LEVAS

leigh · Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 28

Hi,

I've just read the narrative on Grange Pond in the Our Waters section and noticed the "...On average, another 200 to 300 carp are introduced each year..."

Does the club have any other stocking policies for those of us who don't live and die for carp?

What about some more tench, bream or roach?

IMHO, the worst thing that can happen to GP and indeed the club is for us to turn GP into a true "Carp Venue" like so many commercial fisheries. Lets keep the balance of variety that makes GP such a great place to fish.

John · Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 67

The main problem at Grange is stocking fish that are relatively cormorant proof, as we have several hundred cormorants residing within a few miles of the venue, some of which appear to feed there daily. There is no way that our club can afford to buy cormorant food!
Grange pond currently holds (or did hold prior to this winter) an excellent head of roach and perch. It also has a substantial head of bream. It is one of the best tench waters in this area. It has previously been stocked with tench, and there is every chance that further stockings of tench could take place in the near future.
The committee decided a few years ago that Grange would be stocked mainly with (smallish) carp of the variety that would give the majority of users good sport, and that the excellent tench stock would be maintained. The plan was that as carp reached a 'reasonable' size (i.e into double figures) they could possibly be considered as stock for Fletchers. We shall see.
There is no doubt that one of the reasons that LEVAS is a flourishing club is down to the popularity of Grange Pond, so hopefully the committee are getting it right!
We also have excellent roach, perch and bream fishing on our other waters, but no other carp fishing of this type.

John · Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 67

On Friday 21 April 2006, 740 new 6" to 8" common and mirror carp were released into Grange Pond. It is hoped these will grow well throughout the summer and be cormorant proof by the autumn.

John · Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 67

I have just heard that a further 350 pound plus carp have been ordered for Grange Pond to be delivered in late March early April 2007.

There is the possibility of getting more tench but a net is required for this. Has anyone got (or can get hold of) a decent seine net that we could borrow (or buy). If so please let me (or any club officials) know ASAP.

Grange produced lots of good 'skimmers' (over a pound) last year. The tench fishing was excellent. Stocks of roach and perch remain high and we have a good balanced (all round) fishery.

Silvertop · Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Sittinghere

John · Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 67

The pike never got a look in either last year, as most were taken by the herons. This is why this year's new stock are much bigger.

leigh · Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 28

Silvertop · Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 6 Location: Sittinghere

[Yeah, the pike population in GP is huge Rolling Eyes

!

well you got that bit right Very Happy

all the best
Silvertop Wink

bob · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 3

Having fished grange pond for the last few years . I find that recently especially last year that the fishing has not been as good . I guess the stocking is aimed at improving this , but having spoken to alot of anglers at the pond the feeling is that the new stock may diisappear as quickley as the last with so many predators both in and around the pond . I agree that the pond should be a balanced fishery but also should the club protect its investment ?

John · Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 67

The club do what they can to protect their fish stocks. For the last 2 years we have had licences to shoot cormorants. Our 'shooters' have balanced scaring with culling and 'bag limits' have been taken. Prior to this we put lines out over the lake which also helped.

Regarding herons, there is little we can do except stock fish large enough not to be taken.

The pike population has also been carefully 'managed', and surplus stocks have been removed (and stocked elsewhere) by electrofishing and netting from time to time. to date, bigger specimens have been returned.

Regarding sport on the pond, some claim it to be better now than it has ever been, others claim it to be not so good. All I can say is that over recent years Grange has progressed from an over weeded and sparsely stocked lake to one that holds a good head of fish of mixed species. There are good stocks of tench and carp, the bream have grown on well and are showed well last year, good catches of roach and perch are regularly taken, and there have been several chub caught as well. Other fish caught include gudgeon, ruffe, dace and rudd, as well as pike.

Something must be going right!

bob · Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 3

Im not trying to bring the pond down . I agree it is a good club fishery . The regulars I speak to agree it didnt fish aswell last year but i dont think thats anything to do with the work you or the club do i think the ban on feeding floating baits made it harder in the hot summer and some of the carp have got older and wiser . this years ban on feedig boilies wont do any harm some people were putting in bucket loads . but lets hope people stick to the rules cause very often last year once the bailiffes were out the car park in goes the floating bait .