Stowe angling club annual general meeting 2019
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Stowe Angling Club held at Buckingham School on 7th May 2019.
There were 14 members present
Apologies
Dennis Purr, Steve Horwood and Matt Mallett.
Minutes of 2018 Approval:
The minutes were read and approved as a true record of the meeting.
Proposed: David Gillman
Seconded: Steve Cory
Chairman's Report:
Let me begin by thanking you for continuing to stay with us over the years. Without you we would not have a club at all and that is something that l personally don’t want to ever happen. We took a very difficult decision last year to stop fishing the river. I know this upset some members but due to finances and bad catches we felt this had to be done, little did we know what was to happen with the pollution which was devastating. We are aware that some new stock fish have now gone in and we will continue to monitor this. Once we feel that fish stocks have improved sufficiently we will certainly review putting the river back on our ticket.
Oxford Water
For the last few years we have been plagued by weed within the lake, making fishing virtually impossible. As a committee we have regularly cleared as many swims as possible but it has been a struggle to keep them clear. This year we took the decision to once again approach the National Trust and ask to be allowed to add a dye to the water. There have been numerous communications between us, and on 11th April we eventually gained their permission to introduce it. This will go ahead on 17th April, hopefully before the weed gets chance to start to grow and take over the lake once again. We will be carrying out a working party at the water on the 19th May from 9.30am, where it is hoped we can concentrate on clearing pegs 21 and 23 where reeds are encroaching.
Jubilee Lake
Over the last year we have been researching Otter proof fencing and its cost. To complete the work ourselves we are looking at a cost of approximately £3000. At this moment we do not have the finances to carry this work out, but it remains a priority when we do.
Last summer we appeared to have a huge explosion in crayfish and fishing on the bottom was becoming impossible, you may have noticed an increase in the number of traps as a result of this. These pots belong to a local resident who is very keen on catching the crayfish. With his help along with our traps operated by Phil Rose and Mick Taylor over 1300 were removed. Trapping is to start again shortly and we hope that the joint efforts of last year will be noticeable this season.
We had arranged to remove the ropes over the Easter Weekend. This has now been put back until the working party on 12th May which will start about 09.30, this is because we have found cormorants on the water. You may also notice there is more ropes between pegs 1 to 5, this is because the cormorants have worked out that they can walk down to the water and get in under the ropes. They are currently roosting in the dead tree just off our land and we have tried to get the tree removed. Sadly we are unable to do this so we are looking at other ideas to remove them. If anybody knows where l can pick up an old mannequin that we can use to help scare them away, please let me know.
Feeding will still go ahead this year. We have enough food for 1 more season, we will then review if we need to buy more or leave the lake to support the fish in there.
Please note that the gate code will change on 1st June. Your new code will be printed in your membership ticket, please remember to keep this to yourself to help maintain the lakes security.
Can I please ask you for your support for the 2 working parties. The more hands we have the more we can get done. Consistently it is the committee and the same couple of members who turn out and support these, it would be great to have some more of you along to help the club.
Application forms for membership can be found on the website and fees are being held at the same price as last year. We have also agreed with Winslow Club to continue the reciprocal arrangement with them, as we have over the past few years. If you want to take advantage of this please indicate on your renewal form and enclose the additional £5 premium. This is available to up to 20 members.
Hope to see you at the working parties.
Treasurers Report
Stowe Angling Club Accounts 2018/2019
Income £1444.00
Balance Carried Forward £1969.99
Grand Total £3413.99
Expenses
Jubilee Rent £1000.00
Permit printing £ 108.00
Purchase of Diofix Dye £ 216.00
Sundries, Fuel for mower, Crayfish
Bait for traps £ 18.66
Balance at 30/4/19 £1969.00
Income 2018/19 £1444.00
Total £3413.99
Expenses £1342.66
Balance at 01/05/20019 £2071.33
Match Secretaries Report
This season I again arranged matches on our two lakes Jubilee & Oxford Water, but unfortunately no one turned for any of the matches.
I know Oxford water was unfishable, which was disappointing but the fact that nobody has turned up for a match for two seasons running was extremely disappointing.
I took this role as match secretary on in 2004 when the club was reformed because I enjoyed the match fishing on the 11 Acre Lake and there was always a good turn out every weekend.
I know we lost a lot of members when we lost the lake and I did not expect to get turn outs like that again but it would have been nice to see some interest in the new waters.
Due to this I have decided to step down as Match Secretary but I will remain on the committee for the following season only.
It was decided that no replacement was necessary as there will be no matches in the foreseeable future.
Dave Gillman advised members that they were welcome to fish the Winslow matches.
Membership Secretary’s Report 2018/2019.
