Questions, Answers and Suggestions Summary - William Kirstein & Angela Tarry (General Managers)
Q. What is the impact of the quagga mussel at Rutland Water?
A. Due to the current low water levels the vast growth of quagga mussels can clearly be seen at Rutland Water. As the population continues to increase this is likely to have an adverse impact on reservoir infrastructure including our boats and boat engines in addition to water quality. There will likely be a financial cost associated to this. The demon shrimp, present in Rutland Water live happily alongside the quagga mussel however it is too early to tell what impact the mussel will have on the local environment and ecosystems. Following good biosecurity practices is vital to stop the spread of this non native invasive species to other waters.
Q. What is the future of Ravensthorpe?
A. Ravensthorpe is a gem of a water which unfortunately doesn’t get fished nearly as much as our larger waters. It is a great fishery to learn on especially in the spring and autumn. The summer months can be tricky as the water often gets warms due to its smaller size and depth. We are confident that Ravensthorpe will continue as a fly fishing for trout water for the foreseeable future. We are looking at options to become more efficient across all our waters, Ravensthorpe included. Help to support us by visiting Ravensthorpe –you will be warmly welcomed.
Q. Would capping the number of fish you can take on the premium ticket be an idea to save excessive numbers of fish being caught and killed?
A. It’s a great question and it would certainly help stop excessive numbers of trout being caught especially as prices are going up! This is something which we will be considering for next season.
Q. Why don’t you consider stopping the killing of brown trout across the waters?
A. Another great question! Again, this is something which we are considering for next season. Brown trout cost substantially more to purchase so we don’t stock excessive numbers. However, we know that browns over winter and grow on really well in our waters so allowing catch and release only on any browns caught would help to maintain their numbers and produce some great sized browns for future years.
Q. What will be the fishing/boat prices for next year?
A. Boat and permit prices have not yet been set for next season. We are currently waiting for our fish farms to provide us with their final prices. It is a difficult time for the farms as the prices of fish food, electricity and fuel are all going up so once they have set their prices these will be set for the year. We will then legally commit to purchasing the fish via a purchase order. We are also currently in negotiations with the fish farms to set new 10 year purchasing agreements. This will give both us and the farmers confidence and security. Once we have next year’s fish prices, we will be in a position to decide how many fish to purchase and at what size. We envisage that prices will be set by the end of November ready for the Federation of Anglers Meeting on 30th November 2022. Our 2023 stocking policy will then be published on our website.
Q. Why is spinning for trout permitted at Pitsford in July and August but not at Grafham or Rutland?
A. Spinning for trout was trialled several years ago at Pitsford to increase trade throughout the warmer months when typically, the numbers of fly anglers fishing from boats dropped away. The trial was successful, and we found that without advertising spinning during July and August we were able to fill the boats especially at weekends. To date we have not introduced spinning for trout at Rutland and Grafham as we know this is not a popular option with fly anglers. That’s not to say that it won't ever happen in the future. We’ll need fly anglers support more than ever.
Q. Do you price match in the fishing lodges? This would help increase sales.
A. Yes, we do price match against online retailers. Please bring the website address and product details and we will price match any like for like product you find cheaper online.
Q. Why don’t you stop issuing nets and drogues to boat anglers to save money?
A. This is something which we get asked all the time. The use of nets and drogues is a vital part of our biosecurity arrangements we have across all our waters. We work closely with the EA and have agreed strict practices to continue recreational activities in waters which contain non native invasive species, reduce cross contamination risks and reduce the risk of introducing other non native invasive species to the waters. The cost of providing nets and drogues to anglers is really quite small in comparison to other costs and could help to prevent large reservoir infrastructure costs and the detriment of natural ecosystems in our waters. Please always remember to ‘check, clean, dry’ any equipment which has come into contact with any of our waters.
Q. Are you planning to offer online boat and permit bookings? Online catch returns would also be really good.
A. Absolutely! We are currently working with website developers to build an online permit and boat booking system. If our current timeline goes to plan this should be available to anglers from February 2023. Online catch returns is also included in this project as is refreshing our website so watch this space we are very busy behind the scenes creating something which we hope will transform our anglers experience!
Q. Are you committed to fly fishing? What is the future looking like in AW’s eyes?
A. As managers of what we believe are the best fly fishing waters this country has to offer, we are extremely committed to continue the immense effort the teams have put in over the years and continue to drive the fisheries forward to a positive future. We are extremely fortunate to be in a position to best use AW financial investment to maintain and improve the unrivalled facilities. We are continuing to invest in our boat fleet, for example by purchasing 4-5 new fishing boats every year, we have purchased new wheely boats (one for each water), refurbished catering and retail facilities, upgraded pontoons, installed new angler parking areas to name but a few. We are also building a new online booking system and catch returns system whilst working with our supply chain team to get best possible prices from the fish farms for upcoming seasons. We are also always looking at ways of increasing footfall and sales and have some exciting new competition ideas for next season.
Q. I have heard that Ravensthorpe will be closing and the other waters are going any method. Is this true?
A. Absolutely not! None of this is true. This sound like a rumour which is simply untrue. We welcome any comments or suggestions, and we would encourage anglers to talk directly to us. We regularly observe potentially damaging comments and rumours on social media platforms many of which are untrue. These comments can be extremely damaging to our reputation and the number of fly anglers using our waters. We are looking to address this by providing more opportunities for anglers to talk directly too us to address any fears or rumours. We will also be publishing meeting minutes, our stocking policy etc on our website to ensure there is accurate information available to all. Our own ‘Anglian Water Fisheries’ Facebook page is closely managed and provides up to date accurate information. If you have a question, please feel free to message via this page us or simply give one of our lodges a call.
Q. Why don’t you actively push for more competitions to be held on the waters?
A. We would love more competitions to be held on our waters. We have established unrivalled facilities in terms of car park capacity, boat fleets, retail and catering facilities. Our teams would welcome more competitions and will be able to provide really competitive prices to competition organisers –so please get in touch.
Q. Would you be prepared to look at increasing the prizes for competitions to make them more attractive?
A. Yes, this is something which we certainly can look into.
Q. Will you be doing another Open House Event?
A. Absolutely! We are next meeting with representatives from local angling clubs on 30th November 2022 at the Federation of Angling Clubs Annual Meeting. We are then planning the annual Fisheries Open Day in February (date and location TBC) where we will be available for an informal chat. In the meantime we are always open to questions, suggestions, comments from all anglers and visitors so please contact us or pop in and see us. We are always happy to have a chat.