Author: DoubleDart

All DAA members are cordially invited to the DFA AGM

DART FISHERIES ASSOCIATION

2019 AGM

Notice is given that this year’s AGM will be held at 6.30pm on Friday May 10th 2019 at the Dartmoor Lodge Hotel, Ashburton. 

AGENDA

1. President’s welcome to our guests. 
2. Apologies for absence.
3. Minutes of the AGM held on Friday May 11th 2018, and matters arising.
4. Chairman’s report.
5. Treasurer’s report.
6. Secretary’s report [see attached].
7. Election of Committee and Officers [see below].
8. Change of name of our Association to the Dart Fisheries Conservation Association.
9. Our liming trial and electro-fishing – WRT to report
10. Results from the Totnes weir fish counters
11. SWRA matters – Roger Furniss to report
12. EA matters.
13. Any other business.

The following have volunteered to be your Committee for the next 12 months

DAA representatives: Ian Scofield, Phil Prowse, Peter Edwards 

Riparian owners: Sir Simon Day [President], Sir David Hoare, Patrick Simpson, Tom Stratton

Others: Dennis Mitchell [Chairman], Bill Robertson [Secretary], Giles Hammersley [Treasurer], Glynn Loyd-Jones [ Duchy Fly Fishers representative] , Humphrey Walters and David French

Co-opted members:Mark Simpson, Tim Hassell , Graham May , Jonathan Camp and Luke Chester-Master

NB If any member would like to raise any other matters at the Meeting would he/she advise me before Wednesday May 8th.

There will then be a talk by Tom Hutchinson, Professor at Plymouth University, on the quality of our river’s water and that of other rivers in the South West and steps being taken to improve it. 

• After the meeting a carvery will be available – cost £11 per head to be paid at the meeting. It would be helpful, however, if you could let me know if you can stay for the carvery.

Bill Robertson – tel: 01364 652574, email bill@bowdenfm.co.uk

Arrangements have now been completed and visitors tickets are now available from Dartmoor Lodge Hotel , Ashburton.

The Sea Trout Inn, at Staverton, where our visitors tickets have been sold for some years, is closed presently. The position as of 15th April 2019 is that tickets should be on sale within the next few days at Dartmoor Lodge Hotel , Ashburton. We will post confirmation of this as soon as things are up and running, which should be before Easter.

Update: Up and running!

Most members will have received this season’s membership cards by now. Due to an administrative error at our busy nerve centre, a small number of the new cards have been issued with last years date. If you have received one of these you may contact the Hon Sec to obtain a re-issued card. Alternatively, the data protection statement you should also have received can be used this season in combination with your 2018 dated card as proof of membership.

Here’s wishing all our members a pleasant and successful 2019 season.

The Wild Trout Trust annual online auction is still live until Sunday (16th March), when items will close throughout the evening.

There are many fabulous lots, catering for pretty much every purse and every taste in trout fishing, other fishing opportunities, tackle, tuition, art, literature and shooting.

The money raised will be spent to benefit our rivers and their trout and sea trout.

If you have not yet had a look at the auction there is still time.

Details of the lots on offer are available on the Wild Trout Trust’s website, with a link to the auction hosted by eBay or go straight to the auction listing here.

Just a reminder that Graeme Harris is coming to speak to us tomorrow evening. Graeme has been consulted by the Association regarding possible improvements to be made to TWP to bring it back to its former glory by managing flows etc. Obviously, members views on this would be useful so please come if you can.

As he is a renowned authority on sea trout, no evening with Graeme would be complete without a few words about them and this will be the subject of the second half of his talk.

There will also be a free buffet.

The meeting is at 1930 tomorrow – Friday 8th March – at the Dartmoor lodge Hotel, Ashburton, TQ13 7JW.

Bank clearing is underway, with Robin leading the team. There is much work to be done, so we need plenty of volunteers. We meet on each Sunday morning for the first few weeks of the year and the work can be more or less physical, depending on the individual. In any case it is a good way of working off some of that Christmas pudding, good fun and, particularly for newer members, a good way of getting to know the river and an perhaps an opportunity to discuss tactics with other members.

The photo below was taken last week when the team removed a tree from Kilbury.

Anyone with a couple of hours to spare on any Sunday morning in the near future would be particularly welcome as attendance has been a little low this year.

You will find the list of dates and venues here.

This work has to be done for the benefit of all so please come if you can.

 

Members, if you have some time to spare on the following dates your presence at one or more of these sessions would be very much appreciated to help with river bank maintenance. For newer members this is a good opportunity to get to know your fellow members and the river better.

All bank clearing commencing at 0930 on the following Sundays:

6th Jan – Kilbury
13th Jan- (CC) Kilbury/ Austins Bridge to Nursery Pool
20th Jan- (CC) Nursery- Rookery to Caddiford Turn
27th Jan- (CC) Colston Stickle to Quarry Pool
3rd Feb- (CC) Quarry-Wortley – Eales Folley
10th Feb- (CC) Davies Pit to Lower Stile
17th Feb- Hood Weir (tree removal subject to water height) or alternative above Riverford Bridge/ Stretchford ( right bank)
24th Feb- Fogdens – Caddaford to Old Man’s Run-Abbots Mead
3rd Mar- Fogdens- (tree removal subject to water height) head of Abbots Mead.

Catch returns for the 2018 season are as follows:

SALMON

First fish –        P Hetherington 12lbs Hembury 2/5/18

Highest total –  No member caught more than one fish

Best fish –         P Hetherington 12lbs Hembury 2/5/18

Seven members and two day ticket anglers reported catching a salmon. All fish were returned alive. (100% C&R)

Where taken: Church Commissioners water 4, Fogdens 2, Kilbury 2, Hembury 1. TOTAL 9

Previous totals: 2017 – 9, 2016 – 21, 2015 – nil, 2014 – 8, 2013 – 13

SEA TROUT

First Fish – P Prowse 2lbs 8oz Caddaford Turn 23/4/18

Highest total – P. Prowse 24

Best fish – P Prowse 10lbs (est) TWP 21/5/18

Where taken: TWP 26, Dartington 2, Church Commissioners 52, Fogdens 19, SW Water 14, Kilbury 7, Hembury 2, TOTAL 122

98 fish returned alive (81% C&R)

Previous totals: 2017 – 165, 2016 – 112, 2015 – 107, 2014 – 203, 2013 – 503

BROWN TROUT

Best fish – P Heatherington 3lbs

93 total for DAA waters.

DUCHY WATER

Salmon –          nil

Sea Trout –       nil

Brown Trout –  157

Where taken: West Dart 96, East Dart 48, Tribs 13 (Cherrybrook / Swincombe)

Combined DAA/Duchy brown trout total – 250 (Likely all returned alive)

 

Wishing all our members and friends a very merry Christmas and a fishy New Year.

 

Sea Trout fishing in TWP picked up in May as water levels started to drop and about 30 were caught with fish up to 10lbs. In mid May reasonable numbers went through the fish counter with 450 for the month, slightly down on last year. Also as levels started to drop some fish in the weirpool started to show the first signs of fungal disease and fish which had been free taking in early May became more reluctant to take a fly.