Current membership stands at 28 Adults,13 Seniors, 0 Juniors, 2 Children, 5 Complimentary, 6 Honorary.
Membership remains open. Membership was down again last year by a 12 members.
We had 20 people take advantage of the Winslow ticket and Winslow had 15 members who took advantage of our ticket last year. both deals are in place again this year.
Membership fees remain the same this year.
This year we have decided to change our membership books to cards as a cost saving measure. Cards will be sent with a copy of the rules and maps attached for the first year and will then only be sent out in subsequent years if any rules or waters change. Of course all new members will receive details on joining. Constitutional rules and committee details will be available on our website.
Election of officers
As no secretary was available to Propose Graham as Chairman, it was put to the floor
Mick Taylor proposed Graham Brigginshaw, this was seconded by Steve Cory, and it was unanimously accepted.
All current members present were willing to remain on the committee and were voted in
En-block, unanimously accepted by the members present.
Dave Gillman advised members he will stand down next year.
Propositions
None received.
Any other Business
Tim Hilsdon thanked the committee for their tireless worked and asked for a vote of thanks from the floor. This was accepted with thanks by Graham on behalf of the committee.
Trevor Rose suggested that we could try taking flyers into the Tackle Tavern in Bicester, Phil to collect some flyers from Graham and will go into the tackle Tavern and ask them to display on our behalf. Other suggestions were also made about contacting the local Parish councils of Syresham, Helmdon and Wappenham to advertise our fishery to local people, Graham to investigate.
Graham advised that the Angling Trust were opening their applications for grants again and
we would try again. Dave Gillman asked the floor if anybody knew of a good bid writer
to apply on our behalf.
Phil Rose asked if any members new of a rich person that might like to invest in the club!
Tim Hilsdon suggested that we could try and collect old or unwanted tackle and sell off at auction. He had recent experience of this with his own equipment.
Everybody thought this was a good idea and Graham would follow this up with an email to members asking for any unwanted or unused tackle.
Matt Mallet to be chased about Tesco Charitable pots.
Trevor Rose suggested that we could try and put some sort of framework with nets in front of the swims 2,3,4,5, to stop the cormorants walking into the water, but light enough that they could be moved to allow fishing from these swims.
Steve Cory suggested a temporary fence set back from the water’s edge to stop them flying down to the water’s edge. Graham and Steve to look at options at the working party on Sunday.
There being no other business the chairman closed the meeting at 2045.
There were 14 members present
Apologies
Dennis Purr, Steve Horwood and Matt Mallett.
Minutes of 2018 Approval:
The minutes were read and approved as a true record of the meeting.
Proposed: David Gillman
Seconded: Steve Cory
Chairman's Report:
Let me begin by thanking you for continuing to stay with us over the years. Without you we would not have a club at all and that is something that l personally don’t want to ever happen. We took a very difficult decision last year to stop fishing the river. I know this upset some members but due to finances and bad catches we felt this had to be done, little did we know what was to happen with the pollution which was devastating. We are aware that some new stock fish have now gone in and we will continue to monitor this. Once we feel that fish stocks have improved sufficiently we will certainly review putting the river back on our ticket.
Oxford Water
For the last few years we have been plagued by weed within the lake, making fishing virtually impossible. As a committee we have regularly cleared as many swims as possible but it has been a struggle to keep them clear. This year we took the decision to once again approach the National Trust and ask to be allowed to add a dye to the water. There have been numerous communications between us, and on 11th April we eventually gained their permission to introduce it. This will go ahead on 17th April, hopefully before the weed gets chance to start to grow and take over the lake once again. We will be carrying out a working party at the water on the 19th May from 9.30am, where it is hoped we can concentrate on clearing pegs 21 and 23 where reeds are encroaching.
Jubilee Lake
Over the last year we have been researching Otter proof fencing and its cost. To complete the work ourselves we are looking at a cost of approximately £3000. At this moment we do not have the finances to carry this work out, but it remains a priority when we do.
Last summer we appeared to have a huge explosion in crayfish and fishing on the bottom was becoming impossible, you may have noticed an increase in the number of traps as a result of this. These pots belong to a local resident who is very keen on catching the crayfish. With his help along with our traps operated by Phil Rose and Mick Taylor over 1300 were removed. Trapping is to start again shortly and we hope that the joint efforts of last year will be noticeable this season.
We had arranged to remove the ropes over the Easter Weekend. This has now been put back until the working party on 12th May which will start about 09.30, this is because we have found cormorants on the water. You may also notice there is more ropes between pegs 1 to 5, this is because the cormorants have worked out that they can walk down to the water and get in under the ropes. They are currently roosting in the dead tree just off our land and we have tried to get the tree removed. Sadly we are unable to do this so we are looking at other ideas to remove them. If anybody knows where l can pick up an old mannequin that we can use to help scare them away, please let me know.
