View EFFC Club Rules

View EFFC Club Constitution

View EFFC Day Ticket Rules

View EFFC Code of Practice

Errwood Fly Fishing Club, Club Rules(Revised 2010)

Bye-Laws and Fishing Rules and Regulations

1. A valid National Rod Licence must be held by every angler fishing the water.



2. Members fishing do so at their own risk and on the understanding that the Club accepts no responsibility for loss, damage or injury to persons or property.



3. The season shall open on the third Saturday in March each year. The season shall close on 30th September for brown trout; 30th November for rainbow trout, or such other date as may be recommended by the Committee and ratified in the Annual General Meeting. Close season dates specified by the Environment Agency shall take precedence.



4. The hours of fishing are from sunrise to one hour after sunset.



5. Day Ticket anglers, when accompanied by a current member, may fish at the same times as stipulated in the Bye-Laws, Rules and Regulations for full members.



6. Juniors (see Constitution) shall not be allowed to fish unless accompanied by an adult member.



7. Membership cards (or day/guest tickets if applicable) must be produced to any authorised bailiff or any other member on request. Membership cards must be displayed at all times. Failure to do so may result in fishing rights being withdrawn for the day.



8. All members must endeavour to ensure that no unauthorised fishing takes place.



9. Fly-fishing only is allowed. Floats, spinners and ledgers are forbidden. Ground baiting or any form of bait fishing is forbidden.



10. Only 3 fish of 10" or over can be killed in one day, after which the angler shall cease to fish. (Fish under 10" should, until further notice, be carefully returned to the water). All brown trout should be returned to the water regardless of size.



11. The number of fish taken is restricted to 6 per week (Saturday to Friday) between the dates, sizes and daily limits stipulated by the Club's Bye-Laws, Rules and Regulations, after which the angler shall cease to fish until the following Saturday.



12. All members shall provide fish returns of all fish taken as per approved procedures.



13. No wading is allowed, or fishing from boats.



14. Fishing is not permitted from the dam-head, or in front of the Sailing Club's premises.



15. Anglers must not interfere with wild life, or with any of the Landlord's installations.



16. Anglers are responsible for ensuring that the banks are free of litter.



17. The gutting of fish on the banks or in the water is strictly forbidden.



18. Members may use the Sailing Club's car park.



19. Members have a duty of care to ensure that the general public are aware of the dangers of fly fishing on the Club's leased waters and to avoid casting his or her line if there is a risk of causing injury. No angler may cast his/her line if there is a possibility of its fouling any sailing boat.



20. No radios or dogs are allowed within 30 yards of the high water mark. No fires at all.



21. Alterations to the Byelaws and Rules can be made only at a General or Special Meeting called by the Secretary either at the request of a minimum of 10 members (who shall give 21 days notice to the Secretary) or at the request of the Committee. Such proposed alterations must be circularised to all members, 14 days before the date of the meeting.



22. Any question of interpretation of these rules shall be determined by the Committee, whose decision shall be final.

Errwood Fly Fishing Club, Day Ticket Rules (Revised 2010)

Bye-Laws and Fishing Rules for Day Ticket Anglers

1. Day Tickets may be issued from the 3rd Saturday in March until 30th November.



2. Tickets are non transferable.



3. Hours of fishing are from 9:00 until 21:00 or one hour after sunset if earlier.



4. Ticket holders fishing with Members may start at times stipulated for Members in the Club Rules.



5. Ticket holders fish entirely at their own risk. The Club accepts no responsibility for loss, damage, injury or accident.



6. Tickets must be completed in ink before fishing. Catch returns must be completed and placed in the returns box near the water control tower before leaving the water. Failure to do so may result in denial of future tickets.



7. No Brown Trout are to be killed, regardless of size



8. Fly-fishing only is allowed. Please use barbless/de-barbed hooks.



9. Only three fish of 10" or over can be killed in one day after which the angler shall leave the water immediately. Catch and release can be practised until the third fish is killed



10. A current National Rod Licence must be held.



11. No wading is allowed.



12. Fishing is not permitted from the dam head nor in front of the Sailing Club premises.



13. No radios, dogs or fires are allowed within 30 yards of the high water mark, nor non-ticket holding members of the public.



14. Ticket holders may park their cars only on the authorised car parks only (not in the Sailing Club car park).



15. Tickets and catches must be produced on the request of any Bailiff or Club Member.



16. Returns of fish caught (including nil return) must be posted in the box provided near the control tower.



17. Juniors under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult ticket holder.



18. No angler may cast his/her line if there is a possibility of it fouling any water borne craft.



19. Leaving litter and gutting of fish on the banks or in the water is strictly forbidden



20. Anyone breaking the fishing rules will be excluded from the water.

Errwood Fly Fishing Club, Club Constitution (Revised 2010)

1. The name of the Club is the Errwood Fly Fishing Club.



2. The object of the Club is to promote and retain the interests of its members in Fly Fishing as a sport and recreation.



