February 2nd 2010
New head waterkeeper
Introducing myself, Robert Campbell as the new Head Water Keeper, it will be a hard act to follow Ernie Shufflebotham, but I am looking forward to working alongside Ernie to develop our waters and to maintain the high standards set. Welcome to existing members and new members and I hope you will enjoy our angling facilities and surroundings.
I will be aiming to improve our waters for our members, especially if they are under used at present, also looking at making our pools more fishable by introducing features/ planting to make our waters less peggy.
I need the feedback from members verbally as well as through catch returns and the website and don’t forget to send in your angling photo’s with a few words to the website manager.
I tried to raise a few extra members to the water management team after speaking to match members at the last Fur & Feather match at Brookhouse pool. It was well attended and run by Phil Royle and Steve Brown in extremely cold conditions, keep supporting the matches.
I hope the match anglers appreciate our waters when they fish their matches on our club waters.
We have some excellent members in the water management team who are maintaining your waters every weekend. If there are any members out there who want to help out on our work parties, if not every weekend, say every 4 or 6 weeks it would be greatly appreciated to keep our high standard of waters for everyone, please give us a ring.
Will members note my correct mobile phone number is 0789 539 2886 and not as listed in the 2010 membership book.
There is a new video on Grange Pool on “youtube.com” to raise awareness
to our members on the water management team, also to encourage anglers
to join BMAC and give members an insight on this new water. The new
water to look forward to is opening on 31st March 2010. Feed in youtube.com on your browser and then type or copy and paste
8Ip4UfQMKBE the title of the video is “ Bay Malton
AC new 2010 fishery - Grange Pool “
I have enclosed a few photo’s of Grange Pool due to open in March 2010.
Rob Campbell
September 5th 2009
River Dane Manor Farm Stretch
We have received a complaint from Prince Albert A.A. about our members. It appears that some are crossing the River Dane via the footbridge, this is alright in itself but, apparently, when our members have crossed the footbridge to fish BMAC opposite bank they are also crossing banks owned by Prince Albert A.A. to gain access to the BMAC fishery. It is also said that some BMAC members are fishing from Prince Albert banks, by mistake, perhaps.
I must ask all BMAC members not to continue this practice. There is an alternative route which must be used. If you are unsure contact Dominic Swain, assistant head bailiff, or refer to the map.
Parking at Watergrove Reservoir
All members please note that parking of cars outside the designated areas, car parks one and two, is strictly prohibited. You may drop off tackle or less mobile members at areas that are appropriate but you must then park your vehicle in the car parks provided. These instructions are from our landlord, United Utilities and are for public safety reasons. Thank you.
Head Bailiff.
August 4th 2009
The future?
The club is currently looking to invest in its fly/game section. To do this we need feed back from members who participate in this type of angling. This is a fairly new venture but we do have a few waters that that will turn up some good fish to fly such as the River Bollin, River Gowy, certain stretches of the River Dane and of course Mitchells Reservoir. These may not be the chalk streams of Southern England but they are on our door step and they have produced numerous Trout between three and six pounds, plus plenty of Grayling and Dace.
We also have a good deal for the club members, who fly fish, at Chirk Fishery in Wales. There you can fish the River Cariog in season whilst out of season you can fish the well stocked still waters at this venue just to keep your hand in. BMAC however wants to give you more.
It is possible that the club could offer more of this type of fishing together with week end and full week stays. However, before we get involved the club need to know if the interest and commitment is there. I know the recession may be holding some people back and that some people will use it as a reason to do nothing but remember even if you can not afford a holiday you could still go fishing to help relax your mind and give you a few hours sanity. Remember your club card works out at 96p per week. I think that is good value.
Anyhow the committee need to know, from the fly anglers in the club. How often do you go fly fishing, is it full time or just part of the angling that you do. Would you like us to get more waters? Do you have friends who would join BMAC for this type of fishing? Would you like to take up fly fishing?
If you are a novice or pro and are looking to join a club without waiting a lifetime then give us a call. If you are a small club or syndicate, maybe with no waters, why not join us and let us supply the waters for you. As I have said before we can't invest in a section of the sport without your backing. So please contact myself, head water keeper, the club fly fishing officer, Nigel Rogers, or any member of the committee via the club P.O box number, email or phone. All the details are on the club website or in your club card. Looking forward to hearing from you. Ernie, head water keeper.
