These are a summary of the main rules and regulations, which prospective members may find useful in deciding if the Club is suitable for their own fishing. Venue specific regulations are also shown under the Our Waters section of the website. The member’s handbook available to members through the Clubmate App contains the complete rules and regulations and members must familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations of the Club before fishing.

General fishery regulations

1. In all cases members are expected to use common sense and be respectful of others.
2. All relevant Environment Agency bye laws will be observed on Club waters.
3. A member may enter land in the control of the Club only for the purposes of fishing or maintenance of the fisheries.
4. Fishing is not permitted from bridges or weirs.
5. No unauthorised boats, bait boats or drones are allowed on any Club fishery.
6. No lighting of fires or barbecues (unless authorised by the committee for approved functions or Fishery Management work parties). Small portable camping style gas cooking equipment is allowed.
7. No firearms, hunting weapons or traps (unless by a Club authorised person only).
8. Only proprietary fishing shelters are permitted on any Club fishery (umbrellas, umbrella based shelters and bivies) and they must be sited so access around a fishery or along a riverbank is not restricted. Other temporary structures (tents, wigwam’s, gazebos etc) are not permitted.
9. Reserving of swims is not permitted; all are on a first come basis. One some larger venues (see venue regulations tables) a bucket or other item maybe placed in a swim by a member to indicate their chosen swim whilst they collect their tackle. Once the bucket or item is placed the member must go immediately and directly to collect their tackle then occupy the swim. Unless specified in the special venue regulations this can be for no more than 30 minutes after which another member may occupy and fish that swim.
10. Members may remove bank side vegetation, small overhanging branches, or weed to allow a swim to be fished, but must not carry out major work on swims, banks, trees or vegetation on any fishery. Please leave weed in the water if possible.
11. Damage to trees, fences or other property are all strictly prohibited.

Guests

1. No unauthorised guests or family are allowed on Club fisheries unless the fishery is on a public open space, or they have a Non Angling Guest permit.
2. Members may take up to two angling guests on Club waters where permitted once a guest ticket has been purchased.
3. All guests must be accompanied by the member.

Dogs

1. Dogs are permitted where a fishery is on a public open space, and on some stillwater fisheries with a valid dog permit.
2. There can only be one dog per member, and the dog must always be on a lead.

Individual seasons

1. All dates mentioned are inclusive. This means a stated period, such as 16 June to 14 March, includes the full day of 16 June and the full day of 14 March.
2. Club seasons:

• Coarse River Season – 16 June – 14 March
• Salmon Avon River season – 1 February – 31 August
• Salmon Frome River season – 1 March – 31August
• Sea Trout River Season – 15 April – 31October
• Brown Trout River Season – 1 April – 15 October
• Pike (All waters) – 1 October – 14 March

General fishing times

1. All general fishing is allowed from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset unless otherwise specified.
2. Note that ‘one hour before sunrise’, this means you are not allowed on a fishery before this time and ‘one hour after sunset’, this means you must be off the fishery by that time.

Stillwater night fishing

1. There are a limited number of night fishing tickets available at some venues:

• Hucklesbrook
• Ibsley Pools (Crowe, Edwards, Tomkins)
• Spinnaker
• Waddock
• Wainsford (Summer only)

2. Night tickets are not available to persons under the age of 18 years unless accompanied by a full member or non-angling guest over the age of 18.
3. All night fishing on stillwaters must be prebooked.
4. The maximum stay on any venue is 5 days, following which the member must leave the venue for 2 days before returning. For the purpose of maximum stay, Ibsley pools and Waddock lakes are a single venue.
5. Only members with a valid night ticket are permitted on a stillwater fishery beyond one hour after sunset.
6. Some fisheries have restricted arrival and departure times, please check the individual venue regulations.

River extended hours and night Fishing

1. Extended Hours: Meaning an additional two hours fishing (so leaving time will be three hours after sunset) is available on the following venues:

• Sopley Mill Stream
• Upper Winkton
• Lower Winkton
• The Leaze
• Little Canford
• Dudsbury

2. Night Fishing: Meaning 24hr providing you have purchased a rivers night permit, is available on the following venues:

• Horseport
• Ringwood Fishery
• Canford Bridge
• Highmead

3. Bivies are not permitted on rivers, and noise must be kept down to an absolute minimum.

Fish welfare

1. All fish, coarse and game (except coarse fish used as live bait) must be returned to the water as soon as possible unharmed. The only exception is Whitesheet trout fishery where members may take rainbow trout with the appropriate ticket.
2. The use of keepnets is not permitted on any fishery, except in Club matches where special arrangements apply.
3. A single fish may be retained for a short period, in either a landing net or appropriate retention sling for the purposes of weighing and photographing. Only one fish per angler may be retained and this must be for less than 30 minutes.
4. All anglers must be in possession of an unhooking mat, if you are not, you will be asked to leave the fishery. An unhooking mat should be used for any fish that will be in contact with the ground.
5. If you must leave your rods unattended remove your rig(s) from the water and remove your bait. Leave them safely secured where they will not cause injury to another member or any wildlife. Fishing tackle is to be left unattended for no more than 1 hour.
6. Periodically lakes or swims may be closed for example to protect any spawning fish. This will be at the discretion of the head bailiff and the committee. Members must not fish for spawning fish whether the lake is open or closed.

