Articles

Who Are We

Details

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE OSPREY FLY FISHERS ASSOCIATION

The Association was originally formed in October 1971 by a group of anglers attending evening fly-tying lessons at a school in Ynysybwl. The Association has as its expressed aims -

• To promote the art and enjoyment of fly fishing.
   
• To promote friendship and sportsmanship between anglers.
   
• To acquire fisheries or waters suitable for stocking with game fish.
   
• To acquire running waters which support or may support salmonids.
   

The instructor of the fly tying class became the club's first Secretary who, as a teacher and Youth Centre warden, encouraged a number of youngsters to join the club, some of who remain as members to this day. The committee took the view from the outset that it would be essential to have a regular meeting place where members could be given instruction in fly tying and fishing techniques so arrangements were made to rent a room above Lloyds Bank in Pontypridd and this became the venue for weekly meetings.

Instructional films and subsequently videos were shown on a regular basis, guest speakers were invited to deliver talks or slide shows and a number of tackle dealers took the opportunity to visit the clubroom to show off their wares.

During the next few years the club was able to lease the fishing rights on stretches of the River Taff, River Cynon, and River Clydach. Besides holding its own club competitions members participate in the national fly fishing competitions arranged by the Welsh Salmon and Trout Association and various other organisations. A number of members have fished in the youth and senior Welsh fly fishing teams.

In 1982 Lloyds Bank needed to expand and gave us notice to vacate their premises which led to the committee’s decision to purchase a rather dilapidated Chapel vestry in Abercynon. After a certain amount of rebuilding and a lot of redecoration the building became very presentable and we've held our weekly meetings there ever since. The building is made available to other groups for a nominal fee.

The club continues to strive to follow the four prime objectives of the founder members which have been incorporated into our constitution and over the years we have managed to obtain further stretches of river which are regularly re-stocked with brown trout.

In 1995 we obtained the approval of Welsh Water to have a block licence on the Beacons Reservoir. Although this doesn't grant us exclusive rights to the reservoir it enables our members to fish the waters whenever they wish during the season without any additional payment of club fees.

Following discussions with the few remaining members of the Pontypridd and District Angling Society it was agreed at the beginning of the 2007 season that we would incorporate the society into our association which was seen as the best method of safeguarding their waters. As a consequence we now have an additional stretch of the RiverTaff, the Trehafod stretch of the River Rhondda and a short stretch of the River Usk just above Brecon.