NEWS AND INFO

April 2022

Below is a summary of the key events at the AGM and these need to be read in conjunction with the reports that follow too.

A minute’s silence was held in remembrance for fishermen and friends who have died since we last met at an AGM

1. The President, Brian Heap welcomed all to the meeting. He said he had two responsibilities  on the night firstly to propose Mike Hirsh as Chair for the meeting and secondly to declare  the meeting open.  A show of hands supported the proposal and the President then urged  members to use the opportunity to ask questions and he highlighted the importance of  hearing their ideas and opinions for the committee to take forward.

He reflected on some Covid 19 issues and events that had made an impression on him  personally since the last AGM and said that the Club had been kept running thanks to the  efforts of the Committee.  He said it had been a challenging time for everyone but now was  the right time to move on.

Before handing over to the Chairman and on behalf of everyone present, he thanked the  Committee members and their brilliant helpers for the all the work they undertake.

2. Chairman’s Report by Mike Hirsh -please see separate newsletter item

3.  The Constitution was amended – please see separate newsletter item.

4. The election of the President and Officers were agreed, and the following members were re- elected without a contest, as they were the only nominations:

President – Brian Heap

Chairman – Mike Hirsh

Treasurer – Jan Nightingale

Membership Secretary – Chris Crompton

Secretary – Stuart Hitchman

Match Secretary – Jim Finch

Game Secretary – Paul Baker

Welfare Officer – Sean Harris

Media Officer – James Nash

Rivers Officer – Nick Churchill

Head Bailiff – Steve Neale

5.  The Committee members, in addition to the above, were also elected without contest:

Nigel Taylor

Mike Jepson

Nick Lawrie

George Frost

Hugh Miles

(and one vacancy)

6. Iain Scott was elected to the new post of Vice Chairman.

7. Treasurer’s financial report 2020 and 2021- please see separate newsletter item.

8. Membership report 2020 and 2021 – Chris Crompton provided the end of year statistics

9. Club Secretary, Stuart Hitchman provided an update on works and stocking – please see  separate newsletter item.

10.  Questions/AOB:

 There was a wide-ranging discussion on a number of issues, including the water quality in  the River Stour, and whether Tranquil at the Kingsbridge complex should be stocked with fish  excluding carp.

The absence of provision of lifebuoys or other aids to assist if somebody was unfortunate  enough to fall in was also discussed with particular reference to  Kingsbridge.  It was agreed  that this matter be referred back to the Club’s Committee for further consideration.

Introduction

Below are alterations to the constitution agreed at the AGM 2022. These are set out with the relevant numeric or letter reference as in the Membership book, and will be incorporated in future editions, although all are effective from the 22 March 2022.

In addition at the end there is a change brought to the AGM concerning the general rules of fishing and the use of landing nets.

Please note these changes to avoid any possible conflict.

There is explanatory advice in blue where relevant, but the relevant section as amended is set out in full:

3. Membership.

a. Membership shall be open to all persons for one calendar year at a time and is primarily for the purpose of fishing, except for associate members [see g. below] who shall only be able to freely access the Club’s fisheries.  Notwithstanding the timing of any payment, the contractual obligation between the Club and the individual applying for membership will not be complete until the application has been accepted by the Club [which in general will be once the application has been scrutinised and recorded by the Membership Secretary. For avoidance of doubt, it is not when purchased over the counter at a shop]. The Club may refuse an application from any individual, if that is deemed appropriate by the Club’s Committee, and there is no appeal against such a decision.

The existing wording does not explain the length of membership. There is also no ability for the Club to reject an application which, as a private members’ club, is a logical backstop for rare and extreme circumstances.

j. On the expiry of a Membership the user must cease to fish the Club’s waters. A former member will not incur a joining fee provided a fully complete application together with the correct fee is received within three months of the expiry of the previous membership.

This change gives effect to current working practice and will clarify matters for Members. It means that there is a clear financial incentive to renew, which has not been clear to some members.

5. Officers and Committee

a. The Club Management Team shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary etc. …………….

