Derbyshire County Angling Club has negotiated a lease on the Babworth Estate stretch of the Chesterfield Canal at Retford. The stretch, formerly leased by Retford AA, runs from the railway bridge near to the Cemetery Length to the road bridge on the Barnby Moor road and includes the Lady Bridge stretch.

DCAC will be offering yearly membership cards (on a similar basis to the River Idle and Lower Derwent memberships) at a price of £18 . Full members can obviously use this facility at no further cost.

No day tickets are available and there are no concessions for juniors and OAPs. Membership runs from April 1 to March 31 and needs to be renewed each year.

Anglers holding current Retford AA books can fish the section of the canal until March 25th 2007, after which time a new membership card is required from DCAC

DCAC have approximately 6 miles of the River Idle, nearRetford, which also costs £18 per season. There is however a close season on the river which runs from 14 th March to 16th June inclusive. The Club is offering both tickets at a discounted price of £30.00 providing both tickets are purchased together. Members children and grandchildren (up to the age of 16 years) are allowed to fish free of charge (only one child is allowed to fish at any one time) providing their parents are present at all times.

A limited number of matches, which can be booked by other clubs, are allowed on both the river and canal costing £1.50 and £3 respectively per peg.

DCAC hope to recruit members so that stocking and maintenance of the canal can be of a high standard.

Membership cards are available from Ron Trevis , The Homestead, Sutton Lane , Sutton Scarsdale, Chesterfield , S44 5UP.

Applications are by post only and require a SAE with a cheque or postal orders made payable to Derbyshire County Angling Club and a passport sized photograph of good quality. This will be scanned and kept on file for future years. Existing River Idle members will not require another photograph unless your appearance has changed considerably.

For match bookings or further information Ron can be contacted on 01246 851571, ideally in the evening between 5.30pm and 8.30pm .

The canal has recently been stocked with the introduction of small tench, skimmer bream and rudd which is an added bonus to a section which already holds an excellent head of fish, including the famous chub.

The Club has also negotiated the use of a car parking area between Lady Bridge and the Old London Road near Barnby Moor road, which is accessed via a track leading from Botany Bay Farm ; the car parking area is approximately opposite the two locks which was previously not fished by Retford AA members. If you wish to use this access and car park you will need to purchase a key costing £5 (available from Ron Trevis). Existing River Idle members who have already got a key will not need to purchase another as it will be the same lock.