Juniors

Nigel Punter · Feb 15, 2005

Hi

This post is more of a gripe than anything else but I am interested in seeing what your thoughts are. My eight year old daughter has been asking me to take her fishing since starting to watch the Great Rod race with me on H&L. So I took her with me to a local commercial fishery Beaver lakes in Surrey last Saturday she fished the same peg as me (The fist fish she caught was 1lb 4oz Tench little ****) however on paying the bailiff I was charged full price of ?8 for her as there in no reduction for Juniors at the weekend. This seems very narrow-minded and does not seem to encourage juniors into the sport, as I cannot afford to take her on a regular basis at that price. I tried the Thames but she caught nothing all day, so a commercial seemed the best idea as she was just starting out. Any thoughts observation welcome? Is this the norm for Juniors at commercial fisheries?

Regards

Nigel

Newfie's Drool · Feb 15, 2005

Hi Nigel

You would think they would allow juniors for nothing or just a small charge but oh no they must charge full tickets, greedy sods. Perhaps a local club could offer better as some do not charge for juniors or if they do its just a small amount.
You say no reduction for juniors at the weekend, do they give a discount week days to the juniors?
Commercial fisheries can make a huge amount and to the owners of such water money is all that counts, they care very little for the future of the sport.
I think ?8 for a young girl to have a day out with her father is just not on.
I would not pay that!!!! I would go as far as to tell them to go fly a kite!!!

big gus · Feb 15, 2005

Nigel, not sure what area you're in but I took my fiance? to my local place last week and she fished free of charge as she was in my swim.

?6 for me, nothing for her. She caught three fish, the biggest 2lb and is hooked. Not sure if that is good or bad

(

To be fair to her too, she hooked into an absolute monster, played it (with a little help) for ten minutes before the hook went for a burton. Real shame.

Peter Jacobs · Feb 15, 2005

Nigel,

To be charged the full price for a Junior fishing in the same peg as you is, to my mind, absolutely preposterous!

If your daughter was fishing in a different peg, then I could understand paying an additional charge, but then only a junior price.

I think you should "name and shame" the fishery concerned as that practice is indeed simply shameful.

Do they operate a similar pricing system during the school holidays too?

What a SCAM!

Peter Jacobs · Feb 15, 2005

Oops - reading back I see you did:

Beaver lakes in Surrey you ought to be thoroughly ashamed of your profiteering!!!

Nick A · Feb 15, 2005

I agree, disgusting behaviour!

When will these commercial fisheries realise that they need to INVEST in THEIR OWN future!!!!!!.. Quick bucks is all that causes this type of ROBBERY!!!!!!...

Incidently, my club rules include the provision that an anglers spouse / girlfriend / boyfriend, can fish for free. (The "free" angler HAS to be of the opposite sex.).. good sense rules like this mean MORE people can enjoy angling!...
shame i cant get sarah to even hold my rod!!!!! ;-)

Barry Edney · Feb 15, 2005

GREED. Thats what it boils down to. I know these people have to make a living. But Beaver Farm has quite a few lakes which can get very busy, plus they have a busy garden centre that must be a little goldmine.

I think youngsters under 12 should be able to fish for free. They would undoubtedly be with an adult anyway, so the fishery would still sell a ticket to Dad/Mum.

Another fishery that is being ruined by greed is Timsbury. Used to be a tenner a day. And I think the maximum amount of anglers was 10. Couple of years down the line and its ?15 a day and maximum 20 anglers. I was there a couple of months ago and other anglers were walking up and down all day. I suppose Timsbury is a commercial fishery on a river.

(

Nigel Punter · Feb 15, 2005

Hi All

Thanks for the response, to answer some of the questions raised. They do offer a reduction for juniors and OAP's weekdays only but at weekend both juniors and oap's are charged full price, based on number of rods fishing, therefore my daughter and qualified as 2 rods even though hers was only 6ft (should it then have been half price !!)even though we were one peg. This ruling applies year round so I could get her in on reduced fee during school holidays during the week, but only if I can get the time-off work.

If anyone can recommend any fisheries in Surrey with a more junior friendly pricing policy I would be grateful because I certainly won't begoing back to Beaver Lakes with my daughter!

