Wansbeck & Cramlington Angling Club
General Meeting 6th February 2024
Last months minutes read and agreed
We have had between 20 to 40 fish deaths on Brenkley due to the
thick ice combined with a lack of oxygen
We will ask the estates if the lock on Horton Grange gate needs
replacing as it belongs to them. Anglers are struggling to open
it as the plastic button has broken
We have contacted the contracors to sort the road up to Horton
Grange and Milkhope. They can't do anything yet until the water
subsides.
The EA has stocked Milkhope with 300 roach, 200 Rudd 100
crucians and 75 tench. Horton Grange has had 150 roach 200 bream
100 crucians and 150 tench, the QEII has had 500 roach, 250
bream, 150 crucians and 120 rudd. All were around 2 years old
and for free.
We have carp ordered for Milkhope and Brenkley which are due in
a couple of weeks. We also had a stock of silvers ordered from
Mainstream for Milkhope which have been promised by 19th
February.
Members asked about the QEII Carp matches. Are they allowed to
fish them without paying pools of £5.00? Alan Kelly explained
that the pools were optional and of course they can fish the
carp matches. There is no restriction.
Membership numbers are seniors 74, OAP/Disabled 78 and juniors 7
making a total of 159 so far.
Break & raffle
The estates know about the fallen trees at Milkhope and will
remove them as soon as possible
Members asked to inform them when the work parties start
We will look into a separate page for members on the website to
inform them of fish stocking although these are minuted anyway.
Should we net Brenkley every year? Not every year as it would
not be practical. It was electronetted last year.
A trophy presentation for Craig Goodall and Paul Hutchinson
ended the meeting at 9.00pm
WACAC Club Meeting 2nd January 2024
The Minutes from the December meeting were
read and agreed
A happy new year to you all.
A new events sheet has been issued.
Fish are ordered for this year.Milkhope will receive assorted
Silvers.Carp have been ordered for Brenkley and Milkhope which
are due to be delivered shortly. The Environment Agency has
promised EA fish also and will let us know when.
Projects this year include, Paths for the Horton Grange /
Milkhope approach road which has been started by the estates
just before the main carpark. Be careful when driving through
puddles in case the potholes are hidden. We are still waiting
for the go ahead from the council before we can use machinery on
the QEII. The ground is unsuitable at the moment anyway. Also
the paths for Milkhope and Horton Grange will be sorted if
possible.
A member suggested taking a brick out of Dam wall on Milkhope.
In answer the chairman stated that if we remove a brick the
level will be permanently reduced but it may also weaken the
structure. We are reluctant to do this at the moment.
There isn't much to cover tonight so we will go into a Break &
Raffle.
Be careful on the ponds at the moment. There is another tree
down on Milkhope blocking the path so be careful.
John Knox collected his trophy from the presentation night.
An update on windmills. The Estates are not keen at this precise
moment but haven't said no. They ask if we can wait until the
tree felling is complete. They are also worried that it attracts
the public if seen from the road.
The locks will be changed tomorrow (Wednesday) and the Estates
will be informed when they come back next week.
HG lock will change tomorrow also.
Pools increase for matches. A vote was taken with the following
options. Either don’t pay anything, just pay the £2.00 as we
currently do or pay £5.00.
Meeting closed at 8.50pm
WACAC Club meeting
and Presentation Night 5th December 2023
Minutes of the last
meeting read and agreed.
New photo ID’s are
required for all members next year. Juniors still need to apply
even though they have free memberships.
10 C5 Carp were
delivered to the QEII last weekend.
The fish for Brenkley
and Milkhope are on order.
The last event of the
year will be the Fur and Feather match on 17th
December fished at Horton Grange.
A question was asked
about Brenkley flooding. There is a fence all round the
perimeter now so we don’t expect any fish to escape.
Silver fish and Carp are
on order for Milkhope and Brenkley.
Members are sked to be
careful on Milkhope. There is a fallen tree across the path on
the left hand side of the pond.
Meeting Closed at 7:45pm
A break and raffle took
place.
The presentation
evening followed and finished at 8:30pm
WACAC General meeting 7th November 2023
Last months minutes read and agreed.
The stocking of 40lb carp for the QEII was deemed a bad idea.
