Fishing quote of the month.. Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl. - Ernest Hemingway

Hi Mark here and I am the Secretary of the Bungay Cherry Tree Angling Club.

This is my online fishing blog and every time I go fishing (well almost every time)

I will put a little bit on here for you to read. If any of our club members would like to join in on the blog and put there story of a good days fishing, all you have to do is email me your story and pictures and

I will put them on here for you. Think of it as a fishing lodge where we can share our stories about our fishing adventures.

Email your blog contributions to mark@bctac.co.uk happy fishing!

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Another nice perch from the common pond, what handsome fish perch are! 

Caught on double red maggot on a size 18 hook float fished with a 2AA insert waggler with the bait dragging six inches on the bottom. Key is feeding small pinches of maggots and hemp. Why hemp? this attracts the roach which in turn attracts the larger perch into the swim. Often I will use a bit of liquidized bread and fish punched bread for a while first. There not much time left before the rivers will be closed on March the 14th but the common pond can be fished all year on a day ticket or club membership. So if you fancy catching a specimen perch get yourself down to the common pond and have a go for Perca fluviatilis.

Breaking the ice to fish but the big perch are there.

The common pond is a venue that gets over looked at times but for those in the know there are some very big perch to be taken. I have been delivering angling coaching session down there with several new club members and there have been some very nice Perch showing. Our bailiff Michael Bradwell has done very well for him self and caught several fish over the 2lb mark on worm while others have had success on red maggot and caster. the weather has been horrible for sure but as it starts to get milder if you want to catch a specimen perch this year the common pond is a good place to give it a try.

Club Baliff Michael Bradwell with a nice perch caught on worm from the common pond

Pole fishing lessons any one?

Had a great day with Andy and Harry two new club members who are taking the' Introduction to pole fishing' course. The first part of the course is a basic introduction to the pole and is followed by 3 other coaching session that teach the participant how to tie there own pole rigs, what type of floats to choose, how to elasticate the pole and finally how to put it all together and start pole fishing with a certificate awarded for completion. Henry and his dad both enjoyed the  first session and even managed to catch a perch on there first go. If you would like to have a try at pole fishing email mark@bctac.co.uk and our coaching team will set you up for your first lesson.

Learning how to fish with a 13 metre pole, Andy and his son Henry with the clubs angling coach and a fine perch to finish the first lesson. If you would like to learn more about pole fishing or simply want a lesson to brush up on your skill go here to find out more.

Bailiffs? Angling coaches? Volunteers?

So your reading this, yes you... now let me ask you a question, your an angler I assume or you wouldn't be reading this blog correct? ok then let me ask you this... have you considered or would you consider taking a more active role in the club?

 Think about it for a minute.. you love fishing and maybe just maybe you have a lot to offer the future of the sport you love. Consider the following options, could you become an angling coach and pass on your skills to others or could you be the sort of person that could take on the role of a club bailiff and help us insure people are abiding by club rules no yes.. maybe mmm well how about just putting your name down as a club volunteer so we can contact you when were doing some improvements on our waters?

Why am I asking you this? simple really the club needs these people to come forward and take on these roles so if you have read this and are interested in any of those areas where you can become a more active club member then I'm waiting to hear from you  go to your club book and ring the club secretary for a chat or email me mark@bctac.co.uk and let me know who you are and what you would like to be doing or what skills you could offer your club.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and I hope to hear from you soon.

Tight lines Mark. Club secretary

Snow and hardy anglers

It was a cold day on falcon meadows but 7 brave or mad anglers turned out to fish the match. I sat there wondering if I had lost my marbles to be fishing in such cold weather but further up the section Jamie Buck was having a great catch of roach and dace by the bridge peg. He ended up winning the match out right with 14lb of fish while the rest of us just watched the snow fall brrr.

It was still a great day though and I really did enjoy myself honest..

Travel Light

There you are sitting on the cold ground gazing at your tiny little float waiting for the moment it goes under a few maggots thrown out to entice the perch that are close to the edge chasing roach. It was very cold today but I cant understand why this simple fascination for watching a float go under as a fish takes the bait still has me in its spell. I didn't take a lot of fishing gear just a little whip and a pint of maggots but it was great fun all the same I am just as happy catching tiddlers as I am going after a big pike or hunting down a big chub. Its fun to leave all the gear at home and travel light for a change when was the last time you just took a rod and small rucksack to go wandering about ? try it you might be surprised at how much you fun it can be.

