New Club extra costs

[steve2]

Looking at clubs to join next season and what surprised me was the amount of extras you now have to pay for.
3 rods extra charge for third rod.
Bait boat extra charge.
Night fishing extra charge.
More than 2 days stay extra charge.
It seems that anything that can be charged for is now an extra. Surprised that some don't charge for parking.
On top of that the list of rules is endless covering everything from bait to the colour of umbrellas and bivvies and finishes with the wording the committee have the right to alter rules as they see fit.
Is your club now like this?
All I want to do is go fishing.

 

[mikench]

Thankfully not Steve. There are rules but mostly of the reasonable and common sense variety which I can live with. One club is a little too home complex centric with too many rules for that fishery.As a result I've never been.

 

[peter crabtree]

Looking at clubs to join next season and what surprised me was the amount of extras you now have to pay for.
3 rods extra charge for third rod.
Bait boat extra charge.
Night fishing extra charge.
More than 2 days stay extra charge.

A separate night fishing charge is fairly common amongst clubs. The other 3 rules are probably to deter practices which the club has had the most complaints about..

 

[steve2]

All these extra costs seem to be aimed at carp anglers not being a carp angler it wont affect me what ever club I join.
I assume clubs make more money from carp anglers so why not hit them for a few more extra charges.

 

[108831]

A lot of it is to deter occasional night/carp anglers,who are more likely to leave rubbish and not be as well equiped for the practice...

 

[rich66]

Thankfully no my club doesn’t have an extras charge only a one off joining fee
All of the extra charges you mentioned wouldn’t affect me anyway.

 

[terry m]

This is about maximising revenue from a limited number of members and why not? Should the Sunday afternoon pleasure angler pay the same as a ‘career’ angler who spends weeks on a given venue.

Seems logical to me.

 

[sam vimes]

It generally seems to be a good sign as far as clubs are concerned. Such extra charges often indicate that the club have a decent carp water(s) (for the area) and carpers are prepared to pay for it/them. It's a good indicator of the longer term future of a club.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

The only "rule" there that makes sense (to me) is the one regarding colour of brolly/bivvy as a lot of clubs can suffer from problems with "tents" as local councils seem to have some strange rules regarding "sites" . . . .

The others are, on cursory glance, simply a means of fleecing a section of the membership for additional funds.

Personally I'd be questioning the committee members on the rationalle for these additional rules . . . . and looking at alternative clubs . . .

 

[Neil Maidment]

My local clubs have very similar set ups and charges.

Many of the other rules & regulations are a direct result of Leasing Agreements with the owner of the venue. If a club is fortunate enough to to own its own water(s) then they have every right to set their own rules. Even then, there may be other factors and rules imposed by the likes of Natural England, local councils etc etc.

It never has been easy to "go fishing" unless you don't particularly bother with "rules".

 

[Aknib]

I reckon you should count yourself lucky in that 1) you have a choice on whether or not to take the 'extras' and 2) that you are actually getting more for more money if you do.

My club has increased its fees for this year by 25% and that's on top of 20% the previous year and all I can see that I'm getting extra are more Carp and generally being ridden rough shot over by undemocratic decision making.

 

[108831]

As a day angler who floatfishes in the main,carp/specimen anglers on lakes tend to be a pain to me,taking swims for days,baiting heavily without care for others already fishing(this obviously is not all carp type anglers),so why shouldnt they pay more,after all you have to pay to use a campsite...

 

[markcw]

One of the clubs I am in charges £50 for bait boat licence, half refunded if leave the club. That is the only extra apart from £5 for a club car park key The membership is a family one, 2 kids/grandkids upto age 16 can fish on a parents licence as long as that parent/guardian is with them. This also includes a night permit for members,again a family permit.

 

[John Keane]

I wouldn’t join any club that allows the use of bait boats or fish any waters where spodding is commonplace.

 

[steve2]

I wouldn’t join any club that allows the use of bait boats or fish any waters where spodding is commonplace.

Most clubs it seems need to attract the carp anglers these days so these are both commonplace in the clubs I have looked at joining/rejoining. Some of the clubs I haven't been a member of for a few years and the rules have changed to reflect this. It would appear carp and carp anglers income rule the roost.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

There is a certain "sign of the times" about a club that deliberately stocks Carp (to attract the popular secion of the angling public) and then fleeces them for an additional charge for using what is consdered as "commonplace" pieces of kit to catch them . . . .