FAS: Stanford End Reports: Jan 08 -March 14 End of Season:

January 08:

Never an easy month to be out fishing because of the variable and often poor weather and this year it proved no different. Some days it was freezing and bordering on snow then a few days later it was like the middle of June. It was never very consistent for long. January was a very slow month for barbel, with just a handful coming out in dribs and drabs, more often than not from the deeper water stretches. Chub were plentiful though and I think it would have been right to have felt somewhat cheated by not catching one of our resident chub even during the shorter sessions. There is a very good population of chub at SE and this provided some good winter sport.

Angler numbers on the bank during January dropped of somewhat and on at least two visits there the place was deserted. Must be a fair weather circus out there……Saturdays as usual saw the best level of interest but even then it was mostly the hardcore regulars with plenty of water to choose from.

February 08

The first two weeks of February saw a bit of an icy blast, and the lack of rain began to show at SE. The water however maintained it's dark colour for most of the month and the fishing stayed pretty much on a par with what we saw in January. The last two weeks of February saw the days warming up a bit and with the extra bit of daylight as well the fishing at Stanford End switched on. We did get a few downpours which made the fields at the bottom end a bit sticky to negotiate as it can take a long time for the water to disperse. Overall though good catches of Barbel and chub were common place with some very nice doubles coming from both the top and bottom areas. Once again it was the Saturdays being the most busiest day of the week and good to see that most were catching.

March 08 - Season End

With the final two weeks under way it is fairly normal to see numbers on the bank increase and this includes the midweek days. This was the case at SE as a few more made the effort but once again mother nature dealt us a dodgy hand with low temperatures during the first week and howling winds and rain during the second. For those that got out the results were quite rewarding and again the reports came in of good captures of barbel and chub. There were some really good days had by many, some anglers getting 2 or 3 barbs and five or six chub per session. Once again when you see the details it is quite surprising to see the differences in styles, baits and the times when people were fishing.

News / Information

Personally as far as the Loddon at SE goes I am quite happy to see the end of what was a fairly disastrous season. Two outbreaks of foot and mouth disease giving almost 3 months of downtime during the best months, plus the severe floods of July, and the exaggerated articles in the angling press all conspired to a season that was for a lot of people indifferent to say the least. The closures in particular really hurt a few as some of our anglers fish SE exclusively. I have to say a big thank you to FAS members for their patience, I was kept busy on email and phone calls chilling you guys out but one or two I think were on suicide watch!

Moving on and although not 100 % compliant it is encouraging to see that almost all members fishing SE are in possession of an unhooking mat. Definitely an improvement with this. Most non-compliance this season has been with new members who have not read the rules. I often hear some say that unhooking mats are not really needed at SE but whatever your opinion is on this the ticket states it's required for all waters so we need to observe it.

An increase of litter this season has been mentioned to me by some of the regulars, and I have noticed this myself. These people along side me are the ones who clear it up. I accept that some of this was "washed in" from the floods we had in July and the back end of the year, however most of it is blatantly fresh litter and happening on a regular basis. Thanks to those who do clear it away, this is noticed and appreciated. We cannot really afford to have a litter problem out of control as you can probably guess what that would lead to. If you do see people leaving litter then you can remind them politely to take it away or tell us in confidence. A description, car registration is usually enough and we do the rest.

I am often asked about night fishing at SE and wonder why so many assume that it is not allowed. It is allowed except in the restricted swims at the top section. These are the swims in between the large signs where fishing is only permitted Monday to Friday 10:00 AM to 18:00 PM but never at weekends or bank holidays. The reason for the restrictions is to maintain privacy of the residents living alongside the far bank.

With regards the fallen trees at the top section everyone who needs to know about this does know. The best time to clear this is the closed season and that is when I expect it will be done. Which close season this happens in however is a different matter!

I have updated the SE access and fishery information in the handbook which now reflects things a bit more accurately. You might also notice that all venues now have the post code information printed at the top of the page so that sat nav owners can dial this in to help find your way there. I have also changed the phone number in the book to my mobile which should make it easier to get in touch.

No news on the mill at present, though we believe that the project has received a substantial grant and is looking more likely to happen. We think that if restoration goes ahead it would be as it was before many moons ago and would add in the region of 1.5 metres of extra water between the weir and the first bend ( the snag pit ) and then stepping down into the cottage swims as normal. Could be months, could be years, if I find out you will read it here!

A reminder to members that guest tickets are not available for Stanford End. Outlets who supply guest tickets are aware of this and the tickets themselves have this restriction printed on them. It is the member who is responsible and he/she alongside the guest would be asked to leave the venue as this breaches our conditions of use.

The Whitewater

More of FAS members have taken a look at this stretch of river during the last season even though it was the subject of the same FM closures, and it does make a nice alternative to SE when the barbel there are not playing. I have also updated the Whitewater fishery and access sections in the handbook as well to reflect what we have learnt about it during the last few seasons of getting it. We have just acquired a dedicated bailiff for here alongside myself and Barry looking in so always keen to hear catch reports however big or small.

New Members

Some prospective new members have already contacted me to ask if there will be a viewing day during the close season for them to see SE before they join. This has proved popular in the past and I hope to set aside one day for this during May. Provisionally I am aiming for Saturday May 24^th but will confirm it here once all agreements are in place. For anyone interested, and this can also be for existing members who are not familiar with SE please send a PM or email to register your interest.

That's about it. Hope your season went well under the circumstances and I wish you all the best for the new one. The next 3 months is bivvies, bait boats, and buckets of boilies…..