Region Report R31
PAC GB South Lancashire – September 2012
Jon Neafcy R/O
Hello pikers I hope
you are all ready for the off (I write this is September 2012) & wish you
all the best for the 2012/2013 season, I hope you have all had a good summer
& have been out fishing, I myself managed an Ebro trip with 1500+lb of
cats, 40 in total to 176lb (you may see some of the pics in pikelines).
This year R31 enters its 6th season, we now have
events which are region 31 ‘traditions’, some of these are fundamental PAC
basics such as our monthly meetings with guest speakers in the winter months,
others a bit more bespoke such as the annual summer Eel fishing overnighter
(see elsewhere in this issue) & the summer predator night this year hosted
by PHIL KIRK with his superb talk ‘30+ & beyond’, there was also a pike pro
stand and a demo by Tony Kay custom rods at the event, my thanks to everyone
who helped & everyone who attended.
Last season we celebrated out 5th anniversary
with a range of extra special events even including a regional
convention/conference basically a scaled down version of the national PAC
conference (as not everyone can afford to travel), we had commemorative 5th
anniversary badges made, a local R31 pike fishing magazine ‘North West Piking’
which was distributed free to members & through local tackle shops, our
newsletter ‘the north west piking times’ remains as popular as ever.
Region 31s commitment
to angling coaching is second to none & this season there are a whole host
of events planned through our ever increasing coaching network thanks to all of
Eric Edward’s hard work, the most recent angling coaching event was held in
conjunction with Warrington Anglers who even closed one of their premier waters
Grey Mist mere for the day for the event, my thanks to everyone who attended
(you know who you are).
I hope that the region is also helping the PAC GB to get
pike fishing on the agenda of the sport in general through attendance at events
such as the Great Northern Fishing Show at
Cudmore where region 31 members were amongst those manning the PAC stand
& our stand & talks at the Prince Albert Angling Society open day (see
previous issue of pikelines).
The region is bigger & stronger than ever (last season
we had 62 on the books) & dare I say is one of the biggest, most active
& among the best in the PAC, thanks to the endeavours of the membership
& not least the region committee.
Last season we lost one of our club boats in North Wales (I
say lost it was in fact sabotaged/stolen), however we still have one for
members use in SW Scotland.
Ever year we have had a very good list of guest speakers
& I hope we have earned a reputation for looking after our guest
speakers. This years list of guest
speakers I think you will agree, will be the envy of most regions &
includes:
§ OCTOBER -
STEVE ROWLEY
§ NOVEMBER –
DERRICK AIMES
§ DECEMBER –
ALISTER RAWLINGS
§ JANUARY –
ANDY BLAZEY & RICHARD WESLEY
§ FEBUARY –
STUART GILLHAM
§ MARCH –
DENIS MOULES
§ APRIL –
PRESENTATION NIGHT STAR GUEST TBC
No doubt speakers of this calibre need little if any
introduction to the majority of Pike anglers one guest speaker STUART GILLHAM
we have managed to capture whilst he is on a UK visit from Thailand!
Whilst not completely abandoning the fish in’s as our old
nickname ‘The Squirrels’ implies (as in secret) we have a few secret squirrels
in our midst’s and a few who are maybe a bit bashful when it comes to fishing
with others, so on the pike outings/fish-in side of things we wont be as active
in future due to poor attendance.
Our headquarters remains the Caledonian pub on Bolton road
ashton in Makerfield nr Wigan, Lancashire (next door to Tesco garage) & the
meetings are generally the first Wednesday of each month Oct-April in the
upstairs function room from 8pm onwards.
All are welcome to attend our meetings there is usually a buffet & a
prize raffle & people are welcome to bring along second hand tackle to
sell.
Unfortunately I’m currently suffering from a nerve problem
in my arm which is restricting my right hand movement & preventing me from
driving, also prevented my fishing, hopefully this is on the mend & a
recent test run with assistant R/O Neil Stubbs was a good result so I look
forward to being back on the bank soon.
Tight lines
Jon Neafcy