Salmon fishing

1. Salmon seasons:

• Rivers Avon and Stour – 1 February – 31 October.
• River Frome – 1 March – 31 October.

2. Members must follow the Environment Agency fishing methods for the seasons as follows:

• Fly only using tackle, which is specific to fly fishing from 1 February.
• Fly and spinning (only with recognised salmon spinners) from 15 May.
• Fly, spinning and bait (shrimp or prawn only) from16 June.

3. No Salmon fishing on the River Avon if the water temperature at Knapp mill exceeds 19C.
4. Always use tackle that is strong enough to subdue fish with the minimum of delay, as a guide 18lb/ 8kg, 0.35mm diameter fluorocarbon or monofilament line should be used as a minimum.
5. Always keep fish in the water. If a photograph is desired, take a photo of the fish in the net in the water, or briefly lift the fish just above the water’s surface for the minimum time possible.

Sea trout fishing

1. Sea Trout season 15 April – 31 October.
2. Fly only using tackle, which is specific to fly fishing before 15 May, spinning is allowed thereafter using appropriate lures / spinners, with a total length not exceeding 8cm.

Brown trout fishing

1. Brown trout season 01 April – 15 October.
2. Fishing for brown trout during the coarse fish close season (15 March to 15 June) is permitted only where fishery special regulations allow.
3. Fishing for brown trout is by fly only using only tackle which is specific to fly fishing.
4. Upstream dry fly and nymph fishing only, maximum hook size 10 and no brightly coloured lures.

Pike fishing

1. Pike fishing is allowed on the Club’s waters from 1 October – 14 March.
2. Anglers should be in possession of the appropriate tackle and unhooking gear, as a guide:

• Long forceps or long nose pliers (minimum length of 10 inches/ 25cm) and long reach wire/side cutters.
• Mainline of 18lb/ 8kg, 0.35mm diameter monofilament or 50lb/ 23kg, 0.30mm braided line.
• Wire traces (minimum 28lb/ 13kg for bait fishing) with a length of 18 inches/ 45cm or more. It is also good practice to use an ‘uptrace’ when bait fishing.

3. Braided mainline may be used for pike fishing on all venues.
4. You may use up to 10 coarse fish live baits (max 6 inches/ 15cm long) in any 24 hour period. Small pike live baits up to 12 inches/ 30cm long may be used. All live baits must be used where caught and on the same day.
5. No fish (dead or alive) are to be transferred between waters. Sea fish and commercially frozen freshwater baits are permitted.

Lure and fly fishing for coarse fish

1. Members may lure and fly fish for any coarse fish in season; the exception is pike which can only be fished for from 1 October – 14 March.
2. From 15 March – 31 September lures/ flies must be less than 8cm/ 3.2 inches in length.
3. Braided line can be used on all venues when lure fishing.
4. The use of a wire trace is recommended.
5. If targeting chub, we ask that members crush the barbs of the trebles or replace the trebles with single hooks.
6. Restrictions on the use of lures, may apply on some fisheries where there are migratory and game fish, salmon and sea trout and brown trout, please see the special regulations that apply to specific fisheries.

Filming and guiding

1. Filming and photography for personal use only, is permitted on the Clubs fisheries without prior notice.
2. Drones cannot be used within the boundaries of Club waters without prior permission from the Club. This includes drones launched and flown from outside the boundary.
3. Angling guides or coaches using the Clubs fisheries for their business or personal gain must register and obtain permission from the Club before using our fisheries.
4. Anyone wishing to film or photograph on the Clubs fisheries for their business or personal gain must register and obtain permission from the Club before accessing our venues. For the purposes of this regulation personal gain includes filming for a dedicated YouTube channel.
5. Full details of our requirements for angling guides, coaches and filming/ photography of a commercial nature will be available on registration. A charge maybe applied.
6. The Club supports and encourages coaching events and activities that are associated with charitable work or work with vulnerable persons and special arrangements will be made available to people who work in this field who wish to use our venues.