Chairman's Report - 25th November 2011:
The following was presented to the Annual General Meeting of Tunbridge Wells Fly Fishing Society by Peter Thomason the Chairman on 25th November 2011:
Welcome to the 21st Annual General Meeting of the Tunbridge Wells Fly Fishing Society. Twenty-first birthdays used to mark the transition from youth to responsible adulthood but I am confident that our Society will not lose its youthful joie de vivre when applying itself to the responsibilities of our founders' intentions of promoting the sport of fly fishing, improving members' skills, promoting friendship & camaraderie between members, & encouraging young people to take up the sport
I am happy to report that the Society has had another successful year. Our success is largely dependent on the commitment of our members & the considerable work & dedication of our committee & I would like to thank everyone who has supported our work, activities, & our ideals during the past year
I believe we have achieved success in all the founders' objectives. The Society continues to promote the sport of fly fishing in various ways, including our programme of fishing events, participation in regional & national competitions, & through its membership & support of the Salmon & Trout Association. A regrettable fact that must be acknowledged is the growing pressure on our sport from many sources including environmental challenges, increasing water consumption & abstraction, rival demands from other sporting & leisure activities, & of course, the current economic situation. Angling as a whole has at last accepted that there should be a united voice to represent & defend our interests & I am going to recommend that our Society should lend its full support to the recently established Angling Trust by becoming a club member
In meeting with fly fishermen from other organisations, I am frequently asked about our Society & its activities & know from their reactions that our relatively small membership is held in high regard. This regard is based on a number of factors: the high level of talent of many of our members (for a small club, we are fortunate to have a significant number who have fished in the England team in international competitions & even more whose skill & experience have gained individual or team honours in national competitions); the open & friendly manner in which information & skills are shared; & above all, the sheer enjoyment that is such an obvious feature of all our activities. There can be few better ways of promoting our sport, friendship & camaraderie!
Last year I drew attention to the challenge of encouraging young people to join our sport. This objective continues to present problems for a variety of reasons & there is probably a limited amount that the Society can achieve through its own actions. Our membership & support of the Salmon & Trout Association is an indirect means of encouraging young people through the activities of this large national body. Likewise, if my recommendation to join the Angling Trust is accepted, we shall also be supporting an even wider programme aimed at getting young people into angling. We will continue to seek other, more direct ways of achieving this objective & I it gives me great pleasure to report that with the assistance of several of our members, including the owners of Chaylebeate Fishery, we managed to infect one young angler with the fly-fishing bug earlier this year. I shall not forget the excitement & pleasure of a ten-year old who managed to learn to cast, catch, & land ten good-sized trout in a single morning & I do not think he will either!
At the heart of the Society's activities is our programme of visits & Society competitions. In the past year the programme included 19 varying events at 11 different venues. Although most are reasonably well supported, attendance has varied. When arranging the year's programme, the committee aims to cater for as wide a range of member preferences as possible & we are happy to consider any new suggestions. Indeed, this year saw the addition of two friendly competitions against midland clubs on Grafham & Pitsford reservoirs & a visit to Eastwell Park fishery. Our thanks are due to the organisers of each event. Their task is made much easier with the on-line registration for each event but their task is made extremely difficult, frustrating, & sometimes embarrassing when members register their attendance & then do not turn up. On one occasion this caused extreme embarrassment as the fishery manager had agreed to reserve the venue for our sole use provided we had an agreed minimum of members fishing. According to the web site, there were sufficient but on the day a number of members did not attend & the Society felt obliged to make a financial donation to the fishery to make up for the loss. Please, keep your registration details up to date for each event. If you find at the last minute that you are unable to attend, please ensure you telephone the organiser. If you fail to do this & do not attend, I am sorry but where fisheries have agreed to let us have exclusive access, you will be expected to pay
On a much more positive note, Bob Holland's winter fly-tying sessions at The Brown Trout in Lamberhurst were well attended & made a considerable contribution to the skill level of many of our members. These enjoyable sessions will continue this winter at fortnightly intervals commencing on the first Wednesday in December. Members have been notified by e-mail & should indicate their interest directly to Bob. Our thanks are due to Bob & those who have assisted in teaching on his sessions
