Our Waters
D.D.A.P.S From the beginning
The following has recently been produced by Alan Curnick, club Secretary, after researching old Committee meeting minutes and may be of interest
The Society was formed on 9 April 1931. The first meeting was held at Sutton small hall, donated for the night by a Mr Sutton. At this first meeting 25 people were in attendance and it was proposed that an angling association be formed. The first officers were elected. The Chairman was a Mr Williams, Vice Chairman Mr Caselton and Mr Mulholland. Other members were Messrs Elliot, Adams, Elcombe, Prevette, Whitby, Cole and Ellingham. The name chosen was the Dartford Piscatorial Society. Donations to start the club were £2 from Mr Ellingham, £1 and 1 Shilling from Messrs Elliot and Caselton and the members from Erith.
The second meeting was held at the Rising Sun pub (now "the Bridges") at Horton Kirby, loaned for the night by the owner, Mr Ray who also agreed that the Club could put up a notice board in the bar. At the end of the meeting the club's finances stood at £11 and 17 Shillings. The name was changed to Dartford & District Angling Society.
In January 1932 the club's name was changed to Dartford & District Angling & Preservation Society. At the time the club's home water was Ellingham's Ponds (now Brooklands Lakes ).One of the founder members, Mr Ellingham from Bexleyheath's company was extracting gravel from the ponds at the time. During his lifetime fishing rights were given free to the club. Upon Mr Ellingham's death the lakes reverted to the control of Dartford Borough Council. The Society has leased the lakes from the Council ever since.
The first subscriptions were set at five Shillings per annum and one Shilling per week for members over 18. Ladies and boys aged 14-18 were charged two Shillings and six Pence per annum and six Pence per month. A Mr Elliot was the Club's official tackle dealer in the early days.
After the initial few Committee meetings at the Rising Sun it was felt that the venue was too small for their meetings and switched venues to the Bulls Head Hotel. The new venue's proprietor (a Mrs Brown) charged one Shilling per night for use of the "larger room".
The First Club Outing
This happened on 21 June 1931 with a trip to the Medway at Yalding. Members who did not have transport went in a members friends van at a charge of three Shillings per person. This extract from the Committee minutes of the time describes the day:
"At 9.45am Sunday 21st June, 21of our members met on the Medway bank armed to the teeth with nets and rods of all descriptions. It was a beautiful morning, and everything looked hopeful. All had visions of a large bag. Eighteen members entered the competition, and Mr Cole collected the usual 1 Shilling (5p) entrance fee. It was also agreed to weigh in at the bridge at 5pm and also that the competition be a roving competition, owing to other societies who had already pegged down along the Medway banks. A few minutes later our members had all disappeared in quest of big game.
Mr Ellingham and myself (Mr Mulholland) went in search for new fishing waters for our society. On arrival at a pond, permission was obtained, and two light rods were soon in action. A few minutes elapsed and Mr Ellingham landed a silver bream, this being his first fish of the season. This was followed by another, then Mr Roach introduced himself to Mr Ellingham, who politely unhooked him and dropped him safely in to the keep net. Negotiations with a view to obtaining this pond for our society proved unfruitful but a further effort will be tried in the future. It was now 4.45pm. Our rods were dismantled and kits packed, preparations were then made to join the party at Yalding Bridge.
On arrival at our weighing in place I was astonished when informed there were no sizeable fish to be weighed in. The other societies also suffered the same fate. This was attributed to the previous heavy rain an the muddy condition of the water. The water had risen about four inches over the normal level. However our members looked exceptionally well, and thoroughly enjoyed the outing."
Getting Hold of Some Fish!
A further extract from Committee minutes of the time:
"In July 1931 the club went to Borough Green ponds and netted fish to put in our ponds. After a little excitement in the village our little party were soon hard at work with the drag net. The first draw proved very unsatisfactory, only 39 roach and 6 carp. Second draw 145 roach, 1 carp. Second pond, first draw 228 roach second draw 122 roach. Third pond: This pond being so large and surrounded by trees, reeds etc., it was absolutely impossible to use a net without a boat. To net this pond looked out of the question, until Mr Williams our Chairman, volunteered to swim out with our light drag rope. Being a powerful swimmer he accomplished this successfully and the net soon followed the path of the swimmer.
Unfortunately, owing to the depth of these lakes our 10ft net only captured the surface feeding fish in the centre and anything that happened to be near the edge. Our bag total was 7 carp, 269 roach. After a light refreshment our party left for Dartford where the fish were liberated to our own water (Brooklands Lakes). A vote of thanks are due to the following: Mr Williams for his cold bath, and to all members who willingly assisted."
The owner of Cliff waters also gave permission for the club to net fish and pay £1 10 Shillings for every 100 fish over six inches. All fish caught in away matches were brought back and stocked in to Brooklands Lakes. From 1930 until July 1931 the total fish stocked were 37 trout from Loch Leven (!?), 11dace, 685 roach, 982 rudd, 69 tench, 201 perch, 186 bream, 26 carp and 14 pike. By July 1932 the number of carp introduced was over 300.
The Club House
A club house was erected by members on the now out of bounds island at Brooklands lakes and each member had a key to it. It had an asbestos roof supplied by Mr Williams of Erith and was equipped with a table and chairs supplied by Mr Garrett for 5 Shillings. Framed pictures were on the walls - one of which depicted a match between Dartford and Ashford. It was insured for fire by the Co-op after being rejected by the Prudential. During the Second World War Brooklands Lakes were covered by camouflaged netting supported by battens and canister floats. Unfortunately after the war most of it was allowed to sink to the bottom.
The Society meetings were eventually transferred to an office in Lowfield Street, Dartford (now used by Coniston Builders). The club's present offices were empty for some time as the building was subject to a compulsory purchase order for road improvements. When these were changed the Society was fortunate enough to acquire the property with a grant from the Sports Council.
More Waters
As DDAPS developed leases were taken out on lakes at Darenth (now Clearwater owned), Devon Road (now Leisure Sport's Sutton at Hone venue) as well as our current waters at Sutton at Hone and Horton Kirby. Sutton at Hone Lakes were purchased in 1965 with negotiations beginning in1959. Parts of the rivers Beult and lesser Tiese at Chainhurst were purchased in 1965 but the land was sold to the local farmer with the society retaining the fishing rights. Horton Kirby was purchased in 1971 and its current car park in 1978. The leases on both Darenth and Devon Road were lost when Leisure Sport Angling was set up by their owners. In addition the club now leases stretches of the river Medway at Postern Lane Tonbridge and River Beult at New Barn Farm.From a small beginning we now have around 3500 members including some 270 senior citizen and 30 plus disabled anglers