Latest News

October 20th. The October Evening Meeting at Tyrrells Wood.
This was our Members' Night and we were regaled with pictures and words from 4 of our members. A very interesting evening as we have some very talented presenters.

Sunday 2nd October - Families Day.
Trevor Coxon & Steve Fisher organised a tuition day for newcomers to game fishing at Albury near Guildford.

Sunday 11th September - Sea Trout Day on the Sussex Ouse.
A small party gathered at Barcombe Mill and spent a pleasant Sunday chasing the elusive Seatrout.

August Bank Holiday. The Edenbridge and Oxted Show.
We put on our usual display at this Show by manning the S&TA Marquee, providing casting lessons and demonstrations and helping to publicise the work the Salmon & Trout Association does.

May 10th - an evening at Weir Wood Fishery near East Grinstead.
This is Michael Evans venture and 17 of us turned up to fish.

April 6th - An Evening's fishing on Ashmere lakes.
Our yearly trip to Ashmere Lakes, courtesy of Jean Howman, took place on a warm, almost summery evening. !8 of us enjoyed good fishing an an excellent buffet. Click on the heading for more details and pictures of the biggest trout of the night.

March 17th - Shaun Leonard, Director of the Wild Trout Trust
gave a most interesting talk on the work of the trust and the way they are helping to improve habitats. Sadly the event clashed with St Patrick's Day and we had a very small audience but Shaun kept us all enthralled for the evening. His presentation was also on a Mac but this time we had the technology to make it work and his excellent pictures were projected onto the big screen.

February 17th - Matt Hayes gave us an enthusiastic talk covering Salmon, Sea Trout, and numerous other species from around the world. He finished with some wonderful shots of the Aurora taken from near his home in Norway. We had an audience of 42 who sat enthralled despite the fact we had to watch the pictures on a laptop screen. We had all the gear for projecting the images but could not get the AppleMac and the projector to talk to each other.

January 20th 2011 - Our First Meeting of the Year
The evening talks got off to a cracking start with a talk by Justin Anwyl on Bass Fishing. Justin certainly knows his stuff and 43 members were enthralled by his talk. A full account, courtesy of Alan Carter, can be seen here.

AGM - THURSDAY 17th November

28 members turned up for the AGM. The Chairman gave a report on the year, the Treasurer presented the accounts which were passed unanimously and the "new" set of officers and committee were elected. As no additional members put their names forward, the officers and committee for 2011 are the same as 2010 with two exceptions. Chris Reeves stood down and Trevor Coxon was elected as a second Branch Organiser.

After a short break the raffle for the GRXi rod generously donated by Greys was drawn. The winner was Maurice Bryan of SW16 and Mrs Sadie Kennedy of Guildford won the second prize,the Fly Fishing book. Paul Knight, the CEO of the Salmon & Trout Association, then made a presentation on the work of the Association and the way it was moving forward. A most interesting and informative talk.

FISHING FOR GRAYLING - Saturday 5th November

12 hardy fishermen turned out and had a great days sport on the Test at Wherwell

JUNIORS DAY - Sunday 19th September at Vale End, Albury.

This turned out to be a "Families Day" and Steve Fisher ran a well organised event for 13 people. Mainly boys and girls but with a sprinkling of adults as well. Most were beginners but several had fished before but everyone benefitted from the tuition provided by Trevor Coxon and Steve Fisher and their band of qualified instructors. Click on the title for more!!

FISHING for Seatrout - The Sussex Ouse 12th September

A group of ten turned out for this day on the Ouse at Barcombe Mill. The event was organised by Stewart Allum and we all enjoyed a good day out in splendid weather.

EDENBRIDGE & OXTED SHOW - August Bank Holiday

Our thanks to the many helpers and instructors who voluntary work made the Show a great success. Numbers were slightly down on last year and the weather was not helpful but the stand was always busy.

WEDNESDAY 5th May - Fishing at DUNCTON MILL

A difficult evenings fishing because of the water temperature and somewhat sultry conditions. Again eight of us fished in very pleasant and attractive surroundings but the fish were elusive.

