The Salmon & Trout Association - Salmon and Trout Association

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The Chairman’s Little Note . . . Last January I was tasked with having to write a speech for the Annual Dinner. It took me 3hrs sat on the train to determine that actually I would rather ad lib, keep it short and basically say thank you. I could spend a page discussing charitable status, angling unity and, in my view, a loss of identity but I will not bore you with that. 2008 has been a stable year and the “storm in a teacup” of 2007 has long since passed. Roger Sanderson most pleasingly accepted the role of Honorary President (it is lovely to have you back) and Emma Thorpe took over the role of Social Secretary. Both are doing an excellent job as I am sure you will agree. The rest of the committee comprising of Elise, Katie, Larry and Peter remained the same and I took on the role of Chairman in addition to that of Branch Organiser – yes, Chairman, sex has nothing to do with it! One of the highlights of 2008 was seeing our “Derbyshire Juniors” immortalised in film and print in the excellent “Catching the Impossible” by Hugh Miles (www.catchingtheimpossible.info), the maker of “A Passion for Angling”. From the thrill of the catch to the ceremonial emptying of the wellies, Hugh’s film captures the essence of what we do beautifully. 10 years ago; Chatsworth was our only junior day. Today we provide courses on a monthly basis throughout the summer, and for the first time this year we have extended the programme to include 2 autumnal grayling days on the Derwent and the Wye, the former of which will involve the odd maggot, heaven forbid! On a more serious note, we sit in a very privileged position which at times is all too easy to forget as branches around the country close their doors for the last time. The facilities made available to us and the support we receive is second to none and we would not be able to provide such an excellent programme of events if it were not for these individuals. I would like to thank all our supporters – Awards for All, EFTTA and Richard Sanderson and his team at Hardy & Greys for their continued support of the programme. The companies and individuals who give so generously: Lord Edward Manners, Jenni McKenzie (The Peacock Hotel), Warren Slaney and the Haddon Estate, The Duke & Duchess of Devonshire and the Chatsworth Estate, Yeaveley Estate, Press Manor Fishery and the Cromford Fly Fishers. Last but not least, our team of instructors and volunteers including Bernie Maher, Louis Noble and Don Stazicker. We really do appreciate everything you do for our juniors. Please support the events, catch the impossible and I wish you dry wellies for 2009! Not For Profit ... Overall our books are healthy and the branch started the year with good cash reserves of £2855-03 (Derbyshire S&TA Assets) whilst the “Derbyshire Juniors” had a balance of £1946-93 at the time of the AGM 2008. Whilst the junior programme is indeed an integral part of the branch it is funded separately which has led to a degree of consternation in past years. All monies previously awarded by Awards for All, Environment Agency and EFFTA were done so directly to the “Derbyshire Juniors” with strict criteria on allocation. Currently the programme is being funded by monies remaining from the Environment Agency, EFFTA and fees collected on the days. Hopefully there will be further applications for funding submitted next year to take us to 2012. Branch fundraising this year has been minimal. The Winter Programme for 2007/08 cost the branch £343-35 to put on, with speakers fees totalling £580-00 and admissions of £236-65. This year’s programme is likely to cost more to produce as we have a new venue incurring a room hire fee. Chatsworth Country Fair yielded just under £200 this year, over £100 less than the 2007 show. Since the demise of the Angling Fair, branch fundraising is limited to the Country Fair which has historically been more of a PR event for the branch. Whilst this event is improving as a fundraiser, in order to maximise its potential it requires a larger team input. Expenditure on the junior programme has been at a more constant level this year as purchases were limited to replacement of one reel and restocking of essentials (leader material, fly selection etc). Any other costs incurred were fishery and instructors fees. Fundraising for the “Derbyshire Juniors” however has been more successful with £404-00 being raised thanks to the hard work of Nancy John and Nancy Thorpe. £137 was collected at the Annual Dinner on the Whiskey Raffle and a further £267 at the Chatsworth Country Fair, where they worked tirelessly on their Champagne Raffle for the duration of the 3 days. Whilst our expenditure exceeds our income somewhat, this is of little significance. More importantly we will continue to provide the branch with high quality speakers and one of the best coaching programmes in the country at a relatively low cost to the membership. I encourage you to take part in branch activities.
