Hollow Angling Society: Chingford

HOLLOW ANGLING SOCIETY

FISHERIES

TURNFORD COMPLEX

This complex is reckoned to be the best fishery in the whole of the Lea Valley and consists of 4 different types of gravel pit, all situated around a large car park, reached through locked gates and down a private lane. The whole complex is strictly members only.

The pits are bailiffed daily by both club and Lea Valley Park wardens and rules must be strictly adhered to. The whole complex is open 24 hours a day throughout the year.

A separate card is issued for this complex showing combination lock numbers and all rules in detail.

RAILWAY PIT

Some 5 acres in size, clear deep water, surrounded by 19 purpose built bivvy swims, this is predominantly the big Carp water. Heavily stocked over the last few years with specimens up to 40lbs, along with a good supporting head of 20/30s.

The pit also contains Tench to 11lbs, Bream to 14lbs, Roach to 2lbs plus, Rudd to 1.5lbs, Perch to 3lbs and Pike making for a balanced stock.

In 2001, looking to the future, we started the ongoing restocking programme with 80 especially reared fast growing Carp (6 to 8lbs) from Sparsholt Research College. Whilst expensive, fish from the first batch were caught in 2007 at 25lbs plus. We have since introduced several further stockings of around the same numbers. The programme continues year on year.

BOOT PIT

Getting its name from when two small waters were joined into one boot shaped 5 acre Lake, this is a very different looking water to all the others, partially covered in lilies throughout the summer and with a lot of under water weeds growing from many shelves across the Lake, this is our 42 swim mixed fishery on the complex. Depths vary between a few feet on the bars to 15 foot in some areas.

In 2002 we upped the stock in this pit with 6000 small Carp to enhance immediately the float fishing and long term the Carp stocks. In 2004 we increased the stock still further with 80 Carp around the 3 to 5lb size from the same strain as those we are regularly putting into Railway Pit. In 2007 this was repeated along with a batch of fingerling Carp reared by Lea Valley Parks at their hatchery. February 2008 around 1000 Roach and Golden Rudd were stocked from Fishers Pond fishery. As with all pits on this complex money is set aside each year for restocking to maintain the sport.

The original Carp inhabitants now come out at over 30lbs with the stocked fish now at 10lbs to 20lbs. The Tench are up to the 8lbs mark, the Bream around the 6/7lbs mark. As with the other pits Roach, Rudd and Perch play a supporting role. Pike in this pit are well sort after by anglers and approach 30lbs.

2010 sees a stocking of more small [2/3 lbs ] carp to secure the future, along with bucket loads of fingerlings from the Lea valley Parks own fish rearing farm

Two purpose built swims suitable for wheelchairs are adjacent to the car park.

LEA PIT

This 6 acre Lake with one island and 15 swims mostly built to easily take bivvies is the water for the true specimen hunter. Not heavily stocked with Carp but those that are there are very large to at least 40lbs. February 2008 saw a further 15 absolutely beautiful large scaled Mirrors introduced as part of our stocking program. Bream shoals with fish topping 12lbs are regularly targeted, especially by overnighters. The pit contains a lot of Rudd and Perch and Pike of well over 25lbs.


	Middle of the day and still feeding from swim 12

MARSH PIT

All of this pit is under SSSI rules (site of Special Scientific Interest), which means that we cannot do much work to the banks and the surroundings. One end is overgrown with platforms pushing out to fishable positions; the other sides have swims cut in to the bank side growth. This is the pit for the true nature lover.

We have got permission to do work on the bay in the north east corner so as to bring back into use the two swims that were popular for Tench and the vast shoals of Rudd.

This pit holds Carp to 30lbs plus, Tench to 8lbs and plenty of Rudd.

Like all the pits on this complex this has a good head of Pike regularly targeted by anglers from September on.

This spring [2010] we plan to Siltex the top end of the lake to settle down the silt and give around two more foot of water

The pits are open all year round 24 hours a day

"ALL WATERS ARE FREE TO OUR MEMBERS"