The committee would like to be informed of any work to be taken
place on all waters. The recent work on the QEII which was
carried out by members could have had safety in mind. E.G.,
cleaning of drains. Duly noted.
Some great work has been done on the QEII pegs. However, the
council have complained about alcohol and drugs being consumed
on the water. No names were put forward. We have more than
enough bailiffs on the QEII and members should be able to police
themselves. The council is not prepared to spend money. The 48
hour rule came up yet again with some members asking for the
rule to be changed. We are not a priority as far as the council
are concerned even though we have asked on more than one
occasion to consider the 48 hour rule. A question of juniors
came up and the club. The juniors a re more interested in
commercials which has easy access and bigger fish to catch. Most
of the members agreed that Junior members were not interested.
Clarification of the rules were asked about. Namely leaving tins
on the water. We banned tins for this reason. A member asked,
“what does the 48 hour rule mean?” The maximum time you can fish
a peg is 48hours regardless of whether you leave your peg after
36 hours and want to fish the same peg again for a further 24
hours. You cannot return to the same peg for 24 hours. Anglers
are making the hours to suit them by fishing for 36 hours,
leaving for 6 hours and retuning for a further 24/48 hours. This
was explained again at length. We will not be locating a dip
tank for next at the QEII for health and safety reasons. It is
easier to police on our smaller waters. A member stated he has
watched people at Brenkley just go to their pegs without dipping
their nets and it was not up to him to challenge them. The same
member was not able to sway the committee on any subject and
decided to leave the meeting with some of his friends.
Members that remained asked why the members can’t just accept
the rules. It’s a country park and the club only have the
fishing rights and nothing else. The chairman said that he will
bring the matter up with the council regarding dip tanks for
nets. Commercials don’t require nets to be dipped.
Question: What’s the chance of getting some sort of aerosol to
spray nets? Most anglers air their nets off after fishing
anyway.
The council were supposed to help us financially with the pegs,
but nothing was forthcoming. But again, the members have made a
cracking job of clearing the pegs. Regarding toilets. This would
not be feasible as they would have to be maintained and subject
to vandalism.
Raffle break
This month: Feeder King – Winter leagues and Presentation night
5th December.
No finances – no membership numbers. Windmills for HG & MH. The
Estates want us to wait. The Chairman will speak to the council
about the QEII and the 48hrs again. Be careful on MH there is a
fallen tree just past the bridge on the RHS. The EA left some
plastic beside MH. They were supposed to take it away. A couple
of cars on Milkhope did not display their parking permits.
Meeting closed at 8:55 PM
Wansbeck & Cramlington Angling Club general meeting 3 rd
October 2023
Last minutes read and agreed.
Alan Kelly reported on the fish orders for QEII, Brenkley and
Milkhope.
A debate followed regarding the QEII and other ponds.
A complaint about the water bailiff on the QEII using
binoculars. This was deemed inappropriate and
the bailiff will be informed.
We currently have 4 bailiffs watching the QEII although we were
unable to recall their names.
Can we use a boat on the QEII? As said the last time, as long as
you purchase a permit from the
council.
Can we have 2 x 40lb carp instead of the usual dozen or so
double figure fish. We will discuss at the
next committee meeting.
A number of proposals followed although it was difficult to keep
track what was being asked as a
faction of members started arguing amongst themselves. It was
not clear what was being discussed.
A few of the members left the meeting due to the shouting and
arguing that followed.
One point that was made is they did not want the current
committee to run the club and did not
understand the mechanism for a democratically elected committee
or when the voting took place. It
was explained that the committee is elected each year at a
formal annual general meeting (AGM)
amongst other subjects.
After a lot of shouting and arguing, the chairman ended the
meeting at 8.45pm
Wansbeck & Cramlington Angling Club, Club meeting 5 th September
2023
Last meeting minutes read and agreed
Brenkley pegs 5 and 20 have been repaired and look ok.
We need the estates blessing before erecting a couple of
windmills on Horton Grange.
Proposed location is behind peg 16 and adjacent to peg 40.
Break & Raffle
A list of matches was read out for this month.
Memberships stand at seniors 425, OAP/Disabled 207 and juniors
105 making a total of 739
for the year so far.
