Seasons Greetings to you one and all.  Trust the festive season will be good to you and that you get the opportunity to wet your line and gain the rewards for doing so.

 

I am aware that by the time you receive this clubs would have closed down for the Xmas break etc. and there will probably be not much chance of passing on information to your members.  However we hope and trust that at the earliest opportunity you will make your membership aware of items of interest etc. both from this issue of the Jottings and from the Minutes of the recent Executive Meetings.  There is also an issue of Tidelines due out and if you have email facilities and not receiving this interesting and informative read please either send me your email address or send direct to .

 

I guess there are 3 most important issues at present. These are :-

1. National Championships in New Plymouth in March.  We are hoping for a great turnout to these and I can assure you a good time will be had by all.  Entries need to be in during January and you should have your accommodation all sewn up by now.  If you are not receiving material from the NPSC contact me urgently.

2. Our AGM of course is held in conjunction with the Nationals and that is your opportunity of having your say in the way your Association is run.  If you have matters you would like discussed at the AGM or have Remits or matters for General Business again please contact me urgently.

3. Shared Fisheries.  This is the important issue of our time.  The MAF Discussion Papers are out and submissions need to be in by the end of February.  The Executive will be putting in a submission on behalf of the Association as a whole.  This may be a separate document or could be part of one submitted by the NZRFC.  We encourage Clubs to make their own submissions.  There are many views around concerning this matter.  The Option 4 Group are taking a more negative approach whilst the NZRFC are suggesting there is much in there which is positive and that the negatives can be worked through.  Read all that there is about this important matter and come to your own conclusions but make them known.  Although this is a “political” issue, it is something that affects us as recreational fishers directly and therefore we need to take notice and make our views known.  You can not moan and complain if things don’t go the way you would like if you didn’t take the opportunity of influencing the decision making.

 

Another important issue is that there are still some clubs who have not paid there affiliation fees as yet.  We often hear people saying “what do I get out of belonging to the NZACA?” when maybe we should be saying “we need to be supporting the national groups so that we can continue to have the freedom to fish and if that costs me a miserly 10 bucks a year so be it – its worth it”

 

Applications for Annual Awards, Records etc. – Catches during December need to be in by the 31^st.January.  However we would very much appreciate you encouraging your members to get these in ASAP after the catch as there is a lot of work required to finalise these results in time for presentations at the Nationals. In the past we have suggested the 20^th.December should be the close-off date. If a member (especially a Junior) has caught a good or reasonable catch back during the year and didn’t submit an application at the time it is not to late to get one in for consideration for an Annual Award.  Nothing encourages young fishers more than something tangible hanging on the wall or maybe even a trophy.  So give them the push they may need to have a go.

 

In the near future Clubs will be receiving information about an Association Raffle being run on our behalf by one of our Executive Members, Nick Polak of Wellington.  It is awhile since we ran an Association Raffle so we will ask you to give it your full support.  A very good reason to do so will be that clubs themselves will also benefit from this raffle so watch out for this in the new year.

 

This coming year the Australian Anglers Association (AAA) Nationals almost clash with our own Nationals so we will not be represented with a large contingent on this occasion.  This carnival is being held at Phillip Island in Victoria but we will be represented there by Ray & Sue McIntyre of the North Shore Club. We wish Ray & Sue the very best and know they will carry our colours with pride.

                We will have at least two of our Aussie brethren with us in New Plymouth but we are hoping for a lot more to come over in 2008 to join us at Ninety Mile which is the in-between year of the bi-annual Nationals.

 

A report from our Casting Convenors at the last Executive Meeting told of the best turn-out for a number of years for our Postal Casting Competition.  There were 13 clubs and 107 competitors which is great (and this was without some clubs who are usually there) and reflects the upsurge in interest in this aspect of our sport.  Greg Smeal and others are giving encouragement and support in this activity of the Association and if you or your club would like assistance in this direction contact them direct. They will be only to pleased to help.  Note a clarification to the Casting Rules in the Minutes of the Executive Meeting.

 

 

50^th Anniversary

      Yes we have turned 50 so have caught up with a number of clubs who over recent times have also celebrated this milestone.  We will feature this at next years Nationals.  We will be issuing a commemorative metal lapel badge (orders for this $10 badge should be in now to secure your issue of this limited edition badge), suitable embroidered apparel will be available, and we will be publishing a commemorative booklet at a very small charge.  This is naturally a one-off and will not be repeated so if you want the above items to secure your memories you will either have to pre-order or take your chances at New Plymouth where these will be available.

 

One of the perks of my job as National Secretary is that I get to see Club Newsletters (I would like to receive more of these) and some of the best fishing publications in the country.  I would draw your attention to the latest edition of Fishing Coast to Coast and in particular three articles.  Firstly the one by Keith Ingram (President of the NZRFC) on the Shared Fishers issue.  The second the one by our own Mark Roberts (Pania S.C.) on casting, and thirdly the article about taking kids fishing.  This latter is very important because the youth of today can gain so much from becoming addicted to fishing rather than to game-stations, computers and the like.  I know we have a lot of families in our membership but we do not see many results of kids fishing in our catch recognition applications, postal casting or Nationals.  Why not offer free club members (this will be matched by free NZACA membership for a year) to kids in your club area and who knows that might bring in their parents as well.

            The other mag is of course the NZ Fishing News who have long given their support to this Association and now run a regular column edited by Greg Smeal on the NZACA. Grants editorial is always worth the read.  The December issue has great articles by Bruce Basher, Jim O’Brien and Gary Kemsley for the shore fisher and there are lots, like always, for the boaties.  I always read Graham Andrews “Last Word”.

 

You will see in the Minutes that the Executive took time out to discuss some important issues as they affect the Association and where we are heading in the next 50 years.  Remembering that this is your Association, and not the Executives, it is important that if you have a viewpoint or an opinion on these issues that you should feel free to send it in so it can be included in our on-going discussions.

 

 

Have a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year