We are back to normal for our Newsletter this month. Although I have a couple of trips planned for this year they shouldn’t interfere too much with the publication of our Newsletter, in fact they should give me a couple of filler articles.

By now all of you will have received a farewell letter via Google group message from our inaugural member and first Life Member, Bob Dove. Bob’s health has deteriorated to the stage that he feels unable to attend most of the Club’s activities but hopes to attend some special meetings.

The Club is diminished by the loss of Bob’s continual input. I, like many other members, was invited to the Club by Bob and was welcomed by him when I became a member. Bob was always willing to give valuable advice to novice fly fishers and was a ready source of information, knowledge and experience to new members of the Club’s executive. I always regarded him as the eminence grise of the Club.

The tale of the founding of our Club is told in “A Ten Year Journey – Reminiscences of a Traveller” in our Tenth Anniversary Newsletter. The article supplies a summary of our history but does not give full credit to the central role that Bob continued to play throughout that history.

Thank you, Bob, and remember that you are a Life Member and will always be welcome. I’m sure that all members will miss your smiling face and wish you all the best in whatever the future may hold.

I mentioned in last month’s Newsletter that the online RFS maps of bushfires indicated that the areas where we had released trout appeared to have been spared. Don has since driven through the areas and reports that our release sites did not avoid the devastation. The internet is great but nothing beats the old and reliable eyeball Mk. I. The sites will be subject to critical examination in the near future.

Our President has introduced a new theme for a regular article called ‘Take a Seat’ with a member. Hopefully he will inspire other members to invite us to take a seat with them. As Ben writes, it doesn’t necessarily need to be at the tying desk but could be anywhere for members like a library or fishing spot, etc.

Although Christmas is a joyous time of year it would have been extremely hard for our members who lost their loved ones during the last year. We want you to know how much you were in our thoughts over this period.

Good Fishing (is there any other kind?)

Iain

View/download February 2020 edition