AFFILIATED TO :- The ANGLING TRUST.
This information sheet is issued to prospective and new Club Members, giving brief details of the Club and its activities during the year. The Club was formed in 1962 to bring the sport of Sea Angling to all ages, we welcome men, ladies and children to come and join us, as this is very much a family Club.
Competitions are held mainly on Sundays throughout the year, with Saturday evening competitions being held during the summer due to the beaches being full during the day. There is a signing-on fee for each competition, this is payable to the Signing On or Records Officer prior to the commencement of fishing on all Club competitions. Vouchers are presented to the top weights on these competitions. Shore, Shallow Boat and Deep Boat competitions are all included in the Club Fixtures but fishing in the Docks is no longer allowed. The Club Championship is made up of two sections, they are Seniors and Juniors (all members under the age of 16). There are numerous Cups and Trophies to be won each year, these include Senior Champion and Runner-Up. All of these are awarded to the member with the highest aggregate points in each section from the shore. The Shallow Boats has sections for Seniors and Juniors, with the Deep Boats having just a Senior section. Both Boat sections having their own separate trophies.
Among the other Cups and Trophies to be won are the Flounder Cup, Junior Flounder Cup, Pouting Trophy, Skate/Ray Cup, Cod Cup, Bass Trophy, Silver Eel Cup, Species Trophy, Numbers Cup, Total Weight of the Year Cups, Two Shore Knockout Shields, Shallow Boat Knockout Shield, Deep Boat Knockout Trophy, Shore & Shallow Boats Teams Trophies, Pairs Trophies for the Deep Boats. The Fish of the Month Awards (in and out of club competitions) to list but a few. A full list appears on the Club fixture card. On club competitions fish are recorded by the Records Officer but the onus is on the member to ensure all specimen and record fish are individually weighed and recorded. Fish of the month entries will only be accepted on Official Club Weighing-Dockets. All these fish must have been caught within Angling Trust Wessex Divisional area whose boundaries are from the far end of Hayling Island in the East to the town of West Bay, Dorset in the West (including the Isle of Wight). All competitions are fished to the Angling Trust rules and minimum size limits.
All competitions are decided on a points system with 25 points for the top weight, 24 points for second, 23 points for third and so on down to 2 points, every other member signed on will receive 1 point. One special prize that is awarded each year is the large Wooden Spoon, this is awarded to the member fishing the greater number of competitions and with the least number of points. To qualify you must weigh-in at least once and have fished 12 or more competitions. There are also the Junior Wooden Spoon and the Shallow Boats Wooden Oar which are run on the same lines. The Club has run Open Shore Festivals for 40 years which are held along the Weston, Netley and Hamble Shores. These competitions have many big prizes to be won and in the past these festivals have attracted over 500 anglers. The Club’s boat compound is situated directly under the Itchen Bridge on the Southampton side of the water. This is the starting point for the Shallow Boat Competitions. Other events include our Annual Prizegiving and Social Evening, Bingo evenings, Barbeque and the occasional Skittle evening. At the beginning of each year we hold our Annual General Meeting where members can air their views on all topics concerning the Club.
The Club sends out a regular Newsletter with any information that the members should know about and these include up to date Championship positions, Fish of the Month Awards, New Club Records that have been set. Our new Club Website now includes all reports of all Shore and Boat Matches. It also includes Photo’s of all recent fish caught so visit us on ‘www.shirleysac.co.uk’ to view the club’s website. A Membership Application Form can be downloaded from this site.
It is hoped that this handout outlines most of the Clubs activities and if you require any further information do not hesitate in contacting us. If you would like to join us then please complete this form and send it to the Membership Secretary enclosing your joining fee and annual subscription. In return you will receive your membership card, fixture card, club rule book, a copy of the latest newsletter, a list of Angling Trust minimum size limits and some weighing-in dockets. The Club also has a selection of badges for sale.
We wish you a long, happy and successful association with our Club.