NEWS LETTER MAY 2011   　 The coarse fishing season ended with many good bags of chub, Martin Elliot landed 13 trotting with maggots at Woodgreen. Dave Lloyd had a bag of 8 best 5lbs 12oz long trotting with maggots, Bob Roe landed 6 chub to 5lbs and 3 barbel between 7-8lbs in an afternoon , Bob also landed another three barbel a few days before. Nick Johnson landed a brace of barbel at 10lbs and 12lbs as well as 2 chub of 5lbs. A barbel of 13lbs 4oz was landed in the last swim opposite the salmon hut.Grayling were caught all through the fishery on float fished maggots the best was one of 1lb 6ozs from downstream of Charford. Another nice perch of 2lbs+ was caught at from Charford Weir. The Environment Agency electro-fished recently to obtain a sample of fish for scale reading, they caught a 4lb perch at Charford Weir and saw several others of 2-3lbs which were not netted, chub and dace were caught throughout the fishery and some barbel were disturbed on the riffle, a 10lb fish was sampled. The stocked Brown Trout have been released at the riffle. The river remains exceptionally low for the time of year, the flow is unlikely to recover until the autumn, levels will rise due to the weed growth [Archimedes said so]. There are two Barn Owl nests on the fishery, the box at Hale has two eggs and the other nest is in the old willow downstream of the Salmon hut.     LIN

NEWS LETTER FEBRUARY 2011  As spring arrives the river is very low, due to the driest January for many years, the ground water across Salisbury plain is very low, and many of the main springs have failed to flow this winter. The level through Hale Park will remain low through to early June when the weed growth will raise the level. An extremely wet March would help, but by April most rainfall is taken up by plants and the water does not reach the springs. Otters; locally there is one dog otter holding a territory from at least our bottom boundary to at least 3 miles upstream, this is an identifiable old otter with a distinctly grey moustache, it spends most of its time eating Rainbows at the fish farm upstream of Downton. Otters disappeared from the Avon for about a decade in the 1970's, surveys carried out at Hale in 1982 showed they were present, and they have been ever since, so they are not new arrivals. They are not such a problem as I’m told they are in other areas we do however see an occasional half eaten fish. Fish catches in recent weeks include Barbel of 13lbs, 11lbs 2oz,and 10lbs3oz, there have been good numbers of smaller fish between 6 and 8lbs, during the warmer spells. Many bags of 4 to 8 chub have been caught mostly on trotted maggot or bread, catches have included several fish of 5lbs+, one of 6lb 3oz at Charford Weir and another of 6lb 2oz from the Dogleg, Grayling and Dace have been caught in small numbers all through the fishery, 2 Perch of 2lbs+ were caught at North Charford weir. Pike catches, a bag of 8 on live baits between Hale bridge and the Paddock, included 3 mid teen doubles best was 17.5lbs. Another of 18.5lbs was caught at Charford weir on a ‘lucky lizard’ lure. The river is looking good at the moment, lets hope heavy rain stays away until the 16th. Good luck all. FEES FOR 2011/12 will remain at £210:00 Please make cheques payable to HALE PARK FISHERY And send to; L R DAVIS, at the usual address (please email if you don't have the address) ON OR BEFORE MARCH 18TH PLEASE     Thank You LIN

NEWS LETTER OCTOBER 2010 Following heavy rain over the weekend the river rose and coloured, it is now clearing and falling back, the weed is now starting to thin out, greatly aided by a large flock of swans which are eating and pulling it out. During early September John Harding who held the fishery barbel record at 13lbs 15oz, landed a fish of 14lbs 7oz. in late September Martin Elliot landed another also at 14lbs 7oz, and had another large fish at 13lbs 10oz. Two other fish of 13lbs 9oz and 13lbs 6oz were also reported. Martin Williams landed a trio of fish at 11lbs 2z, 9lbs 14oz, and 9lbs 5oz all on ledgered prawns. John Perkins caught a brace of barbel at 10lbs 6oz and 8lbs 4oz and the following day caught two more at 8lbs 7oz and 3lbs 4oz, he also had 3 5lbs+ chub. Andy Eames landed a brace of barbel at 10lbs 8oz and 9lbs 14oz caught on worms. Brent baker landed a barbel of 10lbs+ at the riffle. A bag of 8 chub at Charford weir included 2 fish of 5lbs 12oz and 5lbs 10oz Some good bags of dace continue one of 20lbs in 4 hours downstream of hale bridge, which included some roach to 1lb 4oz The fishery will be busy on Sunday October 17th as a group of members and guests will be fishing together The original website is not used any more and a new website at www.haleparkfishery.co.uk/ now replaces it. In the ‘news letter’ section click on ‘read more’ to see any recent news. - This has now moved to " FISHERY BLOG" page This is where I will put reports on river conditions, particularly over winter when things change on a daily basis, and I can hopefully save those of you who travel from afar a wasted journey. Members will continue to receive newsletters through the post. Cheerio for now see you on the river LIN

NEWS LETTER JUNE 2010   The river is looking in good form for the start of the coming coarse fishing season. A slight tinge of colour at three feet deep, and the weed growth is less than usual for the time of year. Barbel and chub are moving on the faster gravel shallows, and whilst fly-fishing for trout, dace have been taking the fly regularly. The mayfly hatch started a little late on the 29th of May the numbers have been increasing daily since then, and chub and dace as well as trout are now starting to rise, a Hobby has also joined in the bonanza. A member fly fishing at Charford weir hooked and landed a chub of 7lbs. on a Grannom fly, a sea trout of 4lbs. was caught on a wetfly, close to the salmon hut at Breamore. During the first week of May the Barn owl nesting box, close to Hale bridge, was checked by the ‘owlman’ and found to contain six eggs, the first laid of these should have hatched by now. Further up the field another box has Kestrels nesting in it. There are at least two Great Crested Grebes nests along the river, and at Hale bridge a moorhen has a nest, unusually high at four feet above the river, you can look into this one from the bridge. The original website is not used any more and a new website at www.haleparkfishery.co.uk/ now replaces it. In the ‘news letter’ section click on ‘read more’ to see any recent news. This is where I will put reports on river conditions, particularly over winter when things change on a daily basis, and I can hopefully save those of you who travel from afar a wasted journey. Members will continue to receive newsletters through the post. Cheerio for now see you on the river LIN