WELCOME TO KINGFISHERS
Can I just begin by saying that there will be slight changes in the running of the Kingfisher Fishing Club this coming season 2013/2014. Whilst I will still be the public face of the club, as it were, Paul Rogers, the fishery owner, will be doing more of the administrative work back at the office. As a result, when syndicate members do get a letter in the next few weeks, it will come from both Paul and me, rather than from me alone.
Can I also urge those of you who have shown an interest in joining the syndicate to get in touch with me through the office as ever, just in case I've mislaid any details. I wouldn't want anybody to be disappointed after I've talked to them at length.
The Crabtree series that I talked about in January has now been shown in full on Quest, and was very well received.
Of course, you can't please all the people all the time and I realize and respect that. The true stars have been the ‘Peters' and I have never wanted to take the limelight away from these fantastic kids who have made the series what it is. Their enthusiasm, abilities, characters and boundless energies have made each episode sparkle, I think. As old Crabtree in the corner, I've relished these friendships with young anglers who so evidently adore the sport. It makes you happy to think that the future could well be in safe hands when this lot take over.
There have also been many, many comments on the beauty of the waters that we've been fishing - generally, of course, down here at Kingfisher. Perhaps the banksides have been the real stars of the show along with the kids. A lot of the filming has been magnificent, doing this beautiful area absolute justice. There are one or two dawn and dusk shots that really take even my breath away, used to the complex as I am.
Things are looking good for series two and we hope to be filming again come April or May. As ever, you'll be hearing the news first at the Kingfisher website.
John Bailey, Fishery and Conservation Director
John Bailey – The Kingfisher Diaries
Our fishing diaries are updated every few days and tell the story of the unfolding seasons on our lakes and river. Obviously they are all about the Kingfisher waters but hopefully the lessons illustrated will be relevant to you wherever you fish.
New for 2010 is the Kingfisher photographic competition. We all want to know what you, our guests, have caught during your stay with us at Kingfisher as part of our ongoing work to build our online community. Just email us a photo of you with your catch at along with details of date, size, and bait used and you will be entered into our monthly competition and probably have your photographs featured on a variety of our Social Media accounts.
Watch the diaries for news, photographs and more details of the mouth watering prizes!
June 4th 2013
HELP!
I was down at Kingfisher on Friday 17th May and was privileged enough to take photographs of three of our guests with stunning fish. I duly noted down their details and then duly lost them.
First up is an old friend of mine, Tim, a brewer now from Lowestoft. He took this fabulous twenty-six pound carp from the big lake, one of a haul of four fish. I've got a distinct feeling he put our regulars well in the shade. Tim, please get back to me with your email address and thanks for the bottle of beer!
Later on in the afternoon, it was a real pleasure to watch father and daughter land a quite beautiful common carp from the Lobster Pot. Dad (Chris?) played the fish superbly and it was netted expertly in the end by daughter, Keeley. Once again, huge apologies because I've lost your address and therefore can't send a disc.
Please, all of you, get back to me at the Kingfisher Office and do forgive my total lack of organisation. Well done all of you on a brilliant fishing performance.
May 23rd 2013
Perch on the Wane
I'd like some feedback on this. I'm very well aware there are still good perch indeed on the Kingfisher complex. I'm still seeing fish around two and three pounds in weight but I'm just beginning to wonder if the really big, big fish of a year or two ago have succumbed. What's more, some of the threes have looked distinctly tired.
The good news is that there are plenty of new, mint-fresh small perch coming through. The Lobster Pot if full of them at the moment, for example. This is often the way with perch populations. They boom and then they bust. You get these periods of massive fish followed by a lull while the small ones grow on.
Or I could be wrong. I've got a feeling that one of my guys lost a very, very big perch just a few days back. We only saw it very briefly, deep down in murky water but it was a perch and a large one. There are still mysteries without doubt.
May 22nd 2013
A Fine Kingfisher Bream
I was absolutely delighted when a near eight pound bream turned up on the main lake at Kingfisher just the other day. It was a Thursday of howling gales and I managed to trap the fish in one of the secluded bays. Beautiful it most certainly was and pristine, too. Its size was impressive but, especially, was its condition.
My own guess is that there are shoals of these fabulous, young, fast-growing bream coming on and showing themselves year upon year. Within perhaps five seasons, there is going to some terrific bream fishing here again, I guess. I'm hopeful that once again, I'll be seeing fish well in excess of even the mid-double mark. I know we love our tench and carp but a big bream like this deserves our most profound respect.