Feeding will still go ahead this year. We have enough food for 1 more season, we will then review if we need to buy more or leave the lake to support the fish in there.
Please note that the gate code will change on 1st June. Your new code will be printed in your membership ticket, please remember to keep this to yourself to help maintain the lakes security.
Can I please ask you for your support for the 2 working parties. The more hands we have the more we can get done. Consistently it is the committee and the same couple of members who turn out and support these, it would be great to have some more of you along to help the club.
Application forms for membership can be found on the website and fees are being held at the same price as last year. We have also agreed with Winslow Club to continue the reciprocal arrangement with them, as we have over the past few years. If you want to take advantage of this please indicate on your renewal form and enclose the additional £5 premium. This is available to up to 20 members.
Hope to see you at the working parties.
Treasurers Report
Stowe Angling Club Accounts 2018/2019
Income £1444.00
Balance Carried Forward £1969.99
Grand Total £3413.99
Expenses
Jubilee Rent £1000.00
Permit printing £ 108.00
Purchase of Diofix Dye £ 216.00
Sundries, Fuel for mower, Crayfish
Bait for traps £ 18.66
Balance at 30/4/19 £1969.00
Income 2018/19 £1444.00
Total £3413.99
Expenses £1342.66
Balance at 01/05/20019 £2071.33
Match Secretaries Report
This season I again arranged matches on our two lakes Jubilee & Oxford Water, but unfortunately no one turned for any of the matches.
I know Oxford water was unfishable, which was disappointing but the fact that nobody has turned up for a match for two seasons running was extremely disappointing.
I took this role as match secretary on in 2004 when the club was reformed because I enjoyed the match fishing on the 11 Acre Lake and there was always a good turn out every weekend.
I know we lost a lot of members when we lost the lake and I did not expect to get turn outs like that again but it would have been nice to see some interest in the new waters.
Due to this I have decided to step down as Match Secretary but I will remain on the committee for the following season only.
It was decided that no replacement was necessary as there will be no matches in the foreseeable future.
Dave Gillman advised members that they were welcome to fish the Winslow matches.
Membership Secretary’s Report 2018/2019.
Current membership stands at 28 Adults,13 Seniors, 0 Juniors, 2 Children, 5 Complimentary, 6 Honorary.
Membership remains open. Membership was down again last year by a 12 members.
We had 20 people take advantage of the Winslow ticket and Winslow had 15 members who took advantage of our ticket last year. both deals are in place again this year.
Membership fees remain the same this year.
This year we have decided to change our membership books to cards as a cost saving measure. Cards will be sent with a copy of the rules and maps attached for the first year and will then only be sent out in subsequent years if any rules or waters change. Of course all new members will receive details on joining. Constitutional rules and committee details will be available on our website.
Election of officers
As no secretary was available to Propose Graham as Chairman, it was put to the floor
Mick Taylor proposed Graham Brigginshaw, this was seconded by Steve Cory, and it was unanimously accepted.
All current members present were willing to remain on the committee and were voted in
En-block, unanimously accepted by the members present.
Dave Gillman advised members he will stand down next year.
Propositions
None received.
Any other Business
Tim Hilsdon thanked the committee for their tireless worked and asked for a vote of thanks from the floor. This was accepted with thanks by Graham on behalf of the committee.
Trevor Rose suggested that we could try taking flyers into the Tackle Tavern in Bicester, Phil to collect some flyers from Graham and will go into the tackle Tavern and ask them to display on our behalf. Other suggestions were also made about contacting the local Parish councils of Syresham, Helmdon and Wappenham to advertise our fishery to local people, Graham to investigate.
Graham advised that the Angling Trust were opening their applications for grants again and
we would try again. Dave Gillman asked the floor if anybody knew of a good bid writer
to apply on our behalf.
Phil Rose asked if any members new of a rich person that might like to invest in the club!
Tim Hilsdon suggested that we could try and collect old or unwanted tackle and sell off at auction. He had recent experience of this with his own equipment.
Everybody thought this was a good idea and Graham would follow this up with an email to members asking for any unwanted or unused tackle.
Matt Mallet to be chased about Tesco Charitable pots.
Trevor Rose suggested that we could try and put some sort of framework with nets in front of the swims 2,3,4,5, to stop the cormorants walking into the water, but light enough that they could be moved to allow fishing from these swims.
Steve Cory suggested a temporary fence set back from the water’s edge to stop them flying down to the water’s edge. Graham and Steve to look at options at the working party on Sunday.
There being no other business the chairman closed the meeting at 2045.