3. The Club may lease, buy, rent or otherwise obtain fishing rights or waters, buildings, rights of way or access, stock and equipment and may negotiate with any persons in the interests of providing fly fishing for its members.



4. The Club shall take necessary action to protect its rights and property and shall obtain legal or other representation as may be appropriate. It shall insure against risks as necessary.



5. The maximum number of members shall be 110 and the maximum number of juniors shall be 10, until these numbers are increased or reduced in the Annual General Meeting.



6. Application for membership must be in writing. The first year's membership is probationary. The Applicant must be proposed and seconded by a member before full membership is considered by the Committee.



7. The Club may raise funds by charging for entrance fees, subscriptions and day tickets or by any other legal means as may be decided by the Committee and approved in the Annual General Meeting.



8. The Club shall have the power to borrow or loan money and to invest money to the best advantage.



9. Day Ticket holders will be invested with temporary membership for the date stipulated on the ticket and shall abide by the Bye-Laws, Rules and Regulations currently approved at an AGM.



10. Subscriptions, due on the 1st January, must be paid by 28th February each year and failure to do so may result in membership being cancelled at the discretion of the Committee. The amount of entrance fee and annual subscription shall be fixed annually by the Committee and ratified at the next Annual General Meeting. Juniors (age of 16 or under on 1st April of the relevant year) shall be entitled to Junior tickets at a subscription equal to one half of the full membership fee and shall not be required to pay an entrance fee. Juniors shall not be entitled to any privileges of the Club except for fishing the water.



11. Juniors are permitted to fish only when accompanied by an adult member and must abide by the prevailing fishing limits as stipulated by the current Bye-Laws, Rules and Regulations.



12. Members' children who are 16 years of age or over on 1st April shall pay the full subscription but when juniors reach the age of 16 they shall have priority over other applicants for membership and will not be required to pay an entrance fee.



13. Any member intending to resign from the club shall give notice of his/her intention in writing to the Honorary Secretary on or before 1st January, returning all Club property. Any member who fails to pay their subscription by 28 February risks forfeiting their membership. If such action is not taken the subscription for the year following shall be due and payable on the 28th February.



14. Any member found guilty of breaking the Bye-Laws, Rules and Regulations may have his/her membership cancelled or suspended for a stated period by the Committee without any refund of subscription, entrance fee etc, and on notification of cancellation or suspension must cease immediately to use the facilities of the Club.



15. The Committee reserves the right to terminate the membership of any Member who, in the Committee's view, has behaved in a manner that may bring the Club into disrepute.



16. The Annual General Meeting shall be in January each year, when any alterations to the Constitution, Bye-Laws, Rules and Regulations shall be decided and Officers and Committee Members shall be elected. Fourteen days' notice of such meeting shall be given to all members.
17. The Officers shall be Honorary Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and Fishery Officer. The Committee shall consist of the four Officers and four other elected members. They shall have power to co-opt up to six members for the current year that may be required because they have special knowledge or skills to help the Committee in their work.



18. The Committee and Officers shall be elected for a period two years; half the Officers and half the Committee being elected at each Annual General Meeting.



19. The Honorary Secretary shall keep accurate records of all meetings and produce such records at the next meeting for approval. He/she shall attend to all correspondence and shall send out all notices of forthcoming meetings, events, new by-laws and important news to all members as instructed by the Committee.



20. The Honorary Treasurer shall keep appropriate books of account, collect subscriptions and any monies owing to the Club, see that all monies are banked, pay accounts as instructed by the Committee and give a statement of financial account to members present at the Annual General Meeting. He/she shall keep the Committee informed of the financial position of the Club.



21. Two auditors shall examine all accounts, payments and receipts, see that they are recorded and vouch for their correctness at or before the Annual General Meeting. The auditors shall be appointed by the Committee one month before the Annual General Meeting.



22. The Committee may elect one of its members as Vice-Chairman; he/she will take the chair in the absence of the Honorary Chairman.



23. Committee meetings shall take place only when there is a quorum of four members. Each member shall have one vote. The Honorary Chairman shall have a casting vote.



24. The Committee shall have power to call an Extraordinary General Meeting of members at seven days' notice for any special or emergency decision. Minutes of such meetings must be produced at the next Annual General Meeting for confirmation.



25. Notices of motion may be proposed at any General Meeting by not less than 10 members. Such proposals must be notified to the Honorary Secretary as least 21 days before the date of the meeting and must be circulated to all members. Any 10 members shall have the right to call a Special General Meeting by notifying the Honorary Secretary.



