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Godalming Angling Society |
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Founded in 1881 with about 25 members- fishing Broadwater and the river Wey and Godalming Navigation. The first inter-club competition- against Guildford Angling Society (founded 1882) was held on the river Wey in 1882. In 1925 - The first recorded attempt at fishery management, netting Littleton Brickpit, result - 3 perch, 1 Gudgeon and one member overboard. In 1950 - The Society membership was approximately 300 adult and 150 junior members, many anglers from outside the area also enjoying Broadwater and the excellent river fishing from Eashing downstream to Broadford Bridge, Shalford. In 1953 - Our first purchase of water, the Salgasson water meadow of 17 acres along with one bank of the river, situated above Westbrook Mill (now Kennedy and Donkin, civil engineers). In 1980 - We established the now thriving Winkworth Flyfishers who fly-fish the Winkworth Arboretum lakes for trout, having been recommended to the National Trust, by the late Commander McKean, the previous fishery manager. Each year this section of the Society give upwards of 160 hours volunteer work at the Arboretum under the watchful eye of the head Gardener, Eric Barrs - (now retired). By 1983 - With careful fishery management, we had some of the best fishing in the south of England and consequently our membership had grown to 1,100 seniors and 500 juniors and we had a waiting list of over 250 with only local anglers being taken in, as and when they wanted to join. The year 1984 - Over the years we have been able to fish, with permission, many of the lakes around the Godalming area, but Broadwater, through a lease with the old Godalming Borough Council was the only stillwater where we had reasonable security of tenure. This changed when in 1984 we embarked on the purchase of Large Enton Lake at Milford, a former trout fishery of some 21 acres with 10 acres of land surrounding it. In 1985 -With the help of the bank this purchase was completed and renamed Johnson's Enton Lake in honour of our fishery management secretary at the time, Alf Johnson, who was the driving force behind buying this superb water. Sadly Alf died in 2001 and the lake was renamed as simply Johnson's Lake in his honour. His ashes are scattered there beneath a willow tree planted by his family. In 1987 - Having fished and looked after the water for over 20 years, we purchased Busbridge Lower Lake from Ladywell Convent at Busbridge, giving the right in perpetuity for them and their guests to access the lake at any time; one of our most beautiful waters. In the same year we leased Bramley Park Lake from Sir Archie Hamilton, a small 3-acre water with an excellent variety of fishing in lovely surroundings. In 1997- We purchased some 26 acres of land at Marsh Farm which is situated some 200 metres from Milford railway station and right next to our Johnson's Enton lake, with a view to providing two 3 to 4 acre lakes, a ½ acre training pool and a teaching centre housed in a pavilion style building. Prior to embarking on this project we applied for Sports Council Lottery funding and we were successful in obtaining the largest fishing related grant ever approved. There were numerous complex planning issues that had to be resolved and finally the construction work was undertaken. The 3 lakes are now dug, filled with water and partly stocked last December with excess fish from Johnson's Lake next door. The remaining stocking will take place in the next few weeks. We are expecting to open this Members & Day ticket water later this year - 2004. Whilst many members were, & still are, involved with this massive and exceptional project, two members in particular made it happen through sheer hard work and incredible perseverance, namely our Treasurer Graham Harris & of course our Secretary Malcolm Richardson. It is intended that the two large lakes be named after them with confirmation sought at this Aprils AGM. This project was also the subject of a TV shoot for Angling Times TV in 2003. In the year 2000 - Our Fishery Management team have been registered with the Environmental Agency as Fishery Managers and members of the Institute of Fishery Managers for some years - equipment comprises over 600 metres of nets, 3 work boats, 3 sets of electro-fishing equipment, Land Rover, dumper trucks, a motorised tracked wheelbarrow, grass cutters, chain saws and a complete range of tools for carrying out bank and tree work. We recently carried out a fish rescue for one of the London Boroughs having been recommended by the EA. Our origins stem from competition fishing and we still have a strong match section both in the juniors and the senior's section, with 30 to 40 members regularly fishing in competition, not only locally but nationally as well. Our Match Secretary Roger Howe won the individual Division Five National Angling Championship in 1995 beating over a thousand anglers on the river Trent and in 1997 our team won promotion to Division Four. We now have over
1400 adult members, some 700 of them living in the GU postcode area, and
370 junior members, the vast majority of these also in the GU postcode
area. Membership for senior citizens, who have been members for at least
five years, is completely free and we have over 80 members in this category
at present. New OAP members can obtain a concessionary ticket for half
price. Anglers may join at any time as, since the opening of the Marsh
Farm complex, we no longer need to run a waiting list. Fortunately no
one has to wait now to enjoy what so many of our local anglers enjoy,
beautiful fisheries in lovely surroundings.
