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Ticket price increase.

Simon Archer

Simon Archer

Senior Member & Supporter
One of the two clubs I'm a member of have just increased their ticket price by nearly 25% to £100. Whether the price is still good value isn't the debate, but is a 25% increase a little steep ?? I was in two minds as to whether to re join again this season anyway, so may not bother this coming season. I didn't attend the AGM, so have no argument to bare.

I'm just wondering what peoples opinions are on clubs increasing their prices, and by how much they think is acceptable ??
 
IMHO most club fishing is much too cheap !

I pay proper money for some of my Stillwater fishing, but all my river fishing is ridiculously cheap.

If anglers paid more for their fishing, they might have a bit more influence on water management…..

So to answer your question, if some of my clubs doubled their ticket price next season I would still join.
 
I’m a member of 6 clubs and 5 of them have stated no price rises due to the current financial situation. The other, which happens to be the most expensive by some distance, has announced a 20% increase from £150 to £180.

I agree with Tim, a lot of fishing is very cheap but 20% in the current climate see,s excessive to me. A lot of people are really struggling.
 
A club I was a member of, one that I didn't leave because of the cost, charges £143 for full membership and £113 for pensioners. I don't think £100 is unreasonable if they have some good waters to fish. A season ticket for the top 4 charging Premiership football clubs is over £1,000 per year with Tottenham charging a massive £2,025. Don't look at the increase look at what the club's waters meanto you.
 
Some of the river clubs are great value, BAA and many of the local Severn and WA clubs all under £100.

I am finding that some lakes / syndicates have risen to astronomical prices. However when you take account of any restocking, otter protection and fish welfare actions you can understand it.

Saying that, unless a specific need, or improvement plan in place for the near future anything over 10% does seem excessive.
 
Simon Archer said:
One of the two clubs I'm a member of have just increased their ticket price by nearly 25% to £100. Whether the price is still good value isn't the debate, but is a 25% increase a little steep ?? I was in two minds as to whether to re join again this season anyway, so may not bother this coming season. I didn't attend the AGM, so have no argument to bare.

I'm just wondering what peoples opinions are on clubs increasing their prices, and by how much they think is acceptable ??
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I have always considered the membership fees of the various clubs include all the organisation/committee/good will of volunteers who give up their time etc, so to me as long as all I have to do is turn up and fish (or blank on the Trent/Willington on Sat) then its good value. No doubt though that prices are going up and for people on fixed incomes it will be hard. Some sort of loyalty discount for long standing members should be a consideration perhaps subsidised by new members ?
 
I think I'm a member of the club that Simon is talking about and I must admit I thought it was a big jump but the club do state the the rents had increased a lot so IF that is true they do need to pass the increase on imo.
I've just turned 65 so was thinking I would get a cheaper ticket but it'll cost me more lol.. Never mind I will keep it on just to fish the Dove
 
As I see it, the main problem here is that members don’t like increases in club subscriptions. Having attended many AGMs over the years, it still amazes me how an increase in subs engenders a heated debate and is often voted down by the membership, even when the amount involved is less than the cost of a pint of beer.

I agree that an increase of almost 25% is high but it may not be excessive, depending on the club’s plans for the additional funds. Rents and rates tend to go up every year and perhaps they are investing in new waters or major work at one of 5he 3cisting waters. The club will have to explain their thinking to the membership at the AGM and it is down to the membership to decide whether that is justified, Sadly, most AGMs these days (and for many years now) have dwindling attendances, often struggling to reach a quorum, which in most cases has been cut right down because of poor attendance.

We Brits love to moan but we aren’t prepared to put ourselves out. Club committee members do a thankless job for little to no reward yet the membership can rarely be bothered to even attend the most important meeting of the year. It is a sad reflection on our modern society….

So, in answer to your question, it depends entirely on the rationale behind the increase. The numbers involved are meaningless unless they are put into the context of what the additional funds will be used for.


Dave
 
Fishery and riparian management is expensive, and increasingly so. Clubs need to not only cover existing costs and overheads but also to improve the waters they have.

If anglers want to fish well managed fisheries then they should be prepared to pay for them.

