Claims Derbyshire fishing pond has been 'neglected' are 'rubbish' says bailiff

A letter to the Derbyshire Times posed a question to Bolsover authorities.

Trevor Whyld asked: “Why a wonderful leisure time activity at the Carr Vale fishing pond has been neglected for so many years?”

"Yes, the area is lovely to walk around, sit and take in the air but no-one is fishing. Why? The simple reason is there are no longer any fish to catch.”

Phil Turton, one of Carr Vale ponds bailiffs contacted the Derbyshire Times to “set the record straight”.

Phil is a member of the Ashfield Angling Club which look after a number of fishing venues – including Carr Vale pond, around the local area. Formerly a chairman of the society, Phil is currently one of the bailiffs that looks after Carr Vale Pond, a role which he has been performing for 18 months. Working alongside other bailiffs – Chris Turner, Lee Barlow and Kev Jowle, as well as other members of the society – Phil and the team have undertaken work to improve the Bolsover fishing facility. Their work started with a general clear up of litter in the area.

Phil said: “It was a place that wasn’t really respected by a lot of people that were using it and so we had a massive clear-up with myself and the guys.”

Since the clean-up, there has been a decrease in littering and anti-social behaviour around the pond.

Phil said: “You can see for yourself that the place looks immaculate, it’s well looked after and it’s very well respected by locals that use the space. We’ve had a lot of consultation with the Environment Agency over the last year. We’ve had water tests done and we’ve had fish analysis which keeps track of the age of fish and the stock we have. I’ve information on catch reports from guys who have come down to do a days pleasure-fishing and have caught 20 to 30 fish which we have relayed back. This has resulted in the Environment Agency agreeing that we have good stock.”

The bailiffs have also recieved support from Derbyshire County Council.

A spokesperson for the council said: "Since Ashfield Angling Club took over the licence for the fishing pond a great deal of effort has been put into managing the pond to enhance this pleasant location for local residents and anglers.

“Many fishing ponds in the UK have suffered problems with fish stocks in recent years due to prolonged warm periods and the spread of algae which are not good conditions for fish to thrive.

“The club has taken steps to mitigate these effects including improvements to the freshwater supply and aerating the water.”