Following a long and bitter battle for the fishing rights to the country’s premier big barbel water Milton Keynes AA, the original lessees, have retained the rights for a further five years.
Adam’s Mill is a stretch of the river Great Ouse above Bedford that has, over the past few years, produced the great majority of the country’s biggest barbel including the current 19lb 6oz British record.
According to Milton Keynes AA these are the facts:
- Both Adam’s Mill and Ravenstone will remain open to all MKAA members until 14th March 2002.
- Ravenstone will continue to be available to all MKAA season ticket holders until 2007.
- From 16 June Adam’s Mill will be fishable only by those MKAA members who join a special MKAA syndicate.
- Applications for membership of the ‘special syndicate’ will be invited in mid February 2002.
- The syndicate will be limited to 40 members and night-fishing will not be allowed.
- The cost of a syndicate place will be kept as low as possible but must be self-financing and will not be subsidised long-term by MKAA.
The Chairman of MKAA, Trevor Johnson, made the followingcomments:
“What the backstabbers did for angling – and it’s not good news
“MKAA is delighted to have retained control of these wonderful waters BUT, through no fault of ours, the cost to anglers and angling has been enormous.
“We have had to go the syndicate route on Adams to make the best of an impossible situation.
“MKAA, its loyal and decent members, the fishery and even the fish, have suffered sustained and unjust vilification by a jealous minority seemingly concerned only with their own selfish ambitions.
“Thanks to that minority, where virtually any angler could occasionally fish the UK’s number one big barbel fishery for just £26 a year, the vast majority are now excluded from that water.
“And, while the majority of the Upper Ouse isn’t in anything like the same league for big barbel, what has happened is already backfiring on thousands of ordinary anglers with an unjustified rental escalation along the river.
“At least some of the backstabbers responsible for what has happened should have known better and, if they hold office in angling organisations, should – if they have any self-respect – RESIGN IMMEDIATELY.”
Trevor Johnson
Chairman, MKAA.
