Junior Coaching 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The five afternoons of our junior course have come and gone all to quickly. I think instructors and pupils alike would have liked it to continue, we all had such a great time.
At the end of the third session there was a major transformation in their casting. Malcolm Fisher and I looked at a row of young men practising on the lawn in front of Woodford Lodge and you could not help but notice the improvement. We both felt quietly pleased with ourselves in that we had played a part, along with the rest of the team, in getting them to this level. I think we demonstrated that this type of tuition has to be considered as a way of not only teaching them, but also in encouraging them to become permanent anglers for the rest of their lives.
We were able not only to teach fishing, but show the whole picture, they were able to have a try at fly tying with Len Harvey as their teacher and that was a terrific success. We did some basic entomology and fly identification, boat safety and general behaviour while at the waterside.
All were able to do boat fishing, Bristol Water had kindly given us two boats for every session. Chris Klee helped at every session and was our major ghillie and he was well supported by Brian Kick, Allan Philips, and Malcolm Fisher. At the end of the final session each pupil was given a fishing book and boxes of flies, the flies of course being tied and donated by Len.
We qualified for grants from Salmon & Trout association under the Sport England banner and this has been used to buy further teaching equipment for Bristol Water along with two outfits for Brian to use in his work for casting for the disabled.
Overall we all felt that this had been really worthwhile along with the enthusiasm from the youngsters who all wanted to do it again.
Click here for pictures
Roy Buckland Fun Day at Litton Lakes 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
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The Litton day proved to be a very successful event. It was the first time the branch had used Litton for a day out and a very good choice it turned out. It was helped a bit by a glorious day, always a plus when you are running a BBQ. As far as the fishing went, all the fish and all the action came from the lower lake which had a little colour, as opposed to the upper lake which was crystal clear, although by the late afternoon it also began to fish quite well. What was particularly good, was that all the family and friends who joined us also enjoyed their day at the lakes. For those who have never been there it is a beautiful setting.
Roy Buckland. |
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Royal Bath & West Show 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
This years Bath & West will be remembered for one incredible one and a half hours of rain which started on day two at around five pm and completely flooded the whole show site. We in the Salmon & Trout tent were in just about the worst possible position at the bottom end of the show ground. Most of the water seemed to make its way to us, and, within the hour, our tent was seven inches deep in sewage contaminated flood water!
Trying to get home was another story with local villages cut off and impassable.
There was doubt as to whether we would open on the Friday, but we did, and things got slowly better throughout the day. We appeared to have lost nothing more than some brochures and leaflets, but our electricity was out for most of Friday.
Wednesday was a dull and rainy day which affected numbers coming and we did only three lessons on that day.
By the end of the show we had had forty people for lessons so we were able to make some money for the branch - just a little better than last year in fact. Our big disappointment was only getting three new members to join although we all tried hard.
The efforts of all who helped was very much appreciated, Brian Kick came on all four days and also went off to help with the disabled casting competition - a task he has done for many years. Malcolm Fisher and Colin Linge covered the fly tying, but after watching Malcolm I realise I have no place behind the fly tying vice. Richard Payne from the Somerset branch came and did a great job encouraging as many as possible to come and have a go at casting.
Peter McGuckian came for two of the days and Chris Klee and Alfie Pope came and gave a hand for a day.
Mike Hobbs flew in from a holiday in Cuba and joined in the casting instruction although he must have been a bit jet-lagged on the Friday.
Tim Gaunt-Baker from head office was there running things. He was also trying his best to get new members and gave the most beautiful casting demonstrations for both trout and salmon.
By the end of the show we all thought it had been worthwhile, and if we can be restored to our normal casting position on the lake, make an arrangement with the model railway whose trains now circle the lake, I feel sure we will be back next year, but we must have more helpers and not leave it to the same few.
Roy Buckland.
S&TA vs. WCFF 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
The annual match between S&TA and West Country Fly Fishers (WCFF) resulted in a win for the WCFF. This year the venue was changed to Sutton Bingham near Yeovil, a good choice as it turned out, just about everyone caught fish with two fish over five pounds. The WCFF also had three fish over three and a half pounds. S&TA had thirty three fish in total but WCFF managed forty. There was no set lunch this year everyone brought their own food and enjoyed a picnic.
Individual results were:
| S&TA |
WCFF |
| Chris Cavill - five fish, total 11lbs 10oz |
Brian Bowyer - five fish, total 10lbs 0oz |
| Sam Tyrer - five fish, total 11lbs 10oz |
Dave Richardson- five fish, total 15lbs 12oz |
| Jim Smart- five fish, total 12lbs 5oz |
John Deacon- five fish, total 9lbs 8oz |
| Simon Bush - five fish, total 9lbs 0oz |
Henry Blacklidge - five fish, total 13lbs 1oz |
| Len Harvey - three fish, total 5lbs 8oz |
Matt Ellis - five fish, total 12lbs 5oz |
| Brian Kick - five fish, total 9lbs 4oz |
Brian Winward - five fish, total 10lbs 8oz |
| Alfie Pope - five fish, total 10lbs 7oz |
Geoff Tidball - five fish, total 10lbs 4oz |
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Will Blacklidge - five fish, total 11lbs 12oz |
Junior Evening Courses
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
This year the branch has the opportunity to run five evening courses at Chew Valley Lake made possible by the S&TA funding the cost of these evenings with support from Sport England.
