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Post by canalman on Jul 20, 2011 22:39:22 GMT
Just browsing the forum and read a post regarding more money being spent on the square pond then elsewhere.
As a member of the club can I ask how I am able to access a breakdown of how SAC's money has been spent regarding upkeep, stocking or any other associated costs of the various waters that they own the fishing rights of. This is of genuine interest due to rumours over the years which have still not dissipated, which I'm sure you will all be all aware of.
Reading between the lines - has the square pond been netted in the last few years?
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Post by skewenangler on Jul 21, 2011 9:11:17 GMT
our accounts are made available on the night of the agm, and as we are a limited company, also from companies house. it is true that more money has been spent on the square than other club waters though this likely to change, but remember that the syndicates, day and night, also bring in a good amount of money. the square was netted two years ago with the silver fish removed being put into the neath canal
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Post by canalman on Jul 21, 2011 13:40:07 GMT
Thanks Mike, Where else is money due to be spent and on what if u don't mind me asking?
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Post by skewenangler on Jul 21, 2011 16:13:52 GMT
so far this year we will be stocking the gnoll second pond with carp. thats our only planned expenditure at the moment, besides improvement work to the paths on the square which all members who fish there benfit from not just the syndicate guys. we will probably also be spending on the second pond later in the year. apart from stocking there is really little elso to spend on besides making our waters as easy to fish as we can.
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Post by canalman on Jul 21, 2011 21:25:59 GMT
Thanks again Mike.
I not going to sit here and criticize from the comfort of my computer. I havent been to AGM for years (although 2 out of the last 3 years I have been working - but in all honestly I probably wouldn't have come) and I am also not fully in the loop with what is going on so I may have some ideas which are ultimately wrong. I am just making some observations from what you have told me.
The Square Pond has had more money spent on it (which I personally have no problem with if necessary) than other waters and I remember reading somewhere (newsletter I think) that this was being developed into a specimen water. That leaves us with the 2 canals, and the 2 Gnoll Ponds. I could be wrong but it sounds like the 2nd Pond at the Gnoll is also being developed into a specimen or Carp water due to the stocking you mention above. As it sounds like no silver fish are being stocked. I dont know if Im 100% correct on that? These two ponds are also having improvement works carried out to them.
The two canals can be, well difficult fishing and very hit and miss. I personally, as most people who know me know, like the canal but I have heard the comments from other anglers and the match attendances bear this out - and it can be very difficult. Also, the Neath Canal is almost unfishable at certain times of year. One thing I will say is that when the Square Pond had a weed problem is that money was spent and various solutions were sought. I do think that we need somehow to get it cut on a regular basis in the summer months. Not the whole canal - thats unfeasible but at least a stretch.
The first pond at the Gnoll is known as a community fishery. I have never fished it. I have been up there a few times and it looks stocked to the rafters with pairs of eyes. Which is great for beginners etc but I would say wouldnt really attract the average more experienced angler on a regular basis (I could be wrong).
It seems like the club is lacking a reliable, genuinely mixed and sensibly stocked(and kept with a vision of that way) water for the non carp angler if the club is following the route of waters being kept or earmarked for specific disciplines such as the square as a specimen water.
It does appear that the jewels in the crown of SAC may be becoming the preserve of the carp anglers. Like I say I may be lacking info. I can only go and what I know but it doesnt seem right that if the club owns three lakes that two out of the three are (if I am correct) being kept for or leaning toward the carp angler.
I got no probs with the carp anglers at all but isnt it best if we all share what we got. If theres nice Carp and nice Roach in the Square for example (which there was/is??) great. Mr Matchman can go fishing there and so can Mr Carpman and we are all happy. It just has the ring to it (over the square) that Mr Carpman is becoming slightly greedy and doesnt want to share.
Ok Ill be honest I was a little disappointed when I seen that silver fish had been removed from the Square and it wasnt fishing like it used to.
