Origins of The Invicta Club

The Club was started by Mrs Beatrice Van Bavel who began fishing while on holiday with her husband; she was bored with reading a book while he fished and asked to try a cast or two. Her first efforts were very successful and in her own words “after three casts as an absolute rookie I hooked and landed a 17½ lb salmon”.

After that she and her husband fished together until he died and she no longer had a fishing companion.

In the spring of 1966 she placed her famous advertisement in The Glasgow Herald; “Would any lady anglers wishing to form the nucleus of a ladies angling club please telephone B.V.B at Kirkintilloch 1589”.

This produced 18 phone calls within a week and so the Club was born. The original Members list contained 24 names and the Club still has an enthusiastic and active membership.

Picking a Name

A constitution was drawn up and much thought was given to a choice of name. Suggestions ranged from “The Bluebell Girls”  “The Grouse and Claret Club” and “The West of Scotland Ladies Angling Club”
The final choice was The Invicta Club the name of a good Scottish trout fly with the female Latin ending and unconquerable meaning.

First Meeting

The first meeting took place at The Country Club in Strathblane where casting lessons were also given in the extensive grounds.

In the early days the Club offered fishing at The Lake of Menteith, and many other Scottish Lochs.

The above information was taken from the text of two speeches given by Beatrice Van Bavel; at the Inaugural Dinner on 24th November 1966, and when she was Guest of Honour at the 25th Anniversary Dinner.

Beatrice finished by saying “I just, by accident of history, started it all.” She wished us all “tight lines and good catches in the future”