April 1986 Newsletter Highlights

Brian Tudor is still the secretary and the headquarters is on The Quay in Looe.

He reports that 1985 was “nothing special” (176 sharks in ’85 and 230 in ’84). Blues till remaining elusive. The reason given for the absence of the Blues was the commercial fishing on the European Coastline coupled with the coldness of the Gulf Stream.

Financially the Caunter Room had delivered an improvement. The Annual Dinner at the Hannafore Point Hotel was attended by 100 people but it was reported that this year there was to be a return to a sit down mean rather than the buffets of previous years.

Subscriptions increased slightly with Full Members now having to pay £7.50 and membership cards were now credit card sized so they fitted better into wallets.

Mrs Betty Reid and family had donated a trophy in memory of her husband Fred who had passed away I early 1985 and the award was to be for the first qualifying shark of the season (Looe only).

The 103 Club was still being promoted as it was seen as a way of generating some much-needed cash for the club

Skippers were now being incentivised to increase membership by awarding points for each member they secured.

The Chairman (Vic Aldous) had produced a guidance document called “Sharking – Code of Practice” which had been produced to support the clubs conservation policy.

Suggested Book List

The Natural History of Sharks by Thomas H Lineaweaver

Sharks of the World by Rodney Steel

Killer Shark by Carole Devaney

The Book of Sharks by Richard Ellis

Obituary

It was reported that the club accountant Geoffrey Pillar had passed away after two years sickness.

Annual General Meeting

The Committee had decided not to repeat the Jaws 1984 competition but Vic Aldous (Chairman) stated that the committee were always willing to listen to new ideas which would promote shark fishing. Mr Aldous praised the committees work and said the club was in a good financial position. He singled out Mr and Mrs Tudor and congratulated them on their success with the Caunter Room.

This was Vic Aldous last year as Chairman and he, as always, promoted the club as a democratic organisation saying this was the members club and the committee wanted to hear from members so they could manage it in the manner expected by the members