June 27th 2009
Waters update
Bentley Pool
We are working on the sluices at Bentley Pool so I will apologise for any inconvenience this may cause to club members who fish there. The sluices need to be upgraded as they have fallen into disrepair when the former angling club had this water which caused the dam wall to burst one night causing a lot of damage and loss of fish. Apart from the sluices new stages around the main pool is complete so you should not be disturbed fishing there. We will be concentrating on the middle and top pools hoping to finish them ready for the rain to fill them back up again in the Autumn.
Primrose Pool
This pool will remain closed for the time being this being due to poor oxygen levels brought about by the hot weather.
Grange Pool
This pool is not open yet. The water is very low at the moment and I am also waiting for the return of the machine to lay the stone etc. to the path round the pool. We are also waiting for the farmer to erect a fence along the access track to stop the cows gaining access to the pool and car park. There are also several other issues to be addressed.
River Dane, Cotton Farm
The locks on both the gates on this fishery keep disappearing. This may be by accident (?!) or it may be deliberate. Either way will members please keep their eyes open and report anything suspicious round this water and, of course, any other club water.
P.S. the locks and chains have been replaced.
P. Williams, assistant head water keeper
May 17th 2009
Progress
Lymm dam is coming on with the completion of the stage work to the right of the dam with new hand rails and steps to provide easy access and also a new fence has been erected on the right side of the dam. in February it was stocked with more bream and roach and tench making sure the fishing gets better. The stage work to left of the water will be contracted out to a company that make disabled staging this should start latter in the year.The big bream are starting to show just off the shallows at the top end of the lake these are being caught on the tip using maggot feeder as you can see on the news page there are nice sized carp being caught on a regular basis.I hope to be fishing the dam next Saturday so I should be able to give a better report on how its fishing.
Peter Shufflebotham
May 17th 2009
Moor pool
This water has been with the club since the beginning over
the years we
have stocked this water with a good head of perch roach bream the roach
and the perch are over 2lbs in weight but these only show in summer
months using the pole. There are still carp being caught over 18lbs
method being pellet. This winter there will be new stages put in and a
walkway. Ernie
June 26th 2008
Recent E.A. Bollin survey
April 16th 2008
News from Watergrove
The image on the left shows a pike of 19-12-00 caught April 5th from Watergrove. Second image shows young Jack Pike being stocked into the water. This stocking will continue into the future with plenty of coarse fish being released.
April 14th 2008
Accessible fishing
The BMAC policy is to make fishing for members as accessible and secure as possible. For example: the two images below show where money has recently been spent on a new road way down to the new stretch of the Bollin, which you will soon be able to enjoy.
February 18th 2008
Lymm Dam and Longbarn Update
Longbarn is due to have a complete refurbishment which is due to start soon. However the committee have decided to allow members to fish whilst this is going on rather than close the water for any length of time.
Fish species known in this water are: Roach, Tench, good Perch, Crucian Carp, Ghost Carp (large), plenty of Pike, good sized Common and MIrror Carp and lots of Bream.
The pool is well woth a visit. The following bans apply: no live baiting for Pike, no keepnets, no barbed hooks except half barbed when Pike fishing, no dog or cat meat, no tins of any kind, no freshwater fish to be used as bait, no night fishing. Mackeral strips, Lamprey and Sprats are OK for Pike fishing.
Restaging will continue throughout 2008 at Lymm Dam and so will restocking. The Dam contains a good variety of fish: Large Common and MIrror Carp, very large PIke, good Perch and Roach, Tench, Chub, Eels, Wells Catfish, Crucian Carp and plenty of good Bream.
The following bans apply: no live baiting for Pike, no keepnets, no barbed hooks except half barbed when Pike fishing i.e. 2+1 set up, no dog or cat meat, no tins of any kind, no freshwater fish to be used as bait, no night fishing. Mackeral strips, Lamprey and Sprats are OK for Pike fishing. Lures are OK.
December 3rd 2007
Recent stocking at Lymm Dam
August 25th 2007
Peover game and angling fair report
The Cheshire Game and Angling Fair was held on August 19th
at Peover
Hall near Knutsford. Bay Malton Angling Club was present with its own
display stage, sharing what the 
club is
about and showing what it has
to offer. Even though the day was blessed with heavy rain and four
inches of mud. The show was very well attended and much interest was
shown in the Bay Malton stand with many people taking away application
forms. Quite a few signed up to go onto the waiting list to guarantee
their membership in December.
