The Price of Fish(ing)

Wolfman Woody · Jun 23, 2005

I find it hard to believe that Peter (the man with the money) Jacobs has to consider whether to spend ?50 on a membership card.

)

However, angling is cheap by and large, but it still comes as a shock somehow when you have to register again for all the clubs. I'm going through this now, which to join, will I be disappointed, will I use it, is it worth it?

I'll come back shortly on this - for now, work calls.

Good article Mark.

Graham Whatmore · Jun 23, 2005

The cost of fishing, its a minefield isn't it? I personally don't spend anything near as much as Mark for a club ticket and I have often remarked on this to him, both on here and in person.

I have just paid (bear in mind I'm now a pensioner) ?10.50 for a season ticket on the Bristol Avon, I also intend to buy a BAA card as well which is about ?12.50 and thats it. When I fish the Wye or the Avon I pay whatever the going rate is but never more that a fiver, sometimes as little as ?3 for a day ticket.

If you double my prices quoted for the season books, for the under 65's its still a pretty cheap area to fish and as much as I love it on the Hants Avon and the Stour I'd find it hard to justify the outlay needed to buy the appropriate books down there.

I reckon those three books in your picture Mark, represent more than ?300, worth it? I bet you wouldn't be without them, but its a lot of dosh on top of the other expenses of fishing. If I lived down there I think I would have to be a bit selective but knowing me I'd get the wife to buy them for Xmas and birthday presents, bloomin loaded she is!

Peter Jacobs · Jun 23, 2005

Jeff,

The point was that if you total my various membership of clubs and the syndicate and divide by the number of days I can fish due to my work, then the average Cost Per Day is between ?40 and ?50, and that is before the cost of baits etc.

I have decided this year to forego the syndicate but I have joined the local Tisbury AC to get access to two nice small lakes that are very close to my house, and all at the grand cost of ?30 per year.

I will keep my LAA membership just for one stretch of the Avon below Salisbury but the jury is still out on my CAC membership.

njb51 · Jun 23, 2005

I'm quite lucky as im a student so i get consessions in some places around here.

For instance, Dorking and District AS have a couple of miles on the River Mole as well as some half decent, but small still waters.
Normal senior price is ?50, but i will pay ?25 so in this sense it is not expensive.
There is also another club that i might be joining that is meant to be quite good at Bushy Park which has a number of waters holding large carp; this membership costs ?40 for the season, which again is quite good.
Bushy Park, though, i know will be full of these untrustworthy carp folk. Not to offend anyone on here but you know the ones i mean, the beer swilling, radio blaring, shouting types.
Is this then worth the ?40?
Membership prices do depend on what you get and i would say that the prices are fine for the most part on club waters but the deciding factor for me is the quality and service of the club.

jason fisher · Jun 23, 2005

it's not the case that the south of england is rip off britain though in the case of tickets.
lancashire has to take the biscuit there.

the cheapest ticket i can find for a bit of river fishing is about 30 quid but they charge you another 20 to join.

there's another which is 85 quid per year plus a 1off joining fee of 85 quid.

and then another fly club for an upper river which is 700 quid per year.

compare this with access to the thames in oxfordshire 30 quid per year no joining fee comparison in fish size every species in the thames grows bigger than every species in the ribble except for salmon and sea trout, my conclusion on this is i'm being charged a premium to fish waters which hold fish i have absolutely no interest in catching i.e. salmon and sea trout and the ribble doesn't even hold any decent carp.

Wolfman Woody · Jun 23, 2005

I understand your dilemna Peter, just having a little pop and was going to suggest you sell some of those old pieces of cane off to fund your memberships.

)

Seriously, Mark raises a question in a sense. How much should fishing cost per year/per day/per rod?

At the club level ?1 per week doesn't seem like much, but how much choice do they have of venues? It's no good if the committee are all river matchmen and snub their noses up at commercial lakes. Clubs can run their lakes so that they're every bit as good (and often far better) as commercial fisheries. It's just that half the time, they can't be bothered.

Far too many are served by people whose self-interest is all that matters. The members count for nothing and although they're ask to attend regular meetings, when they do they're effectively told to shut up or join another club.

I see no reason why a successful club shouldn't be able to offer 2-3 stretches of big river, 2-4 stretches of stream type river, 1 or 2 serious carp venues and 2-3 good mixed fishery lakes. Yes and all for ?50! It can be done, I've seen it and the fishing is very good in most waters, but still they need to keep on top of it.

With clubs, as with business, you do not stand still. You either progress or regress.

Peter Jacobs · Jun 23, 2005

"was going to suggest you sell some of those old pieces of cane off to fund your memberships"

I'd rather sell the children into slavery and then put my wife on the streets than part with my real fishing rods Jeff!

Seriously though, maybe it doesn't serve any good purpose to calculate the cost per day as in my case it comes as a real shock.

The local clubs to where I live range greatly in price from about ?30 per annum to ?115 per annum depending on range of waters and size of membership.
The CAC has about 3,000 members paying ?115 each, and that enables thme to manage some terrific waters.
On the other hand a local syndicate with 3 miles of both banks of the Avon charge around ?200 per year and only have about 100 members.

As with most things you get what you pay for and the price is a matter of individual assessment.

Paul H · Jun 23, 2005

My choice of club, for the first time ever, charge ?37.00 for year, with locked car park keys. The choice of waters is good with lots of river mileage but they don't allow night fishing?????

That really bugs me, I don't get why that could even warrant being a rule.

They allow it on one lake but only cos it's shared with another club with different rules.

Frothey · Jun 23, 2005

personally, i dont think ?500 a year for a DECENT club/syndicate/whatever is too expensive....just a bit of a shock at renewal time. thats why clubs should be offering monthly payments (for the year in advance)

lets face it, ?10 a week....12 hours a week, its less than a pound an hour

just wish there were some near me!

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Jun 23, 2005

My trout fishing since early March has cost me about ?300 in day tickets. Add to that, transport and accomodation costs plus odd items of tackle. Certainly another ?300 at least.

As far as I am concerned, it's a bargain.

daniel Windmill · Jun 23, 2005

Everyone wants different things from their fishing and everyone has different means but it boils down to one thing for me. What price can you put on peace of mind?

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Jun 23, 2005

Now this might sound extravagant to some, but if I could find a 2 mile stretch of the Tidal Trent where I could park my car and fish in peace for a weekend and it cost ?300 a season......

I would pay it tommorrow.

Wolfman Woody · Jun 23, 2005

I once suggested to our committee many years ago about offering direct debit payments either monthly or four times per year to pay for next season's card AT THIS SEASON's price (as a thanks you bonus) and they poo-pooed the idea.

I bet those cane rods come in real handy at this time of year Peter - supporting the tomato plants. ☺

Peter Jacobs · Jun 24, 2005

" bet those cane rods come in real handy at this time of year Peter - supporting the tomato plants. ☺"

Gamekeeper, this man has no heart - set the dogs on him!

Wolfman Woody · Jun 24, 2005

Frothey · Jun 24, 2005

peters got a heart.....its green....

Peter Jacobs · Jun 24, 2005

Frothey,
lol

jason fisher · Jun 24, 2005

like the portrait frothey.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · Jun 24, 2005

At least carbon rods are organic.

Not like those ghastly glass sticks we used to use!!

Graham Whatmore · Jun 24, 2005

I reckon it would be a bit of an eye opener is we were to write down every single penny we fishermen spend in a year on our hobby. If you include food and drink, travelling expenses and accommodation on top of everything else I reckon it would amount to a tidy sum. Best not let the wife see the accounts though.

The Price of Fish(ing)

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