Burrator Fly Fishers Christmas Supper 2015

BFF members and wives gathered at the Jack Rabbit, Derriford for the Christmas Supper on Monday 14th December. The Jack Rabbit always has a very warm and cosy feel. There is a reasonably varied a la carte menu and we also had the option of the Christmas 'Festive Menu'.  Mark Clarke, who left the BFF when he moved away earlier in the year, very generously donated £50 towards the wine bill.

Our Chairman Peter presented prizes for various achievements throughout the year.  The prizes were as follows:

Pat Power - best trout from any water - 6lb 15oz Rainbow from Newhouse Fishery. Pat received a bottle of whisky and trout flies.

Mark Sinclair - best trout from Burrator - 5lb 10oz. Gets 'Geoff Riley' Trophy. Unfortunately Mark was not able to attend on the night to collect his award in person.

Mike Duckett - winner of the Christmas competition at Tavistock Trout Fishery with three fish for 8lb 4oz. Also won a bottle of whisky and trout flies.

Tony Hooper - winner of November competition at Burrator with two fish for 2lb 13oz. received a bottle of wine plus trout flies.

Bill Watson - winner of the Burrator Three Fly Competition. Gets a hand carved and painted wooden trout. Unfortunately Bill was not able to be present on the night to collect his award in person.

David Lye - winner of the Burrator 'best effort at falling in' award for full immersion in Burrator during the November competition. David was awarded a personalised bath towel!

A raffle was held with lots of prizes on offer.  The evening was declared a great success.

Peter deep in discussion

Peter & David discuss arrangements

Linda

Tony & George

TonyH received a bottle of wine and some trout flies for winning the November Competition at Burrator

Bob cannot believe that Tony has had yet another winning ticket in the draw!

David receives the prize for 'Best Effort at Falling In' - a personalised bath towel!

A visit to Tavistock for the Christmas Competition

A Motley Crew!

This year, for a change, seven of us went to the Tavistock Trout Fishery for our Christmas Competition. Tavistock is a small Put & Take venue with five small lakes covering, probably, two acres in total. It is hardly 'wilderness' fishing, but with its on-site tackle shop, free tea, coffee and biscuits in the anglers' club-house, and its well tended paths and  casting platforms it makes just the right easygoing environment a not too serious club event.

Stuart with one of his brace - Mike the eventual winner in the background

This year the turnout was quite small; only seven of us. Several regulars were elsewhere engaged, cruising the Mediterranean, or visiting relatives in Dubai, Derbyshire and all points north and south. The dedicated souls who made the effort were John Jeffrey, Pat Power, David Lye, Stuart Payne, Mike Duckett, Tony Vallack and Peter Macconnell.

Tony and Mike

We fished from 10.00am to 3.00pm for a maximum of three fish each. The weather was reasonably kind to us, it was grey and overcast but the rain kept off and it was not too cold. In  the end Mike Duckett won with three rainbow trout for a total weight of 8lb 4oz, and Pat Power won the 'Sweep' for the best individual fish for another rainbow of 4lb 5oz. It was his only fish of the day and came just minutes before the 'weigh-in'.

David and Peter