Hello, and this is me!

[Wakou]

Welcome to the forum Sir...

Thank you! I am also in Essex. But where is "The Shades"?

[Aitch]

Welcome to the forum Sir...

Thank you! I am also in Essex. But where is "The Shades"?

I am in Chipping Ongar, "The Shades" is a reference to Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels where a dodgy part of the city of Ankh Morpork is called "The Shades"...
There's a few of us in and around Essex, Meself, Tengisgol, Grumpy, Fredline and Lea Dweller just over the border in Herts (sorry if I've missed any off)

[Wakou]

Nice to meet you! I have a "pass" for the Roding at Passingford Bridge (?) But have never got round to scoping it out.. Is it worth a visit? I work in (from) Harlow, and usually finish at around 14:00/15:00 and it would be handy for a wee dangle on the way home.. (I live in Chelmsford, and drive home on the A414 past Ongar..
BDAC, btw..

[Aitch]

Same here BDAC & ODAS member... I used to work in Harlow and Ware (SKB/GSK)
ODAS have a chunk of the Roding above Passingford in and outside Ongar... its not a prolific water and roving is the best way to fish it, travel light and hop from swim to swim... some good perch roach dace and chub but few and far between...
The Weirpool on the Wid at Skeggs farm in Writtle on the BDAC book used to be good, but either an otter or a mink has decimated it recently... started fishing the Chelmer relief via Grumpys guiding and had some nice fish, nothing huge but plenty of fun... hope this helps

[Wakou]

When I first joined BDAC, I spent a pleasant enough afternoon at the pool, Skegg's Farm. I wrote a "report" on BDAC's Faceache page. No-one read it.. !

"Hi folks. I am a new member this season, and, having visited only four of the club venues so far, I have to say that I am very impressed! All of the waters are beautifully maintained without being manicured or "artificial-looking".
They are:
Straits Mill;
Parsonage Farm;
Reed's Farm (Willow Mere);
The Wid at Skegg's Farm, Writtle.
On all of these waters I have been delighted to be greeted by kingfishers! A day with a kingfisher is never a "blank"! (Do THEY ever blank?, I wonder!)
Also at Skegg's Farm, a song-thrush singing its head off, early-doors, (07:00 ish, at the farm itself), and a pair of grey wagtails, enjoying the weir-pool!
I spent a happy enough, but slightly disappointing day at the wier-pool itself, a "mixed-bag" of small fish was the result! (It was very hot!)
2 dace, (one microscopic!)
1 (possible) Bream/Roach hybrid (??)
1 small eel
1 tiny chublet
No perch!
This despite having tried:
Worms, maggots, casters (and combo-cocktails of these),
bread, prawns, luncheon-meat and my "infallible recipe" cheese-paste. And some dabbling with plastic lures.
And just when packing-up, at 19:00 ish, I found some "slightly off" sweetcorn which had been maturing in my bait bag, I chucked a couple of grains on, just for laughs, and soon after, my rod nearly launched itself off of the rests! Only a small chub, but a pleasing end to the day!
One slight disappointment with the pool at Skegg's was the quantity of litter. I took some with me from the "peg" when I left, but the field was a tip! There is a very large secondary-school nearby, and I wonder if some of the young persons use the field for extra-curricular activities? Would it be worth installing some bins (with the farmer's permission)? Young persons often have other things on their minds, and perhaps a notice or two, and some bins might be a reminder?
Is it possible to obtain copies of the handbook?
Mine is already stained with tea, worm-juice and heaven knows what else! One decent shower and it will be pulp!
Is it not possible to put the "Handbook" on-line so it could be consulted on a smart-phone?
The hand-drawn maps in the handbook are obviously the result of much diligent work, and I am grateful for them, but in my opinion they do need some attention. I hope not to offend, and would be glad to help!
One small issue with the handbook, and indeed the website is that it seem not to have kept up with the times.. the decades march on, and new tools are available.
For example, on the website, no indications are given as to the locations of the venues. And some venues are missing entirely!
It would not be too difficult to add to the website a map of Essex, with our waters pinned and zoomable, so members, wherever they are, could simply see which waters are nearest?
Also, this Facebook page seems not to get much (inter-) action!
Surely the website could have a section where members could contribute and share their experiences and suggestions?
If the "webmaster" (!!) would like to contact me, I would be more than happy to do some work on this.
Happy fishing!
Stephen."

[Aitch]

All from the Skeggs Farm Weirpool...

There is also (or was) a very large Brown Trout residing in the pool... I hooked it and fell in whilst losing it... I doubt its there any more, as the Mink or Otter will have had it

[Wakou]

Wow! What is the orangey/pink fellow?

[Aitch]

It's a Golden Orfe... probaly dumped in the river when it got too big for its pond or aquarium.. gave me a good scrap though

[Harry H]

to the forum enjoy

[Wakou]

It's a Golden Orfe... probaly dumped in the river when it got too big for its pond or aquarium.. gave me a good scrap though

What a life he has had!
Avoiding people and pike and cormorants, etc..