A CONCERTED effort to market Barnard Castle as an angling destination is to be made in the coming year.
Barnard Castle Angling Club (BCAC) saw an increase in revenue from day fishing tickets during 2017, taking in £206 compared to £170 the previous year.
Committee member Jenny Cartwright said she now had a list of all the caravan parks, hotels and other accommodation providers in the dale.
She added: “We can contact them and advertise our day tickets.”
She said the club also receives a lot of feedback and queries through its website and social media pages.
Day tickets are sold by Pauline Connelly at her toy shop on The Bank, in Barnard Castle, and she was thanked by club members for providing a good and helpful service.
Day tickets range in price from £6 from November 1 to March 31, to £13 in September and October, with anglers offered the chance to fish for brown trout between March 22 and September 30 and salmon and sea trout from February 1 until March 31, with catch and release operating until June 16.
While the number of day tickets sold is on the increase, membership of the angling club continues to decline, the meeting was told.
Membership for 2017 stood at 87, down from 100 in the previous year, although with an increase of £10 in senior subscription rates to £50 introduced for the current year, treasurer Maurice Eustace described the club’s financial position as “we are as we were, really”.
He added: “I am going to suggest that as long as there is no major expenditure, we leave subscriptions as they were.”
Club member Alastair Dinwiddie suggested adding another £5 to subscriptions for 2018. However, chairman Dennis Hinchcliffe said this would deter any prospective new members from joining.
It was also noted that there were now just ten junior members of the club – down from 13.
A tie-up with The Hub to fish for carp in its ponds has recently been agreed in the hope of attracting youngsters to the pastime.
The meeting was also told that not as many people were fishing in the club’s waters on the Tees.
Ms Cartwright said former members of the club had said they would come back once access improvements had been made for those with mobility problems.
The issue of the club’s 26 honorary members was also discussed. They do not pay subs but it was agreed that they would be contacted and asked to make a donation, with a suggested minimum of £10.
During the meeting, Lord Barnard, John Mayhew and Michael White were elected as patrons of the angling club, while all officials were returned – president Maurice Rodgers; chairman Dennis Hinchcliffe; secretary Frank Harrison; treasurer Maurice Eustace; head bailiff Gareth Hinchcliffe; website manager John Cartwright and auditor Ray Land.
The meeting was told the heaviest salmon landed this year was 12lb 8oz.
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