Presidents Tribute to Honorary President Alastair H. Hume
As the incoming President I have to say a few words about the outgoing President– Alastair Hume.
Alastair has been a member of ADAA since its inception in 1946 and is one of only 2 current members who were founder members of the Association. In the early days of the Association, fishing available to members was limited. In 1955 the first purchase made was the Upper Parkhill beat and members had to be content to fish either there, at Loch of Loirston or as visitors to the Pots & Fords.
As a young keen man Alastair was invited to join the committee and in 1964 he was elected to the post of Vice-President in the same year that Duncan Wilson became President. Duncan and Alastair were complete contrasts but over the years they worked very well together as a team. Duncan as the mouthpiece and Alastair as the man behind the scenes As a banker by occupation Alastair took control of the Association’s finances as Chairman of the Finance Committee. Gradually the finances were built up into a healthy state.
This was the start of a golden era for the Association.
The club began to look for further waters to fish and eventually in 1966 the current Methlick beat was purchased. Alastair kept the finances in tidy order and the following year the Machar Pool was also purchased. At this time, the Sea trout and finnock fishing in the Ythan estuary was superb and the Machar Pool must have been one of the best sea trout fishery’s in the whole of the UK and it was a real feather in ADAA’s cap to acquire it. I could tell you many stories about the Machar in those good old days but that’s for another time and place.
The club continued to prosper and in 1973 the Feugh beat was purchased for a very modest price. Further success in 1976 saw purchase of the Upper and Lower Fintray beats for the sum of £20000 – a lot of money in those days.
Lower Parkhill South followed in 1978 costing £13000. These purchases stretched the Association’s finances to the limit but the purchases were all made without need for any borrowing. It then took some years to rebuild the clubs financial position again but under Alastair’s careful control funds gradually built up once again and in 1988 the opportunity to purchase the Garthdee fishing’s arose.
This time the asking price was a whopping £63500 –considered a fortune by some at the time, but the purchase went ahead. I can remember at the time a lot of criticism being directed against the then Committee for spending this large amount of money on the beat. The fishing in the first year after purchase was so good that it soon silenced those critics. The purchase of Garthdee virtually cleaned out the financial reserves but these were gradually built up again. In the late 1990’s we got the opportunity to lease the Kemnay beat and the possibility of purchase then arose in 2001 – the price £45000. During the first years of the millennium the Association also gained the majority shareholdings in both the Cruive and Nether Don fishing’s at a total cost of £42000 and the latest success was the acquisition of Ardlethen on the Ythan in 2006 for the sum of £180000.
In between all these purchases we have leased the fishing’s at Lower Parkhill North and also Banchory Devenick.
None of this could have been achieved without the careful financial guidance from Alastair over the many years. I would say the club has a lot to thank him for in acquiring the wide range of waters that are now available to the Membership.
Alastair comes across as a very quiet individual but has always at the same time well thought out ideas and arguments to support anything he has to say. Alastair is also well respected in the angling community outwith ADAA
Alastair’s influence in angling circles also extends beyond the Association. In the days of the Federation of Scottish Anglers he was a representative for the North East of Scotland Federation eventually becoming the chairman.
The Scottish Federation held meetings in Kingussie which was attended by all the Scottish branches of the Federation. The Federation in time evolved and eventually became known as the Scottish Anglers National Association or SANA as it is more commonly known today. Alastair was a founder member of SANA which is the body that speaks on behalf of anglers in Scotland and is heavily involved in discussing any proposed changes to angling legislation, which would affect salmon & trout angling in Scotland, with the Scottish Executive among other things. Alastair is still currently a member of SANA’s migratory fish committee.
In the 1960’s and the early 1970’s Alastair was part of the group that led the protests against the conditions on the Lower Don. The river from Dyce to the sea was like an open Sewer due to the activities of the 3 paper mills and the Dyce Bacon Factory on Lower Don. Pressure was put on the NE River Purification Board to take action and Alastair was in fact elected as a Member of the Purification Board. A series of meetings took place with the Mills and factory who undertook dramatic improvements to their treatment of waste water, at a cost of many millions of pounds until the Lower Don gradually cleaned up into the river we know today – virtually free from pollution and having healthy fish and fauna life.
In the 70’s and 80’s the River Don also suffered badly from busloads of anglers coming up from the central belt, poaching the river for trout. They came up at weekends and were dropped off in 1’s and 2’s along miles of the river which they fished, usually without obtaining a permit. They fished with all sorts of methods, some of which were banned locally, such as live minnow, and plundered the trout stocks, killing everything they caught even if under the legal size limit. The river was being raped weekend after weekend. They usually had a kitty of money which was won at the end of the day by the angler having the longest line of fish when laid down head to tail. I personally witnessed such a weigh in taking place one evening at Alford where fish ranging from undersized trout to salmon kelts were lined up with the winning line at over 30 foot long. It was wholesale slaughter. Upper and Middle Don were worst affected but occasionally they hit the lower river at the Association’s Fintray and Parkhill fishings.
