CLUB BYLAWS
These are the bylaws you must abide by as a CDAS member.
Our members have a good reputation for behaving well and respecting the bylaws.
Most of these bylaws come down to being responsible and showing respect – to other members,
to the fish and to your surroundings.
If you break any of these bylaws, you could face a reprimand,
a suspension or a full expulsion from CDAS.
If you’re unsure about any of these bylaws, please check with a bailiff.
Membership numbers are limited to 850 by the committee and will be reviewed at regular intervals.
Left Click/Tap the Content Heading you wish to read. Opening another Heading will close the previous one.
1. General Behaviour: By-Laws 1-10
1. Take your rubbish home with you.
When you leave a swim, you must remove all items of litter, unused bait and discarded items of tackle (even if they were there when you arrived). You mustn’t throw unused bait in the water or on the bank – this Tends to attract rats.
2. Be polite and respectful.
The committee want allow any language that’s offensive, aggressive, harassing or excessively loud – no matter who it’s directed at. This includes any interactions you have with other members through social media, phone calls and emails.
3. Keep radios, phones, TVs and other devices quiet.
It’s fine to use these, as long as they’re not a nuisance to others.
4. No illegal drugs or excessive drinking.
You mustn’t possess any illegal drugs on the complex or be under the influence of them. Alcohol is okay, in sensible amounts.
5. Damage nothing.
Unless you have the committee’s approval, you mustn’t do anything that damages trees, vegetation, fencing or anything else that doesn’t belong to you.
6. No Dogs.
7. No fires.
Only the fishery management can start fires on the complex. Barbeques are okay, but only charcoal ones. And if you have a barbeque, you must take all remnants of it with you when you leave – charcoal included.
8. No firearms, explosives or fireworks.
Only committee-approved pest controllers can carry firearms.
9. No boats or remote control devices.
This includes bait boats and drones. Boats can only be used by the fishery management team.
10. Refer only to ‘southern stillwaters’ when publishing catches.
2. Accessing and moving around the Complex: By-Laws 11-19
11. You must have a valid membership to enter the complex.
If you’re serving a suspension or you’ve been expelled or refused membership you mustn’t enter the complex.
12. Enter the complex by Quarry Lane entrance only.
13. No parking anywhere but the car park.
Please remember that the verges around the stock ponds aren’t part of the car park. No cars are allowed around the lakes, other than those of fishery management, and you must follow all car parking signs and instructions.
14. Keep all gates locked.
You can unlock a gate only to pass through it – once you’re through, you must lock it behind you. If you find a gate open, you must lock it.
15. All female members must be in possession of a toilet key.
16. No access to the islands.
All the complex’s islands are designated bird sanctuaries. Accessing them is acceptable only when the committee has approved it.
17. No cycling.
18. No swimming or wading.
19. You’re responsible for your own safety.
This applies to anyone who enters the complex, whether fishing or not. CDAS is not responsible for your safety.
3. Respecting Fish and Wildlife: By-Laws 20-24
20. Catch and release only.
You must return all fish (including eels) to the water alive. Fishing for live-bait is the only exception to the bylaw.
21. You must return fish within a reasonable time.
Weighing and photographing fish are the only acceptable reason for keeping a fish out of the water. This should take no longer than five minutes. This bylaw applies to across all lakes and all fish, for any type of fishing. Fishing for live-bait is the only exception.
22. No transferring fish between lakes.
This is only allowed when the committee and Environment Agency have approved it.
23. No fish sacks are allowed on the complex.
24. No interfering with wildlife.
You mustn’t deliberately harm any animal, its nest or eggs.
4. Where you can Fish: By-Laws 25-29
25. Fish designated swims only.
Each designated swim has a number. No fishing in stock ponds, unnumbered swims or anywhere there’s a sign board saying you mustn’t fish there.
26. You mustn’t fish (or have tackle in) two or more swims simultaneously.
27. No fishing a lake that’s closed for a match.
When there’s a match on a specific lake, that lake will close two hours before the start of the match and reopens only when the match ends.
28. You can reserve only one swim for a maximum of 15 minutes.
You can reserve swim by placing an item of tackle (or a bucket, water bottle, etc.) You must not reserve more than one swim, or reserve a swim for another member.
