All fees will be remaining the same as 2020, details are available on the Membership Page of this site, for your convenience here is the main information you will need.

COVID lockdown menas we will not be able to hold a fees nights at the cricket club this year.

Fees and Renewals. 2021/22 Season Prices

Full members •

•Joining Fee :  £10  

•Late Payment fee : £5

•Senior Member :  £75

•Junior member :  Juniors aged 16- 18 : £20

•Juniors below the age of 16: free but must be registered with the club and be accompanied by a senior member

•Senior Pond only :  £30

•Honorary members : £35  

How to renew.

The easiest and most Covid safe method of renewing your membership is to pay electronically by bank transfer. Payment may also be made by post with a cheque or postal order.

When paying by cheque please post your cheque along with the renewal slip from your membership book, or from the club web-site and include a STAMPED SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE ( 8” x 6”) as early as possible to

The Secretary, Willington & District Angling Club. PO Box 126, Spennymoor. DL16 9DL

Please remember, failure to include the correct SAE will result in a delay in posting, if you are unable to include the SAE then please include a payment of £1.50 and the secretary will pick this up on your behalf.

Cheques and POs should be made payable to Willington and District Angling Club Ltd.

Alternatively to pay directly by bank transfer please send your payment, including £1.50 to cover postage, packing and banking fees to :

Willington and District Angling Club at :

Barclays Bank.       Account No. 43427390         Sort code; 20-83-73. 

Please use your 2020 membership number and surname as the reference.

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of a life-long member of the Angling fraternity.

Dr. Eddie Chesters passed away at the weekend at the age of 83.

Many anglers will remember Eddie as a skilled and enthusiastic Trout and Salmon angler who was involved with W&DAC for many years, until latter years he remained President of the Club with the Dr. Chesters Trophy fished for annually.

Willington &District Angling Club extends our deepest condolences to his wife and family at this sad time.

R.I.P Dr. Chesters 1937 – 2021

We now have an update and great news from the Angling Trust, fishing is a permitted activity but must be done in accordance with the Government Covid-19 Regulations.

Please see the statement from the Angling Trust below.

The Government have now formally responded to the representations made by the Angling Trust. We have promoted the huge benefits of fishing on individual health and wellbeing and have been able to present a case to which the Government have listened. On this basis I am pleased to announce that fishing will be permitted during the third national lockdown in England.
The Head of Sports Participation at DCMS confirmed the following;
“fishing is allowed as exercise so long as participants adhere to the rules on staying local, gathering limits, social distancing and limiting the time spent outdoors”
This has also been confirmed by DEFRA;
“Cabinet Office have now officially confirmed that angling / fishing (incl. sea fishing off private boats, water sports) can be considered exercise and are hence permitted.”
We have worked extremely hard to reach this position and we as anglers have a duty to abide by the strict conditions under which fishing is once again permitted. With infection rates and death tolls rising we must stick to the Government’s rules and ensure that angling remains part of the solution and does not cause problems.
Please bear in mind these key points which will be reflected in the new Angling Trust guidelines which we will publish shortly:
– This is a strictly limited resumption of LOCAL fishing and very different to how we have been allowed to operate since May- We are in a National Lockdown and this must be respected. The law requires a ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave your home or penalties will apply.- The government has recognised that fishing can be seen as exercise, which is expressly permitted under the lockdown rules, although outdoor recreation is not.- Organised sporting gatherings are prohibited so no match fishing.- The exercise is limited to once a day so no overnight fishing whatsoever.- To remain within the law you should follow the government’s guidance, and only fish locally within the district where you live. If you have no local fishing available then you will have to take your daily exercise in other ways.
We are once again able to enjoy the sport we love at a time when many others can not and we must ensure that every angler adheres to the rules.
I would ask all anglers who are not members to join the Angling Trust and give us your support. We have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome and that is only possible thanks to the support of our new and existing members. I would ask all anglers who value their ability to go fishing to make the same commitment as your fellow anglers have and join the Angling Trust. We are stronger together!
Stay safe and very best fishes

Jamie Cook
CEO – Angling Trust”

Please see below the statement from the Angling Trust regarding the newly announced national lockdown.