Anyone wanting to use boats on the QEII require a permit from
the council.
Reed removal will be penciled in for the autumn
The QEII hotel will be told about the fishing rights on the
QEII.
Meeting closed at 8:40pm Wansbeck & Cramlington Angling
Club General Club Meeting 4 th July 2023
Last months minutes read and agreed
The fish death numbers were reported to the members. 180lb in
total
The proposed sighting of the windmills needs to be sanction by
Lord Ridley
The EA are visiting HG tomorrow
There is strictly no access to the perimeter of the lakes when
logging is in progress.
The carp overnighter match yielded 5 fish for John Knox in 1 st
place. Dominic Naylor 2 nd and David
Burton 3 rd . A further £10 was donated by Dave McCluskey
towards the pools.
A weed boat was used on the QEII in preparation for the
Triathlon without notice.
Anglers are asked not to confront people on the lake if they are
threatened.
Another request for a ‘Jockey Wheel’ was forwarded to the
estates
Break and raffle
Match results were read out and this month and next month’s
events were detailed
Membership numbers are 395 seniors, 202 OAP/Disabled, 95 Juniors
making a total of 692.
Any other business: Can we look at planting the floating
islands? Beware of the public wandering
around in search of the public footpath. Always close the gate
including during matches.
Meeting closed at 8:30pm WACAC Club Meeting 6th June 2023
Last Months minutes read and agreed
The main gate into Horton Grange has been left open and must be
closed on entry and on exit. This includes club organised events
also. We are in communication with the estates reagrding the
difficulty it is to lock the gate and rest assured they will
sort it. It's out of our hands unfortunately but there is a
'prop' provided to hold the gate arm up to make it easier to
insert the lcok barrel.
Tins have been found around the waters and this is a definate
'No No'.
We were informed that John Reynolds passed away and our thoughts
are with his family.
The deposit for VS fisheries has been paid for the QEII carp due
at the end of the year.
The champions of the pairs match this year are Dean Cox and
Michael Knox.
A work party is planned for Wednesday on Horton Grange. Meet 12
noon till around 7pm. An hour or two of your time would be
appreciated. Pegs 19 to 21 need clearing also.
Brek & Raffle
Up and coming events this month: OAP/Diaabled matches, Overnight
\Carp match QEII, 2 Horton Championships and an away trip to
Woodlands, Kestrel.
Memberships stand at 368 Seniors, 196 OAP/Disabled and 91
Juniors making a total of 655 so far this year.
Meeting closed at 8:20 pm. WACAC Club Meeting 2nd May 2023
Last months minutes read and agreed.
• % Star fisheries will no be supplying large Bream at this time
of year. We will try again in the cooler months. We have class 3
carp 4 to 7lb ordered and Class 5 14 to 18lb ordered from VS
fisheries. We also have some silvers ordered for Milkhope at the
back end of the year.
• The otter fence on Brenkley is now complete. A new gate and
fence have been delivered for Peg 29. They just need installing.
• Staying with Brenkley, pegs 5 and 20 are to sort now that the
2 pegs on the QEII have been rebuilt.
• Members are reminded to display their 2023 parking permit to
avoid any confusion when memberships are being checked. It’s a
rule!
• No tins allowed on any waters. Horton Grange has had empty
tins discarded on pegs.
• Weekly Work Parties are due to commence on Brenkley every
Wednesday. A 20lb length of line with back lead was discovered
on Brenkley also.
• First Aid carp care kits have been purchased and distributed
free of charge.
• We are waiting for a quotation to repair peg 8 on Horton
Grange and Brenkley pegs.
• Members present requested the Horton Grange Gate to be ‘more
user friendly’. Perhaps a jockey wheel of some sort to take to
weight?
•
RAFFLE
• Membership stands at 337 seniors, 189 OAP/Disabled and 84
juniors making a total of 610 so far for 2023.
• Events for May – Carp Overnight, Horton Grange Championship,
OAP/Disabled, Eden Grange and the Pairs on Milkhope.
• We need to order dolomite for the drainage on Milkhope and
Horton Grange as well as a few potholes on the tracks so take
you time! A tidy up of the main carpark is needed also.
• We could enquire about getting Roach from the Derwent
reservoir.
