Tonbridge and malling council are removing Medway Valley fisheries fishing rights at the end of October 2021 and a new club is supposedly taking control of fishing from the 1st November.
Anyone know who the club is?
Anyone know who the club is?
In reply to Post #1
Why would they do that? Unless for financial reasons?
Why would they do that? Unless for financial reasons?
No idea but I'd happily bet that it is a finacial reason. The way the council have gone about the parks redevelopment hasn't been great. They're effectively putting a small family run business who run the on-site cafe out of business by building they're own cafe run by the council next door to the current cafe.
From what I can gather from a page on Facebook it's a company called SWS fisheries there part of a bigger group that deals with Aquatic management and the like. Had a quick look on there site which dont tell you much.
I've never fished the Larkfield complex but have walked round it a few times over the years. And compared to the previous leasie MVF have worked wonders round the site improving swims and even started a stocking regime. So to honest I cant see a valid reason why Tonbridge and malling council have taken there lease away. But a pound to a penny it's down to Money. Lets hope the future bodes well for one of Kent most historic fisheries.
I've never fished the Larkfield complex but have walked round it a few times over the years. And compared to the previous leasie MVF have worked wonders round the site improving swims and even started a stocking regime. So to honest I cant see a valid reason why Tonbridge and malling council have taken there lease away. But a pound to a penny it's down to Money. Lets hope the future bodes well for one of Kent most historic fisheries.
I found their website and Facebook page neither mentions the Larkfield complex but scarily they don't seem like they have any angling connections just fishery management. I'm concerned that there will be no fishing allowed like the scenario at Sevenoaks
In reply to Post #4
Scary times for carp fishing. Pay your money and half way through the year the lakes given to someone else... And you can basically just **** off. The fish hatched from the Railway spawn, were just about ready to be stocked I'm told. Now it will likely be a water sports venue filled with ****ters.
What an absolute **** show. I feel very sorry for MVF. They done a great job with the historic complex. The letter below, is what was sent out to all current members.
RIP Johnson's... RIP The Ocean. Thank you for the memories.
Scary times for carp fishing. Pay your money and half way through the year the lakes given to someone else... And you can basically just **** off. The fish hatched from the Railway spawn, were just about ready to be stocked I'm told. Now it will likely be a water sports venue filled with ****ters.
What an absolute **** show. I feel very sorry for MVF. They done a great job with the historic complex. The letter below, is what was sent out to all current members.
RIP Johnson's... RIP The Ocean. Thank you for the memories.
In reply to Post #6
Be Interesting to know if the water sports centre have had there lease terminated on Larky 1?
Let's just hope Angling continues.
Be Interesting to know if the water sports centre have had there lease terminated on Larky 1?
Let's just hope Angling continues.
Made a FOI request to TMBC to find out who's taking over and what their going to do with it.
I'll post any reply in here when I get it.
I'll post any reply in here when I get it.
In reply to Post #7
I got that letter from a friend who is a bailiff yesterday mate. The trust taking over is called TMActive. Even that name sounds watersporty, not fish orientated.
I said exactly the same thing to my mate... "What about the dive centre"? He did not know. But I'd imagine they will have lost their lease too. That's only a guess though.
The lake I currently fish has water sports on it. Because of the pandemic, their members have doubled this year at a guess.
Water sports will become the new enemy of carp angling going forwards, it's already happening it looks like. They want our lakes, and the two disciplines do not mix well IMO.
Paddle boarders around the margins at 5am on a carp lake is hard work.
I got that letter from a friend who is a bailiff yesterday mate. The trust taking over is called TMActive. Even that name sounds watersporty, not fish orientated.
I said exactly the same thing to my mate... "What about the dive centre"? He did not know. But I'd imagine they will have lost their lease too. That's only a guess though.
The lake I currently fish has water sports on it. Because of the pandemic, their members have doubled this year at a guess.
