Category Archives: Pike Fishing

Boat booking information

A few customers asking when Chew boat fishing permits will become available again. We are running this offering on a reduced basis at present whilst we increase staffing levels and train new starters.
 
Originally we had planned to have another release of tickets for Thursday 16th – Sunday 19th July. We are now pleased to announce that we have been able to extend this with Chew boat permits now being available for the Wednesday 15th – Monday 20th July.
 
Tickets will be released on Ticketsource commencing this Saturday! Until then, Blagdon boat permits and all bank fishing permits can be purchased at Ticketsource via the link HERE.
 
BW Lakeside team

Chew Valley boat procedure, arriving on site..

With boat fishing commencing tomorrow at Chew valley, we’ve been busy making sure our Woodford site is ready. 🛥🛥

We’ve installed signage, hand sanitizing units, flooring markers, changed layouts, installed physical barriers and changed to a single route of flow. phhheewwww, its been busy! 💪💪

A few things to be wary of when visiting site:

 
1) The entrance arrangement for anglers has changed. When you arrive on site, please park sensibly, trying to leave space between your vehicle and others. If this isn’t possible, park next to an unattended vehicle.
2) Follow the signs directing anglers around to the lakeside entrance door.
3) Always social distance, look out for floor markings showing 2m spacing’s.
4) Our tv displaying our health and safety video has moved to the entrance door of the tackle shop. If you haven’t seen it, you’ll need to watch it before entering the shop. You can watch the dvd in advance if you haven’t seen it before. It can be found on our website here: https://tinyurl.com/y6uj5uv7
You will need to sign to say you have seen and understood it. We welcome anglers to bring their own pens to sign with, alternatively…..
5) ….there is a hand sanitizing unit installed nearest the entry to the tackle shop! Please hand sanitize when entering the shop.
6) Follow the one way system inside the shop. Please pick up flies and other bits and bobs you wish to purchase as quickly as possible. Maintain social distancing using the markers on the floor. No more than 4 customers inside the tackle shop at any time please. Office staff will monitor.
7) Pay for any goods, collect permit and inform office staff of boat partners attending. You will be issued your permit and boat number.
8) Exit the building through the back office exit. Follow signage.
9) Tackle up and make your way down to the jetty area. Follow instructions found in our specific covid-19 video here:
Finally, have a great day! We cant wait to see you back out on the water.
BW Lakeside team
 

Chew Valley boat fishing booking information.

Permits for boat fishing at Chew Valley go on sale tonight with Thursdays remaining permits available on Ticket source from 7pm.
Fridays tickets will be available at 9am tomorrow morning and Sundays permits will show on Wednesday morning at 9am.
 
Predator season permit holders can book one of the additional three daily boats for pike fly fishing. Simply drop us a call on 01275 332339. Boats for predator season ticket holders will be issued on a first come first served basis.
 
BW Lakeside team

Chew boat fishing update

Further to our announcement yesterday we are pleased to announce that Chew Valley boat tickets will become available to purchase via Ticketsource on Monday 29th June at 7:00pm.

 

ACCESS:
 
There will be a one way system in place when arriving on site. Anglers will be requested to enter via the lakeside door, not the main entrance door as before. Signage will be in place around the side of the building directing anglers to the appropriate entry point. Please remember to observe social distancing measures at all times when on site, markers will be on the floor showing appropriate social distancing spacing’s.
 
Upon entry to the lodge, we ask that no more than 4 individuals enter the shop at any one time. Our office team will monitor footfall.
 
Exit arrangements have changed too. DO NOT exit through the entry door. Follow the signage inside the tackle shop and hallway to exit via the North East corner of the lodge. You will exit the door nearest the outside toilets/weighing station area of the building.
 
Further guidance on the the above arrangement will be published early next week.
 
Hand sanitising stations will be in place on entry and exit to the tackle shop and toilet facilities.
 
DINING/BREAKFASTS:
 

The Woodford restaurant on site is planning to re open on Saturday 28th July, a breakfast provision will be available dependent on levels of interest. A full English including toast and a choice of tea or coffee is available at a set price of £10.00pp. Booking is essential and should be made by Tuesday 30th June at the latest. To book for breakfast please contact the Woodford team at hello@thewoodfordatchew.co.uk

Chew boat fishing re commencing!

