JOIN THE CLUB: Anglers try to lure members

JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THE piscatorial arts will be alive and well in the region as long as the old hands at Geelong and District Anglers Club can wield a rod.
Despite the incursions of technology into one of mankind’s oldest pastimes, the game of wits between fish and fisherman will always be paramount.
Club president Keith Patten said quite a few of the 80-odd members had invested in sounders and GPS units to try gaining an edge in the game.
“Some of us are pretty old school but you can never count the fish out, even despite the electronics,” Keith observed.
Keith said the organisation was proud to be the only regional angling club with its own clubrooms, in Yuille St, Geelong West, filled with trophies, mementoes, charts and records.
Keith said the club held regular day and overnight outings to various fishing destinations.
“We’ll usually select a body of water to go to and get to know it and build up knowledge within the club.”
Keith said the club was keen to gain new members, particularly juniors.
“There are a lot of things distracting juniors these days, so we have to make sure we keep our juniors going – it’s the future of the club.”
Club stalwart Rudi Holzfeind said members always cleaned up after competitions to demonstrate responsible community involvement.
“More often than not we leave the place better than we found it,” Rudi said.
“We also take Diversitat clients and seniors on fishing trips, we have an active tree planting program and a couple of our members are Fishcare volunteers.”
The club has operated since 1928 and built its clubrooms in 1963, often hosting meetings of Association of Geelong and District Angling Clubs.
The club is a foundation member of the association, formed as a means of providing anglers with a stronger voice at state government level on fishing issues such as marine parks and funding grants for infrastructure.
Keith said the Government realised angling was an important industry.
“There are 11 clubs in the association now and together we represent a fair number of anglers from around the region.”
Keith said many members would attend the club’s annual presentation night this Friday when a table full of trophies would be awarded.
Keith said prospective members could phone him on 5241 5678 or club secretary Allan Marshall on 0418 992 672.