NEWS AND INFO

JANUARY 2022

Trout Section meeting Tuesday 8th March at 19.30

Annual General meeting Tuesday 22nd March at 19.30

Both meetings to be held at the British Legion Corfe Mullen and entry will be by showing your Membership Book. [Junior Members will need to be accompanied by an adult].

Please also take a lateral flow test on the day and expect to offer to show the negative result.

At the last Committee it was agreed that the Trout Section Meeting and Annual General Meeting would both go ahead this year.

The trout fishermen, who make returns regularly, have been sent an agenda by Paul Baker for the meeting on the 8th March 2022. If you would in any event like to attend, please do so as all Members are really welcome.

The critical issue for all remains Coronavirus and to this end it was also agreed that the AGM would deal with core matters as required by the Constitution. It is therefore not the intention this year to provide an additional speaker or dwell at any length on recent improvements and plans. The meeting’s agenda will deal with the election of the Committee, alterations to the Constitution and there will of course be financial information available in terms of the end of year accounts. Importantly, there will also be the opportunity for Members to ask questions.

It is also the intention to run a special Club newsletter concentrating on a round-up of matters that otherwise might be in the reports on waters and to also deal with questions raised by Members, which are of wider interest.

It would be helpful, if there are questions to be raised at the AGM, that these can be seen early so the Officers have the opportunity to respond properly. Please, therefore, forward any questions you may have to the Secretary, using the email address available in your membership book and on the Club’s the website, at least fourteen days before the meeting.

The President, the Club’s officers and members of the Committee are all willing to stand for re-election. However, details of any member who also wishes to contest an officer post or stand as a Committee member should be provided to the Secretary by the 28th February, so their information can be incorporated into the final version of the AGM agenda.

One of the proposed changes to the Constitution is to increase the Club’s officers by a new role, being that of a Vice Chairman. A copy of the relevant job description is available upon request together with job descriptions of other officer key roles. The Committee’s preferred candidate for the role of Vice-Chairman is Iain Scott, who is already on the Committee, so there will be a Committee Member vacancy if Iain is elected.

Mike Hirsh

Chairman WDAC

WDAC will not be putting any of the membership fees up in 2022. It is also the intention to hold the price on guest tickets and night permits at current levels too.

The bad news is that Covid-19 has returned, in the form of the Omicron variant, causing havoc with lives again and recent price increases and inflation is causing uncertainty. Whilst the Club’s Committee is confident about not increasing membership prices for the next twelve months, I was recently in conversation with one of the Club’s fish suppliers who is facing a major increase in electricity costs from next month. He pointed out that not only will his business’s power bill be likely to almost double (and it is quite large now), but the pellets to feed the fish will be manufactured with machinery powered by electricity and thus his suppliers will be facing the same sort of increases and then this fish food will be delivered by HGV’s, where we also know the wage cost of drivers is on the up. So, whilst he had a good idea of the price of trout for January there was no price that could be given for fish later in 2022 except that it would be going up.

Fishing will be more important than ever, it seems to me, to give us all an escape and help with our daily stresses and strains.

There is good news about Edmondsham. As part of the Club’s response to improve resilience, a plan is in hand to form a stock pond for coarse fish at the north end of Medley’s.  This project can be actioned for 2022 as the Club has recently completed a lease renewal for the two lakes and the adjacent stretch of the River Crane. The Club is grateful to the Edmondsham Estate’s managers for agreeing this further term. Bringing on young fish under controlled conditions in a stock pond here will be a positive way to ensure better fishing in years to come and enable the Club to help to maximise this fishery’s potential. The Club has ordered some fish for 2022 for this complex and has recently stocked some carp and bream. Some of these latest stockings came from the Somerley Estate and we are indebted to the Estate for the offer of the fish and help in providing access to the water.

Your President with a carp for Edmondsham

A good scale-perfect common for Edmondsham.

And bream too.

At Edmondsham, the electric fence, with additional gates, has recently been completed, and in part those works have been grant aided by the Angling Trust, out of rod licence fees. It is good to see the Angling Trust, working with the EA to return some of these fees putting the monies to good use. If you are not yet a member, please do join the AT. It is important to have a powerful single voice for angling, it was after all the voice of the Angling Trust that was central to fishing being ‘unlocked’ at an early date in the first Covid wave.

Medley’s has again been strung with binder twine to deter the cormorants eating the tench and crucians. It can still be fished with care by moving a few strings and then putting them back at the end of the session. If you need help or advice, I suggest you contact the Club Secretary, Stuart Hitchman, who managed the stringing – I just tied some knots!

Medley’s strung to deter cormorants

Incidentally, one load of stone has just been laid in the car park at Edmondsham  to keep it well maintained. It was achieved quietly and without closure of the car park by the Club’s volunteer labour.

There is good news for Kingsbridge too. Tench, that have been growing on for the last couple of seasons in the stock pond,  are being released into the main lakes shortly. After this pond has been dried out it will be re-stocked in the spring with some young carp to keep the fishery moving forward.

Six 20 pound plus carp have been purchased. These fish keep the promise made when the Club increased the night permit fee, in as much as these funds, have contributed to the cost of these beautiful new fish, which have been introduced into the large pond at Creekmoor. This stocking happened last month. The fish are relatively young and fast growing so it is hoped they will prosper and grow even larger quite quickly.