The change gives effect to the new role of Vice-Chairman.

7.Club Funds and Ticket Prices.

Second sentence of a. to read All monies owed by the Club………..

Last sentence of a to read:

No cash withdrawals other than for petty cash, routine payments for licences and leases of Club waters, and expenditure related to Membership applications such as the procurement of additional membership books and keys shall be made by the Club’s Treasurer without the prior approval of the Committee, either at a meeting or by a majority vote by appropriate electronic means and then recorded in the minutes of the subsequent Committee.

Anything to do with procurement to facilitate memberships only arises because more memberships are being sold. It is routine and essentially administrative in terms of the actions and is normally identified in a forward revenue expenditure budget too.  This alteration enables efficient action [and will be picked up in the Club’s monthly report in any event].

d. The Committee will review and set subscription rates for all classes of membership, together with any joining fee, and ticket prices and shall keep these under review with the objective of avoiding a loss year on year. The Committee is also tasked with maintaining accessible financial reserves to mitigate the likelihood of financial difficulties arising in any rolling twelve-month period.

In relation to d. there is nothing in the Constitution at present that sets a financial objective for the Club’s Committee. For a member’s club the ideal is to balance revenue and expenditure, but it is also important not to lose money and therefore making a surplus is logical. One of the lessons of Covid, when for about six weeks there was no membership income and the Club promised to extend memberships that could not be used, is that a suitable financial reserve is important too.

g. The Committee may raise funds to purchase additional waters.

The new wording at g. is self-explanatory

In addition an alteration was considered by the AGM in relation to the General Rules of Fishing

Introduction.

The general rules of fishing are not regarded as part of the Constitution and may be changed by the Committee, however in this instance a proposed rule change to make the availability of landing nets mandatory, was considered of sufficient general interest to bring it to the AGM.

Change to Rule 6 first sentence:

All coarse fish anglers, including match anglers, to have an un-hooking mat and an appropriately sized landing net available at all times for use when required. All trout anglers must also carry appropriately sized landing nets.  Specimen fish are our main asset, please look after them.

Under the Club’s etiquette guidance there is already a reference to landing nets but bailiffs, on occasion, have come across anglers without landing nets and with fish welfare an ever-increasing concern it is considered important to make their use mandatory.

If you have any queries concerning these changes by all means contact the Club.

The following item is what, in essence, I said to this year’s AGM:

As you would expect I have been back through the Club’s minutes over the last two years and have also reviewed my articles in newsletters too, and I was struck by the normality of the work the Committee has been doing; at least in the main.

In summary I can report that, whilst the world has suffered a pandemic, you would hardly notice it in much of the WDAC minutes of meetings. The minutes reveal exactly what you would expect so for example:

• WDAC has signed a new lease for the lakes at Edmondsham.

• We have stocked fish (and Stuart Hitchman, your Secretary spoke about coarse fish stocking towards the end of the meeting and has produced an article based upon this)

• There were reports on the successful outcome of a grant application to the Angling Trust to complete the otter sanctuary fence at Edmondsham. And your Club Secretary has not only managed the grant applications but has also applied successfully to Natural England for a licence for the Club to scare and if necessary, shoot cormorants too.

• There are monthly financial reports prepared by Jan Nightingale and Membership reports prepared by Chris Crompton so we can keep track of member numbers, income and expenditure as the constitution requires.

• There have also, regrettably been some disciplinary issues and indeed in June 2020 it was reported that a joint patrol with the EA enforcement team in May, on our stretch of the River Stour, caught an out of season fisherman, not a Member and the EA were pursuing a prosecution.

• Other topics covered also included web-site updates, Facebook, newsletters the purchase of a Neptune weed rake and then other on-going matters such as the Stour Valley Park project, which I will return below.

However, of course Covid did have a real impact, for example, on where and how Committee meetings were held. For much of the last two years they were being held online! If three years ago anyone had suggested the Committee would buy Zoom software and that we would meet electronically on a regular basis they would have been told they were living in fantasy land. It is a mark of how far society in general has changed, recently, that Zoom Committee meetings for a while became a way of life for WDAC. We all also got used to such matters as social distancing, the wearing of masks and using anti-bac gel or wipes when going out and about.