Godalming Angling Society has committed itself to service within the community by its policy on youth sport, angling for the disabled and charitable institutions. YOUTH -The future of all sporting clubs depends on having a strong youth section and the Society has always paid particular attention to the needs of its junior anglers, pegging their membership fee at twelve pounds per year. We have, as a full officer of the club, a Junior Organiser who runs the junior competition group, competing in local leagues and in the National Angling Championships. He also runs the enrolment classes that all youngsters must attend prior to becoming members. In 1997 we inaugurated a coaching scheme, appointing Rodborough teacher Dave Ewing, a Scottish international angler, as Chief Instructor with a team of five expert anglers to coach youngsters over a range of angling disciplines, with a special emphasis being placed on the knowledge and preservation of the environment in which they fish. Some 24 juniors anglers completed the first Bronze, Silver and gold award courses devised by Dave, who is also a committee member. THE DISABLED ANGLER- In 1983, designated as The Year of the Disabled, we inaugurated a competition for disabled anglers on Broadwater Lake, which has now grown into the Surrey Championship for the Disabled Angler. In the year that public awareness of the problems that disabled people face grew, this was a positive stance for disabled anglers and has resulted in the Society, wherever possible, improving access and facilities for its disabled members and visiting disabled anglers. In 1984 we invited the then Rushmoor Mallards, a disabled angling group within Surrey PHAB, to become affiliated to our Society paying only a nominal fee. This small club has now evolved into the Wey Valley Disabled Anglers Association with 120 members. Every year we invite various charitable angling organisations to run their own fund raising competitions on Broadwater. Including the W.V.D.A.A. We also host 'Second Chance', a charity aimed at youngsters with family difficulties and the Disabled Angling Club of Ealing (D.A.C.E.). A new venture that started eight years ago (1996), was an invitation to blind anglers, paid for by club members holding fund raising events, assisted on a one to one basis by our members over a long weekend, to fish Broadwater, the river Wey, Johnsons, Busbridge and fly fish at Wintershall by kind permission of Peter Cockwill. Our visitors, eight to ten in number, who are usually based at the Guildford Posthouse Forte, consider this venture to be a tremendous success, with most of them catching fish, urged on by our own blind member Nick Bradbury of Farncombe. CHARITY COMMITMENT- Our annual Charity Carp Catch on Broadwater lake started in 1981 attracts top class anglers, all sponsored for various sums and we have raised over £102,000 since its inception. The record for the largest amount of sponsorship to one angler, just over £1,000,being raised in 1997. Our base charity, who receive 50% of all money raised, is the Leukemia Research Society who have been given over £51,000 to date. The other 50% is split, with in 1998 25% going to each of the charities supported by the Godalming Mayor and Waverley Mayor and in the past either local charities, or the local branches of National Charities. Those that have received donations over the years are as follows: - Royal Surrey School of Nursing, British Red Cross, Meath Home, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Asthma Research, Cheshire Home, British Heart Foundation, Imperial Cancer Research, Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Godalming Old Peoples Welfare Association, Godalming DISCASS, Save the Children Fund, Surrey Care Trust, St. Lukes Cancer Appeal, Surrey P.H.A.B. and Surrey Association of Youth Clubs, Skillway, Headway and this year The Chase Hospice for children - who between them have received over £51,000 from the Angling Society.
For further information on the Godalming Angling Society ring the secretary Malcolm Richardson on 0 1483 422791 |