Constitution and Rules

GENERAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RULES

The club shall be called “Slaithwaite and District Angling Club”.

a) Its objective is to promote and encourage the art of true angling, to obtain fishing waters for the use of members and such other projects as may be thought necessary for the promotion of anglers’ interests.

The club is fully committed to the principles of equality of opportunity and is responsible for ensuring that no member receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, gender, disability, race, ethnic origin, nationality, colour, parental or marital status, pregnancy, religious belief, social status, sexual orientation or political belief.

The management of the club shall be vested in a President; Secretaries (4); Treasurer and a Committee of fourteen (14), who shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting.  These to elect five Vice President, three Trustees, and a Chairman from elected nineteen (19) plus Life Members.  Retiring officials to be eligible for re-election.

b)   The committee to be empowered to co-opt additional members if thought to be in the best interests of the club.

c) The business is to be conducted at a monthly meeting of the Committee on the first Tuesday of each month.  Committee members missing three consecutive meetings without good reason to lose place. A register of attendances to be kept at all meetings.  Meetings 7.30pm prompt.

d)   The Annual General Meeting of the members or revision of rules, election   of officers and the passing of the annual report and statement of accounts shall take place as date of membership card and before any member can be elected into any office, either he send word to the Secretary in writing by 31 October, or give verbal consent to the Secretary that he is willing to accept office.  No nominations will be accepted at the A.G.M (unless vacancies exist).  In all cases of dispute the Chairman will have the casting vote.

e) The officers are elected on a bi-annual basis.  President, General Secretary, Membership Secretary for two years and Treasurer, Water Secretary, Match Secretary the following year, unless where an officer completes only one year of office.  Their replacement shall be elected for one year, then bi-annually. 

f) An Extraordinary Meeting can be called, at the discretion of the Committee, or on a request (in writing signed by 20 members – signature and membership number required) and giving agenda.

g) The Committee to be formed into Sub Committees and to meet monthly or as required by circumstances. 

h) Any emergency business to be acted upon by elected officers.

i) The Committee (of which five shall form a quorum) shall have the power to alter, or make a new rule on a two thirds majority.

j) Elected Officer, Trustees and Life Members shall be ex-officio members of all Committees and Sub Committees, with full voting rights.

k) Trustees being declared bankrupt shall be replaced immediately.

l) Members of the Committee subject to a reasonable attendance during the year, shall receive complementary membership for the following season that they remain and active member of the Committee.

2. Any member rising to speak must first address the Chair, and upon the Chairman rising, they must resume their seats.

3. Members shall notify the Secretary, in writing of any proposals for the Annual General Meeting by the 31st October.

a) Committee members can put motions at November committee meetings for the A.G.M by majority decision.

b) All proposals from Committee for A.G.M must have a proposer and seconder.

4.   No amendment will be accepted to any motion at the A.G.M.

a) At the A.G.M only all voting powers are limited to members residing within a ten mile radius of St Georges Square, Huddersfield.

5. A rule made at General Purpose Committee Meeting will only be effective until the next A.G.M, when it shall be submitted to the members and, only on confirmation, be added to the Rule Book.

6. No juvenile members shall have the power of voting at any meeting.

7. A juvenile shall be under eighteen (18) years of age on 1st April of the current year.

8.   All previous years’ members to be accepted on receipt of subscription. 

9. A member making a report against another member must do so in writing to the Secretary, and must appear before the Committee if called upon to do so.  A witness should be obtained if possible.

10. Any member breaking any of the rules of the Club shall be dealt with at the next monthly meeting, following the report of the offence.

11. Any member of the Club may ask any person seen fishing in the Club’s waters for his Membership Card and if failing to produce one, his name shall be taken and reported to the Club Secretary.  All members have authority to ask for a Members Card and request that they cease fishing if not in possession of this card. 

12. Any person losing his Environment Agency Rod Licence must replace it before fishing again.

13 A member who loses his Club Membership Book should not fish until a replacement has been obtained. A replacement may be obtained on the payment of £2 by sending a stamped addressed envelope, for its return, and reasonable information as to where and when the original was obtained, to the Membership Secretary.

14 Licences, Club Membership Books and day tickets are NOT TRANSFERABLE

15  a)   The Committee may expel from the Club any member or official who wilfully disobeys any of the Club’s Rules or who is found guilty of any conduct rendering them unfit, in the opinion of The Committee, to be a member of the Club, provided that the Committee shall call upon the person for an explanation of their conduct and shall hear what they may wish to urge in their defence, before any action is taken, with the exception of members expelled under part c).

b) The Committee may as an alternative to expulsion, deal with any member or official found guilty of misconduct, by imposing fines and expenses or by suspension of membership or by any other action considered by the Committee to be appropriate.

c) Any member or official convicted, by any competent court or tribunal, of any angling related offence may be automatically and immediately expelled from the Club.

d)   All matters not provided for in the Club Rules will be considered by the General Purposes Committee, and if found necessary, appropriate action will be taken.

