21
SIRMOOR CLUB ACTIVITIES
SIRMOOR PISCATORIAL SOCIETY (SPS)
The Meon. 10-13 June 2013
It was a gloomy and overcast morning on Monday 10
th
June when the
SPS advance party, comprising David Thomas (OIC SPS), Tony Berry
and William Shuttlewood, met at Wickham Church Car Park before
setting off to different beats on the river Meon. William to Exton, which
was delightful but shallow, where he caught a tiddler; Tony to Lower
Holywell; and David to Rookesbury where he returned two Chubb and
a pathetic little Brown Trout.
SPS reinforcements comprising Christopher Bullock, Bruce and Carol
Jackman, Charlie Ward, and the support team of Joanna Thomas and
Anne Griffith [widow of the late Adrian Griffith 6GR], met up with the
advance party at The Hurdles pub for a lengthy lunch that lived up to
the 2012 certificate of excellence from the Good Food Guide. We drew
again for beats and set off. The fish were obviously grovelling around
at the bottom of the Meon and only Tony Berry successfully brought a
nice Brown Trout home.
John and Val Urquhart joined us after staying overnight at Bikton, just
south of Fordingbridge which is part of the Avon, where Val had
caught a two and an half pounder that morning!
At the end of an otherwise disappointing day we all repaired to base
camp - David and Joanna's house, 'Parhazard', near Ringwood. That
evening fourteen of us, including Joanna’s sister Jackie, sat down to
dine at a table resplendent with Sirmoor silver and ornaments. Joanna
did us proud; so much so that one wondered perhaps whether the real
aim of the trip was to fish or to entertain. No matter - we achieved
both, and the latter in style!
The next morning, after a David Thomas signature 'full fried' breakfast,
we set off for the Meon to be joined by John Mackinlay [6GR who lives
on the Meon]. But the weather didn't improve and it started to rain.
The traditional picnic in a field next to the river was transferred to the