It was nice to meet the club members, and old friends from previous years, who braved the day and turned up. It was good to see Terry and Peter and the gang from the Prince Albert AA who help us out each year. Thanks to Peter who always takes time to come and see us for a chat.
Even though it was a damp day spirits stayed high and after a couple of flasks of coffee and an Ostrich burger I was ready for anything. All in all it was a very successful day for the club and by the time 4 pm came I think it is fair to say that that everybody was ready for home. We packed up and then had to tow the club's van off the show ground, or Somme. With that I would like to thank everyone who came to erect the club stand and stayed to run everything. Many thanks to you all, we could not do it without you.
If you have never been to the show why not try and come next year, I think you will enjoy it. Perhaps I will see you then. Ernie, head water keeper/bailiff.
July 10th 2007
Bailiffing
You may not have seen much of me on the on the banks of the club's water in recent months. The reason for this that myself and the other bailiffs have been tied up at Lymm Dam, Longbarn Pool and a few other waters.
We have a close season on Lymm but of course there are those who shoose to ignore this which means we have to remind them. Others think they can night fish and no one will know. Well they are now finding out that we do know. So, gradually, things are getting better with less reports of illegal fishing taking place at Lymm Dam.
Another problem is the growing number pf people who just want to take fish to eat. When caught a lot of them claim they don't understand you, when of course they do. We have had a number of incidents like this. Telescopic rods and buckets, for taking fish, have even been found hidden away.
Vandalism is beyond me and I can not understand the mentality of people who want to destroy. When you ask these person why they do it they just say they don't know. When we catch people in the act, mainly young, we go to their parents' home and to their school. Up to now this approach seems to be working. We are having less of these problems on the club's waters.
We have made it very clear that the club will seek redress, through the courts, if the problems continue and we catch people in the act. One good thing that has come out of this is that the public see the work we are putting into the fisheries and tend to keep an eye on things going on and give us a ring when needed.
Shortage of man or women power is also a problem. Many people apply to become a bailiff only to disappear once they have their card. Strange situation and it is one I don't have a lot of respect for. The job is interesting, you get to meet and know people plus it gets you out a couple of times a week. It is also a very important position within BMAC. So if any of you want to put something back into angling, and I think most of us owe it something, get in touch with me. You will have to be over eighteen, either male or female, like the open air and can spare some time. Why not give it a try, you may find you like the job. You can contact me through water on this web site or phone me on 07762 041237. Or Dominic Swain on 07770 846039.
You can also see more information under jobs available.
June 26th 2007
Always good, Manor Pool
Manor Pool at Ollerton, Knutsford is another highly productive water containing, Wild Carp, Mirror Carp to 11lb, Perch, Roach, Rudd, Skimmers and hundreds of small Carp crosses. If you are a beginner or have a youngster who has just taken up fishing this is the pool for you.Only small, I'll grant you, but once you get the fish feeding it is a fish a chuck with a few big surprises waiting for.
During June we will be repairing the stages and walkways for now. In the near future we will be looking to enlarge the pool, creating bank side stages and installing a new perimeter fence.
June 23rd 2007
Blackshaw's refurbishment
Blackshaw's Pool at Stretton is a cracking water that the club took over in the early years of growth. It contains some of the best Roach and Rudd you would wish to catch. Early morning or a Summer's evening proves to be the times to fish.There is also a good head of Silver Bream in the water for which pinkie seems to be the bait to use. Try the deeper end at about four or five feet. The water also contains some fine Green and Golden Tench. These can be found at the gate end of the pool, where it is silted up, in about three feet of water. You will also find some superb Crucian Carp between one and two and a half pounds, plus Mirror and Common carp. You might also come across the mystery fish that many people have hooked only to have their line snapped, their hook straightened or even their top section smashed. Not bad for what is a little pool.
Visit Blackshaws and you will not be disappointed and if you don't succeed initially give it more time.
Your water management team has been out at Blackshaws, during June, installing brand new stages to bring it into line with the club's other waters. It is also a water that we are hoping to enlarge in the not to distant future.
The images below are of the recent stage refurbishment. Ernie, Head water keeper and bailiff.