The dates of the evenings are 9th May, 16th May, 23rd May, 6th June and the 13th June. They are all Friday evenings from 4pm until 8pm.
Bristol Water have kindly donated their excellent facilities plus they are letting us have two boats free for these events. In addition they are supplying all the fishing tackle and we greatly appreciate what they are doing to support us.
What we will need is members to come along and help on these evenings, so will you please volunteer to come along and help such a worthwhile cause. What could be more satisfying than helping young people to start fishing.
AGM 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Members met for the AGM on 16th March at Blagdon Lodge. Sadly numbers were a bit down this year, possibly due to the poor weather and the clash of dates with the Bath half marathon - not that any members were running in it, but it caused serious traffic delays made worse by the bad weather.
Before lunch, and after a complimentary glass or two of wine, we were treated to a superb talk from Fionna Bowles of Wessex Water, backed with some interesting slides. Fionna’s talk was about what happens to some water courses as a result of abstraction and summer droughts. She concentrated her presentation on the upper Hampshire Avon and the rivers and streams that feed into it, namely the Nadder, Till and Bourne. She showed us the effects on water plants such as rannunculis (water crowfoot) and also marginal and bank side plants. She also demonstrated the effects on the invertebrates in these waters. We, as fisherman, have to applaud the work Fionna and her team carry out, and Wessex Water who initiated these studies. It’s not often we fishermen have the opportunity to say well done to a water company for showing their concern in what happens on the rivers they abstract from.
The usual first class hot lunch was served up by Elaine’s kitchen. Very much appreciated on such a wet and cold day, but we must exclude them in future from the raffle as they seem to win most of the prizes.
After lunch Brian Kick ran his raffle where everyone seems to win a prize and Brian is always able to make a substantial contribution to branch funds.
The AGM began at 2.30 when a minutes silence was observed for Kim Lucas who was tragically killed in an accident at his home on the previous weekend. A short tribute was paid by our president Chris Klee. Apologies were read, and in the absence through illness of our chairman Mike Gleave, Chris Klee took the chair. The minutes of the 2007 AGM were accepted with no matters arising.
The president reported another successful year for the branch, all events were well run and well supported.
Our treasurer John West presented his report and mentioned one or two items that had made significant contributions to branch funds, namely the silent auction of fishing tackle which Frank Whitehead had generously donated just before he emigrated to New Zealand, which raised over £200, and the Bath & West contributed £140. The latter resulted from all those members who gave up their time to work for the branch at the show. The branch funds are currently in a very healthy state.
Roy Buckland gave the secretary’s report and thanked all those who had helped in the production of the newsletter, particularly Nick Mitchell who had seen to the printing, the result of which was that the newsletter was posted to all members by the 10th January - the earliest we have ever achieved. He went on to say that our new web site, designed by Howard Grason, was in his view the best in the whole of the S&TA and urged members to make active use of it. He then gave members a report on the Bath & West and stated that, although last year had been very successful, it had encountered problems preventing members of the public from straying across the site, resulting in problems while trying to give casting lessons. There was one minor accident and by the afternoons of Friday and Saturday it proved too difficult to continue teaching. This clearly raised a health and safety problem so he had written to Tim Gaunt-Baker outlining the problems and suggesting possible remedies. He understood that this letter was forwarded on to the appropriate office of the Bath & West but has to date not received a reply. He felt that if no assurances regarding the security of the S&TA site and the health and safety issues were provided, then we would have to stop offering casting lessons.
The president then gave an address on the possible merger of the S&TA with other angling bodies which it is felt would greatly enhance the political clout of angling with government. Head office were in the process of sending out information to all branches and all members will be canvassed and given a chance to vote on this proposal when it is received. This will definitely have to be before the S&TA AGM on April 22nd 2008.
The S&TA have applied for, and been granted, charitable status which means that all branches will now become affiliated members and subscriptions can be gift aided.
Election of officers.
Chris Klee was proposed for president by Brian Kick and seconded by Malcolm Bond. This was passed unanimously. The president then proposed that all other committee members be voted for en block, this was seconded by Mike Hobbs and passed unanimously. It was proposed by Roy Buckland that Mike Hobbs be elected as a committee member. This was seconded by Brian Kick and passed unanimously.
Chris Klee thanked all for attending and the meeting sent its best wishes to our chairman Mike Gleave for a full and speedy recovery.
The meeting closed at 3.30pm.
Kim Lucas (Deceased)
Saturday, March 8, 2008
We were extremely saddened to learn of the untimely and tragic death, in an accident at home, of our fellow committee member Kim Lucas on 8th March 2008.
