Our Rules

l. The Club shall be called Brackley and District Angling Club. Hereinafter referred to as “The Club” and shall be affiliated to the Angling Trust, Angling’s governing body.

2. Dissolution.
a) If at any General Meeting of The Club a resolution is passed calling for the dissolution of The Club, the Secretary shall immediately convene a Special General Meeting of The Club to be held less than one month thereafter to discuss and vote on the resolution.
b) If, at that Special General Meeting of The Club, the resolution is carried by at least two thirds of the full members present at the meeting, the General Committee shall thereupon, or at such date as shall have been specified in the resolution, proceed to realise the assets of The Club and discharge all debts and liabilities of The Club.
c) After discharging all debts and liabilities of The Club, the remaining assets shall not be paid or distributed amongst the full members of The Club but shall be given to some other voluntary organisation having objectives similar to those of The Club.

3. The Aims of The Club are the furtherance of fishing and conservation of the waters and surrounding areas for the well being of all users.

4. Membership of The Club shall consist of: Senior Members, Senior Citizen Members, Junior Members, Temporary Members (Day Ticket Holders). Members other than temporary members shall be entitled to vote at any Annual General Meeting.

5. The Affairs of The Club shall be managed by The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer and five other Committee Members elected at each Annual General Meeting and known as ‘The Management Committee’, with the power to co-opt up to two members for the current season.

6. All Officers and Members of The Management Committee shall be fully paid up members of The Club, they shall be, with the exception of the co-opted members, elected by the Majority of the Members at the Annual General Meeting.

7. The Membership Rights of The Club shall be granted to fully paid up members and shall become members of The Club for the current season, and will be eligible to vole at all Annual and General and Special General Meetings in person but will not be entitled to appoint a proxy.

8. All Resolutions affecting the general rules and constitution of The Club must be submitted in writing no later than the first day of December, such resolutions can only be debated if they receive a seconder at the Annual General Meeting.

9. An Extraordinary General Meeting (or Special Meeting) may be called by The Management Committee, or if twenty or more members deem this to be necessary and written notice is given to the Secretary. Any such meeting will be held within twenty-eight days from receipt of request.

10. Membership Fees for various categories of Membership will be determined annually by The Management Committee, subject to approval by an A.G.M. Members of The Club shall be given their permits suitably endorsed, and these permits will remain in force for the period of one season. Membership applications will be accepted following the AGM and are not transferable.

11. Access to be gained to Club waters via stiles, gates and official access points only.

12. Litter and Discarded Tackle shall be taken home by the individual angler. The Management Committee shall be empowered to withdraw individual membership in the event of a breach of Club Rules or Bylaws.

13. Wilful damage will not be committed on any Club water or surrounding area.

14. Members Shall Not fish from boats or from the island. Members are reminded that no tents, caravans or camping is allowed. The use of a purpose made fishing shelter will be permitted. No fires are to be lit at any time.

15. Members must not drive or ride any vehicle on footpaths or surrounding area, with the exception of invalid transport or official business.

16. Members are reminded to be in possession of a current Environmental Agency Rod Licence and should note that B&DAC fishing season extends from 1st March to midnight on the last day of February. Two rods per angler limit on St James’s Lake.

17. Members must not take any fish away from any Club water. No fresh water baits alive or dead to be introduced to Club waters, only artificial or dead sea baits.

18. Reservation of swims is strictly prohibited except for Club matches.

19. Tackle Must Not be left unattended for undue lengths of time.

20. A limited number of Day Tickets for the use of non-members will be issued at the discretion of The Management Committee. All Day Tickets to be purchased in advance. Any angler found to be fishing without a Day Ticket will be asked to pay a 50% on the bank surcharge, over, and above the normal Day Ticket price. Anglers to cease fishing until correct payment made, or in the event of a refusal, to leave water, and face legal proceedings. No Night Fishing on a Day Ticket.

21. Any Member found breaking or aiding any other person to break the rules of The Club, may be asked to appear before the Management Committee to explain their actions, and may be subject to suspension or dismissal from the Club, as The Management Committee sees fit.

22. Club Trophies to be returned by the 1st November.

23. Junior Members under the age of 12 years must be accompanied by an adult al all times. Junior Members of 12 years to 15 years must have Parental consent to fish unaccompanied.

24. Bait Bans shall apply for any duration set by the committee.

25. No Junior Members under the age of 18 years to be fishing unaccompanied during the hours of darkness. Members under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by a Senior Member aged 21 years or over, fishing in an adjacent peg. Senior Member to be fully responsible for the safely and behaviour of the Junior Member under their control, whilst fishing or within the area known as St. James Lake or any water/land controlled by B&DAC. Senior Member must be in attendance at all times. Junior members from the age of 10-18 years, (age will be taken from 1st March) may apply for a night permit at club cost. All other rules and regulations to remain.

