Club joining fees

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John Hepworth

Guest
At last night's committee meeting of my club the "joining fee" was discussed prior to our AGM. Last year we introduce a ?10-00 joining fee across the board and also a late re entry fee. Unfortunately our subs are quite high(?47-00 senior) as it is becauase of the migratory fish that now run the river.(and will no doubt have a big rise next year, also our public liability insurance have gone up ten fold from last year)
What is your oppinion on joining fees, and would it have any bearing on your decision to join a club with one, and would you pay the late re entry fee
Taking all that into account we also have what is probably the best club carp water in the region, which at the moment is almost exclusivly fished by long stay anglers, and compaired to some carp waters, ?57-00 for unlimited access in nothing when you look at what some carp waters charge.
 
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John Hepworth

Guest
I should alo have said that the Wear is now probably the best sea trout river in the country, but unfortunately the riparian owners also know this.In common with a most riparian owners now put the lease re newals in the hands of agents, who also want their slice of the cake.
 
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Les Clark

Guest
John,you dont say how many water`s your club has,but evan if its just the one,your sub`s are still cheap.
 
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Budgie Burgess

Guest
Anglers are notorious for spending ?300 on a rod or ?250 on a bedchair but whinning about ?20 to use them!
 
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Richard Drayson

Guest
John, I don't think ?47 subs is particularly high for a senior, especially if you're allowed to fish for the sea-trout. What's a ?10 joining fee? A couple of packets of fags.
You don't give a figure for a late entry fee, but if your members are given enough notice to pay, then there should be no excuses not to pay up on time.
Personally, I look at value for money more than cost alone and if your club has access to one of the best carp waters in the area, that would at least satisfy the carpers. After saying that, would those anglers who don't fish for the carp or sea-trout still be getting value for their money?
Explain to the members at the AGM that club costs have/are increasing . If the membership know where their money is going there shouldn't be a problem.
 
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john conway

Guest
It’s cheap, look at it this way; I fish every week and if I went to a commercial water I’d be paying between ?5 and ?7 per rod. So lets say an average of ?6 per session, so that’s 6 x 52 = ?312 per year. At the moment I’m in three clubs two of which are around ?27 per year and one at ?34 that’s ?88 per year, I also fish a few day ticket waters on the Ribble so I’m probable spending around ?100 per year to fish. That’s not much more than a couple of pints a week.
 
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Mike Heylin

Guest
John

If your public liability insurance has gone through the roof get your club to join NAFAC, the National Association of Fisheries and Angling Consulatives. They do the best deal on insurance for member clubs you can get. Club membership of NAFAC is ?50.00 a year and insurance rates run out at about ?175.00 for up to 500 members.

By far the cheapest we have been able to find. You can contact NAFAC by e-mail on terrym.nafac@btopenworld.com or by telephone on 01553 829411 and speak to Terry Mansbridge.

Your club should also be part of the local consultative so that you can directly affect Environment Agency fisheries policy in your catchment.

Mike Heylin
Secretary Specialist Anglers' Alliance
 
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Jon Moores

Guest
It's definately cheap, especially if the sea trout beats are any good. I think it's reasonable to have a joining fee. It is not going to put off anyone who is considering joining for some years and to be honest at only a tenner I don't think it would put off anyone looking for just short term fishing. Do you really need both a joining fee and a late fee. This seems to overcomplicate matters. If you don't renew by the due date then membership lapses and so you have to pay the joining fee.
 
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Dave Slater

Guest
I wish my local clubs were as cheap as ?47 John. Sounds great value to me.
 
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Keith Hacking

Guest
If you have game fishing,thats very reasonable.my club subs for this year were ?185.00.and the joining fee is the same amount again.so once you've joined after the first year it only costs less than ?4.00 per week to fish.And if you go two or three times a week,like i do, its very reasonable.and as its mainly a game fishing club,after this month theres very few fishing it at all.I hardly see anyone when i'm chub and grayling fishing.
 
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Andy Nellist

Guest
I'm not sure that a joining fee does much other than put off prospective new members. In this day and age witgh falling memberships you'd think you'd get a discount in your first year not a surcharge.
 
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Wolfman Woody

Guest
I'm not generally in favour of a joining-on fee, but I can understand the logic that regular members have paid over the years to get the club's waters up to standard and you join and want it good from the start. In that case a tenner isn't much.

I can also understand when some club penalise their able-bodied senior members for ?10 if they don't attend work parties. And that includes those who join late thinking they will get off with it. One club around here would charge you ?10 for being late and ?15 for not attending a work party. But if they run cracking good waters that you want to fish, you have to pay it.
 
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John Hepworth

Guest
Thanks for the replies guy's, and I think we will look at joining NAFAC Mike, although we do have access to the E/A through me attending the Northumbria Area Fisheries Forum meetings. I asked the question about joining and late entry fees(?10-00) as both were only introduced last year. New members joining did not complain but those who have re joined after a few lapsed years did, and as membership secretary I found that most members who did re join late simply ignored it anyway.
I will look forward to reading your next article Jeff.
I personally think that at ?47-00 plus joining fee it is good value especially when you consider the potential of the Wear It has already produced the national record dace and one of our river stretches is stuffed full of small barbel. I genuinely believe we will see a Severn type explosion in the next 3-4years, then we will probably have to put a limit on membership numbers.
 
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Wolfman Woody

Guest
By the sounds of it John, I wouldn't mind joining your club, ?10 or no ?10. ?47 has to be a bargain nowadays.
 
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Wolfman Woody

Guest
Tempting John, but I'd have to buy an airoplane to do it. I used to fly to Tyne Tees and Newcastle at one time, company paid!
 
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John Hepworth

Guest
All you need is a fast car Jeff, I've often done 400 mile round journey for a days fishing.
 
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Wolfman Woody

Guest
Got one,but it costs a quid just to start it. I do 400 regularly on my trips to Manchester and return. I just calculated it on my map finder thingy - 277 miles, 4hrs 36 mins. Double that for the return and that's more than a days work just driving (at legal speeds). A bit too much John, but good luck with the club - it does sound good value.
 
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