Half a century ago, a letter was sent to 30 people on the Island, each of whom was interested in the sport of game fishing.

This letter started a chain reaction which led to a group of fishing enthusiasts banding together to form the Blue Water Anglers Club,

Now, the club is getting ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a banquet next Saturday and other events throughout the week.

Former club president and current executive secretary Leroy Douglas has been coming to the club's headquarters on East Broadway for as long as he can remember.

The club's trademark blue building was purchased by the organisation in 1964 with the assistance of then Member of Colonial Parliament Russell Pearman.

The club had been founded six years earlier when Reid Johansen sent a letter to a number of people he knew were interested in game fishing. By the end of the year, the group had met up, and began to head out onto the water on weekends.

Some of those original members, like Pilot George Welch and Sinclair Somersall, are still members, with Mr. Welch turning 100 years-old in October.

"They met at various locations until 1964," said Mr. Douglas. "They didn't even have a name for the club back then."

A name came to the group during a flight back to Bermuda after an overseas fishing trip in the Caribbean.

"They were flying back when Mr. Philip Trott, a founding member of the club, looked out and saw the crystal water around the Island, and he said, why not call our club the Blue Water Club," said Mr. Douglas. "I guess everyone on the flight agreed."

The newly named club continued to meet on a regular basis, and once they had purchased their headquarters, they quickly made the next step towards expansion by holding the club's first tournament against Boston game fishing club, the Sea and Surf Anglers Club.

The tournament has since become an annual tradition held every June, with the hosting duties trading places every year.

As the group grew, so did the organisation's headquarters with the building expanding towards the harbour and the construction of a new dock with a bar in the last 30 years. Despite the cost of the expansion, the group managed to burn their mortgage in 1987.

"What we're trying to do is upgrade as much as we can," said Mr. Douglas.

Since the club's inception, almost every Bermuda Governor has been named an honorary member with the notable exception of the current Governor, Sir Richard Gozney. But Mr. Douglas hopes that fact will change soon as Sir Richard has already been invited to attend the anniversary banquet.

"It's a courtesy we offer. It's the sort of thing we like to keep as a tradition."

Unfortunately, as time has worn on membership has fallen and with it the number of able bodied volunteers.

"We had a very large membership. We still do, but it's not as active. Back in those days people were craftsmen. They did it voluntarily," Mr. Douglas said. "Now we have to pay for it."

The group still boasts 120 registered members, but the membership has gotten older over the years.

"Clubs in general are going through a change. Young people, as opposed to their parents, young people don't join clubs that easy," said Mr. Douglas.

Even with membership on the decline, the club continues to push forward to expand. Every year the club holds a junior tournament in August, inviting as many as 60 of Bermuda's youth out for a day fishing in hopes of teaching them about the sport.

"They have a great time. Everybody is a winner," he said. "What we're trying to do is keep interest in game fishing alive so hopefully when they get older, they'll be interested in joining this club or another club like this one."

Another problem facing the club is the growing cost of fuel, which for many makes the idea of fishing trips an expensive luxury.

Despite the potential threats, the club is still looking to expand, and is looking at ways it can further improve their headquarters.

"If you have a workable plan, people will work with you," said Mr. Douglas. "We believe it is workable, but time will be the storyteller.

"We've done what we could, now it's up to the younger members to keep this place going."