29. You must respect members in adjacent swims.
This is especially important when you’re fishing a corner swim.
5. General Fishing Bylaws: By-Laws 30-41
30. Rod limits vary throughout the season:
• 16 June to 31 September: 2 rods maximum
• 1 October to 14 March 3 rods maximum
• 15 March to end of season: 2 rods maximum
These limits apply to all lakes except for Long and Little Long, which have their own separate limits. (See the ‘Long Lake and Little Long Lake bylaws’ section)
31. No more than four rods in a swim.
If you’re sharing a swim with another person, you must fish no more than four rods (two each) between you. This applies to all lakes except for Long and Little Long (See section 10 Long and Little Long Bylaws).
32. Leave no baited hooks unattended.
Even if it’s not in the water. If you have a hook with bait on it, you must be there in the swim with it at all times.
33. Barbless hooks only.
This is across the whole complex from the start of the 2022/23 season. Crushed barbs are acceptable if crushed down fully.
34. Leave no fishing tackle unattended for more than 45 minutes.
35. Fish over half a pound must be landed by net only.
Other smaller fish you can safely ‘swing in’, a landing net is the only method allowed for transferring fish from the water to the bank.
36. Carry a fish care kit of some description.
To apply to any fish with damaged mouths or bodies.
37. Carry a high-sided or cradle-style unhooking mat.
The only exception is during designated club matches. All mats must be well padded, of good quality and in good condition.
38. No braided line.
The only time you can use braided line is for marker float or spodding.
39. No keepnets outside of matches.
Match anglers keep nets (three each) and landing nets provided by the organisers.
40. Dip all nets, mats and weigh slings.
Before being taken the bank side. They must be removed from their bags before dipping. The dip tanks are in the car park, by the toilets.
41. No lead weights from 1oz to No. 8 shot (inclusive) on any lakes.
6. Baits Restrictions: By-Laws 42-44
42. Bring or use no more than 2kgs of bait per 24-hours.
43. No pre-baiting or feeding swims.
The only exception is when a member occupying that swim.
44. No peanuts.
7. Night Fishing Bylaws: By-Laws 45-50
45. You must not fish longer than the maximum time allowed.
After that, you must leave the complex and not return for 24 hrs.
The maximum time period varies throughout the season:
• 16 June – 30 September: Two consecutive nights maximum.
• 1 October – 1 December: Three consecutive nights maximum.
• 1 December- end of February: Five consecutive nights maximum.
• 1 March – 14 March: Three consecutive nights maximum.
• 15 March – 13 April: Two consecutive nights maximum.
46. ‘One night’ is between 7pm to 7am.
47. No tents, caravans and motorhomes. Bivvies only.
48. Bivvies must not block paths.
49. One light only per member.
And it’s your responsibility to make sure your light isn’t a nuisance to anyone close.
50. Junior Members.
Aren’t allowed to night fish (7pm-7am) on the public footpath bank on Long or Quarry.
This is for their own safety.
8. Carp Fishing Bylaws: By-Laws 51-58
51. Hook size no larger than size 4 to be used.
52. Only one hook per line. No doubles or trebles.
53. No landing nets smaller than 36” (90cm) arms or 24” (60cm) diameter.
54. No bent shanked hooks to be used.
55. No leads that can’t break free if the line snaps.
Lead core must only be attached to a swivel at the hook end. The lead and clip must be able to drop free if your mainline breaks.
56. No sharing of equipment.
Each member and guest must have their own landing net, weight sling, fish care kit and high-sided or cradle-style unhooking mat.
57. A high-sided or cradle-style.
Unhooking mat that’s well padded, good quality, in good condition and suitable for the size of fish you expect to catch. .
58. Read and follow all the other byelaws.
If you’re carp fishing, reading just this section is not enough to understand all the byelaws that apply to you.
9. Pike Fishing Bylaws: By-Laws 59-71
59. No pike fishing without a pike fishing stamp in your membership book.
To get the stamp, you have to attend a pike ‘teach -in’ and prove you have all the right equipment to handle pike safely.
60. No pike fishing outside the pike season.
The season runs from 1 October to 14 March.
