CLUB RULES FOR ALL WATERS
1. That this Club be called the Dorset Arms Angling Club, Withyham & the annual subscriptions shall be as follows.
2. Adults (aged 18-64) £48.00; Seniors (over 65’s) £35.00; Juniors aged 16 to 17 £15.00; under 16’s free (see Rule 12); Subscriptions to fall due on the anniversary of a member’s previous subscription payment. Max number of subscribed members plus non-paying juniors under 16 to be no more than 195.
3. All members must have a current EA rod licence. A Club Membership Card must be always carried when fishing & be shown on demand.
4. That the officers of the club shall be President, Vice Presidents, Chairman, Hon Secretary, Hon Treasurer. The Committee shall comprise no less than 5 and not more than 12 members. 5 to make a quorum.
5. These Rules shall not be altered except at the AGM or a Special General Meeting called for that purpose. The AGM date will be notified to members at least 14 days in advance. Any member wishing to alter any rules must give the Hon Secretary written notice prior to the AGM.
6. Anything arising & not provided for by these Rules shall be dealt with by the committee whose decision will be final.
7. All coarse fish and trout to be returned to the water as soon as possible after capture.
8. That no member be allowed to use more than 2 rods when coarse fishing. No rod to be left unattended.
a) That no game be disturbed.
b) That all gates be kept shut.
c) That no rubbish be left on the banks including any unused bait. Every angler shall be responsible for any litter found within 15 feet of wherever they happen to be fishing.
d) That members walk on the edge of banks & not crops.
e) That every endeavour be made to prevent any annoyance to owners or tenants by whose kindness & courtesy we enjoy our sport.
f ) That no radios or dogs be allowed.
g) No illegal drugs allowed. Alcohol in moderation only.
10. All forms of ground bait to be allowed with a 1Kg max. dried weight per session. No unused bait to be deposited in the lake after fishing.
11. Members can enter fish for Club records/annual trophies on the Club’s still waters, streams and rivers, or any such waters the Club’s Members may fish through affiliations the Club may have with commercial fisheries (not including RFA waters). Fish cannot be submitted for records/trophies when fishing an affiliated water on another Club’s ticket or match. Details of fish caught should be submitted to the Secretary as follows; a) Date caught, photographs of fish and scale reading or b) written details to include details of a witness. This information to be submitted within 4 weeks of capture. Scales to be made available on request.
12. Junior members under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
13. That no fires should be lit other than at working parties.
14. No member shall serve as or be elected as an official or committee member of the Dorset Arms Angling Club whilst serving as an official or committee member of any other angling club.
15. All complaints must be in writing to the committee.
16. “Snap tackle” is banned.
17. Adult/Senior members may purchase a Guest Day ticket for all DAAC Waters (not Claygate or Orchard Farm). Tickets £10 for over 18’s & £5 for a junior aged 16-17. Juniors under 16 Free. Guests to be accompanied by the host member. Guest Day tickets are available via Clubmate. No charge for RFA guest tickets. To be obtained from the Secretary and must be returned after use.
18. Barbless or micro barbed hooks only.
19. Disciplinary proceedings, if deemed necessary by the committee, to be conducted by an appointed impartial Disciplinary Sub-committee of 3 to 5 persons in accordance with principles of “Article 6 of The European Convention on Human Rights” and “Natural Justice”.
20. Unhooking Mats must be used when unhooking Carp on the Bank. The use of fixed weight rigs is banned, max lead weight 1.5 oz. Rigs to be made available for inspection if requested by a Club Official.
ADDITIONAL RULES FOR BURRSWOOD
1. Members to only fish lakes shown on DAAC map.
2. Access to lakes via lower drive. Top Lake can be accessed via either the upper or lower drives. Parking for both lakes refer to maps available on the Website. IMPORTANT: Bottom Lake car park gate to be locked following entry and on leaving.
3. No night fishing allowed.
COMPETITION RULES
1. That all competitions be controlled by the stewards who have been appointed at the committee meeting prior to the competition.
2. The stewards will start and end the competition.
3. The stewards will be responsible for weighing & checking that fish are eligible & their decision will be final.
4. In the event of more than one lake being fished in a competition further stewards will be appointed to cover all waters.
5. The draw for positions will take place 1 hour before the advertised start time on Sundays.
6. All competitions are to be pegged & competitors must fish peg selected and not move.
7. At all competitions competitors must produce their Current Membership Card.
8. Selected matches throughout the season will be chosen to enable competitors to fish for the club’s cups and shields. See published Match dates.
9. If the venue for a competition is unfishable the stewards have the right to change the venue to another water providing a majority of competitors present agree. The competition will be included for competition points.
10. Trophies will be awarded to the overall winner of Sunday League competitions.
11. Only one rod to be used at any one time unless otherwise stated.
INTER-CLUB COMPETITION RULES
1. Teams to be selected by the Match Secretary.
When fishing RFA waters DAAC & RFA Rules apply.
RFA RULES CAN BE VIEWED ON ITS WEBSITE
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Statutory close seasons apply to DAAC rivers/streams; coarse from 15th March to 15th June inclusive, Trout fishing 1st November to 2nd April inclusive. An EA natural bait exemption for trout fishing applies.
Report pollution incidents and illegal activity to the Environment Agency’s 24 Hotline: 0800 807060. Also report suspected illegal activity to the Police on 101. Obtain a ref no and then provide the Secretary with the details. Other useful no’s are Crimestoppers: 0800555111 and Crimestoppers Rural Crime Hotline 0800 7830137. Call 999 ONLY in an emergency.
Familiarise yourself with the club “Risk & Safety Assessment Statement” & also EA Byelaws. These can be viewed in the Member’s Area of the Club’s website.
Maps are available to download on the website and are available on Clubmate.
Cups and Trophies are available to be won annually for individual species (see Rule 11).