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Club water etiquette, a Saturday morning rant.	541 views
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Karlos

Posts: 13991

MODERATOR

#11 1 Aug 2026 at 11.27pm

Unfortunately club waters seem to attract the noisy ones. Probably partly to do with the price, if you're only paying £50 to £100 for the years fishing loads will join.

When it's more serious syndicates at £500 to £800 a year (or more) it can filter out a lot (but unfortunately not all) of those who lack etiquette.

I hate day ticket fishing, it's even worse than club water fishing. I don't mind the fact that the lake is busy, I just hate the way that any piece of water some of these guys see from their swim is fair game.

Had a guy spodding from the 'Smelly Bank' at Farlows, he couldn't have been clipped up. I was on the Factory Bank and some of his spombs were landing in my swim, some flew straight past me, past my mate next door and into another mates swim.
It almost turned into a betting opportunity where my mates and I could bet which of our swims the spomb landed in (some fell short too).

Here we go: I was in 47, mates Andy & Tom were in 48 & 49.
Mr Mega-Spomber was in 44 with a backwind!

Commiserations to the OP, hope that's an exception rather than the rule for you.

silverfish

Posts: 2631

#10 1 Aug 2026 at 7.50pm

In reply to Post #8
lol, could ask myself what do I want/expect for £60 ?

There are a handful of club waters within reasonable distance - under 10 miles.
Do I want to sit on a low stock pit chasing known fish that come out once or twice a year to far better anglers with more time. Well more commitment.
Or have 6-7 hours on a moderately stocked 20s water?

I enjoyed my syndicate time after 20 odd years of clubbing and ticketing just don't want to get into that big-bigger-biggest mindset again.
Plenty of those along the valley but very few really float my boat.

Singlebleep

Posts: 2354

Site deviant...

#9 1 Aug 2026 at 5.31pm

Three weeks ago I did the 4 hour trip to my syndicate lake.
Arriving at 10 o’clock on a Monday morning I got out of the car and stretched my legs (and the dogs) by walking the bit of bank that contains the 2 swims on dry land. Once legs unstiffened and the dog had a chance to run off some pent up energy I unshackled the boat, fitted the motor and went on a leisurely tour of the deserted 26 acre lake for a bit of fish spotting amongst the pads before deciding on a swim. Once picked I set up camp for the week.

Left in the car was a light weight spare skeleton bivvie so if I decided on moving on fish I could leave base camp with all the long stay gear and visit a new spot. I baited quite heavily off the pads and the first fish came during the first night. I fished Monday to Saturday morning without seeing another angler until Friday, except for the syndicate leader who came down on Tuesday evening for a chat and kindly brought some ice and cold drink which were very welcome.

Friday evening a member came on the lake with a guest and set up on the far bank, probably 3/4 mile away on a double swim ( with guest only double swims allowed).

Saturday morning I slowly packed up after having a few fish despite the heat (I only could fish this week despite conditions - same if it was the middle of a gale) and on leaving stopped for a quick chat with the other sole occupant and his guest. He’d had one overnight on a zig ( good tactic with the weather) and was surprised I had fish on bottom methods. Dropping him off some leftover maize and birdseed particals I departed for the 4 hour drive home.

Nice account maybe?
Sounding smug maybe?

No. My heart bleeds for the OP. Been there etc. I really feel for people who have to suffer idiots when just trying to relax, re-connect with nature and indulge in their passion. Having suffered the same ****, I decided many years ago that I would opt out, fish only venues that I could relax in and enjoy. Of course the downside is I have to travel a fair distance to do it. I have been a member of this syndicate for nigh on 20 years, watched it grow and change into the lake it is now. It’s not a big fish lake, our own stocked doubles now reaching mid thirties with a 40 probably a chance in two/ three years time. It’s a lake leased off a farmer by us the members, no commercial interest whatsoever, just peace and quiet.

So as I said to the Op’s original post - I really feel for him, it’s a **** situation and getting worse. There is an outside chance of Nirvana though but it takes time, patience, research and being willing to travel long distances when outside your area. Doing a 8 hour round trip for a work party where you can’t fish is a ball ache but you need commitment to gain access. This is one of 3 similar syndicates I’ve been involved with over 40 years. All similar, all pretty deserted but all requiring effort to seek out, be prepared to travel and be a bit different in your outlook. All of them taking into account time and inflation, have cost under £500 per year at today’s prices.

