NEWS LETTER

CHICHESTER & DISTRICT ANGLING SOCIETY
Newsletter for Winter 2024
Dear Members,
Welcome to the Winter newsletter with best wishes to you all for the upcoming Christmas period. It is hoped that you have all enjoyed the season so far and that you will continue to do so over the coming months.
AGM
The date of the 2025 AGM is scheduled for Thursday 13th February 2025. The Fishbourne Centre, in Blackboy Lane, Fishbourne will again be the venue for this event as it has historically catered well for both the number of attendees and in providing ample free car parking and a bar facility for refreshments for those who wish to avail themselves. The start time for the AGM will as usual be 7.30 pm, with members asked not to arrive before 7.00 pm to allow time for the room to be duly set up, and the event is open to all Full Members but not Associate Members who, as laid out in the terms of your Membership, are not entitled to attend an AGM or vote on any items of the Agenda, but can at any point in time during the course of the year, send in any suggestions they may have which will be fully discussed by the members of the Committee at their monthly meetings.
Any full member wishing to put forward a proposal for the 2025 AGM must do so in writing to myself, Carole Baker, by either email to cdassec@gmail.com or post to my home address as outlined in your Membership Book. All proposals must be received by Thursday 16th January 2025 and any member submitting a proposal must then attend the AGM in person if it is to be fully discussed and voted on by the members present on the night. As is the case every year, we invite anyone who feels that they would like to join the existing Committee to submit their interest to me in writing by the AGM proposals deadline date of 16th January 2025 for full discussion by the Committee and to be actioned at the AGM itself if Committee spaces are available. A full AGM agenda will be made available to members via post (for those who have requested a hard copy newsletter) or on the group Facebook Page and Website in early February 2025.
Now to other matters of potential interest to some or all of you: –
Pike Teach-In
Another successful event took place in early October. Organized by John Medlow and Christine Luffman this year, the weather gods were kind, and the rain stayed away until the event had been concluded. Attendance numbers were again high this year and feedback from attendees was very positive with everyone having both an enjoyable and informative day.
One thing that came to light during the process of this event was that high sided cradles are not necessarily the best option for safely unhooking a predatory fish and a flat mat of a suitable size is equally or more viable. It was also noted that the trace length currently laid down in the Membership Book Bylaws is longer than necessary and snap tackle for sale in shops is generally significantly shorter.
Members are therefore being given advance notice now that from the 2025 pike season onwards, trace lengths will be reduced to a minimum of 35cm and flat landing mats of at least 130 cm can be used as an alternative to the high sided cradles for any member undertaking pike angling on the complex. The current cradles will, of course, still be perfectly acceptable for those who do not possess or wish to purchase a flat mat purely to undertake pike fishing and the high sided cradles will remain mandatory for all other types of angling across the whole complex.
On -Site Electrical Works
Some of you may already be aware that the Society are in the process of upgrading the electricity supply on site to a 3-phase system which will enable all necessary aerators and the borehole to run at the same time rather than the current system of having to run only some equipment at a time to avoid cut outs as the existing supply is no longer fit for purpose. With Winters getting warmer and more clubs than ever reporting issues with water quality, the Committee have taken the decision to invest in future proofing the complex by having sufficient power available to run as much equipment as necessary at any point in time thus reducing the risk of experiencing issues suffered by other clubs and protecting our fish stocks which I am sure you will all agree is money very well spent.
Obviously there will be some upheaval while the groundworks are undertaken to lay the higher-grade cabling necessary to accommodate this extra power and you are all kindly asked to respect the need to close off areas of the complex which are affected while these works are undertaken. With no close season it is anticipated that work will take place over the colder months when the complex is quieter to generate less disturbance to anglers but it is inevitable that on occasion you may find your chosen swim is out of bounds for a short period of time and your acceptance and understanding is greatly appreciated.
Quarry Lake
It cannot have gone unnoticed by members that most of the lily pads have now been removed from this lake and any remaining ones will be dealt with in the Spring. Swim margins have also been cut back hard to remove snags wherever possible. These actions have been taken to try to address the issue of the badly damaged fish in this lake which have manifested over a period of time due in part to poor angling practices but also in part to the snags and lily pads historically in the lake. The Committee are now moving on to the next phase of trying to enhance this lake by removing the most damaged fish over a period of time and retiring them to the stock pond and replacing them with fish from other parts of the complex. I am sure you can all appreciate that this is a delicate operation and must be conducted with fish welfare at the forefront and for that reason only the Fishery Manager or designated people must ever attempt to remove or relocate fish from one lake to another. It is hoped that in time, Quarry Lake will once again provide really good sport and that catches will be in far better condition, but you all have a part to play in this so hook holds and any other mouth and body damage must be treated with a fish care product before returning the fish to the water.
Ongoing Site Maintenance
In much the same way as with the electrical works, the lack of a close season means it is necessary to deal with general maintenance issues such as clearance, swim rebuilding and tree works over the course of the year and again the Committee extend their advance thanks to you all for accepting that on occasion, areas of the complex will need to be closed off from a health and safety perspective. All work is necessary to keep the complex in the best possible condition for you all to enjoy and it is hoped that the benefits to you all far outweigh the minor inconvenience on the odd occasion.
2025 Pricing Structure
The Committee have discussed this in detail and unfortunately it will be necessary to implement an uplift in the renewal pricing for next season. Prices were held in 2024 and an increase to £200.00 for Seniors, £100.00 for pensioners and £90.00 for students is, in real terms only a 5% increase over 2 years and well under the inflation rate over the 24-month period. It is hoped that you will all agree that despite this nominal increase, your annual membership still represents incredibly good value when compared with other clubs and the facilities on offer. The Committee constantly look for ways to enhance the site and maintain the best possible facilities for you to enjoy your angling and it is hoped you all agree that your Membership fees are being well spent.
All that remains is to thank you for taking the time to read the above, which I hope you found to be informative and useful.
Kind regards
Carole Baker
Secretary