Hi all,

Would be interested to hear your views on this one.

Do you think it's fair day ticket anglers don't have access to the whole of pitsfords bank via their cars?

I ask because i think the place has gone down hill since the rule came about and i actually think that no-one or everyone should have access to the perimeter road. Why should day ticket holders not have access?

I also think that there has been a definate 'click' created at pitsford partially because of the season ticket key rule.

I fished there yesterday and popped along to bog bay at around 4pm. Someone had either stolen, or thrown away, the combination lock on the first gate by the ice cream car park. There were 4 day ticket anglers there who couldn't leave because whoever got rid of the lock, put the season ticket holders lock back onto the gate meaning that no day ticket angler could get out. Only a season ticket holder could have done that.

Popped over again today and as i was leaving the bog bay area, a selfish season ticket holder had again locked the gate using the season ticket holders lock only.

Is this an effort to upset the day ticket anglers?

I'm a season ticket holder myself so there is no case of sour grapes hear. I've just seen both sides of the fence and it doesn't seem fair to me?

Thoughts please!!

Thats a really pathetic thing to do. Pitsford does seem to have a cliquey vibe though, much more so than Grafham.

Being only my second season I haven't known any different in terms of the access situation, but at the start of last season before I took the season ticket plunge I did think it was a bit harsh having to walk so far to get access. There are parts of the bank you need a key to access at Grafham too, but nowhere near the extent of Pitsford, so its less restrictive.

A very interesting post chickenfish, i think that both season ticket and day ticket anglers should have the same access, i have fished pitsford myself many times and felt a little disgruntled at not having the same rights as the season ticket holders. Fisheries need day ticket revenue to survive and the behaviour you have described is very short sighted and selfish in the extreme, i certainly would not return if some self centered ignoramus had locked me in the car park. Hopefully these selfish, petty, small minded idiots will see the big picture.

Oh, and the only reason I can think of to limit access is to keep the volume of traffic, on what is quite a narrow track and usually busy with runners/cyclists/walkers etc, to a minimum. But thats only really a problem when its busy, like opening weekend. On the few other occassions I've bank fished at Pitsford its been pretty quiet anyway. They could limit access on days they expect to be busy instead, and allow access to all at other times of year via a combination lock. That would be the fairest way I think.

can someone explain please......anglia water trout season tickets cover four waters, so do you get gate access to all four waters?.......and are all grades of season ticket holders given a key?

Yes but you're not given a key. It's optional but as Chickenfish rightly pointed out, day ticket anglers don't have that option and thus have restricted access.

Is it fair? No.

.Shaun

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Don't know about Ravensthorpe, but yes Season Ticket holders are given the option of a key that they have to PAY for. I was under the impression [at Grafham at least] that day ticket holders have a combination lock number given to them when they buy a ticket.
There are 2 gates on each of the Grafham car parks [Plummer and Marlow] so there is a key lock on one gate and a combi on the other. Not sure what happens at Mander? Probably the same?

---------- Post added at 10:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:36 PM ----------

Season ticket holders myself included would shut and lock any gate which has a lock and should be locked [Bog Bay for instance], how would they know Day ticket holders were there?? I don't fish at Pitsford that often so at least you know I didn't inadvertently lock you in!

Anyway who let you out or are you in your car with a laptop and a broadband connection??

Its £20 for a key which opens the locks at all the fisheries. I can't speak for Pitsford, but at Rutland the gates are opened by the wardens first thing in the morning and locked last thing at night. The times vary according to the light, times are posted at the entrances to car parks, if you have a key you can fish from first light until it gets dark. If its late, the wardens always check the car parks before they lock up, they will make sure you have got a key and ask any picknickers/day trippers to leave.

I dont think they would be too impressed if you locked a gate halfway through the day.

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Well i for one will be looking for a new venue for this season from the bank.
And from what ive just read pitsford it ain't.
You pay for a day ticket,and can't fish where you want without a hike!
What a JOKE!!!!!!!!!

Accony - yes at grafham all the car parks have one gate with a lock and one with a combination lock, its the same at Mander. But there are other areas (e.g. extra parking at hill farm and the track up to the south end of the dam from Plummer car park) that you can only access with a key. Although as I said, not too restrictive in terms of access if you don't have one.

Ravensthorpe access is the same for everyone, day or season ticket as far as I'm aware.