Luton Angling Club Weekly News Report for the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & St Neots Cambridgeshire Area. Week Ending 21/3/2021

Here is all this week’s News and Catch Reports from Luton Angling Club. It is good news for anglers with the latest update from the Angling Trust confirming that Night Fishing and Match fishing can resume from 29th March. It is still important to not get complacent and to continue to avoid close contact with anyone outside your own household as we don’t want cases to spike and lockdown restrictions to be re-imposed. Please continue to follow all the guidelines including social distancing and please use hand sanitiser after using the gates/locks or toilet facilities at our venues.

We are not receiving many catch reports but I am seeing more anglers on the bank and hearing reports of fish being caught. Please do send in your reports and pictures if you get out fishing and remember all pictures submitted are entered in to our £25.00 monthly photo prize competition.

Beckerings Reservoir
At Beckerings reservoir this week Darren Savage enjoyed good sport catching Ide and Roach to 1lb 8oz on float fished maggots. Another angler at the reservoir was also catching quality Roach to over 1lb and had Bream to 8lb on a method feeder.

North House Lake
Dean Brittain fished at North House and after no success targeting the carp he tried a bit of Pike fishing using a Lure that he had made himself – this captured a Pike which he weighed at 6lb 4oz.

Grand Union Canal
Dennis Hunt fished on Wednesday on the canal near to the Globe pub and he struggled for a couple of pounds, It would appear the fish really didn’t like his Casters as he couldn’t get a touch on them. On the same section Dudley Frankland did rather better taking 8lb of skimmers on Punch and Pinkies. It was a day of four seasons as it started at 4C but got colder, rained and then the sun came out and it was lovely and warm.

Barry Roper was also on the canal down by the Globe and hooked a pike of about 6lb which he played for some time on a No 3 Elastic but it managed to throw the hook just in front of his keepnet as he was about to net it.

Wednesday Match Group
Following the announcement that match fishing will be allowed to resume from 29th March the Wednesday match group intend to resume their COVID safe weekly outings. The first being at 3 Locks on 31st March. Meet for 9am as usual in the car park by the bridge and fishing from 10am to 3pm with the usual optional £5.00 pools. Anyone is welcome to attend and take part including non-members as long as they buy a day ticket.

Slipe Lane Pits
Members are reminded that 2020/21 access to Slipe Lane Pits expires on 31/3/2021 as their membership year is not aligned with ours – Once you have renewed your membership for the 2021/22 season you will receive the new Turnford Membership Card in your new membership book which is valid from 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022.

Membership Renewals and New Members
The membership renewal letters will be posted this week to anyone that joined via a tackle shop, by post or via one of the club bailiffs. Members who joined online will receive their renewal invitation email at the end of March and will be able to renew their membership online from 1st April. Existing members will have exclusive access to the 2021/22 membership books during April and then the remainder will go on general sale to new members from 1st May. We are receiving a good amount of interest so please renew early to avoid disappointment as membership is limited.

New members will be able to join the club from 1st May 2021 (Subject to availability)


Tight Lines.
Dave – Luton Angling Club

Luton Angling Club Weekly News Report for the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire & St Neots Cambridgeshire Area. Week Ending 14/3/2021

Here is this week’s round up of club news and catch reports received from Luton AC waters. Since the third lockdown started in January the travel restrictions limiting the ability of members to travel to our venues combined with the very wet weather conditions and flooding, catch reports have been few and far between. As the weather is improving we are now seeing the banks getting busier and a few reports have been coming in.

Angling - Lockdown Update

The Angling Trust submitted a case to government for the early and full resumption of all forms of angling including night fishing and competitions. These should now be possible from March 29th but the Angling Trust still have some outstanding issues to resolve and are working to secure the clarification needed but they remain hopeful that night fishing, match fishing and wider travel for angling will all be confirmed from March 29th as they were last summer and autumn.

Hopefully, the trust should be able to make an announcement next week and we'll update our members as soon as possible.

We really appreciate any information, reports and stories from any of our waters and you don't have to catch a monster sized fish to feature in our weekly reports. We would really like to see some more reports, videos stories and pictures coming in so please send them in if you get out fishing.

Don't forget the traditional close season runs from Monday 15th March and runs through to 15th June (inclusive). There is no fishing on any Luton AC river venue during this time  but all our Lakes and Canals remain open for fishing. If you do see any illegal fishing taking place this should be reported to the EA on 0800 80 70 60

South Lagoon

Colin Crane had a good result catching a cracking Perch of 3lb 8oz from the Lagoon. He also caught 5 Bream the biggest being just under 7lb.