Being prepared to spend hundreds, and in some cases thousands on fancy tackle but begrudging rises on relatively cheap club subscriptions seems to be a cases of having the wrong priorities, imo.
 
It is depending on the management level I think. One club I joined is only 15 per year, I know for a short stretch, it is well management, but for most stretch I am fishing, it is basic wild, and in past 2,3 years, I never been asked for the ticket or checked...btw, the club doesn't own any Stillwater, just some river stretches, I guess that what makes it really cheap.
 
I joined a very nice stretch of river a couple of seasons ago about a mile long with parking behind most swims for only £25.Had a 4x4 for years then bought a newer car not a 4x4
I arrived to fish,opened the gate and started driving up the rough track to hear a scraping sound from underneath the car
and ended up tearing and loosening the front bumper and damaging all mudflaps.
I fished for a few hours then decided to pack up and never to return.
Would of gladly paid a lot more for a permit if the track was maintained.
Also read about other anglers that their cars got damaged.
 
Simon Archer said:
One of the two clubs I'm a member of have just increased their ticket price by nearly 25% to £100. Whether the price is still good value isn't the debate, but is a 25% increase a little steep ?? I was in two minds as to whether to re join again this season anyway, so may not bother this coming season. I didn't attend the AGM, so have no argument to bare.

I'm just wondering what peoples opinions are on clubs increasing their prices, and by how much they think is acceptable ??
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If its the Trent or similar a bargain. You said you paid over four grand for a pole...which would equate to 40 years subs with this ticket.
 
Dave Brooksbank said:
I joined a very nice stretch of river a couple of seasons ago about a mile long with parking behind most swims for only £25.Had a 4x4 for years then bought a newer car not a 4x4
I arrived to fish,opened the gate and started driving up the rough track to hear a scraping sound from underneath the car
and ended up tearing and loosening the front bumper and damaging all mudflaps.
I fished for a few hours then decided to pack up and never to return.
Would of gladly paid a lot more for a permit if the track was maintained.
Also read about other anglers that their cars got damaged.
Click to expand...
Then you are talking commercial type facilities, not to fish the stretch because you can't drive on it is just ideal for me.
 
Please don’t think I’m complaining about the price of the ticket, far from it. “You pays your money, you takes your chance” I’ve been a member of a Golf club in the past, so I’m not adverse to paying for my hobbies. My issue is the 25% rise in the price of a ticket. I feel that’s slightly excessive, even in today’s climate.

As stated, I didn’t attend the AGM, so have no argument. Just raising a point.
 
Compared to other sports fishing is relatively inexpensive. Pals of mine pay eye-watering sums to play golf.
 
The VAC have got it about right in my opinion; membership is affordable and the expectation is that if you’re physically able you complete a work party each year. If you don’t attend a work party you pay a levy on the next year’s subs. This keeps people connected to their waters in a much more vested way.
 
One of the problems is the demographics of the members of clubs - not enough young people are joining so the age profile is increasing including OAPs on cheaper rates which means revenues decrease at a time when rents of fishing / maintenance etc. are increasing. One local club proposed a 33% increase in Senior Adult fees and a 50% reduction in OAP fees from 50% of the adult fee to only 25% of the adult fee. However they did not realise the maths of this proposal resulted in a 100% increase in the OAP fee! Even though I agree there needs to be an increase to cover inflation, as an OAP I was revolting! After my objection they have now proposed OAPs should continue to pay 50% of the Senior Adult fee which is itself a 33% increase. However they have warned that in coming years in order to maintain the same level of fishing, fees will continue to need to increase and the OAP reduction will not be as great. The affordability is OK personally but is compounded by the number of clubs of which you are a member! Even if rents and other costs stayed the same, fees would have to increase to generate the same revenue to pay for the same fishing from an often declining and ageing membership. And of course even sympathetic landowners are often being forced to increase their rents as their own costs increase. Even though fishing is still relatively inexpensive (depending on how many Torrix you have!), we are Doomed!!
 
If you are happy with the way a club has been run for years and trust the committee, I think that whilst a big increase comes as a shock (if you don't keep up with meeting minutes etc) you will probably find it's justified.
 
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