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.
All Members please tap on the link below
Additional Carp Handling Bylaws:
FISH/CARP care best practices:
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.The only exception to wading being to safely land or release a fish and only if it
is safe to do so. Margins can be deep and dangerous. Always ensure you have a safe footing if you need to enter the water ideally with assistance to hand.
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. Members should always fish within the obvious and reasonable boundaries of their chosen swim. If this is next to or near other anglers it is expected you discuss locations with them before fishing.
5. General Fishing Bylaws: By-Laws 30-41
30. Rod limits vary throughout the season:
15 March to 30 to September: 2 rods maximum
1 October to 14 March: 3 rods maximum
Quarry is 2 rods only all season
Note: Long and Little Long, 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. Crushed barb hooks are NO LONGER acceptable.
34. Leave no fishing tackle unattended for more than 45 minutes.
35. Fish over half a pound must be landed by net only.
Other than smaller fish you can safely ‘swing in’, a landing net or sling is the only method allowed for transferring fish from the water to the bank. If you are fishing Whyke, Quarry or Church Yard you must have a 42” arms net and a weighing/recovery sling ready to use even when fishing for smaller species.
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 is occupying and fishing 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 hours. This maximum time period varies throughout the season:
15 March – 30 September: Two consecutive nights maximum.
1 October – 30th November: Three consecutive nights maximum.
1 December – end of February: Five consecutive nights maximum.
1 March – 14 March: Three 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 51-67
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 42” in arms.