June 11th 2007
Hatherton Lodge Pool
Hatherton Lodge Pool is some 100yds long by app. 20 yds wide. Three feet at one end and rising to five feet at the far end.A massive amount of planting has been done in the pool with banks of rushes, Flag Iris and water Lilies. Much more planing on the banks and in the woodland. The far bank is a conservation area with no fishing allowed.
We have just started stocking the pool with Crucian Carp, Silver Rudd, Golden Rudd, Skimmer Bream and larger Bream to two and a half pounds. Tench and Perch will be added this Autumn. There were already some large fish in the pool when we took it over.
Stone is being delivered to finish the access track and the car park. This means that the pool will soon be ready to open
June 10th 2007
Longbarn Pool progress
We are still waiting for the final legal documents on this water but it should not be to long before completion. The engineers report, which is in our possession, concerns the complete refurbishment of the pool.Further to that we are waiting for reports from the company who may be de-silting the water. This may mean the pool being drained and dug out.
When all the prices are in we can start to look for grant support to help with the restoration.
June 5th 2007
Lymm Dam progress
Lymm Dam
like, like Longbarn, is a water that used to belong to another club and
offering day tickets. It is now BMAC water and should be ready for
opening on June 16th 2007 for normal fishing. The replacement of stages
has alread begun, costings are in for the new walkway and
disabledstages for the dam wall end of the fishery so grant funding can
now be sought for this part of the Dam refurbishment. There is much
work to do on the dam and this includes removal of the fallen 
trees
that are in the water. Removal, we hope, will remove the roosting areas
for the Cormorants. We will of course be working alongside Warrington
Borough Council's Ranger Service. Later in the year the Environment
Agency will carry out fish stock surveys with a view to replacing fish
that are not in the Dam. It is the intention of the club to make
the whole of the Dam into a premier fishery that everyone can enjoy.
Ernie, Head Waterkeeper/Bailiff.
May 29th 2007
River Gowy, the future
This little river holds a lot of surprises. You can catch anything from a 6lb Brown Trout, Yellow Pike and even plaice, that's right even plaice - as in chips. The river also has a great future. For example: off river breeding pools are to be dug out to help the fish population to become more sustainable. A new fishing pool is also earmarked for one of the meadows. Of course this all takes time. It has alraedy taken three years to get all interested parties round the table. Those parties include DEFRA, BTUC, The Environment Agency, Chester City Coucil, United Utilities, Grange Estates and of course, Bay Malton Angling Club to name a few.When the development starts it will be at least another four years before everyhting is completed, but it will be well worth the wait. BMAC will end up with a first class fishery with all the ameneties. This will benefit wild life, visitors and anglers alike.
Ernie, Head Waterkeeper and Bailiff.
May 27th 2007
Dove House Pool and Willow Bed Pool
There have been a number of problems with these two waters, with the original owner having to sell the farm. BMAC had already committed itself to stocking these waters and indeed stocking had already started so it was quite a worrying time for myself personally.After the farm was sold I received a telephone call from the new owners and after several meeting I am pleased to say that BMAC have retained these waters. Work has already been restarted on the pools a stocking will recommence this Autumn.
BMAC is looking forward to a long and happy working relationship with the new owners of these two prestigious waters. Ernie, head waterkeeper/bailiff
News
on Watergrove
Well, as you will be aware aware by now, Bay
Malton took over the fishing rights at the reservoir on April 1st 2007.
Recorded species there are Roach, Rudd, Bream, some Carp and big Pike. (see the two photos at the end).
There
is still a lot to sort out on the water as there are other groups
involved at this location. (windsurfers
etc.) With this in mind it
might be best to hold off fishing until we have sorted out signs,
parking, rules, bait bans (if any) just be patient. Go and have a look
round while the weather is good, I am sure you will enjoy it. Also have
a talk to the rangers.We will be adding stock fish to this water and I think this will go on for some time to come considering the size of the place. I will promise you one thing: we will not rob Peter to pay Paul, all the stock fish will be purchased, unless, of course, we are given any freebies. Stay tuned, I will let you know more later. Regards, Ernie, head waterkeeper/bailiff.
Fish movements
A few images showing the netting of a Bay Malton stock pool. This is to enable health checks/reports for the E.A so that a licence can be applied for, to move the fish to their new home in 2007.