61. Monofilament main line only.
62. No mainline below 15lbs breaking strain.
63. All ways use wire traces.
These must be at least 24” (60cm) and have a breaking strain of at least 25lbs. We recommend plastic coated wire.
64. No more than two treble hooks may be used on any one trace.
65. All trebles must be barbless, except for the bait-holding hook.
66. No barbed hooks on lures.
67. No gaffs or gags.
68. To pike fish, you must have the following equipment with you at all times:
• Forceps at least 12in long.
• Side cutters long enough and strong enough to cut the points off (even the strongest) treble hooks if you can’t safely remove them.
• A knotless landing net of no less 36” arms or 24” diameter.
• A high-sided or cradle-style unhooking mat that’s well- padded, good quality and in good condition.
• Adequate weigh sling.
69. Bite detectors must register “drop back” as well as runs.
70. Use live bait fish only on the lake you caught them from.
71. Read and follow all the other byelaws.
If you’re pike fishing, reading just this section is not enough to understand all the byelaws that apply to you.
10. Long Lake and Little Long Lake Bylaws: By-Laws 72-76
72. No leaders.
This includes lead core, (mainline to hook link).
73. No surface fished baits.
74. Rod limits vary throughout the season:
• 16 June – 30 September: No more than one rod per angler.
• 1 October – 14 March: No more than two rods per angler.
• 15 March – end of season: No more than one rod per angler.
75. No more than two members per swim.
76. Read and follow all the other byelaws.
If you’re fishing Long Lake or Little Long Lake, reading just this section is not enough to understand all the byelaws that apply to you.
11. Guest Ticket Bylaws: By-Laws 77-89
We do two kinds of guest tickets: ‘day’ and ’24-hour’.
Adult members can buy guest tickets from local tackle shops.
But there’s only one place that sells 24-hour guest tickets – SAS Donnington Road Chichester.
77. No night fishing on a day guest ticket.
Holders of a day guest ticket mustn’t enter the complex before dawn and must leave before sunset. There’s one exception: if the guest is fishing a Society match, they can fish from the start of the match to the end, regardless of the time.
78. No more than three 24-hour guest tickets per member, per season.
79. There’s no limit on day guest tickets.
80. No guest tickets for anyone who’s been suspended or expelled from the club, or refused membership.
When you buy a guest ticket, it’s your responsibility to make sure your guest isn’t, for any reason, forbidden from entering the complex.
81. To buy a guest ticket, you need:
• Show your membership book and have it marked.
• Pay the fee (whatever it may be at the time)
82. You can buy guest tickets for any for any lake on the complex.
83. You can’t buy 24-hour guest tickets for Whyke or Churchyard lakes.
84. You can’t buy 24-hour for weekends.
For this bylaw, the weekend runs from midday Friday to midday Sunday.
85. No Day Associate Members can buy 24-hour guest tickets.
86. You’re responsible for your guests’ actions while
they’re on the Society’s Property. It’s up to you to make sure they know the bylaws and follow them.
87. Guests must be accompanied at all times.
Your guest must share a swim with you or fish in a adjacent one.
88. Non-fishing guests can sometimes stay after dark.
Get in touch with the Membership Secretary if you want a non-fishing guest on the complex after dark.
89. The Committee can control the issue of all guest tickets as they see fit.
12. Child Guest Bylaws: By-Laws 90-96
If you’re an adult member are allowed to take a child (16 and under) fishing with them free of charge in certain areas of the complex.
90. The child guest must fish in the same swim as you.
91. The child guest must be under your supervision at all times.
92. Child guests can fish with one rod only.
93. Child guests can’t arrive before dawn and must be off the complex by sunset.
94. Child guests can only fish in Long Lake or Little Long Lake.
95. Child guests can only fish swims along one bank.
This is the bank that leads from the car park down to the A27 adjacent to Whyke Lake. We limit guests to these swims because all other banks are difficult for vehicles to reach in an emergency.
96. One member can bring only one child guest.
If you want to bring two or more child guests, you’ll need to have a second adult (18 or older) with you. This second adult must not be fishing and must be solely responsible for the safety of the child guest. You must all stay in the same swim.