It’s been a long time coming but we are finally there! We are super excited to announce that Chew Valley lake will reopen for boat fishing as on Thursday 2nd July 2020.
Initially boat fishing will be limited to days where our staffing rota can successfully manage two boat fishing operations at the same time. We have been busy behind the scenes utilising staff from within the business to help us at this challenging time. We welcome Spencer and Jacob to the team, you may see them floating around please do say hello.

To start, boat fishing at Chew wont be a 7 day operation as that as seen at Blagdon lake. Initially, boat fishing will only be permitted from Thursday 2nd July through to Sunday 5th July. The second batch of dates will be released in a week or so’s time, permits will then be available for boat fishing from 16th-19th July. We will aim to release tickets on a fortnightly basis if not early when staffing resources allow and continue to grow. Operating two 7 day boat fishing activities at present is not possible for our team although we do hope to get back to this normal regime at some point in the future.

Tickets will go on sale in the next day or two, via ticketsource. Predator season permit holders will be requested to call in to Woodford lodge on 01275 332339 to book boats for pike fly fishing, an allocation of 3 boats a day will be left aside and issued on a first come first served basis for these customers. We will not accept any bookings for non Predator season ticket holders over the phone.

There will be 20 boats available to purchase at Chew Valley, 15 double occupancy offerings and 5 single occupancy offerings per day. Prices will remain the same as at Blagdon lake and will include an 8 fish permit should anglers wish to take any trout. Catch and release is permitted. All coarse fish to be returned unharmed.

We advise all anglers to travel to the fishery solo unless from the same household. Please park sensibly and where possible park away from other vehicles. If this isn’t possible, please consider parking near an unattended vehicle.

A one way system will be operating on site when it comes to signing in. Anglers will need to enter the lodge via the lakeside entrance door. Please observe social distancing at all times and keep an eye open for floor markings and signage. Hand sanitizer will be located nearest the entry door to the tackle shop, please hand sanitise upon entry to the shop. Your prepaid permit will be available for collection from our front desk where a boat number will be issued. You will be required to supply boat partner details and all anglers will need to sign the indemnity from before fishing. We aim to get boats out between 8-9am, weather dependent. Anglers wanting to depart later than this time, should notify the fishery in advance.

Tickets will go on sale in coming days, notifications to follow. In preparation we ask that all customers intending to book watch our specially designed covid-19 video found HERE.
We cant wait to see how the lake fishes from the boats, tight lines to everyone who’s getting out!

BW Lakeside team

Seasonal weed growth at the lakes.

Seasonal weed growth at the lakes is always challenging for our team. It grows so very quick, its impossible to keep on top of at times.
 
We would advise all anglers fishing from the bank to fish with waders in the summer months but be wary not to wade too deep (thigh height only) and watch out for areas of soft mud. Using a wading staff or net handle is advised as well as wearing a lifejacket for your own personal safety.
 
Tactics wise, consider trying methods like the ‘washing line’ which can be incredibly effective for fish feeding over weed beds. This method helps keep flies high in the water. Fishing a goldhead or similar is asking for trouble. Whilst weed beds are a bit of a pain, they also provide great feeding grounds being home to corixae, snails, damsels and many more little critters that the fish love to eat!
 
Our team will continue to cut the weed in key bank areas such as Green lawn, Cheddar water and Rainbow point when time allows. It’s not an easy job and is a task that requires lots of awareness and favorable weather conditions to complete properly. Among the multitude of other ranger responsibilities its a job we try to complete as much as possible.
 
A final note, angler should carefully consider where and when you to fish. Inevitably we can never guarantee that you favored spot will be weed free and areas that are naturally particularly shallow are always going to be challenging to negotiate and cut.
 
Pictured below, Ranger ‘Barney’ weed cutting at Blagdon yesterday

Bird Watching update

We are pleased to announce that bird watching, for season ticket holders, can recommence at our lakes as of Friday 29th May 2020.🐦🐦🐦
 
Sadly, we are not issuing day permits or season permits immediately. We will review in a week’s time once we are confident that the activity is being conducted safely.
 