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Post by skewenangler on Jul 22, 2011 7:41:38 GMT
i understand your view and as you say the club does seem to be spending more money on the square than other waters. part of this is due to the fact that we have a "team" of interested people in the syndicate who are willing to push and get things done. we have asked in the past for people to take charge of the canal for example and have been let down as you may remember when you offered to help at one time and were messed about by certain people. getting the weed cut is an option we look at but to be honest the canal companies agenda is different to ours!
the second pond at the gnoll has recieved a stocking this year of over 30,000 silver fish including tech and crucians. i did not mention these as we had them free from the EA. it is not being turned into a carp fishery, we are just trying to balance out stocks with adding a small number of young fish, particularly as we lost a few old ones this year.
the fish in the bottom pond are packing on weight, average skimmers now are 8oz or so.
the silverfish in the square that were removed were all below 6" in size and went to boost stocks in the canal. we have been advised by fishery experts that we could do this at least every three years, though other people (EA) say it wont make any difference! match weights on the water have historically been low, odd bream catches boosting them. pleasure sessions do better, but if we want to improve it as an all round specimen water then larger tench and bream need to be stocked as well.
if you have any particular ideas, email me or give me a ring, i can probably explain things better face to face as it were. cheers
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Post by canalman on Jul 26, 2011 21:45:00 GMT
Thanks again, As I have already mentioned, I personally (and for what its worth), have got absolutely no problem with one water having more money spent on it than another be it square or any other. Not at all. After all they are all SAC club waters and I pay to fish them. If one water warrants more work, stocking etc fair enough. I also fully understand and fully support that the club should cater for Carp anglers so I hope its not coming across that I think any different as I dont.
I'm a big believer in all members sharing what we have and I do still have major reservations about the Square being earmarked as a 'Specimen Water' is this a guise for Carp Water? Would Carp anglers be happy with many a 6lb bream picking up their boilies? I dont know - theres something not quite right about this. But thats only my opinion. I hope I'm wrong.
I do disagree with any of the club waters being earmarked for specific disciplines as I am certain this will lead to divides, although the match side (at least around here) has dissipated as to where it once was a few years ago and I can say for absolute certainty that this was due to perceptions (rightly or wrongly) of these anglers of lack of waters they want to fish and their perceived ideas of what was happening at the Square and to a certain extent the Gnoll.
I genuinely believe unless there is an extremely good reason to then all waters should endeavour to cater for all disciplines.
I can't see why the Gnoll 2nd Pond is getting a stocking of Carp which is having to be paid for. When the square (earmarked as a specimen water a few years ago) as, to my knowledge, not recieved a stocking of other species of specimen fish when this plan was announced years ago. The smaller fish were netted and removed why wasnt they then replaced with larger specimens?
When was the last time the Square was stocked and what species went in?
I was talking to a Ranger at the Gnoll and he said that the third pond is having water level problems of some sort? Is this ever an option?
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Post by skewenangler on Jul 27, 2011 14:20:39 GMT
the square last recieved a stocking of tench and bream, and will see these fish stocked again in the future. the reason for not putting carp in there at the moment is that we need to determine stock levels of carp, possibly remove some older stunted fish, before introducing fresh strains such as the scaly carp we put into the gnoll. carp anglers do catch bream and tench, if they dont like it then tough!. i for one am happy to catch a big bream or tench when i'm carp fishing, even though i'd prefer a big carp. at least i know my bait and rigs are working.
earmarking it as a specimen water means all disciplines can fish there, though i agree that the carp anglers seem to use it more than others, though we do get a few specimen anglers fishing for the bream and tench. it should be a water that holds some special fish, possibly a pb for many local anglers, most other local waters will provide the small silver fish the club wants to remove so we are not "depriving " anglers of these fish, if anything by putting the into the canals we are making them more accessible.
the stock levels of carp at the gnoll were seen as quite low, and with the loss of a number of fish over the last six months have dropped further. the plan two years ago was to make two staggered stockings into the water, of a new and good strain, which will hopefully boost the fishing for the carp anglers and provide specimen fish in the years to come, not instant specimens but ones which will grow on.
the match anglers do need a water. the third pond is probably too small, and until the issues with the dam wall are sorted we cannot do anything about it. maybe in the future. another option we are looking into is Bendles pond in Skewen.
i'm up the gnoll coaching on saturday, all volunteers welcome.
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