Sat 18th Feb Hogsmill habitat enhancement

Just had confirmation - it's the Worcester Park Road stretch on the borders of Tolworth and Worcester Park. We'll meet outside the Hogsmill pub.

Saturday 18th Feb 9am - noon with a half time tea break. Loads of work to do, we'll bosh it out then the day is ours.

I've bolded the important bits as some silly sausage turned up an hour early last time and wasn't sure he was in the right place (Rob Hay you know who you are mate )

The Fisheries team has asked if we can come up with 10 volunteers. We've got 620+ on this forum, up to 80 visiting each day. Please can some of you help us out? Can those who expressed initial interest also confirm you're still on for it, thanks?

If you haven't done river work parties, you feel brilliant about what you've done afterwards. You also get more angling intel than you know what to do with.

Please step up if you can fellas

I,m up for this Steve, as long as i can get a pick up, i not to sure where that is, not my manor mate.
speak nearer the date.
cheers
james

James Annear wrote:

I,m up for this Steve, as long as i can get a pick up, i not to sure where that is, not my manor mate.
speak nearer the date.
cheers
james

Consider it done mate - will speak nearer

Thanks for that reminder Steve hahaha

Im there, see you at 9

Kevin, James thank you gents.

We need more help guys - the TAC needs you. This Saturday, River Hogsmill 9am-12 noon with a half time cuppa break. I've always got Jaffa cakes in the car....yes...we'll have tea and Jaffas

If you can spare 3 hours this Saturday morning improving this tributary, Isaak will smile kindly down upon you and the Old Father will recognise your sacrifice. There's definitely something in it! So many lads who've attended work parties/litter picks have gone on to catch a dream fish shortly after.

Please volunteer if you can

Count me and clayton in on this one steve.

Nice one Andy, top man, that's 6 of us so far.

Could do with a few more volunteers if possible as a big stretch of river to work on so don't be shy folks...

Ill be there if I can find it.Any chance of map

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Old+Malden+Lane,+Worcester+Park,+KT4+7PY&hl=en&ll=51.375318,-0.263621&spn=0.000909,0.002642&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=14.118794,43.286133&hnear=Old+Malden+Ln,+United+Kingdom&t=h&z=19

The Hogsmill Pub can be seen here, I would assume from Hounslow you will be comming on the A240 then cross Tolworth Roundabout (A3) then turn left at the second set of lights

Nice one Trevor - will be good to see you again. I think last time we were thigh deep in the Beverley Brook with Willie

I will PM you my mobile so if you get lost I can try and help.

So we have Dave Harvey, me and James Annear, Kevin Russell, Andy and Clayton Shaw, Trevor Rowe.

Ideally, if possible, we could do with another 3 volunteers so if anyone's not got anything major going on Saturday morning your help will be gratefully received.

Thanks for map.See you Saturday
Is there a tackle shop near by?
I have got to get some bait for my match on Sunday.
If not Ill get it on my way home.

Trevor Rowe wrote:

Thanks for map.See you Saturday
Is there a tackle shop near by?
I have got to get some bait for my match on Sunday.
If not Ill get it on my way home.

Several. I'll lead you there when we've finished as I'll be visiting aswell. If it's maggots you want it has to be Esher Angling...anything else Surbiton Angling. Both good shops.

Is the pub now a TOBY carvery, just making sure I know where to head?

Also close by is Cheam Angling, best maggots I have ever seen, Roger knows how to look after his gentles..

Andrew Shaw wrote:

Is the pub now a TOBY carvery, just making sure I know where to head?

Sure is mate. Is where Old malden Lane meets Worcester Park Rd.

Last bump for Saturday's work on the Hogsmill.

New faces are very, very welcome. These work parties/litter clearances are how most of us got to know each other, so if you're a Thames angler that wants to get to know other like-minded lads, this would be ideal

This is important work, will lead into in river habitat enhancements in a few months.

So a great chance to get involved, lets see a few new faces along.

Bring your waders if you have them, they will be in river work and a major clean, have heard there is a sofa in the river?

Making that difference folks.

Also please bring a camera if you can,


I am going into nights but will be down with kit for the start, hope to see you there

Second that Dave
Many hands make light work.

See you in the morning people, do we have enough wheel barrows or shall I bring the carp barrow?

Andy.

apologies,i have contact with my twins tomorrow.
ive not been involved in much workparties recently.the dates are just not falling kindly for me recently.
have fun lads,my enthusiasm will be with you.

Heres a couple of pics of the Morning, I will post a link to the full Album once its uploaded

Today was phase 1 of the TAC treatment. It is devoid of aquatic plant life, so the task was to cut back trees and bushes overhanging the river, to let the light in. We also cleared the river of all the rubbish that had been dumped into it - sofa, tyres, bags, carpets, lino, cans, bottles etc.

Phase 2 will be placing logs to create habitat and a series of riffles and pools. The power of the flow will be harnessed and directed which means the river will get desilted in places, leaving gravel for dace and chub to spawn on. Flow will also promote some aquatic plant life.

Thanks for giving up their Saturday mornings go to Trevor Rowe, James Annear, Andy and Clayton Shaw, Paul Snell, Kevin Russell and especially Andy Banham, who came all the way from Essex. Good also to see Dave and Harry Notley who came to say hello and to put faces to names.

May angling karma smile on you all and the river gods reward you with a few whackers

Full Album Here

A few more, including "Ned Clayton Kelly",
Sadly i never got a picture of my new "camo" waders!
Good turn out, Nice too meet you Harry,
a lovely little river.

Me and clayton both enjoyed the morning, it's good to get stuck in sometimes and it definately makes you feel better when you look at what you have done at the end, amazing how after just a few hours of not very hard work and a laugh can change a stretch of river from looking like polluted old swamp to a nice clean towpath and River walk, a dog walker thanked us on the way back to the car and offered to buy me and clayton a drink, speaking to another guy on the river bank who mentioned witnessing a mattress being dumped was also very happy to see his local river and walk being cared for and said hopefully he will see kingfishers flying up and down it again.
There was aquatic life in the river, myself and clayton spotted the odd small fish, we had an Egret fly over at the end so there must be something to eat in there..

Well done all, see you on the next one.

Andy & Clayton.