Winter fishing and upkeep

Winter fishing, and fishing during the "free for all" period (see above), cannot be sold or rented to anyone else; it is for the exclusive use of members. This measure is intended to safeguard the environment of the river during the winter months. Although the fishing season has finished, the life of the river is anything but over during the winter. It is a time of great activity in terms of maintenance and manual labour.

The fringes have to be trimmed and cut to their roots and the residue cleared away. All the edges have to be cleaned and cut in; trees have to be trimmed and pruned. Mud and silt have to be removed from the carrier streams, and other major repairs are undertaken. All this activity takes place from October to the end of February, which just leaves time to prepare for the coming season! If any members would like to help in these activities, perhaps by forming working parties to help with the necessary work, they should contact the fishery manager, who will be happy to introduce them to the finer points of river keeping. This is a wonderful opportunity to be involved with the river environment at an unfamiliar time of year.