Passingford Bridge

[Duckett]

Sadly, every time I see Passingford mentioned, I weep a little inside for Passingford Pond.

Please tell us more!

Passingford Pond was a lovely small water alongside the road with a good head of nice Crucian, Roach, Rudd etc. It was controlled by Hollow Angling Society, of which I was a member then and my favourite water of theirs - the only pond I’ve fished in Essex like those I learned to fish on at home on The Wirral.

Anyway, about 7 or 8 years ago someone tragically drowned in a farm slurry pit next to the pond. The next thing the club knew was that the slurry pit had been emptied into Passingford Pond, ending its life as well. Rumours were rife but I never did fully understand what happened.

What a terrible tragedy all round. Whereabouts was the pond in relation to Passingford Bridge please? Just curious as I can’t recall a pond close by (not least because of the flooding!)?

T’other side of the roundabout. Albyns Lane, right hand side. Interestingly, when I double checked, it still appears to be marked on the map. Haven’t been down Albyns Lane since to be honest.

[Andyac]

Hi all
I have seen this picture before and what a difference lock gates/ sluices make to a poor dog tooth weir. As no permission was asked for, the EA was going to remove the weir however decided it was not cost effective. Thanks for sharing. Two farm hands sadly lost their lives in the slurry accident and a EA response team worked through the night to block a small ditch from the farm going into the roding.

[Tengisgol]

I took a drive down Albyns Lane. There is a little pond on the right hand side which is about the size of a football penalty area and then I can see in Google maps a pond further down past Curtis Mill that is right next to the M25; which is the old Hollow Angling water please?

[Duckett]

I took a drive down Albyns Lane. There is a little pond on the right hand side which is about the size of a football penalty area and then I can see in Google maps a pond further down past Curtis Mill that is right next to the M25; which is the old Hollow Angling water please?

Hi Phil,

It has to be the small one on the right. Parking for about 4 cars opposite side of the road. It only had a few swims, was roughly rectangular, hard against the road and I would have said a tad larger than Tranmere’s magnificent penalty area at The Bebington Kop End Compared to some of the pits I learned to fish on at home on The Wirral, it was on the large size.

Phil

[Tengisgol]

I took a drive down Albyns Lane. There is a little pond on the right hand side which is about the size of a football penalty area and then I can see in Google maps a pond further down past Curtis Mill that is right next to the M25; which is the old Hollow Angling water please?

Hi Phil,

It has to be the small one on the right. Parking for about 4 cars opposite side of the road. It only had a few swims, was roughly rectangular, hard against the road and I would have said a tad larger than Tranmere’s magnificent penalty area at The Bebington Kop End Compared to some of the pits I learned to fish on at home on The Wirral, it was on the large size.

Phil

OK - well it has fish in it now for sure!

[Duckett]

I took a drive down Albyns Lane. There is a little pond on the right hand side which is about the size of a football penalty area and then I can see in Google maps a pond further down past Curtis Mill that is right next to the M25; which is the old Hollow Angling water please?

Hi Phil,

It has to be the small one on the right. Parking for about 4 cars opposite side of the road. It only had a few swims, was roughly rectangular, hard against the road and I would have said a tad larger than Tranmere’s magnificent penalty area at The Bebington Kop End Compared to some of the pits I learned to fish on at home on The Wirral, it was on the large size.

Phil

OK - well it has fish in it now for sure!

Thanks Phil, that’s nice to know! I wonder if anyone controls it.

The Hollow AS Secretary told me that all the fish had been killed and that the owner lost interest in renting it out if restored - I know we had the cash for that because this was planned for that or another similar water. Strangely, about 18 months later, the club lost that water, its other small pond - Paradise, I think I am right in saying, in the huge back garden of a house on the Whirley (spelling?) Estate. After that, I let my membership lapse and joined LAA and ODAS. I’m still on the lookout for the impossible - a club in Essex or Hertfordshire with some smallish waters with no carp! It’s a doddle on The Wirral and in Cheshire!

Phil

[Tengisgol]

I only saw a few tiny fish and it is COMPLETELY overgrown!

[Duckett]

I only saw a few tiny fish and it is COMPLETELY overgrown!

Well, at least it’s still there and alive!

[Andyac]

I joined hollow as for a season and even went on one of their outing/matches. I fished Hollow pond twice however after spotting 6 chub well over 5lb in the Roding by the big tree on the bend (8ft deep) where the ditch ftom the farm enters the Roding i stopped fishing rhe pond. I would park in the layby and jump over the fence to the river. The pond and river came together however i never saw another angler on the Roding. 50 yards from the tree was where i first fished the roding at night as a 11 year old with older neighbours. I touch legered a lobworm and caught a eel. If you used maggot you were plagued by Gudgeon 41 years later i would love to be plagued by Gobio. It was just before the massive pollution and before the river was straightened for the M25.

[Tengisgol]

I joined hollow as for a season and even went on one of their outing/matches. I fished Hollow pond twice however after spotting 6 chub well over 5lb in the Roding by the big tree on the bend (8ft deep) where the ditch ftom the farm enters the Roding i stopped fishing rhe pond. I would park in the layby and jump over the fence to the river. The pond and river came together however i never saw another angler on the Roding. 50 yards from the tree was where i first fished the roding at night as a 11 year old with older neighbours. I touch legered a lobworm and caught a eel. If you used maggot you were plagued by Gudgeon 41 years later i would love to be plagued by Gobio. It was just before the massive pollution and before the river was straightened for the M25.

We probably crossed rod rests in the dark.