Lavendon Mill

Squeezing in some river fishing just before the River closed season (15th March to 15th June Inclusive) Jake Kitchen had a plump perch of 2lb 7oz while float fishing on the Ouse.

Bailiffs Bob and Roger took advantage of a couple of nice sunny days and tackled the end swim on the downstream section which has been un-fishable for a good few years due to bank erosion and dense undergrowth taking over. After 2 days spent clearing thick hawthorn and overhanging branches along with installing a platform that was kindly donated by the recent floodwaters the difference is unbelievable and this swim looks amazing and I'm sure it will become a popular spot with members and will produce some fine catches.

Beckerings Reservoir

The farm has now refilled the reservoir with the water right up and trickling through the overflow. Bart Schmidt had a 21lb 4oz Common, caught on single wafter cast to showing fish this was then followed by another at 15lb and then another at 20lb.

The bailiff reports that a good number of Carp are being caught including a Common of over 27lb.

Float Anglers have been catching some lovely Roach with one angler catching a 1lb 15oz specimen. Another angler had roach to 1lb 9oz and Bream to 11lb.  

Bream seem to be showing well with a new angler to the lake catching good numbers of them over his last three sessions.

Session 1 - 19 Bream from 8lb to 11lb

Session 2 - 15 Bream to 9lb

Session 3 - 11 Bream to 8lb

Grand Union Canal

Various reports of Roach and Skimmers being caught from the canal.

Eaton Ford Update

We had a very successful site visit with the Environment Agency, our Contractor, and Stewart our Bailiff at Eaton Ford recently,  With the ground conditions now rapidly improving we have now been able to agree a start date for the works to dredge and enlarge the backwater. This project is funded by the EA from rod licence money with Match funding by the Club.

 

It's a little later than we would have ideally liked to start, as it was originally intended to begin in December, but we were delayed by the floods and heavy rain.  The constraints of equipment hire and our contractors current workload now give a start date of 22nd March with perhaps a possibility of starting a little earlier if their current job was completed early.

 

As can be seen from the pictures the on-site Bailiff team have been extremely busy over the last few months clearing undergrowth and brush in preparation for the work to begin. We have been helped as the Willow tree blocking the exit to the River moved a huge amount during the floods and high January flows which should make complete removal during the dredging much easier.

Let's hope the fine weather conditions continue, and the ground conditions continue to improve so we can finally get this project underway, and provide a fish refuge and winter fishing next year. 

Following completion of the excavations by the contractors we will be looking for member volunteers to join working parties to help with general site improvements and tidying up to do, so watch for announcements on the Club Facebook page and website, and come along and join us if you can

Elsewhere at Eaton Ford bailiff team have been hard at work at the Southern end of the fishery where the improvement works to the southernmost swims is now well underway and hopefully when the new river season starts on 16th June there will be some great new, easily accessible and comfortable swims available.

 

2021/22 Membership Update

2021/22 Membership Renewals will be available from 1st April 2021. Due to unprecedented demand last year and some existing members missing out on their renewals - Between the 1st of April and 1st May our existing members will have exclusive access to renew their membership then on 1st May all remaining books will go on general sale. Members that joined via a tackle shop, via the bailiff or post last year will soon receive a letter in the post and members that joined online will receive a renewal invitation via themail. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the club can fill in the form at the link below and you will receive a reminder via email/text when the books go on sale for new members.

https://www.lutonanglingclub.co.uk/register

Due to some logistical issues we are not sure at this time if we will be in a position to be able to get books into the tackle shops this year however we ask you to support your local tackle shops a list of which can be found in your membership book.

Send in your catch reports, pictures, stories via facebook, email or Whats app to 07940 229071. We welcome content from our members whether it be videos, a story of your days fishing  or pictures of the venues or wildlife you have seen or pictures and reports of the fish you have caught.

That's it for now - Until next week Tight Lines!

January 17th to 7th March 2021 Weekly Reports - COVID 19 Lockdown & Bad Weather

The COVID restrictions limiting the ability to travel anything but locally have meant many anglers staying at home. This combined with poor weather conditions meant even those who are local to the waters chose to stay at home.

Very few reports were received during this time.

Reporting will resume when restrictions are eased.