In the first lockdown I was worried about simply opening gates and I know I was not alone!

WDAC membership fee income stopped arriving due to the first lockdown and the uncertainty it created, but having a sufficient reserve, the Committee also agreed to extend existing memberships to reflect the inability to be allowed to fish.   That experience has motivated at least one of the changes to the Constitution, agreed at the AGM, to ensure WDAC can weather such problems in the future by setting clear strategic financial targets.

There were one or two silver linings that have come from Covid. Junior memberships are up. Covid was more successful than the Club’s officers and Committee had been at getting young people fishing, despite our initiatives such as ‘family fishing days’. When we were allowed to get back to fishing, because fish had been rested, there were some excellent catches. Indeed, wildlife seemed to have generally benefitted too, although it also gave us problems with luxurious growth of bankside vegetation coupled with nesting birds in odd places.

The Covid-led increase in Angling has been a National phenomenon, but of course it would be no surprise to anyone if the current financial uncertainty, due to price increases in services and fuel, caused a dent in this trend. The Committee and its officers need to be vigilant in relation to  the Club’s forward planning.

The Angling Trust certainly improved its standing, nationally, during the epidemic as the voice of angling; organizing Clubs to lobby MPs, as we did, and helping to interpret how the regulations would work. Its officers were a real help to me on a number of occasions. Because angling increased, sails of rod licences increased, and that meant Club’s benefitted as this money, in part was returned via the Angling Trust in the form of grant.

We live in worrying times and I am sure Angling will continue to be an important escape from the stress of everyday life for many.

Locally we live with a degree of uncertainty. The Stour Valley Park project is being promulgated as a project by both BCP and Dorset Councils to improve the River and at the same time improve public access from the Kingston Lacy Estate to the sea. As you will know from our May 2021 newsletter, our Club, Christchurch and Ringwood have joined together to make submissions to both Councils about clear local plan policy objectives supported by sound survey work. The Club is actively working with the consultants, Landstory, and other interested parties to try to ensure a positive outcome.

The existing Committee members and Club officers have been doing excellent work. Two are relatively recent recruits Paul Baker as Game Secretary and Jan Nightingale as Treasurer, and both have made an immediate and positive impacts.  In addition, our Club’s bailiffs have been doing an excellent and difficult job through the pandemic, checking books and offering help and advice where needed.

Following a prosecution by the HSE against the Birmingham AA, our working parties are having to take Health and Safety, ever more seriously and again I need to thank the stalwarts of the Club, who turn out on a regular basis, to help keep our waters tidy and managed. We do intend to open up this voluntary work to more members and the new role of Vice Chairman will give the officers greater breadth to help tackle this task.

I remain optimistic about the Club’s future and will try to ensure the management remains flexible, open minded, positive and self-critical to ensure we move forward without getting set in our ways.

What follows is a revised note of that which I circulated on the evening, and which formed the basis of my report and subsequent discussion.

In January 2021, the Game Section carried forward a healthy balance of just over two thousand pounds and by the end of the year this had further increased.  The Game Section remains in a sound financial position and should be able to weather the expected problem of rising fish costs. Given this sound position it is not the intention to raise ticket prices in the next twelve months or alter stocking policy, as we can subsidise from funds if necessary.

Winterborne Zelston

I am keen to invest in the Club’s lake at Winterborne Zelston and there is currently good support from the Committee too. We are in the early stages of considering a new fishing hut, bankside platforms and a better parking layout. Our Club has, I believe, a Committee that is determined to provide the best possible facilities and fishing venues for both its game and coarse fishing members.

GAME FISHING - 2021

Looking at 2020 and 2021 one has to start by reflecting how Covid rules and regulations prevented and curtailed much of our normal activities. However, I am pleased to say that fishing as an activity was only affected by the government’s policies for some six weeks at the start of the outbreak and this is reflected in the numbers fishing Winterborne Zelston.

