|
|
|
Dorchester Fishing Club - Annual Report 2006
The year started with a working party to cut
back the willows upstream of Whitfield Hatches. At the end of the day they
were pruned back to their roots and it looked awful. Spring, then summer
passed and now we are into autumn, the astonishing regeneration of all the
flora just shows how wonderfully nature repairs itself. Please remember this
when you visit the Lower Water during the winter months and see for yourself
the completed river improvements; it just needs some time to heal.
The Fishing Club
Blog* was created this season and we know many Members use it to keep up
to date with the fishing and river conditions. During September it was
viewed 320 times and we hope members continue to email in their fishing
reports during 2007. (*a Blog is an online Diary)
The Club also held several events for Members this summer; the first was a
casting & fishing morning that was held at Whitfield Hatches and the second
was a picnic with the Frome & Piddle Association on the Lower Water. Both
events were great fun and thanks to those that turned out.
The river looked immaculate throughout the season and was declared “the best
chalk stream in the south” by the author Brian Clarke after a days fishing
with a Member! The only slight blot was lack of ranunculus above 10 Hatches
and that fence – Good News; the Managing Committee has voted to replace the
fence in the coming season :)
We had several other notable guests during the season; Doug brought over his
grayling “team” from Southern Bohemia; all caught plenty of fish and
thoroughly enjoyed the Club’s water, which is more than could be said for
their liking of English beer! Another guest was a young American who is
studying theology in Rome and he experienced his first ever grannom hatch.
Yes it’s been another great year along the banks of the River Frome – now
for the grayling.
Managing Committee
Keepers Corner
I We are now in the middle of September, our back door is wide open, its
warm and at last its RAINING, but its not long past 7pm and its dark!
Is it just fisher folk, whose lives run away at light speed? Can some one
please come up with a plan? To stop it or at least slow it down, I have now
been Keeper for 11 years, fisherman for 35 years, and a Tarpon angler for 3.
I have to say that our beloved River Frome for the second year now has
looked its finest, despite low flows last winter, the weed growth throughout
the year really saved the day, holding our water levels up and providing our
exceptional trout stocks with more than adequate cover and food sources. I
think it is safe to say that we have had another exceptional year what with
superb fly life and fishing to match.
Monday 2nd October after nearly two years of planning, meetings and
paperwork, I am pleased to say that with lots of help from your Managing
Committee, English Nature, the Environment Agency, and The Dorset Wildlife
Trust, the heavy plant moves on site at Lower Bockhampton at last, to re
profile 207m of river bank to create wet margins, three new spawning riffles
using nearly 200 tonnes of gravel, three large willow groynes to create more
meanders, and a new fence a long way back from the waters edge!
Two dates for your diaries; Friday 13th October work party Bockhampton
9.30am- willow weaving; Saturday 28th October work party on the Wrackle
9.00am - tree clearing.
The mowing season is gradually drawing to an end, and I can start on my
winter duties, which I am looking forward to, tree work, hatchery box, and
talking about Grayling fishing!
A new series called Country Lives starts on the 28th September, try to watch
it on the 23rd November you might well see a little of your favourite River!
We are again in the middle of gravel washing; 60% of the Salmon and Sea
Trout redds last winter were on cleaned gravel, and a 100% of the fish you
caught was on fishing that we look after, that folks to me is not job
satisfaction, but way of life satisfaction, THANK YOU.
John E Aplin
Ponds & Lakes Picnic
