Hi Malcolm, I understood Nigel's question as to how do you get the knowledge about waters in the first place rather than once you've joined the club and got the handbook.
Still, I do take your point about directions and maps of waters. Some are really difficult to work out, which is why I try to do my homework before I leave when I'm tackling a water for the first time. On the other hand, one or two of the clubs I'm a member of really go to town and produce excellent informative water guides. However, in the case of one, you pay another ?15 or so just for the information, which you do need, as the club card is not enough as it just lists the names of stretches.