My tenure as game secretary started with a bang, as I encountered a perennial  problem – otters! After photographing and wishing them well they eventually departed after some encouragement. We did not stock and  we also tried a ‘free fishing’ period to reduce stocks to move them on.  As February 2021 started, the water was restocked and we all began to get back into the swing of things. Notably  there were rainbows of 9.70 Ibs and 7.25 Ibs caught in this period. During March as lockdown measures eased we had over 47 visits to Winterboren Zelston by members and guests, easily the greatest number in any month last year. I think we were all just pleased to be out and about! Of course the fact that some more specimen fish were introduced helped enormously!

I will say though that conditions on the lake were affecting catch rates and towards the end of the March a number of us had blank returns.

April and May produced more specimen fish up of 7 .6 Ibs with ten fish over 5Ibs.  However, at the beginning of June, the biggest fish of the year was caught by Gareth Evans, weighing just over 12Ibs.

Whilst on this subject, young Leo is worth a mention with 9.75 and 5.25Ibs . proving that even in August Winterbrone Zelston in some years is still fishable. It was noticeable that  the lake levels did stay remarkably high during this month, reflecting the earlier high late Spring rainfall.

In December Winterbrone Zelston was visited over 39 times and gives credence to the fact that this lake is without doubt a fantastic winter fishery. The clarity of the spring fed water gives us a real chance to enjoy sight fishing at its best.

The game section is fortunate in having Colin Hancock as a member, who  monitors the water quality. The chemistry of the lake is monitored in terms of its nitrate, phosphate and ammonia levels. At present, the concern has centred on the rise in Nitrate levels over the year from about 5ppm to 20ppm. It is suggested that most of this rise can be put down to farm run-off from an already nitrate laden aquifer. As you would expect higher nitrate levels will increase the growth of weed and without regular clearance this would pose a real problem.

Rawlsbury Lakes 2021

As with WZ, at Rawlsbury we have maintained a good level of stock. At the beginning of 2021 the wet ground conditions prevented us from putting fish into Cowleaze, but otherwise I was pleased with the catch rate. The monthly newsletter and interim emails are useful in informing members when we last stocked and I think this helped. Both Chapmans and Cowleaze can become difficult as the season progresses caused, in the main, by higher water temperatures and rapidly increasing weed. As a result, working parties took out some massive amounts of weed with the help of our friendly farm manager and his digger.

Sandys was stocked for the first time in a few years and happily it has maintained its levels. So, with Viners we have two catch and release lakes that are a stunning resource for completing your days fishing at Rawlsbury. To date, the fish have overwintered well thanks to Gary who has been feeding them regularly. I intend to add to the stock with more brownies and rainbows when we can get vehicular access.

Work Parties

One of the most enjoyable parts of the Game Secretary’s job is to arrive at a work party and enjoy a bit of banter and talk about all things fishing related. The camaraderie of those attending makes sessions really positive  and we even manage to get some work done. The maintenance of our lakes is crucial, and it is always an ongoing.

One particular problem we always have is the level of weed growth during the spring and summer months. It seems that we are getting higher growth rates earlier in the season. If the weed is cleared as early as possible it helps to ensure better fishing conditions later on in the year. The Club has purchased a Neptune weed rake and capstan winch which can be used to remove large quantities of weed at any one time; at least 4 of us are needed to operate it. Otherwise, we use various methods,  involving cutting and collecting the weed. Bob Spurgeon has been instrumental in designing these tools and they are proving very effective.  No two weed clearance working parties are ever quite the same!

It is worth mentioning that at all our work parties we must be very conscious of having a good health and safety regime and the Club will make sure that they are all carried out with best practice in mind.

From April, I will be organising work parties at Rawlsbury on the second Tuesday of every month.  This will I hope give those that wish to attend plenty of notice.

Finally, can I give a huge vote of thanks to our team of volunteers. They are an incredibly important part of the club.

Proposals for WDAC member taster day.

David Lynch is going to head up a team of experienced fly fisherman who are prepared to provide their time to coach novice and non-trout fishermen who are members of the club in the arts of fly fishing. Coaches on the day will teach mainly on a one-to-one basis.