Kim worked for Bristol Water for 30 years, and for the last seven as Fisheries Manager (Operations). He managed the trout hatchery and rearing-on units that produce some 80 tonnes of well proportioned and hard fighting brown and rainbow trout each year for stocking to the Bristol Water fisheries at Chew and Blagdon. He also oversaw the work of the team of full time and seasonal rangers who run the fisheries, operate the boat fleets and provide the bailiffing around the lakes. In all this Kim was a dedicated and talented manager and the excellence of the world famous fisheries owed much to his skill and hard work. We were privileged to count him as a fellow committee member for the last seven years and will miss him sorely.
Whilst Kim deserves respect and praise for his career achievements, it was as a warm, funny and loyal friend that most of us will remember him. He was a truly special person who enhanced the lives of all those who spent time with him. His funeral saw the pretty East Harptree parish church packed to overflowing with friends, fishermen, sailors and fellow water company employees, whose number bore witness to his popularity.
We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Amanda and to his three children.
Chris Klee
News from New Zealand
Monday, February 25, 2008
I am delighted to report that Frank (Whitehead) flourishes in New Zealand. Very much his old self, he hates the petty bureaucracy, the dumbed down television and he voiced his not always PC opinions on a variety of subjects.
He very much enjoyed a short stay of 2 nights with me in Turangi where we dined each night. There was no way I could join him in his pre-dinner offer of whisky and brandy, but at least I could find the keyhole of his room for him after dinner.
He accepts that the rigours of fishing in the back country rivers are now too much for him (he recently fell heavily on one such trip, but was only bruised) so while I was away in the outback he gently fished the world famous Tongariro River which runs only a few yards from his bedroom, albeit with no success.
I said that I would let him know the date of my next visit for another reunion. At 88 time is even less on his side than mine. I hope we both make it.
David Marsh.
Winter Talk
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Thirty people came to Woodford Lodge to listen to Dr Dafydd Evans, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency, explain their current thinking on the management of trout and grayling. He told us about habitat enhancement schemes to maximise fish numbers and steps taken to promote angling opportunities. Of particular interest was their plan for maintaining the genetic integrity of wild brown trout in rivers. Evidence strongly indicates that stocking farm strains of brown trout to rivers causes damage to wild populations so they now propose to introduce a policy forbidding stocking with fertile, farm bred brownies. Instead owners will be allowed to stock infertile triploid trout and, in special circumstances, diploid fertile fish spawned from first generation wild fish. Some concerns have been raised that triploids will not perform well in a fishery or that they may adversely effect the resident brown trout. Now research has shown this is not the case with the great majority of anglers saying the triploids provided good sport.
His presentation was followed by a lively session of questions and comment, at the end of which our Water Resources officer Alfie Pope thanked Dafydd for his talk. We are indeed fortunate as a branch to have such knowledgeable persons as Alfie and our President Chris Klee (who had introduced Dafydd at the beginning of the evening) to be able to attract such high level people to keep us involved in fishery policy as it is developing. It was great to see some of our old friends from BRFFA and from Knowle AA joining us for the evening - they were all very welcome.
Frank Whitehead
Monday, December 24, 2007
Everyone will remember that Frank Whitehead moved to New Zealand during the summer. He has sent us a short letter and this picture of him fishing on the legondary Lake Taupo. Franks daughter and grandaughter went with him on the trip. He was off to his first meeting of the local fishing club and looking forward to getting to know the fishermen in his area. He sends his best wishes to all branch members.
Annual Dinner 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Just over thirty members and guests supported this event and all had a really nice time. Guests were welcomed by the chairman Mike Gleave and after he said grace we all sat down to an excellent dinner. The after dinner talk this year was given by Mike Schofield a former commanding officer of the Queen's Flight. His talk was accompanied by some amazing slides from the early years of royal flying up until the disbanding of the Queen's Flight in the late eighties. Ken's talk was followed by Brian Kick presenting Malcolm Bond with the grayling tackle he had won in the sealed bid auction. The total raised for branch funds from both sealed bid auctions was £278. Brian and Margaret Kick ran the evening raffle in their usual efficient manner and raised a further £115. The chairman thanked Nick Mitchell for organising the evening and Kim Lucas for arranging for us to once again have the dinner at Woodford Lodge.
(More pictures in the Picture Gallery).
Members' Day
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A very difficult fishing day for most people. A fine brown algae stained the water to almost tea colour. In fact twenty one fisherman caught only seventeen fish between them, most of us blanked. There are always the exceptions however one was our chairman Mike Gleave who managed four. He was closely followed by Brian Kick with three and Len Harvey and his boat partner, new comer Chris Leat, sharing six. Brian ran out the eventual winner of the Lord Darling Trophy with a beautiful rainbow of 3lb. 12ozs.
Elaine and her staff came up with their usual high standard of food which was appreciated by all and made a pleasant end to what had been a difficult day.
Mike Gleave presented Brian with the trophy and thanked Elaine’s team for the dinner. It was great to see our president Chris Klee joining us for the evening, after recently undergoing major surgery