NottmDon · Feb 15, 2005

To get youngsters on their first steps to something that will give them a lifetime of pleasure,and,hopefully, a respect for nature is absolutely priceless. Fisheries should be doing all they can to promote discounts for juniors. After all it makes good commercial sense to "hook em" whilst their young, the young angler of today is the full paying angler of tomorrow after all! Or is it as some fear that commercial fisheries are just that, with no thought to the stocking levels or the number of full fee pegs they can squeeze in? I hope not. I'm sure not all commercials are so cynical. Is there an element of discouraging the young here for the sake of keeping the older anglers happy perhaps?

Bully · Feb 15, 2005

Nigel - even if you had of been given a proper deal I can assure you that you would have soon been giving Beaver a wide berth.

I likened it to a bit like being on the film set of Deliverance !

I would look for a local club personally. Many clubs now have commercial style waters. I found the main benefit with my son was that he was also encouraged to do a clean up session (with me of course) and that rubs off on the children in terms of making them more aware of keeping things clean etc.

Bob Martin · Feb 15, 2005

Quote from the Beaver Farm website:
'Second and third rods day ticket rods are charged at ?3.00 each (half price Juniors/OAP)'.

I reckon for your daughter in your swim they should have charged you an extra ?1.50.

Ergo · Feb 15, 2005

I agree Nigel that does seem a bit pricey. One of the local commercials here in East Sussex, Horam Manor in Heathfield charges a lot less than that and an adult day ticket is only ?4.00. In the summer all nine lakes are open and it can be a nice day out for the whole of the family.

Ambio · Feb 15, 2005

We took our 9 year old daughter to Birds Green in Fyfield Essex just before Christmas and we didn't have to pay anything for her. So it's not all commercial fisheries, another good place to try are the Epping Forest lakes, they're all free to fish, though make sure you've got a rod licence, we were there quite a few times last year and were asked to show them on every occassion. Our local club used to do a family fishing ticket and it worked out about ?20 more a year than a single ticket but all 6 of us could fish the lakes they had. We've found it's mostly down to the discretion of the bailiff, might be a good idea to get friendly with them.

jason fisher · Feb 15, 2005

nick doesn't it get a bit crowded in your swim with your spouse, girlfriend and boyfriend all fishing it.

as for the rip off fishery i'd go somewhere else if i was you nigel.

Nick A · Feb 16, 2005

"nick doesn't it get a bit crowded in your swim with your spouse, girlfriend and boyfriend all fishing it."... yes jason, esspecially if iv'e got my mum in to take the pictures too!

Isn't Bury Hill in surry, i think they have a good reputation?.... might be worth looking it up on the venues!

Lord Paul · Feb 16, 2005

Where I fish KJS in Sheffield it is ?5 day ticket ?4 for accompanied juniors,I have a years permit for ?50 which since I fish on average once a week is excellent value.

One evening last summer i took my two kid 10 and 6 for a couple of hours fishing. I showed my pass to the owner and offered to pay for my children,the 10 yearsold had her own swim but I was helping my son of 6 in the next peg. The owner charged ?3 for my daughter for her owne swim but nothing for my son. ?3 for 2 kids to enjoy a few hours fishing means I can take them more often ,they both thought it was great since they both caught plenty of skimmers.

Les Clark · Feb 16, 2005

Nick ,Bury hill surry,Hold on to something !
Fishng is from 7-30 to dusk.
Adult : 1 rod ?11 , second rod ?5 .50p .
Junior/oap/disabled ,1 rod ?8 second rod ?5 5op .
I have never fished this water ,but had a look at it a couple of years ago ,(looking for a venue for a pike charity fish in ),lovely looking water ,but I have never seen so many anglers around one lake in my life ,not for me ,smelt of greed.

Nick A · Feb 16, 2005

Could be right there, LES.
I did say i THOUGHT they had a good reputation, but as youv'e stated, it sounds like they are as greedy as the rest!.

I still think the best option is a club. Our club in READING has some FANTASTIC waters.... and with an option to spend all day with maybe 2 or 3 other anglers for ?30 A YEAR!!!!, i dont think i'll be frequenting too many of these commercials!

Nigel Punter · Feb 16, 2005

Nick

I think the club idea sounds the best approach. Can anyone recommend a good club in Surrey?

Nigel

matthew nightingale 2 · Feb 16, 2005

Its not in Surrey but our Club (RADAC) charges juniors a ?15 sub per year with a joining fee of ?15 which they can defer until the second year to see if they like it.

I think what we see is the difference between a Club which is there to promote angling for its members and commercials which are there to promote their bank balance!

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