Dear Members,
We are writing to inform you of an important change regarding Decoy Pond and the club’s waters.
Following ongoing delays and difficulties in reaching a formal agreement with the Council, Paxmans Angling Club has taken the decision to withdraw from Decoy Pond with immediate effect. This means that Decoy Pond will no longer be a Paxmans Angling Club water.
This decision has not been taken lightly. We have spent a considerable amount of time trying to reach an agreement that would allow us to formally take responsibility for the water, improve its condition and manage it properly. Unfortunately, the continued uncertainty around the arrangement has left the club in a position where we have been associated with a water without having the level of control or authority that we believe is necessary.
Recent events have also highlighted the vulnerability of the club when it is associated with a water without having a formal lease, clear responsibilities and the ability to properly control and manage the site. This creates risks for the club and its committee, both in terms of safety and liability, but also in terms of the club’s reputation.
We have also suffered from a poor public perception of Decoy Pond for a number of years because of its condition, despite the fact that many of the issues have been outside the club’s control. We cannot continue to carry that reputation while being unable to properly address the underlying problems.
We appreciate that this decision comes part-way through the current membership year and that, for some members, this will mean losing access to a water that they have paid for.
Members who hold a Decoy-only ticket will therefore be offered a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of their membership. We will contact those members directly regarding the refund arrangements.
For members who have Decoy included as part of their wider club membership, we recognise that this represents a reduction in the number of waters available to you for the remainder of the current season. We appreciate your understanding while we deal with the situation.
We also want to clarify an important point regarding membership fees for the 2027/28 season.
We had previously planned to increase membership prices for 2027/28 in response to the continued increase in the costs of running and maintaining the club and its waters. Those planned increases will now NOT be implemented.
The loss of Decoy Pond means that we will maintain our existing membership pricing for the 2027/28 season. We feel this is the fairest approach given the reduction in the number of waters available to members.
We are disappointed that we have reached this position after putting so much time and effort into trying to secure the future of Decoy Pond. However, we believe that stepping away is now the responsible decision for the club, its members and the committee.
Our focus will remain on managing and improving our remaining waters and ensuring that Paxmans Angling Club continues to provide safe, well-managed and sustainable fishing for its members.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Paxmans Angling Club Committe