Angling club to celebrate 130 years

Photo: supplied
Photo: supplied
The clubrooms of the Wyndham Angling Club, at 3 Nightingale St, Wyndham, will be the venue for the club’s 130th anniversary celebrations on Saturday. The club was founded in 1895 and is one of the oldest fishing societies in New Zealand. In April, the club along with the RSA Gore and Districts and the Mataura Angling Clubs wrote a letter to the editor to The Ensign thanking Southland farmers and landowners for allowing them access to their land. The letter was in response to a land-access stoush between Federated Farmers and Fish & Game New Zealand.

"Anglers see the privilege of access as a partnership with farmers, respect the land, leave gates as you find them, leave no rubbish and report to the farmer about stock in distress," the letter read.

At the event, three competitions will run on the day starting at dawn. For senior club members, past and present, the Wood Trophy is on the table, while the juniors will be in the running for the United Trading Company Cup, originally given to the club by the company in 1971, and other prizes sponsored by the Wyndham Four Square. Guests are also invited to participate in a "factor fishing" competition, which is judged on the combined length and weight of the fish, as well as its condition. There will be a weigh-in for all games at 4.30pm, followed by a Christmas barbecue.