Farnham Angling Society are delighted to announce that fishing by its members may resume at Lodge Pond with immediate effect, as a 1-year lease will be agreed, and that the future fishing at the site beyond that point will be discussed with Farnham Angling Society.
This was verbally confirmed this morning by Mr Brian Mahoney, the Chief Executive of Forest Enterprise [England] and a new 1-year lease will be drawn up next week by Senior Officers of both Farnham Angling Society and the Forestry Commission.
The official Press Release from the Forestry Commission states:
"With over 350,000 visitors per year to Alice Holt Forest, the Forestry Commission are constantly looking at the best way to meet our customers needs. As part of this, we are considering how we manage the pond at Alice Holt looking forward, both as a conservation area and recreation facility for the benefit of the wider general public.
The Farnham Angling Society has had a nine-year lease that came to an end on 31 March. The Forestry Commission will be offering the Society a license for a year to enable us to have further discussions as to how Lodge Pond can best deliver public enjoyment for both fishermen and other members of the public."
FAS are very pleased that the FC has reviewed its position in light of the press release that was issued by Farnham Angling Society and we now have the opportunity to discuss the future fishing of Lodge Pond with the Forestry Commission, which is precisely what we had sought in the first instance. FAS are grateful for the coverage given by the 'Fisherman's Blues' programme on Talk Sport radio (6.30am Easter Sunday 24th April); BBC South for their 'BBC 1 - South Today' at 6.30pm on Wednesday 27th April 2011 and 'The Breakfast Show' on BBC Radio Surrey at 8.40am on 28th April 2011 and to 'The Farnham Herald' for their front page news within the 29th April edition.
We remind all FAS members of the absolute necessity to:
- Ensure that the main access gates to Alice Holt are closed and secured when the site is closed to the general public. The opening hours of Alice Holt, which change through the year, are shown on a notice board as you approach the gates when you go in.
- Ensure that you close and lock the inner barrier gate, by the Rangers hut, whenever you pass through it.
- Ensure at all times that you drive at no more than the 15mph speed limit down the forestry tracks within the site, and maintain the utmost courtesy to all others that use those tracks, especially pedestrians, cyclist and horses.
- Please ensure that you all of your litter, as on all other FAS run fisheries, is kept securely in your possession and is taken home with you at the end of your fishing session.
IF ANYONE IS FOUND NOT DOING SO THEY WILL FACE THE SEVEREST PENALTIES AT A DISCIPLINARY HEARING.
We thank all of the 350 members, fellow anglers and general supporters that signed the online petition within the 2-days that it was live on the web, for their tremendous support.
We also thank The Angling Trust and Fish Legal who communicated with us very quickly and were primed to support us and further our own cause via their web site and by writing to the Forestry Commission and the Angling Press. FAS would recommend that members consider joining the Angling Trust on an individual basis, to help support them financially as representatives of the UK's anglers and help them in the way they were prepared to assist us so quickly.
We will continue to keep you appraised of further updates via the web and the newsletters in due course.
The Executive Committee