Trow Pool is a closed water fishery (about two acres) where you can fish all year round. It's relatively shallow and fed from natural springs. The water is crystal clear and you can often see the carp cruising below the surface. There is an island at the north end and a small jetty at the south end. Much of the perimeter is enclosed by trees and these give some shelter from the wind and allows stalking tactics! There are no marked pegs and you can fish anywhere provided you don't interfere with other anglers. Most of our our bailiffs are trained first aiders and understand the importance of safety. They visit regularly and often spend time with young anglers to give guidance and help.

Dean Harris with 28lb Common

         
    
   
     Jamie Elliott, 26lb carp, 18/08/06

1. LOCATION

Trow Pool is located between Middleton Stoney and Bucknell (Oxford, England). Park at the top of the entrance (don't obstruct the farmer's gate) and walk down to the water tower then follow the footpath. In all it's about a five minute walk. If you have special needs then we can arrange to have the gate opened to allow you to drive down to the water tower. See link for map

You must have a current permit and these are on sale at J & K Tackle shop in Bicester at 69-68 High Street. There are two permits; juniors and adults and they cost £10.00 and £15.00 each for the fishing year 2006-2007 - see link for details. We are affiliated to Oxford and District Angling Alliance and our permit allows you to fish others waters listed at the back of the permit. There is a hardship fund in cases where anglers are unable to buy a permit but this is only used in very exceptional cases for a permit, not a rod licence. If you feel this may apply to you then contact Diann Welsh (see section 9 for e-mail address). Any enquiry is treated in strict confidence.

Barbless hooks · Valid permit · Current Environment rod licence · No fires · Leave site clean and tidy · No dogs · Juniors (under 16) to be accompanied by an adult permit holder (i.e. over 16) · Landing net and other appropriate items (example disgorger and/or forceps)

Year round fishing (365 days) · No additional fees · Night fishing (need to confirm by phone) · Free newsletter · Free advice and help · Safe place for children to fish and enjoy themselves· Activities & open days · Beginners welcome · Non profit making · Environmentally friendly

You can catch the following fish: Carp (mirror, common and crucian up to 20lb), Tench, Roach, Rudd and Goldfish. There is talk of a pike (may be a fishy story) but let us know if you catch it!

Send us your photos of any fish caught (see contacts below) and we may include them in the Newsletter or on this web site. Use the link in the photo below to go to the album, also visit the Rogues' Gallery - r u there?:

It can be a challenge to fish Trow. The carp are wary and sometimes the weed is thick, but if the going is always easy then there would be no reward in succeeding! However, with the right strategy and some luck you'll bag a carp or two or more. But if carp aren't your passion then it's relatively easy to hook the abundance of roach or tench. It's not possible to give a strategy for every day as the weather and many other factor's will come into play, but what follows are tried and tested methods.

Don't feel that you need to use any of these baits. A single maggot can be just as devastating in hooking a carp or you might want to experiment with other more exotic baits (potato or shrimp). Remember that you must use barbless hooks and main line should be 8lb or stronger. If you fish "straight through" (no hook length) then make sure that float, shot and any weights will release and not remain with the fish should the line break. Speak to the bailiff for advice. Fishing isn't rocket science but if you would like to see some statistical data on what type of bait has the highest hit rate and other information on catching carp at Trow Pool, then open this file: statistical data. For the best time to go fishing, see this link.

8. NEWSLETTER

We issue a free Newsletter which includes topical items about Trow Pool, along with photos of recent catches. So please send any photos of BIG or SMALL fish to us by email. For younger members (less than 16 years of age) who wish to have their photo(s) displayed, then we would need their parents' permission to comply with our child protection policy. The Newsletter is also a forum for you to air your views so please send in any contributions.

Hard copies of the Newsletters are on display at J&K Tackle shop, Bicester but they're soon taken up, so why not use this newsletter link to view the latest one? If you would like to see earlier Newsletters then click on the appropriate link below (some are poor quality reproductions):May 2001, August 2001, October 2001 , July 2002 , April 2003, July 2004, October 2004 , March 2005, June 2005

For all communications (photos, contributions etc.) please reply using the link in the contact section giving your name and membership number. Your member number is on the front page of your current permit (top right).

You can book Trow Pool for a day (Saturday or Sunday) for birthdays or other special fishing occasions. This facility is only available to junior members and Trow Pool will be closed to all other anglers. Essentially you need to pre-book about three weeks in advance of the required date and there are two options available:

(1) Silver Day - this will cost you £10.00 for each angler up to a maximum of ten (but minimum charge £70). For this sum you will have unhindered fishing at Trow Pool and a bailiff will be in attendance for advice and guidance, the bailiff(s) will also take group photos and other photos of any catches.

