NIGHT ANGLING CHANGES AT WASSELL GROVE FISHERY

With immediate effect and it is with regret that following numerous rule breaks over the last 4 years they're changing the way they take night fishing bookings for reasons shown below. (camping customers and people who they know well are exempt from the changes)

A message from Paul at Wassell Grove Fishery

• Most of our litter problems are caused by night anglers and we had to ban some night anglers for this reason.
• ​We have 24 hr toilets and yet we find toilet paper and excrement in the woods around the pools.
• We are concerned that we may be affected by the use of cradles and unhooking matts that have been used at other venues that may contain serious disease. Our current situation is that soft grass is much safer to unhook fish rather than risk KHV and the likes. So much for fish care!
• We are fed up with the smell of weed wafting around the fishery which seems to be from predominantly night anglers though not solely.
• Our bailiff spent half of today trying to release a bird from 20lb line which was hooked in its leg. In the end the bird flew off dragging 6m of line, a hook, a boilie and a 3oz lead which are all still attached. Our rules say that that all leads and feeders should be free running for this very reason let alone fish being caught up in the mess. So much for so called fish care!
• We have been woken in the early hours on several occasions with anglers asking for the gate to be opened because they cold or it is raining.
• We have found many barbed hooks discarded on the banks when our rules are strictly barbless, and we have found many hooks which exceed our maximum size 10.
• On several occasions we have had to ban or warn anglers about the use of banned floating baits including bread, but the problem still exists.
• Our banned baits are few, but we still find used hemp tins, dog biscuits, spinners, bubble floats, controller floats in bins and on the islands and the list goes on.
• Anglers booking on and then not turning up when another angler could have taken their place if we had been informed prior to.
• The use of braid is not allowed, whether on main line or end tackle as this has no elasticity whatsoever, ridiculously high strength value and due to this causes mouth damage to fish and increases the risk of damage or death to wildlife. So much for fish care.
• The use of bait boats and spod mix are both barred but the problem still exists.

There are many other reasons other than above for changing the way we take bookings for night angling.
 
We are now not accepting any night angler bookings unless they can be traced and who we trust (campers, people that we know and season ticket holders). All anglers wishing to book (apart from campers and season ticket holders) must now remind us of who they are for us to make an informed decision on whether to accept them.
 
In light of the above, season ticket holders are more than welcome.
 
Thanking you for your cooperation in advance and look forward to seeing sensible night anglers ONLY.
 
Kind regards
 
Paul
Wassell Grove