26. The Committee may make such special regulations as may be necessary to meet the requirements of a fishery or of the Lessors.
27. The Committee shall have power to appoint a special sub-committee for a period of up to three years to deal with or enquire into any activity of the Club which may be delegated to it. Such sub-committee shall be responsible to the Committee.



28. The Committee may authorise payments to cover expenses incurred on behalf of the Club.



29. Cheques must be signed by any two of the three following Officers - Honorary Treasurer, Honorary Secretary and Honorary Chairman.



30. The Committee can appoint Trustees to hold or administer assets on trust for its members. There shall be not less than two Trustees and if any Trustee resigns from the Club, or wishes to be released from his/her Trusteeship, he/she will execute all necessary documents to pass his/her interest in the lease or other assets to the new or remaining Trustees.



31. In the event of dissolution of the Club, the Committee, after paying all liabilities, shall distribute the balance of cash in equal proportions to all fully paid- up Members.



32. The Club may, at General or Extraordinary General Meeting appoint Honorary or Life Members.



33. Should the terms of the Lease or any other condition laid down by the Landlord conflict with this Constitution or with the Byelaws, Rules and Regulations, then the former shall prevail.

Fishing and behavioural guidelines for EFFC waters

EFFC exists to enable us, the members, to enjoy our sport in a beautiful part of the country. An important part of being a good angler is to ensure that your activities do not interfere with the ability of other members to enjoy their activities. As sportsmen and women we also have a duty to ensure that we cause the minimum of distress to the fish that we seek to catch. This is not only a humane duty but also in the interests of other anglers who want to be able to catch fish. This Code of Practice is therefore intended to maximise the enjoyment that members receive from angling on Errwood.

Anglers' behaviour and angling etiquette

1. Never do anything that may spoil another angler's sport.



2. When approaching another angler who is actively casting, check for a moment or two to see if that angler is working along the bank. If this is the case, make sure that you move well away from the water's edge when you pass the other angler and that you stay well away from the water for a reasonable distance so that you do not 'kill' the other's beat. Remember that trout can see you from a considerable distance



3. If you pass an angler who is working along the bank, try to avoid working along the bank just in front of them. Errwood is a large water and only rarely are the banks likely to be so crowded that you cannot find somewhere to fish that will not interrupt another's progress



4. It is polite to ask an angler you intend to pass if he/she minds you doing so and if you decide to fish within speaking distance, please ask the other angler whether they have any objection to you fishing at that spot.



5. If you are the stationary angler and you are catching fish, why not invite the moving angler to come close to you or even stop fishing for a few minutes to allow him/her to move through your water?



6. If you find a 'hot spot' and begin to catch fish when others around you are blank, do not hog that spot. It is common decency to move on after a few fish to let others try their skill and have some fun. If you catch 3 fish in half an hour in one particular spot, it's probably time to move on



7. If you are fishing near another angler it is good manners not to splash about in the shallows or disturb the water any more than is necessary. Thumping about on the bank also puts fish down. It is therefore polite to other anglers to move about as quietly as possible.
8. If you see another angler having problems, ask if you can help in any way.




Catch or release - If you intend to release any fish you catch, please follow the following points

9. If you intend to release fish you catch, always use a barbless, or de-barbed hook.



10. In order to cause minimal distress and injury to fish that you intend to release, the best method is to slide your hand down the leader until you can grip the fly between finger and thumb and then to gently twist the hook from the fish's mouth without either netting the fish, beaching it or removing it from the water.



11. If you must net a fish you intend to release, do so as gently as possible and do not grasp the fish from outside the net. If you have to hold the fish, ensure that your hand is wet first and do not squeeze the body.



12. When releasing a fish from the hand, support it gently under the surface of the water until it can swim away on its own. Never throw a fish back into the water.



13. If you find that the fish has been injured by the hook, particularly if it is bleeding, it should not be released but should be killed as quickly and as humanely as possible (see below).




Killing Fish

14. All injured fish should be killed, especially if they are bleeding. A fish that has been hooked through the roof of the mouth or through the eye, for example, rather than in the lip is unlikely to survive if returned to the water. Injured fish can spread disease.



15. Remove the fish from the water as quickly as possible (play the fish - do not play with the fish) using a landing net (knotless of course) of adequate size. Under no circumstances should you beach a fish.



16. Kill the fish as soon after landing as possible with several firm blows to the top of the head with a suitable 'priest'.



17. Under no circumstances should fish be allowed to suffocate to death on the bank or in the angler's bag.



18. Never return a dead fish to the water.



19. Do not clean fish at the water - do this at home.

     

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