2022 Committee / AGM Update

Dear Member,

Another strange year it has been and it doesn’t seem that the new year has brought much in the way of normality. As the Covid restrictions have only lifted in the past few weeks and with the infection numbers being so high, it was decided that the AGM for 2022 will be cancelled, but hopefully we can get back to a normal AGM in 2023. It would be wonderful to get to see the members in person again in person. We are very late this year in finalising the club newsletter as finding an evening to meet in person has been difficult with committee members having to isolate in the past couple of months. For the past couple of years, the committee has been reduced to 5 members but we would like to increase that number, so if you feel you would have the time for about 8-10 evening meetings during the year we would love to talk to you. Although there will be no AGM for 2022 we would like you to feel free to email hello@kellsanglers.com any questions or comments you may have and where appropriate we will circulate the questions and answers later in the season.

 

Current Regulations

It is with great relief we can say for this year that there are no Covid19 based regulations in force while fishing. We would of course like to say please still look after yourselves and respect any members who choose to continue to mask up in company.

Currently closed sections of the Kells Blackwater

• [Map Mark 10] At Maudlin Bridge upstream of the bridge is closed. This area is closed to all entry. This issue is currently being investigated by the club’s solicitors and hopefully a resolution that suits all parties can be found.
• [Map Mark 8] The lane is too close to homes and is being worked on by the land owner, therefore this section is closed to parking, but fishing is permitted on foot.

Renewing your membership

To streamline membership, we would ask where possible to renew your membership either by PayPal or with a bank transfer (Details below). When paying through bank transfer please email hello@kellsanglers.com or text 0877809946 to let us know you have paid so they can be tracked. Where this is not possible you can also drop your membership off to any committee member.

Last year we waved the membership fee for members who felt they were unable to pay, we did this anonymously so nobody had to make any uncomfortable calls to the committee. We will be returning to normal membership fees this year with one minor change. We have decided to leave the membership renewal at €50 for senior members, €1 for junior members and €10 for the over 70s. What we have decided to change is the new member fee to €200, this was €300 up to now. We used this money to fund the juniors but currently we have reasonable reserves so we felt it was time to lower the fee. If you know of anyone who would like to join please forward them on to any committee member.

This year all membership cards will be posted to the renewing or new members on receipt of payment. So, once you have paid please email hello@kellsanglers.com and we will get them out as soon as possible.

Please remember to carry your membership card with you at all times while at the river. You can be asked for it by a committee member or land owner at any time.

PayPal

Send payments to hello@kellsanglers.com, you do not need a PayPal account to send money.

Bank

IBAN – IE48BOFI90344525115779

Bank Identifier (BIC) – BOFIIE2DXXX

Bank Name – Bank of Ireland

Bank Address – Kells

 

Club News

Last year was a difficult year and we didn’t manage to get any formal river clean-ups done. So, expect an email or text in the coming months and we hope you can join us. Many hands make light work and it’s a long river so the more the merrier. There has been limited in-stream work done in the past year, but there was work done on a tributary of the Blackwater by the IFI under the watchful eye of Ciaran O’Kelly. The tributaries of course are key spawning ground for the trout and salmon in the blackwater, so work on these is key to the health of the river in general. There was some work done by the IFI and OPW on the river at Carnaross, thanks to James Orwell and Larry Mulvaney for facilitating the works. There are works scheduled for 2023 in the main body of the river, these will be organised by Ciaran and the work will be done by the IFI.

Ciaran has been very busy dealing with a number of planning applications for housing close to the river that have flawed sewerage planning. This of course will lead to a possible danger to the water quality of the river. We would like to make it clear that the club has no issue with housing being built in catchment of the river, we all know how much housing is needed in the country at the moment. This issue is and always has been the lack of water treatment capacity in the area. Even at the level of housing now the treatment plant is over loaded and often releases untreated water into the water course, so adding more housing before fixing the treatment plant will lead to even more poor water quality for everyone in the area. For the past nine years we have been working to engage with Irish Water to address the issue but this has been difficult but we will continue to push them along.

The local committee members have been monitoring the river regularly during the past year and with the reduced work and travel there have only been minor issues. We would encourage club members who are able to make it to the river to keep and eye out and report any issues or dumping to a committee member.

A pollution report was undertaken by the club and the results have been sent to the local TDs and councillors, we are currently awaiting replies from them. The full report will be made available on the club’s website in the coming days. The club is located in a special area of conservation (SAC) and priority action area so we will continue to work for the health of the river and its surrounds.

The club is part of the National Enhancement Plan along with the Boyne Catchment group so we are hoping to see continued funding for in-stream works coming from here. Ciaran is our representative through the Boyne catchment group and will continue to push for the necessary works on the river to continue.

Many members didn’t manage to get much time at the river last season and the same may apply for a number of months of this season. We would love to see the catches of anyone who can make it to the river. You can send them to the club by email at hello@kellsanglers.com or on Instagram or twitter @kellsanglers. We would love to see your photos for those members who are too far from the river to wet a line.

Competitions

It seems like a long time since we have had any competitions, for this year we are hoping to hold a family day competition and we intend to use this as a way to try to get new junior members. When there are further details we will send out an email and post on the website to let you know. We would love to see a great turnout at this as it will be the first time we will all get to meet in over two years.

2021 Fishing Season

While some people found the fishing difficult last season, other had a good season. There were no reports or bigger fish but this may be because we didn’t see each other last year, so if you do have a good catch please let us know. There were no recorded salmon caught this year for the first time in many years. Not many people target salmon in the Blackwater so you do please let us know.

The club and committee would like to wish you tight lines for the 2022 season. Hopefully we can all stop for a chat along the river bank this season. If you need any information during the year in relation to regulations or river access please feel free to contact any committee member.