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Day ticket waters or club ticket when traveling long distance and limited days per year?

Jon Kennard

Jon Kennard

Senior Member
Hi folks not messing to take over the forum discussions on news year day I promise. I've been laid up after routine operation issues which has given me plenty of time to reflect and think about fishing. I love in North Devon so trips to the wye (primarily) or Severn are limited each year. I'm hoping to get more sessions this year and in future seasons. Anyway my question is I know a club water currently looking at HDAA is very cheap compared to day tickets however it'll likely take more than time and effort to explore the beats and work them out. Versus day ticket beats which there's much more information about and details albeit significantly more expensive. Anyway what would people do in my shoes thanks Jon
 
Jon Kennard said:
Hi folks not messing to take over the forum discussions on news year day I promise. I've been laid up after routine operation issues which has given me plenty of time to reflect and think about fishing. I love in North Devon so trips to the wye (primarily) or Severn are limited each year. I'm hoping to get more sessions this year and in future seasons. Anyway my question is I know a club water currently looking at HDAA is very cheap compared to day tickets however it'll likely take more than time and effort to explore the beats and work them out. Versus day ticket beats which there's much more information about and details albeit significantly more expensive. Anyway what would people do in my shoes thanks Jon
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Club membership any day Jon. Get yourself a BAA tickets, loads to go at.
 
Thanks Bill, I used to have the BAA as a kid! Living in Gloucestershire.. the logistics of the BAA for me is its that bit further again in terms of travel and fuel expense. If i could share the travel that would help massively. P.s my boys are still using the rod you sold is ax few years back.
 
Jon Kennard said:
Hi folks not messing to take over the forum discussions on news year day I promise. I've been laid up after routine operation issues which has given me plenty of time to reflect and think about fishing. I love in North Devon so trips to the wye (primarily) or Severn are limited each year. I'm hoping to get more sessions this year and in future seasons. Anyway my question is I know a club water currently looking at HDAA is very cheap compared to day tickets however it'll likely take more than time and effort to explore the beats and work them out. Versus day ticket beats which there's much more information about and details albeit significantly more expensive. Anyway what would people do in my shoes thanks Jon
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Hi Jon

The barbel don’t know they’re on a club ticket (poor buggers), as far as I can work out the swims that look good on Wye and Usk will produce on HDAA as well.
 
Shame the Brìstol Avon is not what it used to be, but what rivers are? However Bristol Almagamated have some nice waters and Chippenham AA too. The latter has Peckingell and Langley Burrell which to me cannot be bettered for typical river angling.
Not too far either.
Have you fished the Tone? Roach and Chub...but alas no Barbel....yet😏
 
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John, if you join HDAA then Woody in his tackle shop will always try and put you on fish. Also Im very happy to share info, Ive been a member for about 10 years now and fished all their stretches many times. Lots of fish right through, especially chub and you have the bonus town centre fishing in the winter which can be exceptional. The only drawback for me is that the stretches near town aren't as picturesque as more rural Wye beats but they do have a couple out of town.
 
Jon Kennard said:
Thanks Bill, I used to have the BAA as a kid! Living in Gloucestershire.. the logistics of the BAA for me is its that bit further again in terms of travel and fuel expense. If i could share the travel that would help massively. P.s my boys are still using the rod you sold is ax few years back.
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Lovely to hear the tackle is still in use Jon. I’ll let others with greater knowledge suggest some clubs for the Wye, I’ve fished around Lower Lydbrook for quite a few years but one club I belonged to lost it’s stretch to the Wye and Usk and the other I still belong to is running a waiting list for associate membership.
 
Neil Smart said:
Shame the Brìstol Avon is not what it used to be, but what rivers are? However Bristol Almagamated have some nice waters and Chippenham AA too. The latter has Peckingell and Langley Burrell which to me cannot be bettered for typical river angling.
Not too far either.
Have you fished the Tone? Roach and Chub...but alas no Barbel....yet😏
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Thanks Neil yes in got onto the tone a couple of seasons ago. That and the culm are effectively my local rivers both within 1.5 hours. The culm reminds me massively of a smaller version of the teme. It did start having the odd barbel speed up alas bad pollution took them out!!! They may come back if nature has its way from the exe. I've also found out the tone does fish in the summer not just winter months. The culm has an shaving variety of species for a small river. Not enough of it to fish though really. I've not fished Bristol way as yet a good thought though. Thanks Jon
 
I am in about the same position Jon, albeit I do have some very good dayticket Barbel waters within about a 50/60 mile radius, closest probably 40 miles or so .I have had a club ticket for a couple of years that had a barbel river the same distance away as well. For £35.00 I do probably 10 visits a season , so its a saving straight away.

