Club Rules

These rules apply to all club waters unless stated otherwise.

• 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 otherwise, 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 or Old Mill Pond.
• Members under 18 must follow the rules set out in the Junior Rules section 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, drones and any other remote-controlled or remotely operated devices are banned on all club waters, unless expressly authorised by the committee.
• No tins, cans or glass bottles are to be taken onto club waters. All members must take their litter home. Leaving litter will result in a lifetime ban. No excuses accepted.
• Drugs and alcohol are prohibited on all club waters. Use will result in immediate expulsion and a lifetime ban.
• Drunk or aggressive behaviour 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, including bailiffs, may ask any member to leave the water at any time to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the fish, other members and the public, without any reason being given.

These rules apply in addition to the general club rules.

Halstead Reservoir

• Night fishing is permitted at Halstead Reservoir for members with the correct night fishing membership or permit.

Catley Cross Lake

• No audible bite alarms.
• No bivvies.
• No night fishing.
• No fishing from the wooden jetties.

Old Mill Pond

• No audible bite alarms.
• No bivvies.
• No night fishing.
• No fishing from the brick wall
• No carp fishing.

These rules are in place to protect the health and welfare of fish across all club waters.

• 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. This applies to Halstead Reservoir and Catley Cross.
• A suitable padded unhooking mat must be used when unhooking fish. The mat must be suitable for the size of fish being handled, ideally no smaller than 100cm x 60cm, and wetted with lake water before use. 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, from 6 AM to 9 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.

These rules apply to membership, rod licences, guest permits and non-fishing visitors.

• Any person fishing on a club fishery must be in possession of a current Environment Agency rod licence.
• No more than two rods per member are allowed on all club waters, regardless of Environment Agency three-rod licence status. Bailiffs and the committee may request to see your Environment Agency rod licence.
• Halstead & Hedingham Angling Club is a members-only club. No non-paying guests or visitors are permitted on club waters unless the correct permit has been purchased.

Guest Permits

• Guest permits are available to members.
• Guest tickets must be purchased via the club app in advance.
• Guest tickets are only available to be purchased by members aged 18 or over.
• Guest tickets cannot be purchased on the day of intended use.
• Guest tickets are not transferable and are only valid for the lake purchased for.
• Failure to purchase a guest ticket may result in the loss of future guest ticket privileges, or a ban for the member and guest.
• Guest tickets are not available on the bank and are non-transferable and non-refundable.
• Only one guest ticket is permitted per member at a time.
• Guests must be in the same swim or an adjacent swim and accompanied at all times.
• Guest tickets 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 private access details, gate codes or unauthorised catch reports relating to club waters.

Membership Decisions

• Members banned from the club and having their membership cancelled are not entitled to any refund.
• The club has the right to refuse membership.

These rules apply to junior, intermediate adults and under-12 members, and to the adults responsible for supervising them.

• Children under 12 may fish free of charge, but must have their own under-12 membership and must be accompanied by a full member aged 18 or over, or a non-fishing member aged 18 or over with the correct permit.
• Junior members aged 12 to 15 must have their own membership and must follow all club rules.
• Children under 14 must be accompanied by a full member aged 18 or over, or a non-fishing member aged 18 or over with the correct permit.
• No member under 14 may fish at night.
• Members aged 14 to 17 inclusive may only fish at night if they have the appropriate night permit and are accompanied by an adult member aged 18 or over with a senior membership, either Adult or Concession.
• A senior member aged 18 or over may be responsible for no more than two accompanied members at any one time.
• Halstead & Hedingham Angling Club accepts no responsibility or liability for the safety of children, junior or intermediate members on club waters. Responsibility remains with the supervising adult member, senior member aged 18 or over, or non-fishing member aged 18 or over at all times.

These rules explain responsibility and liability while attending club waters or club events.

• Halstead & Hedingham Angling Club accepts no responsibility or liability for the safety of children, junior or intermediate members on club waters. Responsibility remains with the supervising adult, senior member aged 18 or over, or non-fishing member aged 18 or over at all times.
• Neither Halstead & Hedingham Angling Club nor any officer of the club shall be liable to any member or guest of a member for any loss of, or damage to, property occurring from any cause in or around any organised club event or club water.
• Neither Halstead & Hedingham Angling Club nor any officer of the club shall be liable for any injury sustained by a member or guest in or around any organised club event or club water.

This section explains the process required if the club is ever dissolved.

• If, at any General Meeting, a resolution for the dissolution of the club is passed by a majority of the members present, the resolution must then be confirmed at an Extraordinary General Meeting held not less than one month later.
• At the Extraordinary General Meeting, not less than half of the members must be present.
• The resolution must be confirmed by a majority of two-thirds of the members voting.
• If the resolution is confirmed, the committee shall proceed to realise the property of the club, either immediately or at a future date specified in the resolution.
• After all liabilities have been discharged, the remaining club property or funds shall be divided equally among all full members.
• The club shall then be dissolved.