Geoff Riley 1936 - 2013



It is with great sadness we report that Geoff Riley passed away on Friday 4th October 2013. Geoff had been suffering from cancer and just the week before had been admitted to St. Luke's Hospice where his final days and hours could be made as comfortable as possible.

Geoff had been a long-standing member of the Burrator Fly Fishers and loved his fishing at the reservoir. He had also been a very active member and did a lot for the club in his role as Secretary, a position he held for more than ten years. He was much appreciated, greatly liked, and will be sorely missed.

Geoff's son Steve, in an email to the Chairman, said 'Dad loved his fishing and had many happy memories of Burrator. He also enjoyed seeing Roy & Terry just a couple of days ago.' (Roy Kane and ex member Terry Buttle had been to visit Geoff at St. Luke's).

Geoff's funeral is at 12 noon on Wednesday 16th October, at Weston Mill Crematorium. All members and ex members who knew him, have been invited by Geoff's wife, Joy, to attend if they wish. Flowers will be from family only so anyone wanting to make a donation in lieu should do so by giving something to St. Luke's Hospice who do marvellous work. The club will make an appropriate donation.

Geoff's son, Steve, has also suggested that the family would like to give to the club a trophy of some kind, possibly a cup or a shield, in memory of his father. We have indicated that we would be honoured to accept.



A limit bag for Pat wins the September Competition

See below for details



On Thursday 26th September, with Burrator water levels still quite low, a small group of members and one or two non-members, gathered along the south bank of the Longstone Peninsula. It was a pleasant day and fish were seen moving at the surface throughout.

Pat won the competition with a limit bag of five fish for a combined weight of  7lb 4oz. Peter Macconnell was second with three fish for 4lbs exactly. Peter Phillips was third with two fish for 2lb 8oz. These were in fact Peter P's first fish from Burrator so he was pleased enough to have 'broken his duck', as the saying goes. With an average weight of only 1lb 6oz it was obvious that all these rainbows were fairly recently stocked fish. Though they seemed in good condition and fought well for their size.

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the day was the fact that all the fish were taken on floating flies or flies fished just in the surface film. Pat caught his  on a floating sedge pattern and Peter M on a black CDC Hopper

The winning fly - Pat's Dry Sedge

 

CDC Hopper

 

Finally - If you were wondering about the first picture in this posting, it has nothing to do with the competition. It is something my wife brought home from Morrison's the other day. Burrator Ice Cream. Not the stuff that 'Mr. Jolly' sells, most days, from his van by the dam, but perfectly nice with a bit of apple pie all the same. - Peter