As far as Barbel are concerned, in the past I have been lucky enough to have been able to fish a couple of productive waters further afield as a guest , however this has now ceased due to circumstances beyond my control.I have had to re assess the way forward .

This year we intend doing some 2 day stopover B & B ‘s , so I am going to invest in a BAA ticket as there is a lot of water to go at , plus it is in an area where SWMBO can dump me riverside and go and do her photography stuff .

Being a Yorkshireman with deep pockets and short arms I always weigh up the finances of day ticket v club membership .
I base my thoughts on a day ticket being about a tenner, so how many times will I fish a water over 12 months , will the cost of the club book exceed the cost of x amounts of day ticket visits ?

The BAA ticket will be a “ seniors” ticket so thats cheaper for a start. If I fish 4 “ B&B”sessions, plus another maybe half dozen when we are on a weeks holiday in the area that makes a 12 month BAA membership a no brainer .

Its all a matter of balancing the books really, including the time taken and cost of travel , can you turn a fishing trip into a short break for you and your partner ? If so its a win win , so sit down and do your sums and hope that nothing gets in the way of your plans.

Good luck 👍

David
 
Cliff Turner said:
John, if you join HDAA then Woody in his tackle shop will always try and put you on fish. Also Im very happy to share info, Ive been a member for about 10 years now and fished all their stretches many times. Lots of fish right through, especially chub and you have the bonus town centre fishing in the winter which can be exceptional. The only drawback for me is that the stretches near town aren't as picturesque as more rural Wye beats but they do have a couple out of town.
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Thanks cliff that's very kind of you. I'm guessing the club stretches get busy times when the conditions are right? I've fished HDAA a few times and had the pleasure of peg 96 last winter which was a lovely day catching non stop chub on the float. I think for me trotting is such a love the hdaa definitely ticks those boxes. I had a love afternoon on eign catching my first barbel on the float before covid stopped play for me. Id happily speak with woody I've been in various times. My only thing with that is coming up I want to maximise fishing time so getting bait before hand is the go. I know woody likes you to spend money in order to gain the advice. I do understand that. I'll look a bit more into the HDAA waters it's a pretty good set up. I guess the beauty of WUF for example is the potential to get an stretch to yourself or with a friend.
 
Jon Kennard said:
Thanks cliff that's very kind of you. I'm guessing the club stretches get busy times when the conditions are right? I've fished HDAA a few times and had the pleasure of peg 96 last winter which was a lovely day catching non stop chub on the float. I think for me trotting is such a love the hdaa definitely ticks those boxes. I had a love afternoon on eign catching my first barbel on the float before covid stopped play for me. Id happily speak with woody I've been in various times. My only thing with that is coming up I want to maximise fishing time so getting bait before hand is the go. I know woody likes you to spend money in order to gain the advice. I do understand that. I'll look a bit more into the HDAA waters it's a pretty good set up. I guess the beauty of WUF for example is the potential to get an stretch to yourself or with a friend.
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Jon, the usual rule applies.... the further you walk form the parking areas the fewer anglers. Holme Lacey 4 has to be booked so that is always quiet and the other Holme Lacey beat is quiet too usually.
 
Thanks cliff again I've not fished these waters but from some looking I gather they are good waters for trotting tactics? In realised yesterday when looking at their waters that the rock ledges/bed rock are where hadrian whittle did a barbel on the first video a couple of years ago.
 
I am in a similar position to yourself as I live around 3hrs drive to the Wye Valley but in East Anglia.

I took up the H&DAA membership and get a discount as I am 65yrs+. The process of joining H&DAA is a bit archaic in that you have to send a cheque or postal order. There is no facility for online payment either for membership or day tickets. I guess at some point in the future that will change but hopefully not to the Clubmate App which is awful.

For the first year seniors have to pay normal subs but the following year the reduced fee applies which is £40. Compared to W&U that seems very reasonable and now I only work a couple of days a week gives me the flexibility to go when conditions look right without having to search for stretches and book tickets.

As mentioned above Woody in Hereford will give good advice from his shop and can sell you a day ticket but that means you cannot get on the river as early as you would perhaps like. Also everyone going in to the shop gets similar advice so all head for the same spots which around the town centre do get quite busy.
 
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