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KING of CLUBS Mike Handyside Reveals a Former Tiny Fishing Society’S Winning Hand

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KING of CLUBS Mike Handyside Reveals a Former Tiny Fishing Society’S Winning Hand KING OF CLUBS Mike Handyside reveals a former tiny fishing society’s winning hand PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE HANDYSIDE In the late 1970s, this attractive Dovey pool under the 17th Century Pont Minllyn packhorse bridge was available to Prince Albert Angling Society members on a shoestring. AST ORDERS RANG OUT AT goldfish, resplendent in colour, like the hues of the the bar. A group of working class men hayfield and scattered bales, as the summer sun had more to celebrate this night than sank on countryside in a golden era. A scene today just replenished glasses. It was “time, replaced by over-fertilized green, green grass and gentlemen” to form what would unsightly polythene-covered silage. become the largest fishing club in the Two stretches of the Dane were leased, too, where MIKE UK, probably the best run in Europe today. HANDYSIDE chub and dace dominated the middle river. No doubt some stalwarts flicked heavily hackled flies with LAlong these lines we can envisage the birth of the is an enquiring Prince Albert Angling Society in 1954, taking its environmental cane under shading alders in the hope of attracting name from a backstreet pub in Macclesfield. fisheries photo- the excited rise of a brown trout, rather than the slow The founders’ absolute passion for all things journalist. He has engulfing take of the chub. Game-fishing had begun. piscatorial was waxing, along with post-war tackle worked on rivers, Salmon runs in Cheshire in those days had been professionally and developments, at a time of increasing opportunities voluntarily, and has put paid by locks, weirs and the pollution of the for game fishing. They would have no idea of what fly-fished for more industrial revolution. But wild brown trout still was to be, though; a total membership today of more than 45 years. graced the numerous lowland brooks, spawning on than 9,600, comprising equal proportions of game sand-and-gravel substrate, but threatened by an and coarse enthusiasts, along with non-fishers and insidious creep of silage production and its highly 800 juniors. polluting liquor. And soon some “scruffy” trout I asked the secretary, Andrew Strickland, how the waters came on stream for early members; stretches club has become so successful. of the Peover Eye and Poynton Brook were rented. “The answer is diversity in many forms,” he said. Fishing on the Allgreave Stream (Clough Brook) “The variety of 250-plus waters [47 owned], both established the club in the preserved territory of the geographically and type. We have large and small upper Dane, running off the Pennines to the east, pools and reservoirs, rivers and lakes from the with little sand input and pristine spawning gravels. Scottish border to South Wales. The society has A 1966 Stockport Advertiser Angler’s Handbook tells members from Kent to Aberdeenshire and of previous exclusivity: Lincolnshire to Northern Ireland.” “In its upper reaches [the Dane] is strictly But it started from humble beginnings. The men preserved for trout fishing, the rights being held by fished day-ticket waters and matches; they didn’t clubs like Macclesfield Fly Fishers Club and by own or rent a single venue at the outset. private syndicates.” Founder members then clubbed together, and › the first water was rented: the Brickpond. Other Where it all began: pools followed. The Prince Albert A homemade quill float would dip to the attention pub in Macclesfield.›› of an investigating crucian carp; the angler’s 18 | FEBRUARY 2020 FEBRUARY 2020 | 19 17 19 PRINCE ALBERT ANGLING SOCIETY 18 Carlisle 20 Prince Albert SOLWAY River Eden Angling Society FIRTH 35 game-fishing waters Breaking the boundaries of exclusivity and offering game fishing on a shoestring was partly SYNDICATE WATERS LAKE key to the club’s early good fortune, and this is 1 Blithfield Reservoir 2 Jay Farm Fishery DISTRICT reflected today. 3 Llyn Transfynydd “The secret of success is the quality and mixture 4 Ladybower Reservoir 39 of fishing at an affordable price,” said 5 Howden Reservoir 36 42 Andrew Strickland. 6 Derwent Reservoir The springs of four rivers split on Axe Edge Moor: 7 Llyn Clywedog Reservoir Dane, Dove and Goyt cascade and tumble over its 8 Llyn Bugeilyn 9 Gwernan Lake gritstone, while the Wye’s pristine waters succumb 21 to limestone’s influence, both geographically and TROUT STILLWATERS chemically. The preserved, hallowed waters of the 10 Lamaload Reservoir 11 Ty-Mawr Reservoir 53 Derbyshire Wye, with its wild rainbows, would be “Names such as Bob Church YORKSHIRE 12 The Moat DALES a step too far, in all but the dreams of the working- and John Goddard drifted into 13 Fields Farm Pool class founders, but the Dove would not. And so the 14 Motorway Lake society ventured into the stomping ground of Izaac 15 Henbury Lake 16 conversation along busy banks” 16 Grizedale Lea Reservoir Walton, acquiring not only stretches of the revered 14 54 37 river, but also tributaries such as Bradbourne and RIVERS IRISH Blackpool Marston Brooks. 