Rutland, Grafham, Pitsford and Ravensthorpe trout reservoirs get new booking system so tickets can be purchased in advance
Day and season tickets for Rutland Water can now be purchased online.
As detailed in FF&FT‘s March issue News, Anglian Water has now completed the switch to online day-tickets, writes Mark Bowler. As from today, anglers can book day tickets online, rather than travel to the Normanton Lodge to purchase them over the counter. The transaction also incorporates an online catch-return system which will make making a return far easier at the end of the day’s fishing.
The system will apply to all four of Anglian’s main trout fisheries: Rutland Water, Grafham Water, Pitsford Water and Ravensthorpe. The online system is not available for boat bookings yet, but this should happen “in the near future”, and the same applies to the fisheries’ three-day tickets.
As yet, the car parking, which uses a number-plate recognition system, is not linked to the system, so the fishing-ticket will still need validating for parking through the lodge and visitor centre. This means that if an online day-ticket holder arrives at the barrier at, say, Whitwell Creek, then once through the barrier, a call can be made to the lodge to verify and log the angler’s parking ticket for that day. Online anglers accessing Hambleton Peninsula will be able to phone the lodge for the gate-codes. The proposed automatically linked fishing and parking-ticket system is, unfortunately, still “some way off”.
The booking system has been tailored to suit all Anglian’s watersports activities, including sailing, wind-surfing, aqua-park bookings.
Both season and day permits can be purchased for Rutland, Grafham, Pitsford and Ravensthorpe, as well as Anglian’s other fisheries: Alton, Ardleigh, Hollowell and Taverham Mill. Anglers can also select for Predator or Coarse tickets as well as for Trout. The system allows for the angler to select a permit type (for instance, a Sporting Day Ticket at £26.00, or a Summer Sunset one at £14.00) and then the specific date on which it applies, so tickets can be bought in advance.
Online catch returns can now be made and, ultimately, photographs of catches will be able to be uploaded to create a ‘live report’ on the fisheries. Fishing packages, including accommodation bookings, may also be possible in future.
The tackle shop will remain open for tickets, and still take telephone calls for bookings. For online tickets follow links at: www.anglianwaterparks.co.uk