CHICHESTER & DISTRICT ANGLING SOCIETY 

Autumn Newsletter 2024

Dear Members,

Welcome to the Autumn newsletter with some information for all members, old and new.

With the 2024/5 season now well underway, I do hope that many of you are enjoying some special visits to the complex whether for a few hours or a full 48-hour session.

Please take a few moments to read through the information set out below. Some of which will be of interest hopefully and some of which will be information and guidance on important matters that you will all need to take on board.

PIKE TEACH-IN – I am pleased to confirm that the Society will again be conducting a pike teach-in session. This year’s event will take place on Sunday 6th October 2024, in line with the start of the pike fishing season itself and any member wishing to actively undertake predatory fishing for pike and has not previously attended a teach-in must attend the 2024 course prior to attempting to catch pike on site. The teach-in will be organized and conducted by John Medlow and Christine Luffman who many of you will know as long-standing members of the Committee and in Johns case from SAS in Donnington. Interested persons should make early contact with John or Christine via the dedicated email address of piketeach24@gmail.com to be put on the list of attendees for the event. You will then be supplied with all the information you will need in due course according to numbers of interested members which will dictate the format for the day itself.

FACEBOOK PAGE – We encourage as many members as possible to join the CDAS Facebook Page as it is the quickest way to find out any important information such as restrictions, swim closures etc. We already have over 500 members and its totally free. Even if you are not interested in posting anything yourself as most members don’t, it’s still a very useful site to visit for information. Its easy to join. Just visit the CDAS website, click on the Facebook link, click to join and follow the simple instructions. If you are not usually a Facebook user, you can nominate a family member (spouse/partner) to join on your behalf. All we ask is that you follow the guidelines on using the forum for its primary purpose as a method of receiving and conveying information of interest or importance to other CDAS members.

LAKE USAGE – It has been observed this year that many anglers are opting to focus their angling on Whyke and Churchyard Lakes and as a result we are continuing to feed the fish on Quarry, Long and Little Long. It is a shame that Long Lake in particular is not being particularly well frequented as it is such a great opportunity to bring along a youngster who may be relatively new to fishing and be pretty much guaranteed they will have a great experience with plenty of fish in the cradle. Please also remember that under 14s with a member in attendance can fish for absolutely no cost so it would be good to see a few more anglers taking advantage of what Long and indeed Little Long have to offer.

SUGGESTIONS FROM MEMBERS – It is probably a good time to remind long term members and inform those new to the complex this year that any suggestions or observations on anything related to the site itself and indeed the individual lakes and facilities can be sent by email in the first instance to cdassec@gmail.com for discussion by the members of the Committee at their monthly meetings. Ultimately the Committee are there to serve all of you as members and your feedback is invaluable in establishing what you want from your club so that the Committee can appraise the viability and if appropriate, plan a course of action accordingly.

BEST ANGLING PRACTICES – It is greatly appreciated that the vast majority of our members observe really good angling practices on site and sanctions from bailiffs are few and far between. It has however been noted of late that a small number of anglers are presenting their bait extremely close to hazards such as lily pads, reedbeds and the islands and are not “locking up.” This practice is not in the best interests of fish welfare as any fish hooked can easily be damaged and it is for this reason that bailiffs will now mark a member’s book if they feel unsafe angling is occurring and discuss the reasons with the specific angler. If the angler then gets a second mark in their book for the same poor angling practice, they will need to attend a meeting of the CDAS Committee to justify why they have not adapted as requested by the bailiffs.

On the same subject, too many anglers are leaving their swims unattended for periods of time to go to a swim sometimes not even adjacent to their own to chat to another angler and leaving their own rods unattended in the process. While everyone wants to enjoy their time on the lakes and in some cases this includes a chat or a cuppa with a fellow angler, please take fish welfare into account and ensure that if you are leaving your swim for any reason that you do not leave your baited rods in the water. That will ensure that not only do you not miss a bite but that if one does happen and you are not in the vicinity, the fish will not suffer as a result of your actions. It is appreciated that the Committee regularly raise the issue of fish welfare and ask you to adjust your angling to make this your number one priority but it is only by each and every angler paying due care and attention to their catches and returning them to the water in the same condition they came out that we will remain one of the most attractive venues on the South Coast to spend your leisure time.

CAR PARKING – All members will know that the bottom car park is not that large and is a popular option for anyone fishing that particular area of the complex as it is closest to Little Long, Long, Quarry and parts of Whyke Lake. Please can all members try to park “pretty” and not close off the obvious entry and exit points for cars already parked up. It is important to remember that other anglers may want to leave before you and it can be problematic trying to find the drivers of vehicles which are causing issues for others so if everyone could be a little more aware when they arrive then it will hopefully solve this problem very easily.

FISHING EQUIPMENT: – Can all anglers old and new please take a small amount of time to take a close look at the equipment they are using when they attend the complex. Everyone by now knows the minimum requirements in terms of net size, cradle type and that barbed hooks are now not permissible but if the sides of your cradle have started to sag due to age, might it be time to think about upgrading it? If you are fishing for the largest fish, is a cradle with metal side bars really the right thing to stop the fish from damaging itself while you unhook it? To replace even a medium sized fish is a far from cheap option and to try to replace one of our largest is nigh on impossible so please can everyone just take a look at what they are currently using and if anything is a bit tired or sub-standard then maybe think about replacing it or adding it to your Christmas wish list. Using the best equipment you can afford will in turn protect our fish and enable you to continue to catch them hopefully for many many years to come.

So, there you have it. Some information which some of you may find of interest and some information which every member really needs to take on board.

Enjoy the rest of the season and lets all keep CDAS one of the best fisheries available in the area where all anglers of whatever persuasion can enjoy a good time doing what they love best – fishing!

Take care all and watch out for the next newsletter towards the end of the year which will contain full details of the 2025 AGM which is already scheduled for Thursday 13th February for those who wish to make a note on their calendars and which it is hoped many of you will wish to attend. The next newsletter will also contain information on anything which has happened or is scheduled to happen between now and then and may be of importance or just general interest.

 Kind regards

Carole Baker

Secretary