In line with these requirements all club waters are closed until such a time as we are permitted to re-open. We can be confident that The Angling Trust will lobby on our behalf and will keep us updated on any progress or changes.

Suggestions in the news have been that we can hope for a relaxation of the lockdown by March, this would be brilliant news for the start of the trout season. In the meantime, please stay safe and look after your loved ones.

Kindest regards

Willington & District Angling Club Committee.

Covid-19

Statement from the Angling Trust on the national lockdown rules

UPDATE – January 5, 2021

“Whilst the regulations have not yet been published we have been informed this evening by the Cabinet Office that the Government have taken the decision that fishing in England will not be permitted during this national lockdown period. Whilst this is disappointing news I would ask anglers, fisheries and clubs to respect these rules and the reason they have been put in place; to help save lives and support the NHS.

Individuals should not go fishing from midnight tonight (5th January) and clubs and fisheries should close their waters to anglers. We will be publishing more detailed guidance on specific areas like bailiffing and fishery maintenance once the Government regulations have been published.

Over the past few weeks we have been in communication with the Government at the highest possible level. We have presented a strong case on how fishing could continue safely during the third national lockdown. We have explained that fishing benefits physical health and mental wellbeing and that it is regularly the only form of activity individuals undertake. You can read our representations to Cabinet Ministers here.

My team and I have consistently presented the arguments ahead of the changing government guidelines, which have allowed fishing to remain permitted continuously since the first national lockdown was lifted in May. We have been successful when other sports have not as all anglers will know.

However, with 60,000 new infections announced today, the Government have taken the decision that leaving home for recreation or leisure, including all forms of recreational fishing, should be prohibited in England during this third national lockdown period.

I thank you for your support and for being a credit to our sport. As members, you can rest assured that the Angling Trust will continue to represent our sport at the highest level and will present proposals for the resumption of angling when it is safe and sensible to do so. We will come through this period of national crisis. We will fish again, but until then, please, stay safe.

Jamie Cook
CEO, Angling Trust”

Should you have any queries or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Trout, sea Trout, Salmon, it’s time to move over, the Lady is waiting once again.

As we move towards the end of the Salmon season with the Trout season already a memory, and what a great memory this year once we were allowed to fish, anglers will be turning their thoughts towards the Lady of the Stream.

As you know we now have a well established Graying population with some excellent fish regularly reported.

GRAYLING FISHING FOR MEMBERS

As a W&DAC member your membership covers winter Grayling fishing. Just go out and enjoy.

NON MEMBERS’GRAYLING FISHING

Day tickets are available from Sheldon’s Newsagents in Willington, but we offer a really great value Winter Grayling Membership which will see you through to the close season in March. Held at only £25 again for the winter, just contact the secretary.

Of course this runs out just in time for the Trout season to start again. Once you become familiar with our waters there’s every chance that you will want to take out full membership for the season ahead too. Your Grayling permit can lead straight into another fabulous Trout season on our waters. So what are you waiting for?

We are very grateful to the local police for their regular visits to our waters at Willington. They are doing a great job of helping us to reduce incidents of poaching on the river.

If you visit the river don’t be surprised to see police officers about.

If you are approached please be ready to show your membership or day permit and your EA licence, and please be sure to thank them for their help in making the fishing you pay for more secure for all of us.

Thank you.

If you’re looking for great Brown Trout fishing, Willington District Angling Club waters on the River Wear is the place to go.

You can buy a Day Permit electronically and avoid all of that risk of going to a shop and just look at the type of fish we’re catching.

 

Now that fishing is back we are seeing some fantastic Brown Trout, here are a few examples to whet your appetite. All safely returned in the last few days on Willington District Angling Club waters.

As we prepare to fish again the club would like to share with you the advice and information from the Angling Trust.

No one needs to be reminded of the importance of taking care, social distancing is of utmost importance and we would strongly urge all anglers to follow the advice on these slides.

