Guisborough Angling Club LTD
Guisborough Angling Club (GAC)
Guisborough Angling Club (GAC) is a non profit making legally registered Incorporated Limited Company
The club has approximately 70 members which consists of 10 Committee members and a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.
All the committee members are elected /relected by the lay club members at the Annual General Meeting and the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are in turn nominated and elected/re-elected by the members/committee members at the AGM.
Brief History
The club was formed in 1908 but the first written records of its existence are recorded in the GAC Minutes of Meetings (MOM) book of 1915 to 1982. The first recorded GAC AGM was held at 8pm on February 16th 1915 in the old Mechanics Institute in Guisborough. It is worth mentioning that this beautiful old building is still existing.
Four members and one other were present , Mr H Newson (Chairman), G. Atkinson, H. D .Denshaw( Treasurer), R. Pybus and the Secretary (person unknown). One of the proposals of this AGM was for the re-election of all the above members which is a clear indication the club was in existence prior to this first written record.
Note
If any reader of this website knows of any history of the GAC, even of an anecdotal nature, between 1908 to 1915, "" or any other dates"", the GAC would be extremely grateful if they would contact us. This can be done by filling in the Contact Us section of this website. Old photographs, document etc. the would be especially welcome
Applying for Membership
To become a member the person applying must obtain nomination from two existing members. It it is not necessary for a new applicant to be known personally by these nominees. Only that the nominees make inquiries and , as far as is reasonably practical, ensure that the applicant is of good character.
Initial application for membership can be made by writing to the address in the Contact Us section of this website including a SAE envelope, or alternately, filling in there details etc. in this section and emailing it to the GAC.
It should also be noted that members are obligated to contribute 3 hrs. volunteer labour, “providing they are able to”, each year for improvement works to the clubs fisheries.
Like many angling clubs the GAC has contact with, and is a member off, various Environmental Agencies and organisation and also sits on some of there advisory committees when invited to participate.
Some of these bodies are :-
The Environment Agency,
Yorkshire Esk Rivers Trust
The Wild Trout Trust
Fish Legal ( formerly Anglers Conservation Association)
North York Moors National Park Authority
Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative
It is thought that the awareness of pollution and its overall detrimental affect on the environment has only really started to feature as a major issue since the 1960's.
While this is the case the GAC has been involved in environmental issues since its inception . For instance In the MOM of Feb of 1937 concern was expressed by club members about the likely-hood of dangerous effluent from a new factory polluting Howlbeck stream .
Members also decided to initiate enquiries into how farms, bordering there streams, disposed of there used sheep dip disinfectant.
In May 1938 the Howlbeck stream was polluted by effluent and subsequent legal actions were commenced against the Guisbourgh District Council for damages and remedial works to prevent further occurrences. In due course compensation was eventually paid by the council. Unfortunately no detail of remedial actions to prevent recurrence are recorded.