his motorbike, he was an ex guard soldier, he liked opera and heavy metal. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Only the other day I spoke to his brother Alex, who is still stunned by his loss. He left a few rules before he died. If any member, junior or senior, is struggling to find their membership money this year, Ginge has left a message that they can take his place. His brother Alex has also asked us if we can we get some of the junior and senior members to take part in a fishing competition in July, nothing serious, prizes for the least fish etc., and Alex will supply the prizes in memory of Ginge. One thing Alex said was that Ginge felt at one with nature at the lake and thought it was one of the most lovely spots to spend time in. Gone but never forgotten.

The lake is fishing well; hoping for improvements in the weather.

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April News

Hi All

We have now purchased the ends for Trevor's bench and David Bowyer, when he has time, is going to going to do the construction and finishing touches. Graham Vincent has kindly agreed to build a cover to protect the bench from bad weather and it will be positioned near a fishing swim allowing anglers to take shelter when the weather is bad so that they can continue to fish. It can also be used by anyone visiting the lake and wanting to take advantage of viewing the wildlife and maybe get a photograph of our kingfisher.

Weather is up and down at the moment, we seem to get 4 seasons in one week. During the better weather the lake was fishing well, large carp moving on the surface, but with this sudden drop in temperature they will probably go down to the bottom again. Rupert Dodge and his boys have kindly offered their services to carry out repairs on our fishing platforms. Work will start as soon as the weather improves.

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March News

Hi All

Not a great deal to report this month mainly because the Covid restrictions have prevented our normal day ticket anglers we would be seeing this time of the year, due to the distance people can travel. We would normally see our Welsh anglers. John Lethbridge has replaced the post on the main gate and also the handrail across the cattle grid. Hoping now that the water will begin to warm up and we can enjoy this month with some good fishing. We are also hoping to start some refurbishing of the fishing swims. Please be careful as they are quite slippery at the moment. We intend to do a chicken wire covering over the surface of the wood.

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