17 Border Esk SEA 22 38 24 Burnley A tiny pool at Whirley provided the first trout 18 Eden Preston 19 Liddel stillwater, before, some years later Lamaload and ABOVE Six salmon waters were acquired on the In the 1970s, 20 South Tyne Bottoms Reservoirs were rented, the latter magnificent Severn, along with four on the Ribble at 21 Lune a young Mike Bolton previously restricted by the water board to residents Handyside Ribchester, by 1966. Two 20lb salmon might be seen 22 Ribble of Macclesfield borough and surrounding area. walked across lying in February snow, tempted by a wooden Devon 23 Banwy & Twrch In 1972 a young boy cast a Corixa and, almost Godor Bridge. Minnow fluttering enticingly, inches above gravels, 24 Calder simultaneously, the fly-line drew tight to the most Today, no-one and drawn by a Wye lead bouncing the riverbed. 25 Clun appears to take beautiful rainbow trout. I will never forget the By 1972 the Welsh Dee again offered spring salmon 26 Conwy Manchester 5 responsibility Cothi 27 Liverpool 6 brilliant iridescent purple and silver, as the trout for river fishing, anglers generally not bothering with the few 28 Dane broke the dull, calm surface, reflecting leaden skies blockages. later summer and autumn fish. Beats on the 29 Dee 4 over Lamaload. Nor will I forget my father giving me Severn’s main Vyrnwy tributary expanded the club’s 30 Dove & Henmore Anglesey BELOW state-of-the-art reservoir lures shortly afterwards, A 1972 stronghold into the Welsh Borders. 31 Dovey 10 32 Dulus South whenever he bought the latest creations, no doubt membership In the early 1970s a boy’s journey continued and Bangor 26 43 Macclesfield launched with help from T&S articles. A tandem card and the I recall with great fondness walking across Godor 33 Dulus North 57 34 Dysinni 15 Black-and-Silver Lure mesmerised trout in a choppy 1966 Stockport footbridge on the Vyrnwy, a stop-off point on family 28 Advertiser 35 Eamont 44 ripple, while the Muddler Minnow, from across Angler's holidays to the Welsh coast. My mother would walk 36 Cumbrian Esk Wrexham The Pond, like the rainbows originally, was Handbook, the dog and father would fish for 25 minutes or so, 37 Hodder 40 11 29 revolutionary and is my first-choice sea-trout fly showing an while I gazed down at this fascinating and, what 38 Hyndburn today. Names such as Bob Church and John Goddard already seemed, large river (I had not seen the mighty 39 Irt extensive list 40 Lledr SNOWDONIA River Dee drifted into conversation along busy banks, where of waters in the Severn yet). Here the Vyrnwy cuts a rejuvenating 41 Mawddach anglers stood in ranks on Saturday and Sunday early years. course in glacial deposits; something a junior would 3 42 Mint 30 mornings. A sight and sound sadly long gone on soon learn of in geography lessons. But the main 43 Peover Eye many reservoirs. destination was a land of sewin, the Dovey and 44 Seiont 12 13 45 Severn 41 55 1 Today, Prince Albert rents or has access to Dysynni, stacked with silver by the end of July. Shrewsbury 13 stillwaters, including syndicate tickets on › 46 Tame 9 23 52 46 Ladybower, Blithfield and Clywedog reservoirs. 47 Teifi 33 31 49 48 Teme 49 Tern 34 51 45 51 Twymyn 32 Birmingham During the 1960s and 1970s many 52 Vyrnwy 8 salmon and sea-trout waters 53 Wenning 2 were acquired for club members. 54 Wharfe 7 Pictured is the River Dysynni. Wnion River Severn 55 Aberystwyth 56 Wye (Herefordshire) 57 Derwent (Derbyshire) 25 For more information on PAAS waters, visit paas.co.uk 48 27 47 River Wye PEMBROKESHIRE 56 BRECON BEACONS 20 | FEBRUARY 2020 FEBRUARY 2020 | 21 PRINCE ALBERT ANGLING SOCIETY LEFT PAAS member John Eardley with a 10lb salmon taken on a shrimp “The huge grey ghosts of deep from Llanelltyd Bridge pool on the Mawddach tidal pools were lost to one in 1985. BELOW drink too many…” Tom Eardley, John's father, worm fishing on the Twymyn (Dovey JOHN EARDLEY tributary) in August 1988. It is said that on Sundays pioneering committee members would take a trip into the heart of Wales, knocking on farmers’ doors in the hope of, and sometimes, securing leases on these fine rivers. Today, a different route is taken. Andrew Strickland explained, “I think our late chairman Dennis Meredith would have agreed that diversity is evident across the management committee, which comprises different age groups running companies of their own, from builders, engineers, general managers, teachers and instructors to chartered accountants.
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