Seasons greetings to you all; lets get down to business:

RULE CHANGES: Please note our various rule changes, principally:

1) 12" min size rule ( YOU must carefully return all smaller fish, irrespective of their condition),

2) Bag limit of 12 migratory fish: you choose 12 salmon, 12 sea trout or a mixture - you wish!

3) important legal points regarding taking undersized bass from the firth (360mm or 14.2" minimum length). Fishers have been poaching the firth for sea trout on the pretext of being bass fishing, thus greatly reducing funds to pay for estuary rentals.

Other rule changes relate to the imposition of a modest fine for not submitting your fishing return by 31st October each year; we must know what's being caught!

DATE OF JOINING: Would members please pay their subscriptions by 30th April '98; or risk being ousted by one of our prospective members, patiently forming our lengthening waiting list.

NEW LIES: Approximately ten natural stone high water lies are about to be placed in our upper beats. We hope they'll slow the fish down!

LITTER: Please maintain our policy of taking home not only your own litter, but some (or all) that you find. The litter is also often deposited by the big tides: please KEEP BEAULY TIDY.

BANK CLEARANCE: We've already had a day on the Mealloch this year. Another is planned for 15th February. Please let Frank Durdle know if you wish to be contacted for this or other such works; (Tel No - 782749) many hands make light of work; or something like that.

OPENING DAY CEREMONY: We are not having a Grand Opening this year. However, you can expect to see some of our stalwarts on our top beats from 9am on the 17th; the tide will be high at around 1.30pm. I hear Frank plans to take a bottle along!

GLEN ORD VISIT: We hope to arrange a BAC group visit to the distillery as a small gesture to say a big thanks to Glen Ord (and Barbara Ogilvie in particular) for their most generous sponsorship during the'97 season; long may our links endure. Adults may wish to purchase some subsidised whisky. Glen Ord is a lovely dram, made locally from local water; you can't get much more local than that! Frank Durdle has designed and tied the beautiful Glen Ord Collection; four hair wing salmon flies which briefly tell the story of Glen Ord i.e. the water runs from the hill, to the lochs, and then down to be distilled into Glen Ord whisky.

FISHY STORY: You have not sent me any so how can I possibly tell you any? Please get writing.

That's it for now. The season must be better then last, so get ready for some serious fishing.

Very tight lines.