Chew Valley Pikers
Earlier this year some of APEM’s keenest anglers Keith Hendry (Managing Director), Dr Stuart Clough (Director) and Nigel Milner (Senior Fisheries Biologist) helped to organise a charity pike fly fishing event with a group of other likeminded enthusiasts. The 3 day event is held annually at the magnificent Chew Valley Lake where the 8 man team were superbly guided by venue expert John Horsey. For this years event APEM commissioned and donated some specially designed T-shirts for all to wear, each bearing the Chew Valley Pikers header and featuring a stunning painting of a tailwalking pike.
(Above) the T-shirt design for the event
(Above) The team modelling the T-shirts from l-r Cliff Hendry, Ian Gregg, Simon Kaye, Keith Hendry, David Solomon, Arlin Rickard, Nigel Milner, Stuart Clough & John Horsey
Each member of the team caught a number of decent pike on the fly, with the team collectively catching 491 lbs of pike over two and a half days of fishing. 12 of the fish caught weighed in at over 15lbs with the largest individual fish being caught by APEM’s Nigel Milner, weighing in at a whopping 26 lbs!
(Above) Some of the Team ready to go!
(Above) APEM’s Stuart Clough with an impressive catch!
During the event various targets and challenges were met resulting in the group raising £180 in total which has been donated to The Seashell Trust Charity. The Seashell Trust is a school, college and residential home for children and young people with severe and complex disabilities, combined with significant learning and communication difficulties which include little or no oral language. As a school and college specialising in communication they take students from across the country, demonstrating what a unique learning environment they can provide to students and their families. Please visit their website for more information and fundraising ideas:
http://www.seashelltrust.org.uk/.
Well done to the ‘Pikers’ for donating to such a great charity.
Ian Gregg, founder member of the ‘Chew Valley Pikers’ has written a poem about the event which is below. Enjoy!
Returning to normal is not easy
Tackle is put away
Aching muscles eased with yoga stretches
Drogue dried But
Despite two intimate showers
Smells of pike ooze from nets
Or is it gloves? And
Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts
Thoughts keep coming of
Better balanced lines
More tempting flies and
What awaits Chew Valley Pikers
