Roy WebsterAn excellent attendance at the Norwich and District Anglers' Association (NDAA) annual meeting last week heard that Norfolk's top angling body was surviving the recession in fine shape.Roy Webster

An excellent attendance at the Norwich and District Anglers' Association (NDAA) annual meeting last week heard that Norfolk's top angling body was surviving the recession in fine shape.

Membership had held up, finance was sound and, as a result, there would be no increases to annual subscriptions or boat hire charges.

Next season, full adult members will pay �15, senior citizens and registered disabled �8 and juniors �1.

Apart from juniors, new members will be subject to a one-off joining fee of �3, while day permits for fishing dinghies for two anglers on Woodbastwick Decoy and Ranworth broads will also be frozen at �5.

This was the successful picture of value-for-money fishing the NDAA was providing all over east Norfolk, prompting chairman Tony Gibbons to comment: 'Our three-year plan to strengthen our association and guarantee its future has come together, with thanks due to the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority, who together have assisted us to create additional bank access along the Broads tidal rivers.

'We are also grateful to the Environment Agency for loaning us essential equipment to trim our river banks.'

A proposal that the association should ban all movements of coarse fish, both to and from NDAA waters, was supported by a huge majority as was a new rule to return all eels immediately alive. That effectively ruled out any retention of the wrigglers during competitions, because they were now an endangered species.

A proposal to launch an NDAA coaching scheme for juniors and other beginners was warmly welcomed.

The chairman also announced the NDAA would be launching a new club competition for grass roots anglers.

This would invite local clubs to pay �5 to participate in a summer knockout tournament staged on Norwich venues if suitable for the qualifying rounds from which 20pc of the field would make the final. Angling clubs from all over the county can apply for this tournament with details from Gibbons on 01603 400973.

For anglers' information the NDAA venues are: the tidal River Bure from St Benets Abbey to Thurne Mouth and the Woodbastwick banks, the tidal River Thurne at Cold Harbour, Ludham, Ranworth and Decoy broads and the Wesum Fisheries comprising three mature gravel workings containing excellent stocks of quality carp, bream, tench, rudd, roach, perch and pike, as well as a three-quarter mile reach of the River Wensum filled with giant chubb.The Wensum Fisheries season ticket remains at �50 from May 16 and �40 from June 16.