The Date of this event is Saturday 14 May 2022

Charity Events

Our landlord Justin Langham wants to hold an event at Rawlsbury. In addition, the Committee, at its last meeting, and following an approach by Wimborne Fly Tying Club has also agreed the principle of a further charity day, similar to that fished in 2019.

Catch and Release

At the Meeting there was a wide-ranging discussion about catch and release and how a ticket for catch and release only might be introduced for the top two lakes, Viners and Sandy’s, at Rawlsbury.

In the end I agreed to prepare a discussion paper for circulation to the Club’s game fishermen to see if we can get to a satisfactory proposal.

Jan Nightingale wrote an excellent article, published in the May 2021 newsletter updating the membership on the Club’s financial health reflecting the position through to the end of 2020. This report follows on and deals with matters up to the end of 2021.

In some respects, taking on the treasurer’s post was a baptism of fire for Jan in the sense that Brian Heap relinquished the job, which he had held onto for some time under sufferance whilst the Club was looking for a new treasurer, and Jan took over in January 2020 just as Covid was starting to spread across Europe. Brian had done a magnificent job and I, in particular, valued his advice and continue to do so in his role as President.

The Committee met in April 2020 and Jan provided a report explaining that we had sufficient funds in the bank to withstand the foreseeable payments the Club would have to make for rents etc. and other recurring expenses, even if we received no more membership income due to being locked down.

The good news in 2020 was that many people, once the first lockdown came to an end, in mid-May, went fishing and, as Jan explained in her article, this led to a significant increase in gross income. This meant we could increase the Club’s reserves and at the same time plan for expenditure for the benefit of the Club in 2021.  The Club could not carry out much in 2020 due to the restrictions placed on the public by Covid regulations and advice.

For example, in January 2021, essential works to the car park and track between the lakes at Kingsbridge were completed at a cost of about £11,000, which had been planned over twelve months earlier. In the first instance the work had been deferred due to bad, wet, weather.  Then in summer 2020 due to the numbers of people fishing, it was decided not close the car park to carry out the work.

The Club also spent over £6000 on coarse fish last year, in part ordered the previous year, compared with expenditure of only around £600 the year before. You will recall that to help fund some larger carp, night permits were increased and the £10 increase subsidized about 2/3rds of the cost of the six twenty pound plus fish stocked into Creekmoor; the Club having sold 205 permits. We also made some significant equipment purchases during 2021 including a Neptune weed rake at a cost of over £5000. This rake was used to remove weed at Winterborne Zelston in 2021 and has already been in use again this year too. The recent mild winters seem to have allowed weed to continue to grow without any check.

Rents continue to be the largest single expenditure item and in 2021, being just over £29,000.

Despite the increase expenditure last year memberships numbers held up well and thus we did not have to draw down money from the from reserves, even though we had recognised that might be necessary.

As a members’ Club aiming primarily to balance its books, but not to make a loss, we made a small surplus at year end 2021 subject to final certification of the balance sheets by our Club’s accountant.

The current Club’s reserves in its savings account are in excess of what would be required to meet all foreseeable expenditure during the current year.

Wellington and Widgeon Access improvements

During the period Jan – Mar 2021 a small group of dedicated members, led by Mervyn Griffiths set about improving access to both Wellington and Widgeon lakes at the Club’s Kingsbridge Complex. The project aimed to improve access by creating hardened pathways to improve those in existence that would allow the unhindered movement of fishing equipment especially for the night angler and their barrows. In addition, the project involved the construction of railway sleeper/stone fishing swims.

