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A few dates for your diaries
Hi All As we come to the end of the 2025/26 season a few dates for your diaries: Now: A reminder that the close season is in effect so the River is closed. Now: Pike season has also closed. 1 April: The small lake at Hall Farm is also closed from and including 1 April until 1 June. 8 April: The Club's AGM. 21 May: Club presentation night at Hunter's Meet Hatfield Heath. 30/31 May: New Club memberships available in person at MBL. 1 June: The new Club year starts so you
Gary Pickard
Mar 291 min read
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AGM Weds 8 April and Newsletter
With another year quickly passed by it is time for our AGM soon. Please keep an eye on your ClubMate emails as the Agenda will be circulated via email and we will also add a copy on this page This year's AGM is will be at Great Hadham Golf Club which has lots of parking (postcode SG10 6JE). The start will be at 8pm. Ahead of the AGM attached is our Newsletter with a quick round up of Club matters from the last year. Below is a link to download the newsletter. Your website b
Gary Pickard
Mar 201 min read
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Fish care - the right way
After the last post's example of what not to do this one gives a bit more guidance as to what Club Rule 15 is all about: 15. Any angler fishing Society waters who is intentionally in pursuit of large carp, tench or pike should be in possession of a purpose made padded unhooking mat with a minimum size of 2 feet (60cm) x 3 feet (90cm) and a suitable sized landing net. Landing nets and unhooking mats must be ready before you start fishing. Fish must be weighed where caught
Gary Pickard
Mar 42 min read
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Fish safety and permitted rigs
Sadly, it looks like some of our members are not reading the Club's Rules and the attached was tethered to a carp at Beggar's Hall. The Rules are there to protect our fish stocks and there is no excuse for not following them. Anyone found breaking these rules will be subject to disciplinary measures. This was attached to a 10lb common at Beggar's Hall Let's see how many Rules this rig broke: Braided hook link Braided leader Fixed / bolt rig Drop off lead sleeve so tightly j
Gary Pickard
Feb 281 min read
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Close season reminders
It is time to make the most of the longer daylight hours and warmer (if wet) days as the close season will be on us soon. A reminder that the Stort (including Backwater) is a river so 14 March is your last day to be on the bank until the river season reopens on 16 June. The end of the river season is also the end the Club's pike season so 14 March is your last day for pike fishing on all Club waters until 1 October. Tight lines for the last couple of weeks.
Gary Pickard
Feb 241 min read
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A quick update
This is just a quick update on the Club waters. Malcolm Barker There seem to be a few nice pike coming out at MBL at the moment and well worth a go once you get sick of the jacks in the Backwater. We have also had another couple of fish deliveries with 300 small bream and 800 small tench (AKA bars of soap) going in. Please do let us know if you catch any of the recently stocked fish. Hall Farm The water level is now back to something more normal after a couple of weeks of wat
Gary Pickard
Feb 71 min read
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Lakes now ice free - update
Hi All The lakes should now be mostly ice free although a few patches were lingering around on Tuesday. A couple of other things: The MBL gate code has now changed. See your Club Book for the new number. Sunday 18th - Backwater booking cancelled - rescheuled for 8 Feb Sunday18th - Club match is on Hall Farm's large lake. Do keep an eye on the website's calendar.
Gary Pickard
Jan 141 min read
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Another Update - Lakes are still frozen
Update: as of Saturday 10th all lakes are still frozen and are likely to be until well into next week. ....... As you might have guessed, the lakes are all frozen with around an inch of ice on them as of Saturday afternoon. It is likely they will stay frozen until well into next week. With the lakes frozen Sunday's match due for Hall Farm is moving to the Stort Backwater as the River is currently ice free (fingers crossed). Sunday Update: There are a few ice free swims o
Gary Pickard
Jan 31 min read
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A boost for MBL and Wickham Hall
Just before the weather gets too cold we have had a couple of fish deliveries for Wickham Hall and Malcom Barker Lake Malcom Barker Lake has had a good few small tench and chunky looking roach stocked. Wickham Hall has also had a tench (just a few as a trial), roach and ide stocked. The ide should be pretty quick growing and, with the chub stocked last year, should help give us some silver fish sport through the winter. Do let us know if you catch any of them over the next
Gary Pickard
Dec 19, 20251 min read
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Dec/Jan events
The weather may be taking a turn for the worst and the fishing getting more difficult but there are still a few bites to be had. The below are current matches / bookings for the Club waters over the festive season in case you want to get out and try your new presents. Sun 7 Dec Hall Farm large lake - water booking Dunmow AC Sun 7 Dec Beggar's Hall - club match Weds 10 Dec River Stort Backwater - club match Sun 14 Dec Hall Farm large lake - club match Weds 17 Dec Hall Farm la
Gary Pickard
Nov 30, 20251 min read
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Found at Hall Farm
The latest work party found a few bits and pieces that had been left behind: T-bar style Allen key / hex wrench Large tweezers Carp rod...
Gary Pickard
Oct 4, 20251 min read
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Pike season starting 1 Oct
Hi All It is that time again with the nights drawing in and 1st October marking the start of the pike fishing season on our waters...
Gary Pickard
Sep 22, 20251 min read
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September events changes
Hi All A couple of change to the events this month. With the sad passing of Don Copping, who has been a member of the Club for many...
Gary Pickard
Sep 12, 20251 min read
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A big thank you from BreatheEasy
Many thanks to all who came along over the Bank Holiday weekend for the charity match. Between the entry fees and the raffle we ended up...
Gary Pickard
Aug 31, 20251 min read
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Random Club history no. 3
Just ahead of Tony's match for BreatheEasy here is one from the archives for the charity match held back in 2013 in favour of St Clare's...
Gary Pickard
Aug 5, 20251 min read
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Random Club history no. 2
For your second piece of history here is a copy of the Club's Membership Book from 1980 or so we guess. Many thanks John for the loan of...
Gary Pickard
Jul 24, 20251 min read
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Waterside festival taster sessions Sat 23 / Sun 24 Aug
This popular event is back with bookings being handled by the Bishop's Stortford Town Council - the sessions fill up quickly:...
Gary Pickard
Jul 11, 20251 min read
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Random Club history no. 1
A little something from the Club's Archives and Member's collections for you. This first one is an article from the Herts and Essex...
Gary Pickard
Jul 9, 20251 min read
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MBL weed clearing done - for the moment
The Mainstream Fisheries team were hard at work on Tuesday with weed clearing and then liming the lake. Hopefully this should help...
Gary Pickard
Jun 13, 20251 min read
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Wickham Hall works are done
Apart from a final bit of tidying up the works at Wickham Hall to create a water level path are pretty much completed. There is now a...
Gary Pickard
Jun 6, 20251 min read
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