January Newsletter 2003

Shaun's Report

Happy New Year to you all. Very little happening during January, this gives your club a chance to reorganise itself for the start of the new fishing/club season in April.

Firstly your fishery report, two very different months:

December - Lots of rain with water colour deteriorating. However January a lot colder with clearer water but unfortunately ice.

Fly patterns black/green during both December and January, however white and orange when water colour deteriorated. Suprisingly bag limits still achievable even in the most coloured of water. Here's looking forward to an early Spring or at least a dry February.

Boxing Day Brace Result

Very wet conditions with 15 anglers exposing themselves to the elements. Fishing was hard but half the field achieved their brace.

Best bag - P Allen 6lb 8oz. Well done to him. Thanks to Mike for offering his festive spirit to the day and Wayne for her soup kitchen keeping many anglers warm.

New Year's Day

Unfortunately weather played its part yet again. As last year ice was to blame. A complete opposite for this year - floods.

As fishery manager I felt it was unsafe for good turnout of anglers (twenty) to venture onto the Fishery which was in torrential flood. As we write we are trying to reorganise a date in January to accommodate the Brace which was missed earlier.

Trophy Returns

Around half of you have returned your trophies. I still need:
April Member and Guest Trophy
May Big Fish
Members' Barbeque
Greene King

I have saved you the embarrassment of naming you personally but please return these before the start of Feb and save me having to phone you.

Price Increases

Our ticket prices have stayed for two years. Unfortunately as normal we have to increase your ticket prices by £2 per ticket. This will affect both non-members and members. Still keeping a £4 difference between non-members and members' ticket prices.

Events Diary 2003/2004

As reported in the last newsletter the date 31st of March for you AGM has been moved to Monday 7th April. Apologies for this change. Your secretary has listed your events for 2003/4 in his report. Please make a note or keep this schedule in a safe place.

Forthcoming Events - Jim Jaycock Memorial Team Trophy (8th / 9th March)

A team event drawn by your committee at random at the February committee meeting. A chance for 24 anglers to enter each day with 6 teams of 4 anglers doing battle. Your committee will seed and make 6 captains for each day. The other 3 team members will be drawn from a hat. Teams will be posted after the 1st March for anglers eager to see whose team they are in.

Best team weight trophies for each day and overall winner over the two days. Bacon rolls and coffee will split the morning session with a welcome retreat to the lodge for which is normally a cold and inclement event.

Singles and Pairs

We are down to the semi final stages in both. Thanks to all for heeding the round closure dates. Good luck to all who have reached this stage.

A lot to take in for the new season. With next month's newsletter even more information and importantly subscriptions will be requested for your new season 2003/4. Your committee has expressed as reported by your Secretary that any subscriptions after the 7th April shall be assumed lapsed with waiting list members offered the remaining places. We look forward to seeing the fair weather fishermen during February, but wrap up warm!

Tight lines!
Shaun

Closure Dates

None during January and February. However, please consult event planner on the member's notice board as short-notice is sometimes given on group bookings or corporates. Please click here for current closure dates.

Chairman's Report

Firstly a Happy New Year to all. Many thanks to those who supported our Club competition on Boxing Day. Well done Phil Allen for winning his first ever trophy - I am sure the first of many.

No-one has taken advantage of "Flog it" perhaps now with all your new tackle, it could mean a postcard on the board.

Tight to all
Mike

Secretary's Report

Can I begin by wishing all members and their families a happy prosperous and healthy new year.

Unfortunately 2003 did not get off to a good start. Three days of torrential rain forced the traditional New Year's Day brace event to be cancelled as aside from water being like brown Windsor soup, ground conditions made it unsafe to even attempt fishing. One or two foolhardy souls who must surely have been waiting for hangovers to kick in did try and suprisingly were successful although I hear that one fish was captured in the car park.

As a consequence the event has been rescheduled for Sunday 19th January and it is hoped that as many of those originally entered will be able to attend. Those who cannot make it will of course be able to use their ticket at a time of their choice.

2003

The events calendar for 2003 is available here and following the sucess in 2002 both member/guest and big fish competitions will be held over three days.

Membership

Our club year will shortly be drawing to a close. The AGM and awards ceremony will be held on 7th April so make a note in you diaries.

For the forthcoming year we will be holding our membership fee of £90 and we will not be extending membership beyond the current level of 140.

It is perhaps a mark of our success that we have a waiting list of 30 people who wish to join the club. In terms of renewal priority will always be given to existing members.

However recognising that we do have a waiting list, your committee has agreed that all subscriptions must be paid by 7th April otherwise the individual's membership will be deemed to have lapsed and will be offered to those waiting on the list. Membership renewal forms will be issued with the next newsletter.

Good fishing to you all (icebergs permitting).

G Mutch
Hon Secretary