8 members enjoyed a splendid evening fishing at Ashmere, courtesy of Mrs Jean Howman. We fished from about 4.30 to 7pm and then sat down to an excellent buffet supper. Everyone caught their 4 fish and the bag included two90 specimens of over 8 and 6 lbs respectively. An excellent evening.

S&TA Chief Executive, Paul Knight, will be talking to Keith Arthur on his Sky Sports programme, ‘Tight Lines’, on Friday, February 26th. The first showing will be on Sky Sports 3 at 6.30pm on the 26th, with various repeat times on the Saturday. As well as discussing game angling in the UK, there will inevitably be plenty of discussion around the serious issues facing fisheries and the water environment. For full details of timings, log on to www.skysports.com/tightlines

A meeting has been arranged at the Ivy Royal Hotel, Carmarthen, on Thursday, March 25th 2010, at 7pm for 7.15pm. Paul Knight, will give a presentation on the work of the Association, but the main point of the evening is to meet members, their guests and non-members in the area and to find out what they want to see from an S&TA (Wales) operation. Although Wales is covered by primary legislation from Whitehall, many of the fisheries policy decisions are being taken by the Welsh Assembly Government, and therefore an active and influential S&TA (Wales) is essential. Please come to the meeting if possible, and bring your fishing friends with you, whether or not they are S&TA members.

The Low Flows Conference, organised by the Atlantic Salmon Trust and co-sponsored by S&TA, was held in York at the end of January. The were some excellent data presented, covering the effects of high and low flows on different fish species and the habitat requirements for their various life stages. Inevitably, hydropower was a major issue, and it became increasingly clear that scientific evidence from fisheries organisations will play a key role in determining the impact of hydro schemes on river systems. However, the positive news is that the Environment Agency (EA) will take part in the post-conference workshop, to be held in Scotland in March, and so is still in the loop as we try to ensure not just minimum impact on the environment from hydropower, but maximum benefit for fish in the form of new and more efficient fish passes for all migratory species. View the presentations from the Conference at http://www.coastms.co.uk/conferences/426

Some concerning news has just been received from the EA’s new Evidence Department, which incorporates the Agency’s environmental scientific team. It appears that the internal science is being drastically cut back, apparently to increase efficiency. We are still trying to extract the reasoning behind this seemingly bizarre decision, which will mean that fisheries science is cut from 8 operators to less than one full time equivalent, and will keep you informed. We already have concerns about the level of scientific research and particularly monitoring undertaken by the EA, and this is even more of a worry as measures to achieve good ecological status under the Water Framework Directive begin to be delivered this year. We will keep you informed of the EA’s decision making process around this issue as we glean more information.

We have had a slight change in our timing plans for handing in our petition. Our Scottish Working Group is keen that we have one full year’s cycle with the petition, so it will now run until the Tweed Angling Fair at the beginning of May. This will give an opportunity to boost signature numbers, and then choose the date on which the petition is presented to the Scottish Government, depending on where we are with the Election by then. You can still sign the petition at http://www.salmon-trout.org/save_petition.asp

Meanwhile, Norway has reduced the number of lice permitted on its salmon farms 0.1, or one louse per ten fish. While wild fish interests still have severe reservations about the Norwegian Government’s attitude to fish farming, and that this move is too little too late, it is at least better than the deal in Scotland, where the standard is still rooted to 0.5 of a louse per fish. And, don’t forget, most of the Scottish industry is owned by Norwegian companies!

S&TA is co-sponsoring ‘Trout Stream Management in the Real World,’ a conference organised by the Eden Rivers Trust which takes place on 23rd and 24th March at the Tufton Arms Hotel, Appleby. The Trust has put together a very good list of speakers from ‘Planet Trout’ and is already close to a full house of 120 delegates.

This is most definitely not a theoretical workshop - it will have practical benefits to all of those individuals and organisations out there involved in practical stream and river management. We will report on the conference outcomes in due course.