A group was formed which today is known as the River Don Brown Trout Improvement Association. Alastair was one of those at the forefront of the Association.
The purpose of the Association was to improve legal access to the general public for brown trout fishing on the river and in doing so to be able to apply to the Scottish Secretary for a Protection Oder for the Don. After some years hard work an application was put together and presented for consideration. This was refused as the powers at the Scottish Office were not satisfied with the amount of the river being opened up for trout angling permits.
Back to square one and further discussions took place with proprietors up and down the Don until a 2nd application was ready for submission. This time Alastair and the late David McLean travelled down to Edinburgh to personally present the application and to speak on behalf of the application to the Scottish Office. This time they were successful and the River Don Catchment Protection Order came into force in October 1990.
Up until that time the central belt anglers had continued with their raids on the river. The year after the Order came into force there was a now famous event when a whole busload of anglers fishing without permits, in breach of the Protection Order, were arrested on upper Donside and landed up in the police cells in Inverurie. The bus they were travelling in was also impounded and the company who had hired the bus to the anglers was warned that they were at risk of their bus being confiscated as it had been used in conjunction with a breach of the Protection Order. The end result was that a strong message was received by bus companies throughout Central Scotland who then declined to hire to groups of anglers travelling north to visit Donside, and at long last the raids on the river ceased.
Alastair has always tried to encourage the younger generation to become involved in the running of the Association – something that has not always been easy. So many members are reluctant to become involved and some have come on board and dropped out. David Smith and I were encouraged by Alastair to become involved with the Committee when we were in our early 20’s and we are both still with the Committee to this day. A labour of love some would say but that has always been the case with Alastair – total dedication for the good of the Association.
Alastair has also recognised the need for those coming along behind him to become involved in the wider angling scene away from the Association. In the past only the President and Vice-President dealt with meetings outwith the Association but Alastair has spread the load and made sure those others have become involved in different bodies. I personally am involved with SANA and also with the RDBTIA, Alec Paterson is on both the Don and Ythan Fishery Boards, Iain Morrison on the Dee Improvement Association and Dave Gordon on the Dee Trust. This all keeps ADAA’s name at the forefront and I think it is safe to say that today the Association is well known and respected on all 3 of our local rivers and also further afield.
When Duncan Wilson retired 3 years ago and Alastair succeeded him, he made it known that he would only remain as President for a short period - long enough to prepare for his succession and he now feels the time is right.
Alastair still has one project close to his heart that has not yet reached fruition – removal of the Fish Counter at Garthdee. It is hoped that this will take place in the year ahead and the Committee has agreed that he can continue to oversee this on our behalf after his retirement.
Alastair a big thank you on behalf of everyone in the Association for all that you have done over the past 43 years. I have highlighted some of the more important issues that I am aware of that you have been involved in but I am sure that only scratches the surface. Thanks also for helping to bring the Association to the very healthy financial position it enjoys today with the wide range of fishing’s available to our membership – over 30 miles of riverbank and finally the respected position that ADAA is held in by the angling community around us.
I have until now not mentioned Alastair’s wife – Georgina who is here with Alastair tonight. He is lucky to have had someone so patient and understanding behind him all these years – many a marriage would not have survived one partner being so dedicated to another passion of his live – in this case ADAA.
A big thank-you to Georgina. Please accept this Bouquet as a token of our thanks to you
Alastair indicated that he wanted to retire quietly with no fuss or presentation made but the Committee could not allow him to go without some recognition for all he has done for us all.
For the time being he will continue to represent the Association on the 3 River Boards as although he was elected as the ADAA representative he is in reality elected as an individual.
Although it is not mentioned in our Constitution there is past precedent for appointing an Honorary President of the Association. Alastair will still be recognised as a Past President with the rights that follow, but no one has held the position of Hon President since the days of the late Dr Charles Alexander and your committee would ask all of you present to agree to bestow the honour of becoming our next Honorary President on Alastair. Gentlemen!
Congratulations - Alastair.
Not only is Alastair a very keen angler but he also has an interest in photography. Very often on the riverbank the camera is not very far away – usually tucked away in his breast pocket.
Despite his protestations, he was told there was going to be a presentation made. He then made it clear that he had more fishing rods than he knew what to do with and didn’t want anything to do with fishing, so instead I have here a selection of camera equipment that we have persuaded him to accept.
Alastair on behalf of the Committee and all the membership I would ask you to accept this gift as a token of our appreciation for everything you have done for everyone involved with Aberdeen & District Angling Association both in the past, the present and hopefully in the future. You never know perhaps we will see some of your photographic efforts on the Forum in the months ahead
Bob Dey.
President