Wotton Underwood Lake

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Julian
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

Post by Julian »

I've managed to find out who runs the Wotton Underwood lakes syndicate from a recent post on another forum, and I have now pmailed him, as it appears it may be possible to join the syndicate...............................eagerly waiting for a response now :Beg:
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Marc
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

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Fingers crossed Julian. Pictures of fish and in a winter scene, I'm excited for you.
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Sandgroper
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

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WindJammer wrote:I was once a syndicate member, unfortunately time and money constraints prevented me from ever using my membership although I was taken on a couple of invited guest trips with two other members several years earlier.
I think angling rights were initially purchased by the now defunct Vale of Aylesbury angling club but after vandalism to some boats and possibly other nefarious and anti-social activities the lease was taken back.
I know who was in charge of the syndicate but am unwilling to divulge more without permission.
The Sawmills held large pike to 30lb and crucians over 2 lb in the 70's and the Warrels held some carp. Both lakes had good tench populations. I was told the lakes were hand dug to 5' depth and we fished from punts secured by scaff poles run through sleeves bolted the the punt sides and pushed into the soft lake bed. Very stable indeed. The last time I fished was late 70's and my partner and I were so cold we fried up our mackerel and herring baits because we'd run out of food and tea and needed warm sustenance of some sort.
Lovely place where bivvys are scowled at but brollies are ok.
Sounds good dunnit?
WJ is quite right, the damage done on the Wotton Underwood estate by Aylesbury angling club members was such that Mrs Brunner, the owner of the estate, had decided to stop all fishing on the two lakes. Fred Taylor and I heard about that and felt that it would be too great a loss to anglers and so we contacted Mrs Brunner and asked for a meeting in order to discuss ways and means of keeping the lakes open. We met up one day at the boards swim and and put our idea to her.

I suggested that she let me take over the fishing there and I would pay her more money for each season than the angling club had ever paid. Further more, there would only be forty named members in the syndicate. The money raised would sufficient to pay me a fee for the work I would be putting into the running of the fishery and I would ensure that there would me no further damage to the land surrounding the lakes. Mrs Brunner listened and decided to give our ideas a try and so it was that I took over the running of the fishery there. One little treat I managed to get for members was the availability of guest tickets which had to be applied for for specific days.

Unfortunately, the old club members had proven a point I had made on many occasions previously; if people get something for nothing, then nothing is the value they put on it. A ticket for Wotton wasn't cheap, but those buying them were people who put a value on the privilege of being able to fish and enjoy the surrounding of the beautiful estate as has been shown in pictures on this thread. Wotton House is actually a small copy of Buckingham Palace and the gardens were designed by Capability Brown. There are other houses on the estate and one of them is now owned by Tony Blair which I suppose does not help the neighbourhood a great deal. Sir John Gielgud once had a home there and he used to throw pebbles at a friend of mine as he rode by on his bike.

The fishing at the lake was brilliant and as has been said, the Taylor brothers and Dick Walker fished there regularly and caught some huge bags of tench from the pontoon they had. I believe the pontoons were left by some American military group that was there during the war. I have a lot of pictures showing the pontoon used by Fred and company being refurbished, but at the moment, I cannot lay my hands on them. However, I do have some pictures of the finished item and here are a couiple of them'

Image

Image

The Taylor brothers were fishing the lakes long before cars became a possibility for them and so this was their chosen means of transport. Each of them had one. I would think those little engines were working hard to move the load on those bikes.

Image

I have lots of pictures of the tench caught in Wotton but again I cannot find the negs. I have them and I am gradually getting them copied to a hard drive, but it is a slow process.

However, here is a picture of one caught by Fred and also a picture of my best Wotton pike of 25lbs 8ozs as Rod Lane is returning it to the water for me.

Image

[img]tp://img266.imageshack.us/img266/300/e0hv.jpg[/img]

Image

Fishing is still allowed at the lakes, but in 1977 John Mason took over the job of running the fishery when my family and I emigrated to Australia. Some years he has syndicate tickets left over and he can be contacted at john (at) john-mason.co.uk As far as I know, you don't have to know a member to gain entry, just the money necessary for the ticket.

The estate is a beautiful part of the country and I know that the members I spoke to when I was running the fishery were always very happy with what they got for their money.
Last edited by Sandgroper on Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:39 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Mark
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

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What an informative post and pictures.
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Marc
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

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I'm sure there's a seller on eBay that makes floats with 'wotton' on them. He claims it to be the home of British tench fishing, made famous by FJT. I've often been tempted to buy some, but when you make them yourself...

Love the pictures. Is it just me or did pike have a different look in days gone by. That sloping head is typical of old pictures of the species, to my mind anyway..
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Sandgroper
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

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Prince of Durham wrote:I'm sure there's a seller on eBay that makes floats with 'wotton' on them. He claims it to be the home of British tench fishing, made famous by FJT. I've often been tempted to buy some, but when you make them yourself...

Love the pictures. Is it just me or did pike have a different look in days gone by. That sloping head is typical of old pictures of the species, to my mind anyway..
I hadn't noticed that, I must keep an eye open on pictures of pike, though I don't see so many pictures of them these days.
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Julian
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

Post by Julian »

Great photos and information Sandgroper, and thanks for the contact details.

The syndicate owner has now informed me he hopes to be able to offer me a membership place next season :Happy: :Sun:
Fingers crossed - very tightly :Beg:
There is no peace on earth like the peace of fishing in the early mornings

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Loop Erimder
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

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Prince of Durham wrote:I'm sure there's a seller on eBay that makes floats with 'wotton' on them. He claims it to be the home of British tench fishing, made famous by FJT. I've often been tempted to buy some, but when you make them yourself...

Love the pictures. Is it just me or did pike have a different look in days gone by. That sloping head is typical of old pictures of the species, to my mind anyway..

I have some of those floats, swan quills there are and I bought them from ebay
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish

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Julian
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

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Sandgroper wrote: ............................ There are other houses on the estate and one of them is now owned by Tony Blair which I suppose does not help the neighbourhood a great deal. Sir John Gielgud once had a home there and he used to throw pebbles at a friend of mine as he rode by on his bike...........................

.............................. Some years he has syndicate tickets left over and he can be contacted at john (at) john-mason.co.uk As far as I know, you don't have to know a member to gain entry, just the money necessary for the ticket.

The Blairs live in the South Pavillion - right next to the main house. Sir John Gielgud also used to live in the South Pavillion.
On occasions when I have visited the grounds - public entry adjacent to the main house, if the Blairs have any 'event' on you are greeted by guards with machine guns as you drive past the South Pavillion :shocked:

Also I think you do have to be the 'right sort' of angler to gain membership - not just anyone with the money. I was told my interests in traditional methods and tackle, and fishing simple tactics make me just the sort of member they would like - so that would apply to most of you on this forum I would guess.
There is no peace on earth like the peace of fishing in the early mornings

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Loop Erimder
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Re: Wotton Underwood Lake

Post by Loop Erimder »

Loop Erimder wrote:
Prince of Durham wrote:I'm sure there's a seller on eBay that makes floats with 'wotton' on them. He claims it to be the home of British tench fishing, made famous by FJT. I've often been tempted to buy some, but when you make them yourself...

Love the pictures. Is it just me or did pike have a different look in days gone by. That sloping head is typical of old pictures of the species, to my mind anyway..

I have some of those floats, swan quills there are and I bought them from ebay
Here are the floats think I have lost about 5 of them
Image
Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish

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