****************************

Fund-raising Dinner and Auction 2010: 12th October. We need Lots!

Thanks to the generosity of members and supporters, we offered a truly mouth-watering array of lots at last year’s Fund-raising Dinner and Auction. The most popular were collectibles and the “promises”, which ranged from a tour of the Brawn GP F1 Team Headquarters with lunch for 6 people to hosted fishing on exclusive stretches to a guided tour of the Purdeys gun factory.

We want to do even better this year! While the limit for the dinner will be 30 lots, we plan to expand the selection to include additional items for an online auction prior to the dinner itself.

* A watercolour by Roger MacPhail, one of the finest wildlife artists of his generation, of a pair of shelducks flying upstream raised £1,250!

* An oil painting of a grouse moor by the excellent landscape/wildlife artist, Alistair Makinson, raised £2,200!

These are just a few examples of the type of lot we’re looking for. Can you help? Please contact Debbie Creasy – debbie@salmon-trout.org – or telephone her at S&TA HQ – 0207 283 5838.

We have been very generously donated a unique opportunity for two people to fish on Vancouver Island, Canada for a week in early September this year, staying in a sumptuous private mansion on Quadra Island, British Columbia, and being personally guided while fishing for at least four species of Pacific salmon, including Kings of 30 to 40 lbs – and all among sea eagles, elk, black bears, sea otters, seals and orca whales.

We will be offering this fantastic fishing holiday by sealed bid, with a closing date of March 1st 2010. A rough price guide would be £3,500 for two people, although you would have to purchase air fares on top, of course. If you are interested and would like further information, please contact HQ (020 7283 5838 or hq@salmon-trout.org)