26. Total Ban On The use of live bait, and the use of low diameter micro-braid hook links. Barbless hooks only to be used whilst fishing, except when purposefully and intentionally Carp Fishing, where micro-barbed is allowed, and semi barbed trebles are allowed for pike fishing with dead baits. No carp to be retained in keep nets.

27. For a night permit holder fishing is allowed up to a maximum of 48 hours in any 72 hour period. Please check the notice board and match dales for Peg availability.

28. Pike/ Perch Fishing Rules Minimum Requirements/Practices to be followed
a) Main line not less than 10lb breaking strain.
b) Minimum 15 inch wire traces including when lure, and plug fishing.
c) Barbless/Semi-Barbless hooks to be used for ease of unhooking.
d) Locking artery forceps of 8 inch minimum length.
e) Suitable strength purpose designed pike or carp rod.
f) Bite indication capable of registering back drop bites when ledgering or free lining.
g) 36 inch minimum landing net.
h) Suitable receptacle if pike/perch are to be weighed.
i) No undue delay in striking to avoid deeply hooked fish.
j) Pike/Perch to be returned to water without unnecessary delay.
k) Fish to be unhooked on an adequate fish friendly unhooking mat.

l) All fish caught in St. James Lake to be handled with the utmost care and returned safely to the water as soon as possible. The holding and lifting of all Pike under the jaw with one hand is not acceptable
Our pike season runs from the first day of October to the last day in March.
practise on Club waters. All fish to be landed with a suitable sized fish friendly landing net, supported with two hands at all times and unhooked on a wet unhooking mat. All weigh slings to be wet and scales set prior to the fish being weighed and photographed. Any fish retained must be placed into a wet purpose made carp sack or pike tunnel. When returning a fish to the water use either an unhooking mat, suitably sized weigh sling or a landing net.

29. Carp Fishing Rules Minimum Requirements/Practices to be followed
a) Main line not less than 10lb breaking strain.
b) 36 inch minimum landing net.
c) Fish to be unhooked on an adequate fish friendly unhooking mat.
d) Carp not to be retained in keep nets, but in suitable retaining sacks.
e) Use of fixed lead rigs is not permitted.
f) No treble hooks to be used for Carp Fishing.
g) When Carp fishing single hook, single line to be used.

30. All fish caught in St. James Lake to be handled with the utmost care and returned safely to the water as soon as possible. The holding and lifting of all pike under the jaw with one hand is not acceptable practice on Club waters. All fish to be landed with suitable sized fish friendly landing net, supported with two hands at all times and unhooked on a wet unhooking mat. All weigh slings to be wet and scales set prior to the fish being weighed and photographed. Any fish retained must be placed into a wet purpose made carp sack or pike tunnel. When returning a fish to the water use either an unhooking mat, suitably sized weigh sling or a landing net.

31. No person fishing Club Waters shall be under the influence of alcohol, or any illegal substances, rendering them incapable of fishing in a sensible and responsible manner.

32. A senior member of The Club who holds a night permit may purchase in advance from the Secretary one guest night ticket on production of the guest’s rod license. The senior member to be in attendance with their guest at all times, fishing in an adjacent swim and to be fully responsible for the safety and behaviour of their guest whilst fishing or within the area known as St. James Lake or any water/land controlled by B&DAC. All other rules and regulations to remain. The duration of intended stay must be stated at the time of purchase, as only three separate guest tickets will be issued al any time.

33. The practise of casting a baited hook and/or lead weight onto a far bank, in order to secure an exact placement of the bait by hand in the far margins, otherwise known as ‘BANKING’ is totally banned.

34. Procedure for registering a claim for a record weight fish:
a) The fish must be weighed in the presence of a committee member.
b) In the absence of The Club scales, the claimant’s scales must be surrendered for verification of
accuracy.
c) Obtain photographs to substantiate claim.
d) Write to The Club Secretary stating that you wish to make a claim, providing the following information: Species of fish. Weight at capture. Name of Committee Member witnessing the weighing of the fish. Time and date of capture. Which scales used. Any other information to support claim.

35. No floating craft allowed except on official club business.

36. No Fly Fishing permitted.

37. Fishing from any peg, excluding pegs surrounding the island, is limited to halfway from the bank to the far bank, and halfway to adjacent pegs.

38. The use of keep nets between dusk till dawn is banned.

39. The Committee has the discretion/right to exclude any member from the Club should that person be found to bring the Club into disrepute by slander, libel or inappropriate behaviour.

40. All landing/keep nets, sacks and slings to be laid out 30 minutes before commencing to fish.