AGM President's Address 2007
Welcome to the 60th. Meeting of Aberdeen and District Angling Association |
President Alastair H. Hume |
Before commencing the meeting I would bring to your attention that sadly on the 13th January Fred Imray passed away. Fred was a committee member of very long standing and did an immense amount of work for our Association. In recognition of his efforts on behalf of the Association he was made an Honorary Vice-President some years ago. Fred was very involved when our Association brought pressure on the Scottish Office to investigate the deplorable state of pollution of the River Don emanating from the Paper Mills.
At the official inquiry Fred was an extremely effective orator on our behalf, especially as he felt that we had right on our side, and he was particularly motivated in this case. Nowadays trout have returned in numbers from Stoneywood Mills to the Brig of Balgownie where there were virtually none before.
Fred could be relied on for his commonsense and reasoned thinking we were lucky to have someone of his ability to help us for so many years.I would ask you as a mark of respect to be upstanding for a minutes silence in respect of Fred
Apologies
The last year has been an extremely busy time at Committee level. We had to appoint a new Contractor to do the Associations demanding Works programme following Roy’s retirement. We attempted to buy two fishing beats and were successful in one of the purchases. We began the task of developing longer term strategies for the Association These issues were all over and above the normal on going work required of the committee.
You will notice from the Balance Sheet that our legal fees have gone up considerably this year and that was because it was necessary for us to get a professional input into the drawing up of a contract of employment for any new Contractor that the Association has to employ.
The time spent by Iain Morrison and Alec Paterson detailing items for the solicitors who were drawing up the contract was quite considerable – they deserve a great deal of thanks from the Associations members for their efforts on this and many other matters throughout the season. It was just as well that the contract was so carefully set up because the person we employed to take over from Roy, Martin Tosh, found that the work was just too much for him and has had to relinquish his position due to ill health. There were no complaints about Martin’s organisation and work and Alec , our Works Convenor, was sorry that Martin had to give up the job.
However, work is now underway in appointing a new Contractor and hopefully that issue will be resolved before the seasons workload really starts.
During the summer fishings came on the market up around Alford, it was actually 3 separate south bank fishings being sold by one party – one was from Brig of Alford upstream for about half a mile, one from Brig of Alford downstream to Montgarrie Bridge, the third and best beat was a few miles downstream from Alford at Bandley.
Most of the committee walked the beats and were very taken with the Bandley beat. The fishings were being offered as a whole or separately and we felt that we should put in two offers one for the lot and one for the best beat. We offered £85,000 for the best beat on the suggested selling agents offers over price of £45,000 and we offered £135,000 for all three on a suggested offer price of £115,000. We were unsuccessful with both of our bids – we understand that the fishing was purchased by the owner of the other bank.
Just a few weeks after our failure to get the Alford fishings we heard that the Ardlethen fishings on the Ythan were to be put up for sale, and that they were not going to be advertised widely. We made enquiries and eventually your committee decided, having looked at the beat that it was a fishery that would be of great benefit to us and its position on the river would enrich our overall fishings. We felt that this was a chance we could not afford to miss. One problem in deciding what to offer for the fishery was that the beat had not been actively fished for many years and there were no accurate catch figures to base a valuation on.
We therefore had to make an offer based on our knowledge and experience. We knew that there was going to be a keen interest in the fishings from various local and adjoining proprietors and we felt that we would have to give a substantial offer to secure this important fishery. We decided after a great deal of discussion that we should offer the sum of £181,750. As you know we were successful.
It should be remembered when we go to purchase a fishing beat that it may have more value to us as an angling association with many members and diversity of waters than it would have to another purchaser and so we must put up the highest figure that we can justify.
Our Works convenor Alec Paterson lives in Ellon and was crucial in this purchase and even more importantly in being able to arrange everything that had to be done once our offer was accepted, getting styles made and put in place, arranging access from the local farmers, speaking to all adjacent landowners, organising the bank maintenance, arranging parking, getting signs made and set up, and many many other items that had to be done to look after our interests.
Alec thank you very much for the marvellous job you have done. I am sure that the membership of this association will have great pleasure in fishing this beat in the coming years as I’m sure they have already in the short period it has been open..
One fact that has come out of this years committee work is that, to my mind, this association has reached a crossroads. Up until now we have been run by volunteers – a relatively small band that does a great deal of work and give a lot of their own time for the rest of the association. I have been either Vice-President or President for over 40 years so I fully understand what has been done over that period. We have become a larger and more complex an organisation with ever increasing legislation and with that comes more and more responsibility and demands on committee members time.
