Our Club

Our Club is built on the principles of providing quality fishing for all our members. Our Three Waters are completely natural with a diverse opportunities and improving our standards, and listening to you, the membership.

The waters were created due to subsidence from mining in the area and have been around now since approximately 1927.

The History of Preesall Salt Caverns

Preesall has a rich history of salt mining. Exploration began here in the 1870s and continued for over a hundred years into the early 1990s.

In the 1880s the Fleetwood Salt Company was formed.

It extracted salt by allowing water into a shaft in the salt deposit and then pumping the brine solution to the surface.

When the Salt Union, which was formed in 1888, put up prices, the Fleetwood Salt Company (not a member of the Salt Union) expanded production and in 1890 the Fleetwood Salt Works commenced production.

In 1891 approximately 500 tons of salt were being produced and by 1897 this had increased to 53,000 tons.

The Ammonia Soda Works which began operation in 1924 was linked by pipeline across the River Wyre to the wells supplying the brine.

In the 1890s rock salt mining began in the salt beds which were approximately 140 meters (470 feet) below the surface. A second level at 275 meters (900 feet) was opened later. The salt when excavated was pushed in carts to the shaft and lifted out of the mine.

The mining operation by United Alkali was capable of producing 140,000 tonnes of rock salt per annum at its peak.

In the 1960s ICI developed at Preesall one of the first modern salt solution caverns in the world using gas padding to preserve the salt roof, an effect first observed in the 1890s.

This is done by injecting sufficient gas into the cavern to maintain a gas ceiling during the washing so the roof salt does not dissolve.

This ensures cavern integrity and stability and prevents surface subsidence.

Thereafter ICI washed many subsequent caverns at Preesall using this technique. Canatxx has made sonar surveys of fourteen of these relatively modern caverns and they are in stable condition today, over forty years after their creation.

Salt mining activities at Preesall that occurred prior to the 1950s did create a number of sink holes. The activities that created the sink holes are well understood.

Fishery Management And Future Strategies

As you are aware of the clubs policy on stocking of fish int both the Big Flash and No1 & 2 waters,the club tries at all times to get the best fish possibleand has a nominal size so that new stocked fish avoid been just bait for the Cormorants, which can be a problem.

The intentions of the Committee are to increase the stocking levels into the waters to kick start the existing stocks to have to actively seek for for food due to competition from newer stocks.

The clubs three waters have been reviewed by the committee which agreed upon the following approach, with the Big Flash improving for the last couple of years the arrangements have been a mixed fishery has now been established

No2 has experienced some good catches from various pegs around the water and it was agreed that this water would also be maintained as mixed fishery.

General stocking of this water would continue to be topped up with Bream and Tench inline with the approach undertaken on the Big Flash.

The number of people that fished No1 and thier returns were studied, the match and pleasure anglers in the main were restricted to a low number of pegs associated with the shallow parts of the water, although new pegs had been constructed.

Also the previous stocking levels over the past 8 years were very low, it was decided that No1 water wasthe preferred option to be developed as a different fishery.

The Committee gave its approval for a large volume stocking of small Carp, as long as we got good value for money on what the club could afford.

Club Rules

0. Subscriptions must be paid by 1st March.
0. Club to be ruled by the Committee.
0. All Members must adhere to the Club rules at all times.
0. Fishing Times     1st May to 31st August 04.00Hrs until 23.00Hrs (4am till 11pm)     1st September until 30th April Dawn to Dusk Only.
0. All fish to be returned to the waters alive.
0. Any member removing fish from the Club Waters will be expelled forthwith.
0. Members discarding or leaving litter, especially Tins, Plastic Bags, fishing Lines will be disciplined.
0. propositions or amendments to the club rules to be put in writing to, the Secretary 14 days before the AGM.
0. Members are restricted to 2 rods only, (except for Pike and Carp fishing between 1st November and 28th February) when 3 rods will be allowed, members are restricted to using a single peg only.
0. Proof of Membership must be producede on request or you will be asked to leave the waters.
0. The holder of this card is authorised to challenge any trespasser found on the club waters.
0. The transfer of members cards is stricktly forbidden, any members found to be doing so will be expelled from the club.
0. Committee meetings are to be held monthly.
0. All club trophies must be returned to the secretary 1 month before the AGM.
0. Transistor radios are banned from club waters.
0. No Fishing In The Alkali Stock Pond, (except with the written consent from the Committee).
0. All Dogs owned by members must be on a lead whilst accompanying the members, either Fishing or Walking on Club Waters and all fouling MUST be removed
0. E.A. Rod Licences must be held by all Alkali Preesall Angling Club Members.
0. All members must sign the indemnity clause when joining the club.
0. No "Tilley" type lamps or powerfull lights are to be used on any of the club waters at any time.
0. All Pegs must be vacated 1 Hour prior to all club matches.

Club Officals