S&DAC Newsletter Summer 2024 Download

EDITORS RAMBLINGS

This time I am going to open the newsletter with a plea to those that can get onto the forum where important updates are posted without having the extra work to copy out newsletters or deal with those who claim to be unaware. It is a mine of information on fishing and fisheries. See page 40 in yearbook for details. It saves Andreas the pressure and the team time on the phone to repeat information already out there as they have things like saving our rivers and bureaucrats to deal with. The cost of batteries for Andreas heart and blood pressure units don’t come cheap either. I know we are a secretive bunch and do not want to let on how we did but at least sign up, read it so any information is imparted, questions asked and confusions ironed out.

Year on year we have breaches of rules and etiquette, these are usually minor but shouldn’t occur and is a frustration to the club and bailiffs. The first thing is to read the rule book and if you are in doubt, ask.  Things like nymphing or wading where anglers shouldn’t, New Zealand style set ups and double nymph have been found on fisheries where they clearly aren’t supposed to be, a fresh indicator and nymph was found in a tree at a beat where dry fly only applies. A member signed into a beat on a day we aren’t allowed to fish and there has been a shambles when busy at the Stapleford fishery where anglers didn’t sign in and out correctly with anglers wandering off their preferred beat. We have to remember that some of our landowners […]

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Spring Newsletter 2024
Editors Ramblings

I am sure that those of us that enjoy a bit of winter fishing on the rivers and lakes have been thwarted by the deluge of rain with rivers and even lakes overwhelmed by water. Some meadows are covered in water and it was said that a boat was required to even get to the banks. I gather there are quite a few for sale at Dover at the moment along with motors and engines –one careful owner.

There have been a few who have managed to find a window and been rewarded with the odd fish. Another cracking chub was landed on the Avon and a 50cm grayling on the Wylye. With all this weather the rivers have been flushed out and hopefully the year ahead looks as if we will have reasonable flows. In the short term it looks as if there may be some banks that will be inaccessible as in previous years and openings delayed if it considered unsafe or footfall may cause further damage. Alas this is one of the results of climate change and has been an issue in previous years. It isn’t something the club wants to do as anglers are chomping at the bit to flick a fly but there are many considerations before any decision is taken.  The keepers and volunteers are doing all they can but nature has a way of thwarting efforts.

As the club moves forward it constantly reviews its policies and one that is being updated is Health and Safety along with safeguarding. As a club we have responsibilities to anyone who works, uses, volunteers and is a member of the club. These policies have to […]