Our
precious heritage
During a long fishing life it has been my great privilege and pleasure
to have fished more extensively on the lovely trout streams of Derbyshire
than almost anyone else has ever done.
I have surely fished on the vast majority of the pools on all of our rivers.
Staying on waiting lists that were longer than they are now until my name
came up at the top of their list for various fisheries, and giving up
smoking to afford the yearly fees when I did get in played a part.
Also swapping guest tickets with anglers who belonged to other clubs and
syndicates, and also the help given me by river keepers and managers and
owners for which I am eternally thankful.
How I loved what is surely the river with the clearest water in all of
England, the Lathkil, and the other limestone rivers including the Wye
and the Bradford tributary.
The Derwent, of course, and the Dove that American anglers revere for
its association with Charles Cotton and Izaak Walton.
Add my favourite small river, the Manifold, and the delightful River Noe
and the memories are happy ones, though I am no longer fit enough for
the stealthy, creepy crawly fishing that those venues need.
Enigmatically though, despite the abundant mix of trout rivers in our
county, we could still do with another hundred miles or so of this fishing.
The necessity to strictly limit the number of anglers who fish the rivers,
while at the same time paying enough in fees to provide the very necessary
keepers to endeavour to control the abominable poachers, and the ever
present threat from farm chemicals means that would-be river anglers must
limit their fishing time and pay quite a lot in fees.
One way that an introduction to this kind of fishing can be had is by
joining the Derbyshire County Angling Club.
Though annual subs are quite reasonable, there is a high first year entrance
fee aimed at attracting members who will be valuable and loyal to the
club rather than just regarding the fees as a kind of permit to fish.
With all manner of fishing on stillwaters and rivers for coarse fish and
game fish members need hardly fish anywhere else.
Trout fishing is included on the Derwent and the Dove and on most of the
Manifold.