I donated a lot to the 2010 Wild Trout Trust auction, a Small Streams Day with the morning on the Berkeley water on the Little Avon and the afternoon on the Bathampton water on Box brook.

Yesterday was the day. I met my guest at his hotel at 9am and by 9.30 we were on the Little Avon. Nothing moved so I introduced him to short nymphing which he had previous experience of on the bigger rivers of the Czech Republic but small stream fishing was very new to him. Suffice to say he picked up fish. In the afternoon we moved to Box Brook and again he caught on nymphs....then the fish started rising and mayfly started to come off. On with a gray wulff. He had to leave at 3.30 to make the long trip back to his home in Essex by which time he'd had 4 very good fish on the dry. Had an email this morning thanking me. A photo



Now, the point of this post, a shameless plug for the WTT. I wonder if people realise how easy it can be to raise some money for the work the WTT do by donating a lot to the auction. It doesn't need any effort, if you are a member of a club or syndicate fishing nice water that's difficult to get onto (no day tickets, long waiting list etc) then all you need do is donate a guest ticket. No need to accompany the winner. You can do more, I acted as a guide and provided a picnic lunch. The clubs donated the guest tickets, lunch probably cost a tenner (and it came out of housekeeping anyway, so wifey paid, not me!) and I had to pay for petrol to get to the river, but I'd have gone anyway. So in return for me spending next to nothing, the WTT got £106 which is what my guest paid. Everbody wins, the WTT get some dosh, the guest had a nice time and I met a nice chap who I will fish with again. You can, of course, do as much as you like, what matters is that we support the work of the WTT and this is an easy way to do it.

Shameless plug over - going to meet Malcolm now to fish the Wiltshire Avon which I bought on the MFA auction!!

Regards

Peter (not employed by the WTT by the way)

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Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans
John Lennon

http://walksandfishes.blogspot.com/

The auction they held on E-bay was great for the trust. I spoke to Denise when i met her at Meon Springs for the orvis show and she said it was a success. I did have one point to make to her and that is that the ebay auction is ok if you have the funds to afford some of the lots. with most of them going mad with bidding they soon became out of my price range. She did say that they are trying to do more smaller auctions direct from the site and not ebay. Sort of £40 - 100 auctions instead of the £100's and £1000's ebay auctions. That way it will take away the eleatist attitude to our sport and hopefully bring in more youngsters.

Well done on the plug
Regards
Ian

PS: Aldult Membership is only £35 or £3 per month
The Wild Trout Trust

Thanks Ian. I suppose that was partly my point. If more clubs donated guest tickets without guiding they are likely to go for the £20-75 level rather than the £100-500 level - I mean some of the bids were frightening!

Regards

Peter

__________________
Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans
John Lennon

http://walksandfishes.blogspot.com/

I had no idea that it was so easy to donate guest tickets to the WTT. Well done Peter, looks like your guest had a great day. N

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Fundamentally fishing is a philosophy. A philosophy of earth, and growth, and quiet places. In it there is a rule of life, a recognition of permanences. It makes you notice the little things of nature, wherever you may be. ~Bernard Venables

We donated a day last year that reached £280 thats almost 6 times more than we donate as club membership. This year we donated 3 days and raised about £400, We dont offer guiding but we do give them agood run around the fishery and then keep poping back through the day and eve to check progress and point them towards some easier fish.
It would be hard to say to the AGM;' Lets give (the very worthy)WTT £400, for all the help and advice they have given us'.
But this is an easy way to achieve the same goal.


And if your reading this and not a member of the WTT please tell us why? I would love to know why people who fish small streams dont support this charity.

Well done Peter & Pom!

A generous gesture and well worth doing; great to see people giving something without looking for a return!

Regards

M

Well put Peter, as you know I donated a day on the Eden for the Monnow trust auction last year, you won it.!!!
Lunch and guiding, by guiding I mean I'll show you the hotspots.
I wouldn't dare teach you how to fish, but this year I might just do the same for the WTT. Looking forward to it BTW.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

You might end up showing me how to do it....I tend to disappoint my hosts on these days!

Pom - my point exactly, an easy way to raise funds for the WTT. If need be, just donate a guest pass and let them get on with it!

Mostyn - your club is as generous as any in donating days to the WTT auction

Regards

Peter

__________________
Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans
John Lennon

http://walksandfishes.blogspot.com/