Below is a selection of photographs highlighting these works:

Netting of Somerley Stock Pond

In the Autumn of 2021 stalwart Committee member Nick Lawrie received the very kind offer of the opportunity to assist the Somerley estate manager with the emptying and removal of the fish held in the Estate’s stock pond. Naturally the Club jumped at this remarkable generosity and Nick set about formulating a plan to do this. After consideration, a health check was organised with Shaun Leonard and the necessary number of fish were caught using rod a line. Once a clean bill of health was confirmed Nick then arranged for Martin Moore of Moore Moore Carp to lead a team of volunteers to net the pond. Below is a selection of photographs highlighting this work:

Bream Stocking of Julia’s Lake

In the Autumn of 2021 Moore Moore Carp supplied 80lbs of pristine Bream to the Club. These fish ranged from 2 – 4lb and were stocked into Julia’s Lake at the Club’s Pinnock Complex close to Edmondsham. Below is a selection of photographs of these fish:

Skimmer stocking of Tranquil Lake

Martin Moore provided the Club with 80lb of skimmer bream in the late spring of 2021. These beauties were in the 6 -10oz category and were stocked into Tranquil Lake on the Club’s Kingsbridge complex. Below is a selection of photographs of these fish:

Bream stocking of Widgeon Lake

Martin Moore supplied the Club with 70lb of Bream in the 2 – 5lb category in the late spring of 2021. These fish were stocked into Widgeon Lake on the Club’s Kingsbridge Complex. Below is a selection of photographs of these fish:

Stocking of Tench and Barbel at Julia’s

Hampshire Carp Hatcheries supplied the Club with 14 brood stock Tench and 12 brood stock Barbel in late spring 2021. The intention had been to stock the Barbel into the river Stour, however the application was refused by the EA. In light of this unexpected decision the Committee decided to stock these fish in Julia’s Lake at the Pinnock complex near Edmondsham. A selection of photographs of these fish is below:

Carp stocking Julia’s

VS Fisheries provided the Club with 1000 C1, 125 C2, 6 male C3 and 3 female C4 carp. Vivian Shears of VS Fisheries is widely recognized as one of the leading suppliers of high-quality carp in the country. These fish were stocked into Julia’s Lake part of the Club’s Pinnock complex at Edmondsham. A selection of photographs can be seen below:

Specimen Carp Stocking Creekmoor

VS fisheries also provided the Club with six specimen sized Mirror Carp all of these fish were in the size range 20 – 24 lbs. and were stocked into the main lake at the Club’s Creekmoor Complex in December 2021. These fish were part-subsidised by the increased cost in night permits.  A selection of photographs can be seen below:

Look forward 2022/23

The Club’s Committee is committed to ensuring the widest selection of fishing opportunities for its membership and will continue to stock a variety of species across the portfolio of its waters. Stocking to look forward to is as follows:

• Skimmer Bream 6-10oz category

• Tench 2 – 4lb Category

• Specimen Tench 7lb+

• Roach 1lb+

The Club will also be conducting a health check of the Tench in Medleys. Once a clean bill of health is issued the large head of smaller Tench will be thinned and relocated across the portfolio. It is essential that this process takes place as the extremely successful recruitment of Tench within Medleys has created a large stock of small Tench which is having the adverse effect of stunting the growth of larger fish.

What a fantastic problem to have…….

The Club will also carry out the major refurbishment of the stock pond at Kingsbridge in the late summer ahead of the arrival of C4 Carp which will be grown on to Specimen size over the next 2 years.

6th December 2020

Packhorse Winter Series  Packhorse

1st Nick King  12lb

2nd Jumbo Harris  4lb 2oz

3rd Neil Saxby  1lb 4oz

6th December 2020 River Match

Bailey’s, River Stour

1st  John Reid  11oz

=2nd Martin Watson  6oz

=2ⁿᵈ Mick Cullen  6oz

13th December 2020

River Match  Baileys, River Stour

1st Chris Burgess  14lb 8oz

2nd Mick Bartlett  6lb 8oz

3rd Mick Jepson  5lb 7oz

As we circulated to members a few weeks ago, our new catch return page is now ready for use. The Club's committee agreed at a recent meeting that the information provided by these returns will allow a far more planned and structured response to future stockings across our entire portfolio of waters.

We would encourage all members to fill this is after a session if they can. Both good and not-so-good reports are welcomed.

If you'd like to send us any accompanying images, we can add these in to the corresponding gallery section. This will be populated with existing images in the coming weeks.