Club Rules

HALSTEAD & HEDINGHAM ANGLING CLUB RULES

Club rules may be updated by the club at any time without prior notification.

CLUB GENERAL BYLAWS / RULES:

  • All gates must be locked when entering and leaving club waters without exception.

  • Members must not cross or damage crops, shrubs, bushes, or trees, or use them as a toilet.

  • Air guns and dogs are not permitted on club waters to protect wildlife and livestock.

  • No matches are to be held on club waters.

  • Fishing is only allowed from designated swims on all club waters where available.

  • Strictly no fires or BBQs (disposable or not) are to be lit on any club waters. Gas cookers are allowed, but gas bottles must not be left on club waters.

  • The committee may enforce closures of any club waters at any time without prior notice for maintenance.

  • Night fishing permits are required between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM on all club waters. Night fishing is not permitted at Catley Cross Lake and Old Hill Pond.
    Note: Members under 16 must follow the rules set out in the Membership Specific Rules regarding adult supervision.

  • All inflatable items, air beds, dinghy-style boats, wading, and swimming are banned on all club waters.

  • Spodding is banned on all club waters.

  • Bait boats are banned on all club waters.

  • No tins, cans, or glass bottles are to be taken onto club waters. Take all rubbish home.

  • Drugs are prohibited on all club waters. Use will result in immediate expulsion and a lifetime ban.

  • The consumption of alcohol is prohibited on all club waters.

  • All members must take their litter home. Leaving litter will result in a lifetime ban. No excuses accepted.

  • Drunk or aggressive behavior towards members, bailiffs, committee members, or the public will not be tolerated. Offenders will be banned for life and reported to the police.

  • The club committee and authorised personnel (Bailiffs) may ask any member to leave the water at any time to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the fish, other members and public without any reasons given.

  • Additional Rules for Catley Cross Lake and Old Mill Pond:

    • No audible bite alarms.

    • No bivvies.

    • No night fishing.

    • No fishing from the wooden jetties.

FISH CARE & SAFETY RULES:

  • All members must have their own carp care kit with them at all times. No sharing is permitted.

  • All landing nets, keep nets, and unhooking mats must be dry before being taken onto club waters.

  • Members must have a suitable landing net no less than 36 inches. Sharing is not allowed, even in the same swim.

  • A suitable padded unhooking mat, ideally at least 1m², must be used. It should be wetted with lake water before placing a fish on it. No sharing is permitted.

  • Use an unhooking mat, landing net, or weigh sling to carry fish safely back to the water. Each member must have their own; sharing is prohibited.

  • No carp are to be retained in keep nets or carp sacks.

  • Permitted keep nets must be no less than 10 feet long.

  • No carp or fish over 5lb in weight should be retained in a keep net.

  • Bailiffs or committee members have the right to inspect your keep net and may request that you empty it in the interest of fish care.

  • No fish are to be removed from club waters.

  • Fixed leads and fixed feeders are banned on all club waters.

  • The use of braid as a main line is banned on all club waters.

  • Only one kilo of bait is to be used per session (6 AM–10 PM). Excess bait must not be disposed of into club waters or on the banks. Take all rubbish home.

  • Use halibut or highly oily pellets sparingly.

  • No lead core or lead core replacement safety leaders are permitted.

  • Members must not be more than one swim away from baited rods at any time.

  • No peas, beans, or nuts are to be used on all club waters.

  • No live bait is to be taken onto club waters.

  • Committee members or club bailiffs may inspect a member’s bait containers and fishing tackle at any time. Failure to comply may result in a ban.

  • Treble hooks are banned on all club waters. Micro barbed and crushed hooks are permitted on all club waters.

MEMBERSHIP SPECIFIC RULES:

  • Any person fishing on a Club fishery must be in possession of the current Environment Agency rod license, which permits a maximum of two or three rods to be used by members at any one time. NOTE: We do not allow 3 rod fishing on the waters)

  • No more than two rods per member are allowed on all club waters, regardless of EA's three-rod licence status. Bailiffs and the committee can request to see your EA rod licence.

  • We are a members-only club. No non-paying guests or visitors are permitted on club waters unless a permit is paid for.

  • Day members are permitted to fish from dawn until dusk. These times vary throughout the year depending on daylight hours. Fishing outside of these hours is not permitted without a valid night permit.

  • Members' guest permits are available.

  • Guest Permit Conditions:

    • Guest tickets must be requested in advance with at least 72 hours' notice.

    • Failure to pay in advance may forfeit future guest ticket privileges.

    • Guest tickets are not available at the bank and are non-transferable or refundable.

    • Permits must be requested by the full club member, not the guest.

    • Request permits via emailing the club at membership@hhac.fishing.

    • Only one guest permit per member at a time.

    • Guests must be in the same swim or adjacent swim and accompanied at all times.

    • Permits must be requested 24 hours before the intended visit.

    • Guest permits are available at the discretion of the club and are subject to availability.

  • Non-Paying Visitors:

    • Occasional visits by a spouse, partner, or parent are allowed if they do not fish or stay overnight.

    • Only one visitor is allowed at a time.

    • Members must escort visitors in and out of club waters.

    • Visitors must not unlock or lock gates independently.

    • All rubbish must be taken home.

    • Bailiffs have discretion to ask visitors to leave.

  • Members must not publicise locations of club waters or catch reports.

  • Children aged 12–14 must have their own membership and be accompanied by a full member over 14 or a non-fishing member with a permit.

  • Children aged 6–12 do not require membership but must be with a full member over 14 and have their details submitted to the club secretary.

  • Only one child under 14 per member over 14 is allowed.

  • Any person under the age of 16 fishing at night must be accompanied by a full member over 16 or a non-fishing member with a permit. Only one person under 16 per member over 16 is allowed.

  • Members with only a syndicate lake permit do not have a vote at the AGM and cannot fish the rest of the club waters. To have a vote or fish other waters, a permit for the remainder of the club waters is required.

  • Members banned from the club and having their membership canceled are not entitled to any refund.

  • The club has the right to refuse membership.

DISSOLUTION OF THE CLUB

  • If at any General Meeting a resolution for the dissolution of the Club shall be passed by a majority of the members present and such resolution shall at an Extra Ordinary General Meeting held not less than one month thereafter at which not less than half the members shall be present be confirmed by a resolution passed by a majority of two-thirds of the members voting thereon, the Committee shall thereupon, or at such future date as shall be specified in such resolution proceed to realise the property of the Club and after the discharge of all liabilities shall divide the same equally among all full members and thereafter the Club shall be dissolved.

CLUB LIABILITY

  • Halstead & Hedingham Angling Club accepts no responsibility or liability for the safety of children under 12 on club waters.

  • Neither Halstead & Hedingham Angling Club or any officer thereof shall be liable to any member or guest of a member for any loss of or damage to any property occurring from whatsoever cause, in or about any organised Club event; nor for any injury sustained by a member or guest in or about any organised Club event; the same applying to any Club water.