Wasted morning

Up at 05.00 hrs in order to get a short session in at our larger club fishery. I'd checked with the club diary dates, in order to avoid match fixtures and/or work parties. I'd even checked the club web page, just in case there had been some recent changes to the details printed on my membership card. No alternative information was to be forthcoming, and so off I went into the darkness, confident of getting a few hours in, trying to fine tune my luncheon meat presentation.
It was all going well, in as much as I was fishing with my modified presentation, when I was approached by a, dog walking, lady who informed me that there was a work party and I had to cease fishing! "It states the other venue" I said - "Oh, no - there's always a work party here on the last Saturday morning of every month".

Not my swim, today, just an image to accompany my whinging

Having no other information, I packed up my kit and was just gathering my bits together when a guy walked up. "You can fish after twelve o'clock - always stay to help us if you feel like it?" "No thanks!" His reply "Just taking the piss like all the others!" what a lovely man. Back home before 10.00 hrs and straight onto the club website, only to discover that the lady involved is the web master. Next thing is to check through the club rules and bylaws, especially those pertaining to the larger fishery. Once again, nothing about monthly work parties or planned maintenance programs - hey ho! I wasted my morning because of two very loyal, committed and hard working club members. I could have done without the "taking the piss" comment as one of the club rules clearly states "No Dogs" - for the couple to have their own dog running freely around the fishery smacks of "do as we say, not as we do!"
Let's get this clear - I don't have to fish this venue, just as I don't have to re-join the club next season. I'll let this go, without feeling any need to get involved with club rules and politics. There will be an AGM in the new year and this will be my chance to influence some change in match angling being the dominant force within the club hierarchy; despite the ordinary member being nothing more than a pleasure angler and wishing for no more than being able to catch fish from the two club fisheries. If the club wish for fishery maintenance to be part of the annual membership package, then a charge for members who opt out should be an extra cost, not a gesture of goodwill.
As for the work party duties today - ripping out the reeds which are encroaching into open water, thus proving troublesome for the match guys, but perfect spots for perch fishing. I'm rather pleased with myself that I managed to avoid confrontation - after all, they're only wet fish and I've caught loads over the years! It's a very small club with a long, and distinguished, history. The events of today are no more than a glitch - the club will survive whatever problems I perceive.