Some guidance if you are intending to visit in coming days:
 
– Please remember to observe signage at site, limiting access to hides to no more then 2 individuals at a time. During busy periods we politely ask that bird watchers limit their time in any individual hide to 20 minutes.
 
– Please close and lock gates behind you using the combination given to you at the time of your permit purchase.
 
– Please continue to follow government guidelines remembering to social distance at all times.
 
– We advise you to bring hand sanitizer or gloves when visiting the lakes
 
– Please park sensibly and only in designated parking areas. Please do not park on meadow grass.
 
We thank you for your cooperation. We will review in a weeks time and hopefully by then be in a position to start issuing day and season permits once again.
 
BW Lakeside team

Almost there….boat fishing

Its been a manic day for our team today making final preparations for Blagdon reopening to boat fishing tomorrow. We are fully booked for tomorrow, Thursday and Friday with prepaid anglers but tickets for the Saturday and Sunday will be available as of 11am tomorrow morning.

 

Check out our Ticketsource page HERE to purchase. We are NOT accepting bookings via phone, messenger or email.

 

If you haven’t already, make sure you take a careful look at the details posted just a few days ago check out our purpose made video HERE

BW Lakeside Team

Bank fishing- Some of your queries answered…

A few questions relating to bank fishing permits cropping up. Some guidance:

What are the ticket variations?

We have simplified our bank permit offerings since reopening our waters. This is a temporary measure to get an online booking system up and running quickly. There are two ticket variations, a Chew/Blagdon permit and a Barrow permit.

Where can I purchase a permit?

Bank permits are available online from Ticketsource. See the link HERE to purchase.

Why is there a booking fee?

Sadly, providing a online booking facility has its associated costs to both our provider and us. A £1.00 booking fee is in place for every permit purchased to cover admin costs associated with providing this facility.

There are no tickets left on the day I want to fish, does this mean I have to choose another day?

We are monitoring the number of tickets available. On some days, ticket numbers available may be reduced compared with other days. We are monitoring weather conditions which impact available bank space. On windier days, there might not be as many tickets available at some waters. Tickets are selling out fast, so be quick to make sure you don’t miss out. Regularly check Ticketsource. We don’t want to overcrowd banks and we don’t want anglers turning up disappointed that they cannot find a safe space to fish.

I cant find a ticket for next week, when will they become available?

Tickets are being released in batches once we have a better understanding of the weather ahead. As an example, tickets for Wednesday and Thursday of next week will be released as of 9 am tomorrow morning so keep checking Ticketsource regularly.

What about juniors, there is no option for them?

Juniors can fish for FREE when accompanied by a full paying adult. Should a junior wish to purchase a permit for themselves only, call our team at 01275 332339 and we will be happy to assist.

Catch returns, how do I enter one?

One of the big disadvantages of the current system is that there is no online catch return entry system. At present we are asking customers to send in catch returns to woodford.lodge@bristolwater.co.uk . Remember, blank returns are as important as bag limit returns.

Access codes, rule and regulations and other bits. Where will I find these details?

When purchasing a ticket you will find links to all of the relevant information for our fisheries. An access code will be on show on your e-ticket. Please do not disclose this code to others. It can be used for all access gates around our sites. Please lock gates behind you.

Reminder to all anglers

Not everyone plays by the rules. A few things to keep in mind when out and about fishing…
 
National Rod Licenses:
All anglers fishing our waters need to hold a valid rod licence. Purchasing a National rod licence is simple and takes only a few minutes to do. Check out the link HERE to purchase a rod licence online.
 
Unauthorised fishing:
Believe someone is fishing without a permit or using methods not allowed at our fishery or others? Call the EA incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or the police on 101. Its important that everyone sticks to the rules, fishing without permit or not in line with the fishery rules is simply not acceptable.
 
Unauthorised entry into the water:
See someone swimming in the water or launching craft? Call our emergency line on 01275 332481. Our team will do the best that they can to respond as quickly as possible. Swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing and launching of unauthorised craft is not permitted at Chew Valley, Barrow tanks, Litton lakes and Blagdon lake. It is incredibly dangerous with deep water, hidden obstructions such as pumps and nasty waterborne diseases present.
 
Please help us by doing your part when visiting our waters.
BW Lakeside team