any durham city angling club members here?

[metallica fish]

i'm wanting to join but looking at the application form it says:

Annual Membership runs to 31st January 2014 regardless of date of joining

would this mean i would have to wait until after January 31st to get my membership? it's not ideal as ive got loads of time off from now till the end of January. but i dont fancy paying £50 now then having to pay it all over again in less than a couple of months... is there anyway round this?

thanks
liam

[mickcave83]

No way round it mate, although they do offer half price membership from 1st october to jan 31st

[Daz65]

Call them they might do deal most golf clubs do

[metallica fish]

long story short i can join on the 31st of jan. but i dont have to get a 12 month rod license. you just have to promise to have a day license, which will be checked by the EA who are always kicking about

[Lynnzer]

long story short i can join on the 31st of jan. but i don't have to get a 12 month rod license. you just have to promise to have a day license, which will be checked by the EA who are always kicking about

Rod licences end on 31st March and if you intend to do more than a few days fishing you'd probably still be better getting a full licence anyway.
If you don't intend to do much fishing, or at least enough to warrant a full rod license, I can't see why you would want to join a club.
The way the river's running at present though I'd say the chances are you won't be likely to cast a line until the damn weather improves. I've been over to Durham a few time lately and it's still running pretty high and very coloured.

Maybe hang on with the club. In the meantime there are free stretches you can fish without permits in the region.
I do both Durham free stretches myself but there's one up near Hexham on the Tyne and there's also a good free stretch down in Yarm where a pike of over 30lb was pulled out a couple or three weeks ago.

Of course the other option is to get yourself a sea rod and reel and do it all for free. A mix of fishing is ideal for me. When the tides right and the weather's favourable I go sea fishing and when it's not right for sea fishing I just as happily pick up my river tackle.

The way I intend to operate, (intend only as I've just taken up the sport again after a long absence) is to fish the rivers mostly in the warmer and dryer parts of the year, mostly fly and lure fishing, and then in the autumn to the start of the trout season I'll be going more for sea fishing.

I'm guessing you have river tackle already and if it includes something akin to a decent 9' spinning rod and a reasonable reel you could go flattie bashing on the estuaries, especially by the National Glass Centre or even go after codling and whities along the lower Tyne around Walker. Neither of these require heavy tackle.
Come the summer and there'll be plenty good sport to be had with mackerel on light gear in the estuary mouths too.
I think I get the best of both worlds doing that and I enjoy them both just as much.