		Latest News from the Surrey Branch of The Salmon & Trout Association in 2011
	For further details and pictures, if available, of the activities below, click on the title October 20th. The October Evening Meeting at Tyrrells Wood. This was our Members' Night and we were regaled with pictures and words from 4 of our members. A very interesting evening as we have some very talented presenters. Sunday 2nd October - Families Day. Trevor Coxon & Steve Fisher organised a tuition day for newcomers to game fishing at Albury near Guildford. Sunday 11th September - Sea Trout Day on the Sussex Ouse. A small party gathered at Barcombe Mill and spent a pleasant Sunday chasing the elusive Seatrout. August Bank Holiday. The Edenbridge and Oxted Show. We put on our usual display at this Show by manning the S&TA Marquee, providing casting lessons and demonstrations and helping to publicise the work the Salmon & Trout Association does. May 10th - an evening at Weir Wood Fishery near East Grinstead. This is Michael Evans venture and 17 of us turned up to fish. April 6th - An Evening's fishing on Ashmere lakes. Our yearly trip to Ashmere Lakes, courtesy of Jean Howman, took place on a warm, almost summery evening. !8 of us enjoyed good fishing an an excellent buffet. Click on the heading for more details and pictures of the biggest trout of the night. March 17th - Shaun Leonard, Director of the Wild Trout Trust gave a most interesting talk on the work of the trust and the way they are helping to improve habitats. Sadly the event clashed with St Patrick's Day and we had a very small audience but Shaun kept us all enthralled for the evening. His presentation was also on a Mac but this time we had the technology to make it work and his excellent pictures were projected onto the big screen. February 17th - Matt Hayes gave us an enthusiastic talk covering Salmon, Sea Trout, and numerous other species from around the world. He finished with some wonderful shots of the Aurora taken from near his home in Norway. We had an audience of 42 who sat enthralled despite the fact we had to watch the pictures on a laptop screen. We had all the gear for projecting the images but could not get the AppleMac and the projector to talk to each other. January 20th 2011 - Our First Meeting of the Year The evening talks got off to a cracking start with a talk by Justin Anwyl on Bass Fishing. Justin certainly knows his stuff and 43 members were enthralled by his talk. A full account, courtesy of Alan Carter, can be seen here. AGM - THURSDAY 17th November 28 members turned up for the AGM. The Chairman gave a report on the year, the Treasurer presented the accounts which were passed unanimously and the "new" set of officers and committee were elected. As no additional members put their names forward, the officers and committee for 2011 are the same as 2010 with two exceptions. Chris Reeves stood down and Trevor Coxon was elected as a second Branch Organiser. After a short break the raffle for the GRXi rod generously donated by Greys was drawn. The winner was Maurice Bryan of SW16 and Mrs Sadie Kennedy of Guildford won the second prize,the Fly Fishing book. Paul Knight, the CEO of the Salmon & Trout Association, then made a presentation on the work of the Association and the way it was moving forward. A most interesting and informative talk. FISHING FOR GRAYLING - Saturday 5th November 12 hardy fishermen turned out and had a great days sport on the Test at Wherwell JUNIORS DAY - Sunday 19th September at Vale End, Albury. This turned out to be a "Families Day" and Steve Fisher ran a well organised event for 13 people. Mainly boys and girls but with a sprinkling of adults as well. Most were beginners but several had fished before but everyone benefitted from the tuition provided by Trevor Coxon and Steve Fisher and their band of qualified instructors. Click on the title for more!! FISHING for Seatrout - The Sussex Ouse 12th September A group of ten turned out for this day on the Ouse at Barcombe Mill. The event was organised by Stewart Allum and we all enjoyed a good day out in splendid weather. EDENBRIDGE & OXTED SHOW - August Bank Holiday Our thanks to the many helpers and instructors who voluntary work made the Show a great success. Numbers were slightly down on last year and the weather was not helpful but the stand was always busy. WEDNESDAY 5th May - Fishing at DUNCTON MILL A difficult evenings fishing because of the water temperature and somewhat sultry conditions. Again eight of us fished in very pleasant and attractive surroundings but the fish were elusive. WEDNESDAY 7th April - Fishing at ASHMERE LAKES 8 members enjoyed a splendid evening fishing at Ashmere, courtesy of Mrs Jean Howman. We fished from about 4.30 to 7pm and then sat down to an excellent buffet supper. Everyone caught their 4 fish and the bag included two90 specimens of over 8 and 6 lbs respectively. An excellent evening. FROM THE SALMON AND TROUT ASSOCIATION Sky Sports Interview S&TA Chief Executive, Paul Knight, will be talking to Keith Arthur on his Sky Sports programme, ‘Tight Lines’, on Friday, February 26th. The first showing will be on Sky Sports 3 at 6.30pm on the 26th, with various repeat times on the Saturday. As well as discussing game angling in the UK, there will inevitably be plenty of discussion around the serious issues facing fisheries and the water environment. For full details of timings, log on to www.skysports.com/tightlines ************************** South West Wales Meeting A meeting has been arranged at the Ivy Royal Hotel, Carmarthen, on Thursday, March 25th 2010, at 7pm for 7.15pm. Paul Knight, will give a presentation on the work of the Association, but the main point of the evening is to meet members, their guests and non-members in the area and to find out what they want to see from an S&TA (Wales) operation. Although Wales is covered by primary