Rain is something in this country that we all tend to take for granted and it is part of the eternal moan about "British weather". All four seasons in a day have been leveled at our weather in the past, but now there is only one, permanent sunshine. We are into 50 days now, without any substantial rainfall and everywhere is suffering at the moment. The Abbey, Cox and the Alresford Lakes are all affected by this summers drought conditions, the latter taking it back to a level experienced 5 years ago. So a little thought is required before choosing your swims and lakes. Cox and the Abbey lakes are fairly straight forward in that the level drops down from the swims and there is still deep water in the front of them, but access to the water is the main issue. The level at the Abbey, due to crop spraying, will be such that it may close for a period because off access. Cox is slightly different as there will be areas in front of the swims that are fish-able, but getting down from the swim may be a problem to the less able angler. Please use your judgement in these areas. Alresford Lake has a further issue that some of the swims have very shallow water in front of them and these must be avoided as they are not compatible to land fish and may result in bodily damage to the fish.

Fire is also an issue on all of our lakes. The discovery of a disposable BBQ along with discarded cigarette butts is not behaving responsibly. Please, think about what you are doing and the implications of your actions. It says in the club rules " NO FIRES", this includes disposable BBQ's as heat is directly transmitted to the ground and cigarettes discarded at random could be disastrous with bone-dry vegetation catching fire.

We are in the school holidays now and the potential for swimming in the lakes is a possibility that needs to be managed by all members. If any one is seen swimming or attempting to swim in any of our lakes they must be told to get out and leave immediately. If they refuse, please call the Police and explain what is happening and where you are. A bit of abuse is preferable to life lost.

The importance of locking gates manifested it's self last month when fly tippers dumped a bed and three-piece suite and other household items along the access road to Alresford Lake. Due to the gates being locked, the rubbish ended up on Brett's property which they disposed of. We are not condoning the idiots over their choice of site, but that could have been our removal expense if the rubbish was dumped on our sites.

Last month's matches took place successfully , with two OAP matches, and the Bareham, Pairs and Sweepstake matches all being fished during July. The OAP matches were fished on Bramley and Worcester lakes midweek with Jim Martin and Gary Bateman winning their respective matches. The Sweepstake was fished on Worcester Lake with some pegs proving very hard, but the overall winner was John Popkin with a weight of 23lb 13ozs. The Pairs match venue was Bramley Lake with the winning pair o,f Nick Austin and Paul Barrell having an easy win with a total weight of 29lb 8ozs. The final match of the month was the Bareham Shield fished on Cox Lake and was won by Andy Leroy with a hefty weight of 140lb 15ozs. Next months matches are 2 x OAP's, 4 Float Challenge, Wigley, Ron Tickner Float and Adrian Robbins pole only. There will be an inter-club match between ourselves,AAA and CPS. In all instances, please check gate notices and match list for any changes to dates or venues. Thank you.

Tench and Bream continue to show from Alresford pit, despite the nighttime Carp spawning sessions that have gone on intermittently for the last two months.The constant High Pressure has had no major effect on catches in any of the lakes and touching wood and fingers crossed, we have had no fish losses.

At the moment there looks to be no rain on the horizon, but unless we get some serious precipitation soon, rain dancing will become a mandatory part of membership. Seriously though, make sure you keep yourselves hydrated, wear a hat and keep in the shade. Keep under a brolly or use sunscreen especially if you are fair skinned. Sunburn is no joke and heat stroke can be fatal.!

And finally, in 1896 Mrs Bridget Driscoll became the first pedestrian to die after being struck by a car. These days, you have to avoid E-bikes, Bicycles, Scooters and Mobility carriages on the pavement. So, take care out there.

As always, stay safe, look after one another and enjoy your fishing.

Tight Lines