New online newsletter is now available to help you keep up to date with what's going on in your club check it out here

Chub fishing on the Waveney and a look back at the year from the club secretary.

There was a great article on chub fishing on the river waveney this month in improve your course fishing mag by James Crameri. In the article James shows you how to catch those big waveney chub on steak to great affect the section in question is the old broom bank section which we still have up until 2011 so if your going to have a go for those chub now is a good time to try it out. We originally gave up this section back at our last agm but the lease does not finish until 2011. I do hope we can keep it as it is a great water but that remains to be seen.

The loss of the club pit this year was major blow for us all who have worked so hard trying to clear away the undergrowth trees and weed over the last 2 years but sadly the bottom line is with out the money and the means to put up a fence we are fighting a losing battle with the otters. Some have said the club should have sold it on to others but the water was never solely for the purpose of one group of anglers it was always a water for all club members to enjoy and those that came to help us when the work was being carried out reflected the true spirit of this club in giving of there time and effort  to save it from otter predation. Those who have criticised the club for its actions I notice did not bother to turn up at any of the work parties preferring to remain idle while others tried to make a difference. At the end of the day it is a club for club members and its the members that make it what it is, if you do not get involved as a club member that lack of involvement will take its toll in the end.

However we must move on now and the clubs intentions is to focus on the lay-by pit which can be fenced off and once this is achieved we can stock it with confidence knowing that the otters will not be able to destroy any more of our fish stocks. It has been a most trying and difficult year in many respects with otter predation being in the headlines nearly every month showing clearly that this is a major problem for many fisheries up and down the region.

But its has also been a progressive and hopeful year for angling with the foundation of the long awaited Angling Trust that has given us a voice where it really matters and the very good news that the club has at long last achieved Club Mark status after working towards this accreditation for over 2 years now. This has been a major task within the club but we have finally got there and with the edition of more angling coaches and the support of the angling development boards we are in a very good position to bring angling to a new generation of youngsters this coming year. So all in all a very busy and optimistic year has gone by and I have to say in all honesty that despite the usual ups an downs the club has faced along with some bigger issues we have dealt with it well and I am looking forward to a great new year ahead.

What is it like being the club secretary? well sometimes I do get fed up with all the moaners and whiners but they pale into insignificance when I think back to all the decent and helpful people I have met in the club. And I have really enjoyed the junior matches and seeing these youngsters catching fish and having a great times and I have enjoyed fishing with my friends on summer days sharing an evening together and catching some nice fish. These are simple pleasures but they have lasted me a life time and I hold them dear to my heart.

Let me sum it all up for you with these words from Hugh Miles brilliant film Catching the impossible, spoken by dear old Bernard Cribbins.

The wonder of the world, The beauty and the power, The shapes of things, Their colors, lights and shades, These I saw.

Junior Angling courses on the horizon.

The Kingfisher Angling course is a wonderful introduction to coarse fishing and offers over 8 hours of tuition on all aspects of the sport. It is designed for youngsters who would like to learn more about fishing and how to go about it. Our dedicated team of professional angling coaches are set to deliver this course in the new year and we fully expect the course to be a complete sell out and places will be limited so if you our your children would like a place on this course then please email the secretary mark@bctac.co.uk or call 07969641061 to reserve your place.

The Kingfisher Course is a fun and educational course that will teach you how to go coarse fishing. The course covers everything you need to know and is a designed for beginners who want to learn how to go fishing in lakes, rivers and ponds. On the course you will learn about the countryside code and the importance of safety by the water side. You will learn all about the many types of fish that live in our waterways and how to catch them and all about the insects plants and creatures that live around the waterside.  You will be taught how to set up and select the right types of fishing equipment and how to use it correctly. The course is taught by professional angling coaches affiliated to the Angling Trust and begins in Feb 2010 at the River Centre in Bungay Suffolk.