BEWARE HIGH VOLTAGE CABLES

Quite a few weeks ago the lake had a visit from the Energy Networks Organisation (ENA), in lay-mans terms the electricity board.  This was regarding the power lines that cross the Bayeswater lakes site and the possible danger to anglers from the high power electricity these lines carry.

If you want to read up more about this visit their web site www.energynetworks.org.  Follow the links for angling.  You will notice that they state the safe distance is 30 metres from the lower cable but with written risk assessments that is 7 metres.  I can only assume the 30 metres is all about pole angling so I have allowed this in the new rules soon to be amended.

They were concerned to see that we had been fishing near and even under the lines and as a result I have had to add a lot of signs all over the site.  I hope these signs are self-explanatory and must express that it is very important that all anglers take note and abide by the instructions on them.   

For instance, I have had to close some swims on the day ticket lake.  To make it easier to see I’ve numbered all the swims.  The peg numbers are not strictly the only place you can fish from, we have always managed very well, without hardly any incidents of anglers crowding other anglers without numbered swims, but there is swims 8 to 9 that cannot be fished between now.  This also includes dropping baits in and walking the rod back to the swim.

Then there are swims 7-13 inclusive that are now “no pole fishing pegs”.  This does not effect very many anglers who fish at Bayeswater but it is pole fishing where the real danger is, some poles are up to 14 metres long and the large pylon wires are only just over 9 metres of the ground.  Carbon is an awesome conductor of electric so please bare this in mind if you get a pole for Christmas.

On the syndicate lake there is nearly the whole of the road bank that has even lower hung wires that again carry a lethal level of electric.  These wires are only just over 5 metres of the ground.  A carp rod is nearly 4 metres long so extra care must be shown there.  I have placed peg no’s 1-3 on this bank which are very close to the water to achieve the minimum distance we are allowed to fish near these cables.  Because these pegs are so close to the bank I intend to extend them out towards the water a bit once we know the high water level.  In the mean time please set up as far forward as possible or I will be forced to close the whole bank, which would be a disaster because these swims are very productive.

As always, common sense and awareness is the best form of safety so please be aware and please do not risk being near the cables with made up rods, you will be very lucky to get a second chance.

I’ve attached photos of several of the signs for those of you that might not of visited the site lately.  

Be lucky and be careful.