The formation of the Derwent Angling Association

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Angling as a sport has never been high profile, but has been going about its business in some shape or form for over 4oo years and is alive and well and living in our valley. The impact on the environment an angling association has is minimal, with no clubhouse or structures to speak of you could walk along the riverside without even knowing it was there. Up and down the country thousands of angling clubs exist and are quietly repairing riverbanks, clearing blockages and creating a better habitat for the fish on the rivers they love, as well as being the first to report pollution incidents to the Environmental Agency.

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 Since the Middle Ages the River Derwent has formed the border between Northumberland and Co. Durham.  Before the mid- nineteenth century or the pre-industrial age, fishing was the pursuit of the “landed gentry” and they employed gamekeepers and river watchers to keep away uninvited guests. But as we entered the Victorian age and industry grew along the banks of the River Derwent, the surrounding area became more densely populated with workers living in rows of terrace houses all returning sewage into the river as well as lethal effluent from nearby factories and further up the valley the mines of Healeyfield and Blanchland, presenting dire consequences for the fish and a serious threat to the ecology and invertebrate species of the river.  As industry grew up and down the country, an act of Parliament was passed and proper regulations introduced by the end of the century in an attempt to stop such things happening.  In these times of poverty characterising the Victorian working classes, people turned to the river to feed their families, poaching became commonplace, the Derwent was being plundered sometimes by unscrupulous methods such as poisoning large sections of the river.

 

The future of fishing on the River Derwent had been  threatened and something had to be done, concerns mounted,  then in May 1865 the Consett Guardian, main newspaper for the large iron-working town situated on the Durham side of the Derwent Valley carried out the following announcement:-

“At a Public Meeting held at the Town Hall, Shotley Bridge, on Tuesday 9 May 1865, to consider the Propriety of forming an Association for the Protection of Fish in the River Derwent is resolved:-

1.  That an Association be formed for the Protection of Fish in the River Derwent and its Tributaries and that such Association be called `The Derwent Angling Association`.

2. That the Association be governed by a President and a Committee of not less than six members, to be elected annually, together with a Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee”.

A fee of five shillings was proposed and the rules and regulations which were to take the association forward set, as membership grew and an attempt to restore the fishing to its former glory, the problem of poaching was still rearing its ugly head, with more prosecutions than ever taken place and fines of £5 (about £440 at today’s rate) being set for night poaching and £2 for people being caught during the hours of daylight without a permit.

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The Derwent Angling Association controls 15 miles of fishing on the river Derwent and is about to celebrate its 158th year. It is one of the oldest Angling Associations in the country, with a rich tapestry of angling history and an archive dating back to its birth, connecting it to things from the sword makers of  Bridge to appearing in recent edition of top angling magazines, the association still thrives in the Derwent valley. The water quality is now better than ever, but the future is never assured, with around 200 senior members, the biggest threat to its future seems to be the invention of the gaming console, as junior members dwindle, the Association is always on the lookout for more young members and at only £21 (for a person between the age of 15 & 18 years) for a season it offers good value for anyone wishing to give it a try.

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Written by Ian Colborne, Membership Secretary