(2) Golden Day - this will cost £20.00 for each angler up to a maximum of ten (but minimum charge £100). For this you will get two full-time bailiffs who will organize a fishing competition and a certificate will be presented for the winner along with group photos. The bailiffs will also provide hot and cold drinks and a light snack.

Both options will have the group photos in the next edition of the Newsletter and a compilation CD with all the photos. All anglers must hold a full permit (or be exempt) and provide their own fishing equipment and bait. You must allow for your own access to and from Trow Pool. For further information and an application form, see the contacts section.

We never compromise on safety and half of our bailiffs are trained first aiders. Anyone caught making a nuisance or leaving rubbish will be warned and may be barred from fishing and we'll remove anyone caught bullying. Our bailiffs visit at irregular hours to check permits and are on call during night sessions (teenagers only). Finally, we've in place insurance to cover our club members. We are familiar with environmental and sustainability issues and fully appreciate that the world’s natural resources are finite and must be preserved. We also need to live in harmony with the established wildlife and never knowingly endanger them. You can see a copy of our environmental policy from this link.

We are a nonprofit making organisation with a vision to extend the pleasures of fishing to all in our local community. This includes those who have never fished before, either children or senior citizens male and female.

If you would like to "have a go" at fishing but don't necessarily want to commit to buying all the tackle until you're "hooked", then we maybe able to help you. We have some fishing tackle and can arrange for you to have one free fishing session. This will involve half a days fishing with one of our bailiffs when he or she will provide all the fishing gear (not clothing though!), bait and advice.

You just need to arrive at Trow Pool suitably attired! If you are interesting in this option then please make contact through the email link or if you don't have email then ring 01869 602077. It's relatively simple to arrange but if you're under 16 years of age then we would need your parents or guardians permission. At the end of the session our bailiff can explain how to get a permit (if you wish), the rules and can also recommend the minimum fishing tackle, but there's no hard sell!

If you need advice on what fishing tackle to bring along to Trow including line strength then go to checklist.

We need your help! The challenge at Trow Pool is to keep the weed down to an acceptable level. During the summer months we hold regular "clean ups" and it's these that you can help us with. In addition to this, we're always on the lookout for helpers who may be willing to give their time to improve Trow Pool. There are some benefits in helping out in addition to improving the fishing.

First, once the clean up is complete you can fish as the water is closed during these sessions to all except the helpers.

Secondly, the younger members will have a note inserted in their permit confirming that they helped out and this can prove very useful.

And, thirdly you get to know the committee!

Clean ups are usually held on a weekend in the summer and we supply free food and drinks. This is an opportunity for you to meet the committee, air your views and tell us your fishing stories!

Fishing is not rocket science but if you're new to the sport then there may be some terms that you're not familiar with and so you may want to use this link:

The Dave Barry shield. We present this yearly to the member who has landed (at Trow) the heaviest fish during the season. The weight must be verified by another member and a photo taken, then this information is sent to us with your name and membership number. If you're successful your name will be placed on the shield and your photo will appear on this web site and also the newsletter.

The Keven Bryant memorial gift. This is a yearly award open to all members. Send us your most interesting photo from a fishing trip at Trow - it doesn't have to be a photo of a fish but can be, then in less than thirty words say why you like fishing at Trow Pool. The winner will receive a token for £40.00 to use at J & K Tackle shop, Bicester.

You can contact us by e-mail at gofish(at)trowpool(dot)net You'll need to type in this e-mail address changing (at) to @ and (dot) to . This has been done to stop spam spiders getting the e-mail address and sending me spam. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader for some of the links. If you do not have this software on your machine then you can download a free version from the following link , alternatively ring 01869 602077.

A question of fish Best time to fish Bread as a bait Bubble Float, use of Cartoons Calendar Chat Room Current Fishing Tips Clean up photos Check list for fishing Do you have good eyes Environment policy (pdf) Facinating Fishing Facts (FFF) Glossary Of Terms Guest Book, view it Guest Book, write in it Links to other sites Map of Trow (pdf) Newsletter, August 2005 (pdf) Newsletter, June 2005 (pdf) Newsletter, March 2005 (pdf) Newsletter, October 2004 (pdf) Newsletter, July 2004 (pdf) Newsletter, April 2003 (pdf) Newsletter, July 2002 (pdf) Newsletter, October 2001 (pdf) Newsletter, August 2001 (pdf) Newsletter, May 2001 (pdf) Permit details for Trow Pool 2006/07 Photo of the month Previous photos of the month Photos of catches by members Rogues's gallery (r u here?) Silly Fishing Photos Statistical data on catching fish (pdf) Ten Commandments Top Ten Catches Trow Young angler quiz Tip of the week Views of Trow Pool Video of Trow Pool Waters to fish on our permits Word search game Wild life at Trow Pool