Take Care, Be Safe, Tight Lines.

The Prime minister  has given the green light to return to fishing from Wednesday this week.

At this point the club would direct you to the publication from the Angling trust.

Angling trust When We Fish Again

WE WILL FISH AGAIN! Angling to resume on Wednesday, May 13th

The Angling Trust has given a warm welcome to the announcement today (May 10th) by Prime Minster Boris Johnson that recreational fishing looks set to resume in England on Wednesday, May 13th.
The Prime Minister announced the resumption of ‘unlimited outdoor sports’ from Wednesday providing they are conducted alone or with members of the same household and that social distancing rules are followed at all times.

A government source confirmed that “outdoor exercise includes angling, golf, water sports and tennis providing social distanced from Wednesday.”

The decision to include outdoor activities such as angling in the first wave of newly permitted activities followed weeks of intense advocacy and lobbying by the Angling Trust which unified the angling community like never before and saw over 8,000 individual emails sent to MPs and dozens of articles in the regional and national press in support of a safe return for angling.

The Prime Minister is making a full statement to the House of Commons tomorrow and the Angling Trust will be seeking clarification about the reopening of tackle shops and confirmation of any restrictions on how angling should be practised during the next phase.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP tweeted:

“In the least risky outdoor environments we can imminently allow sports like golf, basketball, tennis and fishing.”

Last month, a report from the Angling Trust entitled ‘When We Fish Again’ was submitted to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and the Fisheries and Sports Ministers arguing for recreational fishing to be designated as one of the first permitted outdoor sports when ministers begin to relax the coronavirus lockdown restrictions. It was backed by national angling and fisheries groups including the Canal & River Trust, Salmon & Trout Conservation, the Institute of Fisheries Management and representatives of the angling trade which is estimated to be worth a total of £4bn to the UK economy.

The report recommended a phased resumption in line with the government’s own criteria and identified a number of good reasons why angling should be an early candidate for consideration including:
being a largely solitary sport where self isolation occurs naturally
proven benefits for mental health and social well-being
a reduction in pressure on other public open spaces
evidence that non-contact outdoor activities will not increase infection rates
angling appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds and engages able-bodied and disabled participants alike
the majority of the population live close to a waterway minimising the need for significant travel.
The Angling Trust’s proposal attracted the support of MPs of all parties and from prominent figures within the angling community.

Reacting to the news, Angling Trust CEO Jamie Cook said:

“I couldn’t be more pleased to see the hard work of the Angling Trust and our supporters delivering such an outstanding result for everyone who loves to go fishing. We have demonstrated to the satisfaction of government that angling can be permitted as a safe, healthy, beneficial outdoor activity and why it can take its rightful position at the front of the queue as restrictions are relaxed.

“Our effective and professional campaign was in support of a carefully thought through set of phased guidelines under which angling could be safely permitted without increasing the risk of COVID-19 transmissions. Without these guidelines we would have got nowhere and it is now incumbent upon every angler to respect them and demonstrate that we are still playing our part in the nationwide battle against the coronavirus.”

Angling Trust Policy Chief Martin Salter said:

“There is still work to do to get the tackle shops open and to provide good advice to fisheries, angling guides and coaches but it looks like we are there and it’s no longer a question of When We Fish Again but ‘where are we going fishing on Wednesday?’ We have run a fabulous campaign but we couldn’t have done it without the support of thousands of anglers who wrote to their MPs and of some of the top names in our sport who gave us their time and expertise.”

Korda and Guru Marketing boss Ali Hamidi added:

“This is incredible news for Angling. Fishing can commence from Wednesday. The excellent work of the Angling Trust has made a distant dream a reality. I’m going to name my next 100 carp after Martin Salter and Jamie Cook.”

The Angling Trust has today published further Phase One Guidelines for clubs and fisheries to help them prepare for the resumption of angling on their waters on May 13th.

Jamie Cook and Martin Salter will be answering anglers questions on a Facebook Live session tomorrow (Monday, May 11th) at 6pm. Details to follow on the Angling Trust Facebook page.