As usual at this stage of our year, with the exception of the Furry Cup (to be decided at Lakedown on 10th December) & the Rainbow Shield (held open until the final event of the year), all trophy events have been completed & the cups & shields will be presented at the Society's annual dinner on 3rd March 2012 here at the Royal Wells Hotel
Once again, the Society's performance in external competitions has been notable for the support of many members & for Bob Holland's personal dedication in organising & encouraging all participants. The Society entered the Anglian Water Airflo national competition & the third division of the Association of Major Flyfishing Clubs league. The Society excelled itself by coming first in the third division after only being promoted last year. This was a remarkable performance & will see us fishing in the second division next season. Thanks are due to the following members who represented the Society in the AMFC matches this year:
Bob Holland (Organiser) - 4 matches
Keith Nicholson - 4 matches
Peter Thomason - 3 matches
Keith Lawrence - 3 matches
Richard Lovett - 3 matches
Mick Priest - 3 matches
Mick Dwyer - 2 matches
Jim McGonigle - 2 matches
Vince Brooks - 2 matches
Sean Brooks - 1 match
Jeff Latter - 1 match
Simon Newman - 1 match
Scott Benton - 1 match
Dave Crouch - 1 match
Joel Beeney - 1 match
We wish all those who represent the Society continued success & further promotion
Once again, the Society participated in the Bewl Bridge Flyfishing Club's Grand Max invitation competition & on this occasion gained a reasonable 12th place
In summary, over the past three years, the Society's competitions successes include two consecutive promotions in the AMFC leagues, qualifying twice for the southern finals of the Anglian Water international competitions, & qualifying for the southern final of the Lexus competition. In the context of our moderate size, this is a very creditable performance
Our success in the competition field is greatly assisted by the continued & valued sponsorship of Harry Collins. Once again we have been very happy to reciprocate Harry's generosity by providing ghillies for his corporate entertainment day at Lakedown
Before leaving the competition scene, I must congratulate our members who qualified to fish the England national loch-style final at Grafham reservoir in September: Sean Brooks, Mick Priest, & Keith Lawrence. Especial congratulations are due to Sean who was successful in gaining a place in next year's England team
The Society's web site continues to be an important means of communication & has helped save considerable expense in match arrangements. Our thanks are due to Marc George for freely making his expertise & time available to maintain & update the web site. Our thanks are also due to the members who write reports for the site. It is interesting to note that the usage statistics indicate that during the past three months out of the 534 visits recorded to the site;
• 7 came from Russia
• 7 came from Belgium
• 6 came from the USA
• 6 came from Norway
• 3 came from Ireland
• 3 came from Pakistan
• 2 came from Switzerland
• 2 came from Italy
• 1 came from Australia
Our 2011 annual dinner was another successful event in the setting of the High Rocks Inn. Our 2012 dinner & presentations will be held here at the Royal Wells Hotel on Saturday 3 March. In order to make this a great success, please put the date in your diaries & please bring friends & relatives & make an early booking as soon as details are formally published
On the social front, a barbeque was arranged at Chaleybeate fishery on 20 August with the kind co-operation of owner Jim Streeter & Scott Benton. Although attended by few, a very enjoyable time was had. We hope to organise a similar event next summer & to have a better turnout
The annual dinner would not have been possible without the considerable efforts of a number of our members but special thanks are due to Micky Heasman & Andy Sawyer who take the lead responsibility for organising this on our behalf
Ireland exercised its magnetic magic once again & our annual tour was completed in May. Corrib proved fickle with low catches but those who are familiar with the unpredictability of fishing for wild trout will understand what keeps us returning. We shall be there again in the spring of 2012 & drawn by the wildness of Ireland's western reaches, its magnificent trout, & the warm hearts & kind spirits of our Irish friends
The success of the Society depends largely on the work of your Committee members who ensure you all enjoy a well-run & happy organisation & I would once again like to give my personal thanks to the existing committee for their help & commitment during the past year. As Chairman, I know I can rely on their cheerful & ready support & most important, their friendly company in all we do for the Society
In conclusion, I am happy to report that the Tunbridge Wells Fly Fishing Society is in good heart, its membership is close to the maximum we can accommodate, & our finances are buoyant - & particular thanks are due to Andy Stoner & all those who have helped organise raffles & who have contributed prizes & to Alan Martin who has contributed to the Society's funds by selling many of the trout caught in our events
Finally, I would like to thank you all, without exception, for making my task as Chairman to be such a happy, rewarding & privileged responsibility. Together, we have maintained a very special organisation of which you may all be proud. I now wish you all a very happy Christmas & prosperous & healthy New Year & exceedingly & frequently tight lines for our next season together
Peter Thomason
Chairman