Recruitment Recruitment this year has been fair. The branch membership currently stands at a healthy 240 and there have been 9 new members enrolled. Recruitment at events, namely the CLA Game Fair and Chatsworth Country Fair was better than expected taking into account the economic climate; however uptake at the junior days has been poor. Unfortunately 38 members neglected to renew their membership. Of these 31 members lapsed, 6 resigned and 1 member passed away. Recruiting and maintaining members is a real issue for the association, so please renew your membership, encourage your friends and family to join and get involved with branch events. Junior Programme The Cromford Fly Fishers produced an excellent early season day yet again this year. The weather was kind, the fish plenty and the anglers well seasoned. This is often the case with our early days as they attract our older juniors who are regular attendees. Less time on the grass ensues, techniques are covered in greater depth and more time is dedicated to the most important aspect of the day – catching fish. Cromford really is a first class piece of water, and the team expertly led by Louis Noble and Bernie Maher with the help of John Pass turned what could have been a tricky days fishing into a great success. One lad went off with a bang (his life jacket that is) following a spot of river seepage and there was some healthy rivalry between some of our older juniors – competition anglers in the making! We will be returning to Cromford for a “Maggot & Fly” day in November and I suspect it will be a great deal cooler than our last outing. A different concept I know but one that was well received by the children partaking in the Dibney River Conservation Trust Programme in which I was involved in Northern Ireland. The children sampled all forms of angling, and we felt this would be an ideal opportunity to widen our programme. The delightful Press Manor Fishery was the venue for our first open day of the year. Bernie Maher’s Victorian reservoir is a real gem nestled in the hills above Matlock, especially on a summer evening. The catch rate can be variable and it often proves a little too difficult for our beginners, but on this particular evening there were a good few fish caught (browns, blues and rainbows) on buzzers and fun was had by all. July saw a return to Yeaveley, one of our favourites. Although small in size, Yeaveley turns out some surprisingly exciting fishing. For the beginner you can generally guarantee a fish, however on a cooler day, even the most advanced angler can struggle. On this particular occasion, we had a small mixed group (even though it was supposed to be a junior day!) ably guided by Louis Noble and Peter Arfield. Nancy John, one of our regulars got to grips with her new Greys rod, and Nancy Thorpe bagged her first fish of the season on a buzzer. The first fish of the day however fell to Chloe (our little madam of a spaniel) on a practice swim across the lake! August brought Chatsworth, still very much the highlight. The cricket pavilion was awash with keen beginners under the watchful eye of Louis Noble, Peter Arfield, Elise Cudworth and myself. The majority of the group were complete beginners, and did brilliantly well. Louis treated us to a masterclass on river techniques and Peter caught a fish on que and quickly lost it again mid demonstration . There were some promising casters namely the Pointon twins, and the catch rate was surprisingly good despite the water conditions, inclement weather and novice level of our anglers. Barnaby (aged 6) did a pretty good job despite the odd cringeworthy moment when he attempted to fence his older brother with the sharp end of a GRXi rod, and proved that what he lacked in stature he made up in stamina as he out fished many an older junior as the rain set in. Having spent most of the afternoon either carrying my young charge up and down the river (which was as usual running high and coloured, and was well over the top of his wellies), hanging onto his life jacket to avoid him being swept away or sitting in the Derwent (thank goodness my waterproofs don’t leak!) to get to his level, it was nice to retire to the Devonshire Arms. Our final “Trout Day” of the season took place at Press Manor in September. Unfortunately, this coincided with my final trip to Ireland for the year, and whilst I stood in torrential rain on the R. Drowes, Bernie competed on the Wear so it was left to Louis Noble and Peter Arfield to entertain the group. As this goes to print, final preparations are under way for the first grayling day on the Wye (courtesy of the Peacock Hotel). I’m rather looking forward to an early morning coffee and bacon sandwich in the comfort of the lounge with the paper . . . it will prepare me for when 10am comes. Off again, wellies, waterproofs, picnic and 15 eager children all vying for the first fish – once you’ve experienced that, you’ll understand why we do what we do. A Mesdames Production 2008
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