News 2023 - March
Our year began with the Annual General Meeting held at the The Mitre in Knaresborough. Nearly 50% of the membership attended the meeting which is very encouraging. Thank you to all those who attended. Members raised various topics and the meeting went smoothly. Three members were elected to join the Committee: Paula Child will become the Youth Development Officer, Charlie Jackson is to become the member who will develop all aspects of Coaching and Adrian Sturdy is to become the Information Officer. The evening concluded with a very nice buffet.
WhatsApp Group
Following his appointment as Information Officer Adrian has been quick out of the blocks and the Club now has a Members Only WhatsApp Group. Information has been sent out to all members about how to sign up to be part of the group, many have already done so and it is encouraging to see the variety of comments and suggestions being posted.
Support for Members
Members will be pleased to know that another day's programme to help members who are struggling to catch fish will be arranged early this year. Charlie Jackson and Ian Wynn will act as tutors on the day and whilst only limited places will be offered to ensure everyone gains as much support as possible we feel it is a very welcome opportunity to improve ones skills and techniques. Further details will be posted via email to all members.
Cohort 3 Youth Programme
The programme began in earnest with the Kick Sampling and Wading Safety session. The scouts involved all had a challenging but enjoyable day supported by a number of our members. A full day session has been held to get them underway in Fly Tying, this aspect being led by David Hild. Regular Thursday evenings are now scheduled so that when April arrives the scouts are ready to go fishing with flies they have tied. For more information and some pictures see the section Youth Programme.
Catch Returns
Many thanks to all members who submitted returns for 2022. These have now been analysed and the data will be sent out to all members with the AGM information. If you venture out for some grayling fishing prior to the new trout season please do ensure you enter the days activity into the Catch Return section in the Members Section of the website. Naturally if you prefer paper records then please enter each outing and submit your returns at the end of the year.
Nidd Catchment Angling Group (NCAG)
Members may not be aware that AJS FlyFishers have joined the above group which consists of those fishing clubs who have water above us. The NCAG hope that by coming together to provide a wider and great pressure can be brought upon those who remit is to ensure the water quality of the Nidd is improved. There are many exciting areas of work and further details of these activities will be presented at the AGM.
Tight Lines to all
The Club has had a good year, members have reported good catches throughout the Brown Trout season and several have already had very successful sessions Grayling fishing.
Whilst we thought it prevalent to not run our usual workshops for habitat and river bank improvements owing to the still prevalent Covid issues the general condition and access we traditionally enjoy is still in good condition. The work by the Woodland Trust has made major improvements to accessing many areas and members are encouraged to explore areas not familiar to them, there are some great pools, riffles and runs once you cross the Burgess Bridge and fish either upstream or downstream.
Another major achievement for the Club has been the successful completion by the first cohort of Scouts enrolled on the Youth Programme. Previously the reports and information have been subset within this News Section but these are now given their own pages under the Youth Programme Title. Simply navigate via the top menu bar along the top row and under 'More' a set of additional pages appears and it is here you will find the full reviews.
We are also pleased to let our visitors know that the project has been chosen by Trout and Salmon magazine for inclusion in the December 2021 edition. This should be on sale mid November. Of particular interest for members of the Club there is a section included within the article that outlines the history of the Club. Thanks to our Riparian Owner Sally Sterne for allowing this to be included.
As Autumn takes a more firm hold and the trees continue to loose their leaves in readiness for the onset of winter please do spend a few hours down at the river. The small dry fly continues to be a great way of temping eager fish to the net but for those who prefer a nymph approach success can also be had using any of the old or new techniques often seen in magazines or via social media.
Tight Lines to all