legislation from Whitehall, many of the fisheries policy decisions are being taken by the Welsh Assembly Government, and therefore an active and influential S&TA (Wales) is essential. Please come to the meeting if possible, and bring your fishing friends with you, whether or not they are S&TA members. ************************ Low Flows Conference The Low Flows Conference, organised by the Atlantic Salmon Trust and co-sponsored by S&TA, was held in York at the end of January. The were some excellent data presented, covering the effects of high and low flows on different fish species and the habitat requirements for their various life stages. Inevitably, hydropower was a major issue, and it became increasingly clear that scientific evidence from fisheries organisations will play a key role in determining the impact of hydro schemes on river systems. However, the positive news is that the Environment Agency (EA) will take part in the post-conference workshop, to be held in Scotland in March, and so is still in the loop as we try to ensure not just minimum impact on the environment from hydropower, but maximum benefit for fish in the form of new and more efficient fish passes for all migratory species. View the presentations from the Conference at http://www.coastms.co.uk/conferences/426 ************************ Environment Agency’s Fisheries Science Some concerning news has just been received from the EA’s new Evidence Department, which incorporates the Agency’s environmental scientific team. It appears that the internal science is being drastically cut back, apparently to increase efficiency. We are still trying to extract the reasoning behind this seemingly bizarre decision, which will mean that fisheries science is cut from 8 operators to less than one full time equivalent, and will keep you informed. We already have concerns about the level of scientific research and particularly monitoring undertaken by the EA, and this is even more of a worry as measures to achieve good ecological status under the Water Framework Directive begin to be delivered this year. We will keep you informed of the EA’s decision making process around this issue as we glean more information. ************************ Aquaculture We have had a slight change in our timing plans for handing in our petition. Our Scottish Working Group is keen that we have one full year’s cycle with the petition, so it will now run until the Tweed Angling Fair at the beginning of May. This will give an opportunity to boost signature numbers, and then choose the date on which the petition is presented to the Scottish Government, depending on where we are with the Election by then. You can still sign the petition at http://www.salmon-trout.org/save_petition.asp Meanwhile, Norway has reduced the number of lice permitted on its salmon farms 0.1, or one louse per ten fish. While wild fish interests still have severe reservations about the Norwegian Government’s attitude to fish farming, and that this move is too little too late, it is at least better than the deal in Scotland, where the standard is still rooted to 0.5 of a louse per fish. And, don’t forget, most of the Scottish industry is owned by Norwegian companies! ************************ Eden Conference S&TA is co-sponsoring ‘Trout Stream Management in the Real World,’ a conference organised by the Eden Rivers Trust which takes place on 23rd and 24th March at the Tufton Arms Hotel, Appleby. The Trust has put together a very good list of speakers from ‘Planet Trout’ and is already close to a full house of 120 delegates. This is most definitely not a theoretical workshop - it will have practical benefits to all of those individuals and organisations out there involved in practical stream and river management. We will report on the conference outcomes in due course. ************************** Fund-raising Dinner and Auction 2010: 12th October. We need Lots! Thanks to the generosity of members and supporters, we offered a truly mouth-watering array of lots at last year’s Fund-raising Dinner and Auction. The most popular were collectibles and the “promises”, which ranged from a tour of the Brawn GP F1 Team Headquarters with lunch for 6 people to hosted fishing on exclusive stretches to a guided tour of the Purdeys gun factory. We want to do even better this year! While the limit for the dinner will be 30 lots, we plan to expand the selection to include additional items for an online auction prior to the dinner itself. Last year - The tour of the Brawn F1 headquarters raised £3,000! A watercolour by Roger MacPhail, one of the finest wildlife artists of his generation, of a pair of shelducks flying upstream raised £1,250! * An oil painting of a grouse moor by the excellent landscape/wildlife artist, Alistair Makinson, raised £2,200! * ‘Long dog and hare’ bronze sculpture by Paul Jenkins raised £520! These are just a few examples of the type of lot we’re looking for. Can you help? Please contact Debbie Creasy – debbie@salmon-trout.org – or telephone her at S&TA HQ – 0207 283 5838. **************************** LAST CHANCE TO BID Canadian Salmon Fishing! We have been very generously donated a unique opportunity for two people to fish on Vancouver Island, Canada for a week in early September this year, staying in a sumptuous private mansion on Quadra Island, British Columbia, and being personally guided while fishing for at least four species of Pacific salmon, including Kings of 30 to 40 lbs – and all among sea eagles, elk, black bears, sea otters, seals and orca whales. We will be offering this fantastic fishing holiday by sealed bid, with a closing date of March 1st 2010. A rough price guide would be £3,500 for two people, although you would have to purchase air fares on top, of course. If you are interested and would like further information, please contact HQ (020 7283 5838 or hq@salmon-trout.org)