Meeting closed at 8:40pm.
WACAC General Meeting 4th April 2023
• A raffle took place followed by the minutes from March were
read and agreed.
• 4 to 7lb carp were delivered on the 17th of March. 77 went
into Brenkley and 52 into Milkhope with a total weight of 535lb.
A good chance of some big bream for Milkhope.
• 2 platforms were quoted for the QEII at £6,000 each. Another
guy has had a look and will quote a price.
• The QEII reed removal must go through the council. We can cut
our own swims with the cutters already supplied. The EA is
holding things up due to concern about nesting birds.
• A camper has threatened anglers on the lake. Just be wary of
anyone camping on the lake. Don’t bivvy on your own for safety.
The police were phoned but didn’t turn up on time. Take videos
on your phone if you can.
• One of the aerators has been installed in Brenkley pond a
working well. There is still one to do.
• Memberships stand at 298 seniors, 176 OAP/Disabled and 66
Juniors making a total of 540 for the year so far.
• A debate followed regarding the carp match rules. These needs
clarifying for next year.
• Pellets for sale £2.50 per kilo
• Meeting closed at 8:45pm.
WACAC Annual General Meeting 4th April
2023
·
Last year’s AGM minutes read
and agreed.
·
A statement of accounts was
read out with one error noted. The accounts stated ‘brought
forward from 2019’ when it should have read 2022.
·
The present committee were
stood down.
·
The committee were re-elected
En Bloc.
·
David Burton and Scott Williams
were elected to the committee for 2023.
·
Meeting Closed at 7:40pm
Wansbeck & Cramlington
Angling Club, club meeting 7th Feb 2023
Last months minutes
were read and agreed.
We have had an
assurance for the council that the QEII work will start at the
end of the month weather permitting. This will involve a digger
and weed cutter boat. The Environment Agency will only allow 60%
of the reed to be removed.
Brenkley work parties
have been well attended resulting in the erection of the
windmill which is working well. The fencing looks good and is at
least half finished.
Milkhope needs some
attention on the left-hand side as the hawthorn bushes are
becoming unruly. These need to be cut back.
Peg 8 on Horton Grange
will be completed by the contractor when the water drops
sufficiently. The trench on the right-hand side looks to have
done it’s job by diverting the water from the path.
11 C5’s were delivered
to the QEII on 29th January for 176lb. Brenkley and
Milkhope fish have been ordered for 2 weeks’ time along with
some bigger bream for Horton Grange if available. We also hope
to order for smaller fish for Milkhope for the winter including
Perch, Crucians, Chub and Rudd.
Break and Raffle
Matches this month:
Winter league 12th and 19th. Eden Grange
26th.
The Fur & Feather for
2022 has been cancelled.
Meeting Closed at
8:30pm
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Wansbeck &
Cramlington Angling Club – Club meeting 4/1/23
Minutes for
December read and agreed as a true record.
The C5 carp
ordered for the QEII, 3-5lb carp for Brenkley and Milkhope are
due to be delivered in January/February. Perch chub crucians and
roach for Milkhope will be delivered later in the year if
available.
Most waters
were frozen, but Horton Grange is fishing well since the thaw
with the odd big bream coming out. Carp are being caught in
Milkhope. Brenkley is slow but no fish will be stocked until the
fence is up. Matches on the 8th/15th/29th
January. The first winter league match is due at the end of
February at Eden Grange. Earlier than usual due to bookings not
available. Pellets on order to feed the ponds
Raffle
A work party
will take place on Saturday for Brenkley’s otter fence.
Contractors have been identified for Brenkley to make the
refurbish the pegs. Pellets on sale for £2.50 per bag (a real
bargain). The estates have committed to sort out the metal gate
at Horton Grange.
From the floor.
What’s happening with the QEII? The pegs are becoming
inaccessible to fish and some sleepers have collapsed. It was
explained that we are restricted due to the council’s
insurance. We have approached the council on numerous occasions
to try and get the work done. Tony Dixon will once again
contact the council to see if they can revisit this issue.
Be careful when
walking round Milkhope as the Left-Hand side is boggy. The fur
and feather will be re-scheduled. Brendan will ask the match
anglers at the next match what they would prefer.
Meeting finished
at 8:45pm
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