I have therefore suggested to the committee that following the analysis of your views on the future direction of the Association in terms of the ongoing survey, now is the time when we should be considering a more professional way ahead with perhaps a part-time or even full time business and fishery manager. The days when we should be dependent on being run on a volunteer basis are coming to an end because of the ever increasing pressures and timescales
Which is why your Committee is also looking at the benefits or otherwise of the Association becoming a Limited Company – this was going to be looked into in 2006 but other pressures overtook us so this must be carried forward to 2007.
Nowadays there is so much to do at committee level, both operationally and strategically, that a Strategy Group has been formed which meets in between the normal monthly Committee meeting times. It makes sure that the future development of the Association is fully considered by the Committee and is eagerly anticipating the outcome of the questionnaire which has been issued, which I urge you to participate in..
If we do find it beneficial to appoint a Fishery and Business Manager then that is going to add to our running costs which could make an increase in our subscriptions necessary at that time to cover this expense. Making such an appointment should see a tremendous advantage in the actual running of the association, with the right person in position there could be a far tighter control of the work and management of our club.
At the present time a few people are working very hard to keep things going, and in my mind are being relatively successful, but as I have already said I do feel that the time has come for change and we have to develop as circumstances change. We are in fact a big business nowadays. This association has achieved what it was formed to do that is to give local anglers the opportunity to fish their local waters at as reasonable a cost as possible however nothing stands still and we must always review our situation.
I know of no other angling club or association that can offer its membership the quality and variety of fishing that we can and we must now be the largest and strongest financially in Scotland and it is vital that we retain that position not only for the benefit of our membership but to have influence at a local and national level on all aspects of our sport.. Our membership fees are always set at as reasonable a figure as possible and for the fishing available they are the envy of very many anglers throughout the country.
Catch return details are a very important statistic and one that should be as accurate as possible. Legislation is now in place making this a legal requirement – this is an issue that the committee are currently looking at.
The committee had to deal with many items during the year ranging from hosting the SANA River Championship which was held at Parkhill on 30th July – problems of light pollution from the Lloyd Sports Centre which was completed at Garthdee - trying to gain access along the river bank through the Woodsons policies so that our members can walk on the north bank at upper Parkhill to Lower Fintry but unfortunately without success so far.
The Web Site has been very busy this year and is currently being updated for easier access for all – many thanks to our Webmaster Iain Morrison for his efforts on our behalf.
New Maps have been produced this year and our thanks must go to Alec Patterson and David Smith for their efforts – all members will receive new maps of all our fishings when paying their subscriptions. You will have noticed that this year we have produced quite a large mail bag for you all – this is the first time that we have been in a position to send all members a Balance Sheet before the AGM and the inclusion of a questionnaire should give the committee the necessary information to plan the way ahead for the Association.
We are currently trying to renew our lease of the Loch of Loirston which expires in May. We have been in discussion with the present owners for well over a year about this but unfortunately they are in the final stages of selling their ground beside the loch and the loch itself to a developer.
We are pursuing the matter very urgently and once we know that the deal has been completed will be in contact with the new owners to hopefully negotiate a lease. However, we have not been standing still and have been looking for a site for a new alternative loch fishery for many months should a lease renewal of the loch fall through.
The removal of the fish counter at Banchory Devenick I think will go ahead this year, probably in June and July. I have been involved with quite a few meetings as a Dee Board member with the firm that will probably be employed by the Dee Board to remove the counter. I have stressed our concerns about the effect of removal of the counter on our Garthdee fishery at the Pump House should the shingle which has built up above the counter be allowed to remain in the river after the removal of the counter.
The Dee Board are very sympathetic to our views and I am sure will make every effort to have the shingle removed prior to any spate which might move the vast shingle bank down stream to our main Dee fishings. SEPA have a major voice in what can be done in this matter.
I do feel a great deal of thanks is due to your committee for the time and effort that they have devoted for the benefit of you all this last year and I would personally thank them for the support they have given to me. I feel that we currently have a good team and hope that those who are up for re-election will be able to continue with their good work in the coming season. Continuity and forward planning.is vital at this stage of our development
Finally I would like to thank you all for your behaviour and sportsmanship throughout the year – we are an association of sportsmen and women and the future of angling in the North-East is very much in our hands.
Thank you.