Water sports will become the new enemy of carp angling going forwards, it's already happening it looks like. They want our lakes, and the two disciplines do not mix well IMO.
Paddle boarders around the margins at 5am on a carp lake is hard work.
In reply to Post #9
TMActive is the part of the council that run all their leisure centres and pools etc
TMActive is the part of the council that run all their leisure centres and pools etc
In reply to Post #10
That's pretty much certain what's going to happen then.
There has been a massive new demand for outdoor activities since the pandemic started. Not just fishing.
The council were ovbs looking at where they could ‘snatch'. I always said when old man Johnson sold out to the developers back in the day, that it would all end in tears eventually.
My 'guess' would be... Bit of fishing on Larky 2 & Railway... R&I likely the new diving lake, no fishing... Larky 1 (Ocean) the councils new exclusive water sports lake, no fishing. Both of those scenarios, mean removing angling and anglers away from the housing complex. No one wants to pay a lot of money for a house with lake views, and watch some bloke crapping in a bucket on the far bank.
Of course, the Ocean and the R&I, it would both be very easy to split both pits in half. It would only involve a small amount of backfilling to achieve on each lake. I would not be surprised if that happened either.
They will royally **** it up whatever happens. And likely kill the remaining ancient fish by doing so.
That's pretty much certain what's going to happen then.
There has been a massive new demand for outdoor activities since the pandemic started. Not just fishing.
The council were ovbs looking at where they could ‘snatch'. I always said when old man Johnson sold out to the developers back in the day, that it would all end in tears eventually.
My 'guess' would be... Bit of fishing on Larky 2 & Railway... R&I likely the new diving lake, no fishing... Larky 1 (Ocean) the councils new exclusive water sports lake, no fishing. Both of those scenarios, mean removing angling and anglers away from the housing complex. No one wants to pay a lot of money for a house with lake views, and watch some bloke crapping in a bucket on the far bank.
Of course, the Ocean and the R&I, it would both be very easy to split both pits in half. It would only involve a small amount of backfilling to achieve on each lake. I would not be surprised if that happened either.
They will royally **** it up whatever happens. And likely kill the remaining ancient fish by doing so.
In reply to Post #11
"They will royally **** it up whatever happens. And likely kill the remaining ancient fish by doing so."
very very bold statement... particularly when the company that have taken it on are an countryside conservation contractor with a fisheries department..
personally im a glass half full man rather than half empty.. I'd guess/hope that it will only be a good thing for a complex like that to be under control by someone like that. its **** that MVF have lost it as they did a great job but these things happen... and it almost certainly will be about how much money the council can get out of it.....
look what happened to wraysbury and now look at it. the anglers there who said the place was gonna be a load of **** when RK took it over are now all looking red faced as its one of the premier fisheries in the country.. lets all hope that the larkfield complex heads towards the levels of success that RK leisure has..
"They will royally **** it up whatever happens. And likely kill the remaining ancient fish by doing so."
very very bold statement... particularly when the company that have taken it on are an countryside conservation contractor with a fisheries department..
personally im a glass half full man rather than half empty.. I'd guess/hope that it will only be a good thing for a complex like that to be under control by someone like that. its **** that MVF have lost it as they did a great job but these things happen... and it almost certainly will be about how much money the council can get out of it.....
look what happened to wraysbury and now look at it. the anglers there who said the place was gonna be a load of **** when RK took it over are now all looking red faced as its one of the premier fisheries in the country.. lets all hope that the larkfield complex heads towards the levels of success that RK leisure has..
SWS Fisheries have a new Facebook and Instagram page up and running. They are keeping the lakes as they are by the looks of things and are offering existing members first refusal on new tickets. Not sure what the price will be though
In reply to Post #13
The size of the old Johnsons just cries out water sports
The size of the old Johnsons just cries out water sports
Well I'm glad fishing can continue. I was worried it was a stealth tactic to get rid of fishing like in Sevenoaks.