Club Newsletter

** Please take the time to read this newsletter as several changes have been made which will affect some members **

Full Elected Committee Members and Roles

• President: Alf Paice.
• Vice President: Frank Wilkins.
• Chairman: Gary Wozny.
• Vice Chairman: Tony Fleet.
• Treasurer: Gordon Cummings.
• Secretary & Mem: Secretary Richard Barham.
• Fisheries Manager: David Bridger.
• Ass. Fisheries Manager: TBA.
• Fisheries Officer: Barry Weekes.
• Ass. Fisheries Officers: David Growns, John Daly, Henry Elcombe.
• Press Officer: Jamie Weekes.

Match Captains (Non-Committee)

• Away Comp Sec/Match Captain: Paul Berwick.
• Home Comp Sec/Match Captain: Martin Lloyd.

1. Fishing Season, Rules and Membership Renewal
To avoid any confusion Gedges and Owls Castle lakes will now be open all year round. This also includes the Sundays where work parties will be carried out. Adequate signage will be put out at the complex if part or the entire site/lake needs to be closed for work/ repairs. If any member removes the signage in order to access a particular peg (as has happened in the past) this will result in that person losing their membership.

• Rules
Please read the Rule Book as any contravention of the club rules could result in expulsion from the club.

• Membership Renewal
Subscriptions for existing members MUST be in/received by the 14th April 2024 or any member after that date will be classed a "Non Member" and will have to pay the "Subscription Fee" again to re-join the Club. The Club membership expires on 31st March.



2. Club Waters Info - Current and any New Water for the 2024/2025 Season
• ** NEW WATER ** Greenacres Farm Fishery - Map and Lake rules will be sent with new membership cards and website will be updated.
• Owls Castle - Please NOTE there is NO night fishing allowed at Owls Castle Lakes. It is a strict dawn to dusk lease of these lakes and may result in the lease not being renewed if anyone is caught doing this by the owner.
• Sams Lake / Claygate Lakes - Only members who have been in the club for one full year are eligible to fish these waters, (Members with their membership in red writing are not eligible to fish these waters).


3. Car Parks
Car parking for disabled anglers at Gedges Lakes clarification. - The disabled (Lower) carpark is for blue disc holders (These are supplied on request by the Club at Renewals time) ONLY, White disc (Majority of Members) holders go through the side gates in the Car Park where there is an additional car standing area to the side of lake 2. Lock Number - This season's lock number is on the back of the club card and please lock and scramble the combination for ALL gates after entry and exit there are Combination Locks at Gedges (Upper Car Park)/ Hunton/Owls Castle. Disabled Car Park Gedges (Lower) car park at Gedges - If you need a key these can be purchased from Richard Barham (Contact details are at the top of this Newsletter - Under no circumstances should any keys be copied or given to other members to use when not in use by the owner of the Key)


4. Non Members on PWAACS property, Guest Tickets & Membership Card
Non-members i.e. Non-members i.e. Parents partners carers etc are welcome on PWAACS waters between dawn and dusk, after this time they must have prior approval 48 hours in advance from the Chairman/Secretary.
Non-members are not allowed to fish without a guest ticket, these must be obtained in advance.
PWAACS do not accept any liability for any member or Non-member on PWAACS Property and it is at their own risk.
It has come to the attention of the committee that some members are taking guests onto club waters without purchasing/booking a valid guest ticket.
The Club Rules clearly state "a fishing guest ticket must be obtained before going on to any club water".
Purchasing/Booking Guest tickets - Ring/Text Richard Barham 01892823967/07854411682 or Ken Kulman 07930573795 and you can also email Richard (Email is at the top of this Newsletter).
Prices are, Junior £5.00, Senior/Senior Citizen £10.00, 7.00am to dusk, and Junior 24 Hours £10.00, Senior/Senior Citizen £20.00.
No Junior can night fish without an adult member present.
Please try and give 24 hours' notice. If you are caught on a club water with a fishing guest that does not have guest ticket and haven't informed anyone then your membership "may be" revoked, there are no excuses not to purchase a ticket.
All Members (and any Guest) - MUST have on them at all times (So that checks can be made by a Bailiff, another PWAACS Member or an Official of the Environment Agency: A "Current" EA Licence (EA is no longer providing licenses, so phone proof or printed email confirmation of purchase) that entitles the Individual to Coarse fish, a MEMBERSHIP CARD or a GUEST TICKET (must be purchased before attending the fishery as stated above) and please remember the MEMBER is ultimately responsible for the GUEST's behaviour at our Fishery


5. Fishery Information
Access Around Bivvies And Any Fishing Tackle - The club rules state that there must be a one metre gap to allow other members to pass please observe this rule or you will be asked to move it, please also consider your fellow anglers and avoid blocking any path, access with trollies, seat-boxes, bed chairs, seats, rods and pods, net handles, poles and rollers, access is for every member not just the individual.
Whilst you may not always be able to comply with this, please be courteous to anyone asking you to move anything, and remove the blockage when asked to allow people to pass, but please be courteous and give people time to comply with any requests.


6. Working Parties/Membership Info
Working parties are still poorly attended, thank you to the members who take the time to attend a work party.
This season the senior subs are £65 and include the working party fee, any senior who attends a work party is entitled to have a £15 reduction on their 2025/2026 subs (Each working party has an attendance sheet).
Additional signage will be on the site where work will be needed, please do not remove them.
Work party dates in 2024/2025 are 17th 24th 31st March then every Sunday in April and May and then 2th & 9th June and then the last Sunday of the month from July to February. There is no work party in December.
There will also be a working party most other Sundays and Wednesdays if necessary. The Dates will be on the notice board at the bottom of the slope from the top car park and the notice board in the disabled car park, if contractors have to be employed, they might need to close the site while the necessary work is carried out for health and safety reasons and this will mean no fishing if that applies, for more information ring Barry Weekes 07825260950


7. Rule Amendments/Clarification
May we take this opportunity to remind anglers of the rule that only allows you to fish up to half way across the lake, if there is no member opposite then you may overcast, but should a member take up residence then you must reel in to halfway, if there is any dispute by applying this rule then the newly arrived shall be deemed to be in the right.


8. Matches
On the day of any match on home waters the relevant lake or river will be closed from midnight until one hour after end of the match unless otherwise advised.


9. Minutes of the AGM held on the 7th February 2024
   
   The meeting opened at 8.18pm

1. Apologies for absence None
2. In attendance 10 committee and 38 members
3. Minutes of 2023 AGM meeting read out
4. Chairman's report: He welcomed the members in attendance
5. Treasurers report: Accounts as presented were agreed by members
6. Fisheries officer report: Working parties are still poorly attended. Have Tarmac'd the roadway to lower (Disabled) carpark and put in new toilets, and will continue improving the Gedges complex through the coming season.
7. Fisheries managers report: Weed/Lilies have been removed on some of the lakes, netting was done on all lakes to determine fish stocks, also throughout the year new fish were put in all lakes.
8. Match report Ian Corke won the match league and also won the summer Wednesday matches
9. Election of officers and committee John Daly has joined the committee.
10. Subscriptions 2024/2025 same as 2023/2024
11. Any Other Business Bye-Laws 1. Only one rod one hook, if a floating bait is being used.

Please park in designated areas only DO NOT drive along banks or across fields