Proposed Change to the Constitution

The existing Club Constitution does not include, within the Committee structure, the role of Vic-Chairman. Having been in post as Chairman for a reasonable period, I find that it is an omission that would be desirable to correct, as there are occasions when a readily identified person to deputise for me would be helpful both at Committee and at other meetings. This new role would also take on bio-security issues and would act as a link to those members who can help the Club on working parties; and take an overview about training. I have drafted a job description for the post and the Committee agreed at its December meeting that the matter will come forward to the next AGM in March 2022.

Carp stocked at Creekmoor

Part of the reason for taking training of working party members ever more seriously, is that a recent prosecution taken by the Health and Safety Executive has led to a substantial fine of a large angling club in relation to a fatal accident. WDAC already has risk assessments for many routine tasks and I would like to think that we can continue along the positive path already well under way in this respect.  However, I do also believe the Club could usefully do more to engage with members who would like to help and do not know quite how. I get more out of working parties than fishing quite a lot of the time – they can be really good fun as well as providing the opportunity to help the Club.  There are occasions when they also bring me closer to an understanding about our fisheries and the way fish behave too - being by or in the water is always time well spent.

Longham Lakes and The River Stour

As you may already know, Longham Lakes have been closed, due to the current outbreak of bird flu. There are recent mortalities at the lakes, and it is for that reason, it is understood, the closure has occurred. The Club will update members when the closure is lifted.

The River Stour has been in the local news for all the wrong reasons. There was a recent protest by Extinction Rebellion in Christchurch highlighting the untreated sewage being discharged into the rivers which flow into Christchurch Harbour. This was reported by the New Stour and Avon Magazine in its edition on the 3 December 2021. Of particular concern to WDAC is that part of the article highlighted that in 2020 there had been 68 discharges of raw sewage into the River at Wimborne for a total of 493 hours.

River anglers that fish our stretches below the sewage treatment works know that the River is used by children swinging on ropes at Canford Weir, and that paddle boarders, canoeists and rowers all use that stetch of water in the vicinity of the outfall. Whatever we may think about conflicts with other water users there is a bigger picture here about pollution and our community’s safety. It is understood that Wessex Water has paid out over £1.1 billion to its shareholders yet plainly cannot manage to satisfactorily control sewage from a relatively small treatment works. Very recently there was a further incident of raw sewage being released from the Wimborne works which was reported as a pollution incident by one of our members to the EA. You will know from my article in May that reporting incidents to the EA for potential poaching incidents is via the EA hotline and for pollution it is the same number 0800 807060, which is on the back of your rod licence.  The number will also be in the Member handbook for 2022, which will shortly be published and in use.  If you are fishing the stretch immediately below the A 31 Road bridge and you believe that the treatment works discharge looks suspicious telephone the EA without delay.

Little Canford

Do not forget that Little Canford Ponds is no longer a Club fishery as of the 1st January 2022. The reasons for giving this water up have previously been explained. I feel rather sad about it, but I also know it is impossible to expect it to be other than a fishery of disappointment.

A few other thoughts and ideas for 2022

Cormorants are back and fishing our waters. Please do not forget to log cormorant sightings on the website, it only takes a few minutes. It is important to gather the information so we can focus our efforts on scaring them away or shooting them under licence, if necessary, and we also need to be able to evidence the Club’s future application for a further licence.

For the last couple of years, due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the Club has not been able to provide events to improve fishing skills or introduce fishing days to members of the public. However, the Club’s Welfare Officer, Sean Harris is currently working on a new programme for 2022, on the assumption we may be able to do some organised coaching. One of the events under consideration is a game fishing event at Winterborne Zelston. If you are interested in learning to fly fish or want to improve other skills in any branch of our sport, please let Sean know and the Club will try and tailor some events to meet the needs of those who respond, Covid permitting.

I wish you all tight lines in 2022

Mike Hirsh

Your Membership is important to us!  All of us.

That’s how we pay for your fishing & maintenance of all our waters to keep them in tip top condition.

So, is your membership up to date? Can you check now?

If it is, that’s great!

But if it’s not please do re-join. (Remember we only allow 3 months of grace for a renewal, after that you will be treated as a new member).

Membership can be bought either on-line via the WDAC website, from local tackle shops (a list can be found on our website) or direct from me.

When completing the application form can you please fill in all relevant details:-

• Full name
• Address (this is where I will be sending your new book!)
• Tel no
• Parent’s name & tel no if you are under 18
• Associate’s name & tel no (if appropriate)
• Preferred type of fishing

Especially important is your email address as we send out all newsletters that way

The more information you give me, the quicker I can get your new book out to you. If you have any queries please contact me.

Thanks!

Chris Crompton

Membership Secretary

Members are reminded that can redeem discounts against some of the most renowned angling-related publications. Links and further information are detailed below:

CARPOLOGY

33% discount (£22 discount)

Annual subscription deal on the super saver bundle

Code: WDAC33OFF

IMPROVE YOUR COARSE FISHING

10% discount (up to £4.90 discount)

Annual subscriptions only, minimum £35 spend

Digital or Print

Code: FISHING!

ANGLING TIMES

10% discount (up to £9.80 discount)

Annual subscriptions only, minimum £35 spend

Digital or Print

Code: FISHING!

SALMON AND TROUT

10% discount (up to £5.60 discount)

Annual subscriptions only, minimum £35 spend

Digital or Print

Code: FISHING!

We'd like to inform members that the deadline for the current photo comps have been extended to the end of April.

We have senior and junior categories, with a year's free membership and £25 to spend in Wessex Angling up for grabs for the winners.

Be sure to enter your favourite images for a chance to win.