Unfortunately that’s the reality of carp fish8ng these days unless you are just one of the few lucky ones to have Nirvana on your doorstep. One in a million chance perhaps🙁

0nslow

Posts: 1563

#8 1 Aug 2026 at 4.48pm

You need to find a better club/water 😂😂😂

silverfish

Posts: 2631

#7 1 Aug 2026 at 4.15pm

In reply to Post #2
I'd like to think its quite possible that there is a cross section of the membership that have crossed over from fishing puddles 10 yards from the next man and get lonely if nobody else is within sight.😂

Unfortunately its just zero etiquette,, earlier in the year I walked around the bottom of the lake just to ask the angler on the point opposite if he was fishing out towards my intended swim.
Said it was the first time anyone had asked, usually people just lob a bait out and wait for the OI !!.

braders1978

Posts: 18161

#6 1 Aug 2026 at 2.52pm

In reply to Post #5
Sounds familiar that

vossy1

Posts: 8870

MODERATOR

#5 1 Aug 2026 at 2.08pm

I rejoined a club this year, not fished it yet but the e-mails coming out make me not want too, same also for another club.

Litter, human waste, fishing half way, late night take away orders, booking day & night slots to make sure night spot is less likely to be fished during the day...the list goes on!

Canalcarper71

Posts: 1373

#4 1 Aug 2026 at 1.15pm

I had this happens years ago around 2005/06 on a canal I had a 20lb mirror and a 19lb common in the edge and I stupidly told a guy what I caught when walking round my local lake(I knew him from the canal)any the stretch of canal is round 1/2 mile I’m only one there in my next session,as it gets dark he turns up with all his gear and Ste’s up right next to me and shines a big tit h over to trees(around 12’ away) with rod in his other hand so he can underhand cast to the branches…….i blanked.
I mean the bridge where I was fishing wasn’t a long stretch but the next one after that was around a mile or so long so he could have gone up the.
No where’s the head banging emoji when I need it.

braders1978

Posts: 18161

#3 1 Aug 2026 at 1.10pm

In reply to Post #1
Im in two clubs,one is like a circus full of absolute helmets.The other im in is different but have noticed this year a couple of new members think the road is a race track and got one new member who sets up right next to you even if the rest of lake is empty.To make it worse hes a right grumpy ******* and hes constantly coming and going doing taxi runs

g4fne

Posts: 15105

#2 1 Aug 2026 at 11.44am

In reply to Post #1
It is a proper shame what carp fishing has turned into.

silverfish

Posts: 2631

#1 1 Aug 2026 at 11.34am

Went down to t'club water just before 5am, apart from a couple night fishing in the middle of the lake I had it to myself.
Barrowed 150yds before finding some carp having a right old munch on the edge of the marginal weed. Big patches of fizz, rolling from 2 rods to 20 yds, in and a out of the weed with their backs out of the water.
Had to be a guaranteed fish.
Calm, collected I set up, dropped two rods out, solid bag in the weed and a single just over the top about two rods out..
Sat back and put the kettle on, liners but no takes. Can't be long before I get one

Then the first of the Van-glers drives by, well over the fishery speed limit and half a dozen fish bow wave away disappearing across the lake.
I recast the l/h rod with a stringer about 25yds on the edge of the marginal shelf where I'd last seen one show and fired out 20 freebies
Still a couple about and almost straight away one rolls over the spot..

Van-gler #2 creeps up the side of the lake and just as he draws level with me a bloody carp rolls over the l/h rod again

Drives past..and reverses his high top Transit into the swim next door--10 yards away.
Big white van glowing in the sunrise.
Can't believe it, sure skip a swim but literally right next door.
Sets up, full blast alarms, two handfulls of tigers or pellet each side and casts his middle rod virtually on my l/h rod roughly where he's seen the fish roll.
My l/h rod isn't even off to the side, dead ahead.
'Steady on mate'
'Oh sorry are you fishing there?'😡

Game over, it's dead, the near fish have spooked, he's recast another bag about 5 yards from his first lob....and 15 minutes later recasts again with another ba-doosh

I'm chilled, well I was.
it's too early in the morning to get stressed but I really want to go round and tell him he's taking the P.

So half an hour later he's on the phone to his mate...yeah yeah I'm in X swim, fish all over when I got here.
Van-gler #3 who is crawling along the opposite bank stops, turns around.
5 minutes later he parks in the swim on my right- three rods ba-doosh, ba-doosh, Blip...1oz lead drops down the margin just short of my r/h bait😂

I'm stewing with disbelief. Amazed at the level of ignorance these idjuts expect to get away with.
Held out too long for the chance of a straggler, finished my second brew, packed up, wound in and was by tucking into a bacon sarnie by 8.30.

Obviously still stewing.


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