LATEST NEWS

Health & Safety

Bird flu has recently now been found it humans. If members find any dead birds at Bradfield Lake please do not touch them. Please use the link below to enter details. The committee will arrange to dispose of the bird.

Bradfield Lake

Members wishing to inquire about Bradfield Lake, e.g. about the water level, etc. Should email the Fishery Officer on the link below. Please do not contact the Membership Secretary.

Please note that as part of the ongoing improvements at Bradfield Lake, we have installed some turf on selected swims at Bradfield.

If fishing, please do not use the turfed areas. We are trying to get the grass to take hold as it has only been installed on Friday 3rd March. Please fish beside the newly turfed areas, if you have time a splash of water on the new turf will not hurt. These will be cordoned off until ready to go.

Affected pegs are: 2,7,9,10,11,12.

Thank you for your patience.

Marc Snelling, Fisheries Officer.

A reminder to carp anglers you can only fish with two rods at a time at Bradfield Lake. See the Club Rules on the Documents Page of this website.

AGM

The Harwich Angling Club Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 11th April 2023, at the United Services Club Dovercourt. Members will receive emails or letters with the details in the next few weeks. Please try to attend.

Work Party

There will be a Work Party at Bradfield Lake on Saturday 25th March. Starting at 09.00, finishing at 12.00 noon.

Details on the Work Party page,

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It has come to the Committees attention that some members have been laying pieces of paving slab on the lake bed in order fish.  Most of these slabs are not level and could cause members to trip over and any accident may not be covered by the club’s insurance policy.  The committee are going to remove these slabs, only leaving the low -level platforms built on working parties and inspected by the clubs Health and Safety Officer. Please do not take materials from the fenced area and put them on the lake bed.

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Wednesday Evening Matches final placings are on the Wednesday Evening Match page.

Fish Welfare

RULE 44 That anyone intentionally fishing for Carp or Pike on any Harwich Angling Club waters, should be equipped with a large landing net, an unhooking mat and forceps for unhooking of at least 10 inches in length.

As some of the Crucian Carp are showing signs of damage and the Tench are growing, along with a number of larger Bream are being caught: the Committee would recommend the use of an unhooking mat on these fish as well. The unhooking mat should be wet when used. At the next AGM the Committee are proposing to amend Rule 44 to this end.

In line with the increasing concerns about fish welfare Harwich Angling Club would like to highlight key aspects to improve the handling of your catch.

1. Use only barbless hooks 
2. No bolt/fixed rigs.
3. A wet unhooking mat for larger fish, i.e. Carp, Crucian Carp, Tench and Bream.
4. Landing net of appropriate size to be used when landing any sizeable fish.
5. Disgorger of appropriate type for removal of hooks.
6. When landing sizeable fish, it is preferred practice to not swing in fish, but use a landing net, unhook fish in net and return to the water from landing net.
7. If handling fish wet hands do less damage and on no account handle with a cloth.

Harwich Angling Club Committee, 12^th June 2022

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Please check the Work Parties page for the latest work parties, for Health & Safety reasons the lake will be closed for fishing while the work parties are in progress. Work Parties

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The Club Rules have been revised, please see the Rules Revised 2022 pdf on the Documents page.

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Just a reminder that members should stop fishing during thunder storms, carbon fibre used in modern rods and poles is a very good conductor of electricity.

Lanes Pond

The excavation of Lanes Pond has been completed, It will be between 5 and 7 feet deep. As of 12 January 2023 it is about half full. Work on landscaping the banks will be taking place.

The pond and both the farm reservoirs have been registered with the EA. A restoration and restocking programme has been agreed with the EA,

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We have reached our membership limit so there is waiting list. Any one wishing to join should contact Richard Ruane, by email: ruanerichard@hotmail.com or phone: 07704 626535.

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Club Documentation

All Club documentation is now on the Documents page, this includes COVID-19 rules, membership application form, club rules, etc

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BRADFIELD LAKE INFORMATION

Only BARBLESS HOOKS are allowed at Bradfield Lake, Rule 37
Please take your litter home.

Several lengths of line, some with hooks attached have been found on the banks, please take any disused line home.

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Request from webmaster

If any members have photos of catches made this year can the please sent them to me along with the location, date, bait used and any other useful information as I am up dating the web site Gallery,
A new itemised email is on the New Catches Report link below, just fill in the details next to the items, this link works with both computers and Smart Phones etc.