Something that I
have noticed recently is the lack of anglers visiting day ticket
waters. Times are hard and taking into consideration cost of a day
ticket, fuel and bait the cost of a days fishing can become too
expensive for many. Clubs offering reasonably priced membership seem
to be the ones that are benefiting from this as anglers not only have
the choice of venue to visit and species to target but aren’t faced
with often ridiculous rules that seem only to benefit one party, the
day ticket venue and when worked out on visits throughout the year
these club tickets offer exceptional value for money.
Talking to many a
day ticket owner, numbers are down and times are hard, yet for many I
have absolutely no sympathy especially when they are charging up to
£15 per day to fish and then do not offer concessions for OAP,
juniors or disabled anglers. Yes, there is the argument that these
venues offer a very good chance of getting a bend in your rod, yet
this is normally from carp and due to the nature of the stocking
density, which is often well over what it should be and these have to
feed to survive, however they not always the healthiest of fish and
the signs of repeat capture can often be extremely evident.
My fishing partner
is my father who is 82 and often my girlfriend’s father joins us
who is also classified as an OAP. I can assure you that money isn’t
easy coming for these and can honestly say that unless the venue has
something seriously good to offer, such as Mill Farm Fisheries
Specimen Lake that offers a very good chance of catching a British
Record silver bream, I will never visit a day ticket water again that
fails to offer some sort of reduction for them.
What annoys me
even more is when you are then told that you have to use fishery only
pellets. I can assure you that although the owner will argue the fact
and say that these have to be used to protect their stocks, the real
reason is that they are just lining their pockets further and once
again I will not fish such a venue that ties me down to such a
rip-off deal.
Well said Duncan. These are hard times and yet day ticketeers are pricing themselves out of the market. Does it matter? Well maybe but with great club tickets available affording tens of miles of bank in the one shot, are we missing anything? I don't know.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be a shame to lose them down the economic plughole, but actually, most of my fishing these days is either club book or free. They might make a few changes to get myself and others back...
Make the tickets cheaper for all and then give concessionary prices for those who can ill afford. OAP, disabled, students, kids. Every other business does this is they have any sense and heart. An empty bank is a broken dam, all the profit flowing out the breach. Yet prices rise not fall! LIne the banks with anglers at cheap rates, Jeez it ain't rocket science!
Allow night fishing, in fact encourage it and police it well.
Then I might make a visit or two on my self-employed start-up status, but I don't think that'll wash!
I'm off to Mill Farm myself come Friday. The record is there, I have the interest and possibly the right approach. You never know!
Not that I have the first clue about MIll Farm other than it seems worth every penny spent because for a day ticket venuer does offer anglers something very, very special that won't last forever...