16. 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 an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held NOT LESS than one month thereafter to discuss and note on the resolution.

b)   If at the Extraordinary General Meeting the resolution is passed by at least two thirds of those present 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 at the Club.

c)   After discharging all debts and liabilities of the club the full remaining assets of the Club shall NOT be paid or distributed amongst the full members, but shall be given or transferred to some other Voluntary Organisation objectives similar to those of the Club.

RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL FISHERIES

17. DAY TICKETS
Day tickets are available all year for all our still water coarse fisheries.
From:
HUDDERSFIELD ANGLING CENTRE
22, Chapel Hill Huddersfield. HD3 3EB.
SLAITHWAITE POST OFFICE
Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite HD7 5AL.
COOKHOUSE CAFÉ
17, Station Road, Slaithwaite HD7 5AW.
CAFÉ CENTRAL
11, Yates Lane, Milnsbridge. HD3 4NW
THE MILL PET SHOP
13c Nortonthorpe Mills, Wakefield Road, Scissett HD8 9LA.
COST CUTTER STORES
1 Moorside Road, Kirkheaton, HD5 0LU

Specified Waters

Hill Top Reservoir, Slaithwaite.
Sparth Reservoir, Marsden.
Oaks Scar Reservoir, Longwood.
TP Pond, Gledholt.
Bottoms Dam, Holmfirth.
Holme Mill Dam (Square Dam) West Slaithwaite.
Brook Dam, Slaithwaite.
Push Dam, Shepley.
Gunthwaite Park Fishery, Upper Denby.
Hopton Water, Upper Hopton.
Huddersfield Narrow Canal (Lock 11) Lock Keepers or Leitchs to Tunnel End, Marsden.

DAY TICKETS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RIVERS COLNE AND HOLME

18.    Day Tickets MUST be purchased before fishing, they are not available on the bank.
         A day ticket allows the use of one rod and line only; if an angler wishes to use two rods
then a second day ticket must be purchased.

19.      TIME OF FISHING
      a) On any Club Water fishing is allowed from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset on the days defined under Coarse, mixed and Trout Fisheries as Open Season.
      Please note that entry to Hopton Water is not permitted before 7.00 am on any day.
b)   NIGHT FISHING
As from 1st April 2022 a limited number of night fishing permits will be issued by the club that will permit fishing during the hours of darkness on some of our waters.
These permits will incur an annual cost of £25.
There is an application form available on this website that can be printed out and when completed can be returned to the address on the application form.
For full terms and conditions go to the night fishing page.

22.    PIKE AND PERCH AND SPECIMEN CARP FISHING
a)   Any member intentionally fishing for Pike or Perch using artificial lures (including artificial fly), livebaits or dead fish baits (excludes fish flavoured baits) must use a wire or Kevlar trace of a minimum length of 18 inches for baits and 12 inches for lures and a minimum line thickness of 0.30mm diameter/12lb breaking strain for pike and 0.2mm diameter/6lb breaking strain for perch.
b)   Any member intentionally fishing for Pike and Perch as in 22.a) must also be in possession of a suitably sized landing net (36 inches triangular or 24inches diameter), 20 cm forceps, a pair of side cutters, a pair of long nosed pliers if using lures and some form of unhooking mat.
c) Anyone fishing specifically for large carp should be in possession of a suitable unhooking mat, a large landing net and ideally a carp care kit.

23.    ACCESS AND BEHAVIOUR
No picnicking is permitted.
Cars must be parked in a considerate manner and must not be parked without permission.
Access to Club Waters is only from the specified places.
Do not trespass on Mill property or any other private property

24.    LANDING NETS
All Club Members must use a Keepnets must be of knotless material with a mesh larger than 25mm and use appropriate tools for the unhooking of fish (disgorger or forceps)

25. UNHOOKING MATS

The Committee recommends that all anglers fishing our waters should carry and use an unhooking mat for the handling, unhooking and photographing of larger fish.

26.    WADING
Junior members (under the age of 18) are not permitted to wade on any fishery.

27.    DISTANCE BETWEEN PEGS
A member has the right to stop any other member from fishing within 9.14 metres (10 yards or 30 feet) of him on either side. This is common courtesy and all members must comply with this rule.

28.     WILFUL DAMAGE, LOCKS AND SLUICES
Any member committing wilful damage or interfering with any lock or sluice on any of our fisheries or land surrounding them will be expelled from the Club.
28.    No litter is to be left, including monofilament line, hooks and weights. Members must remove all litter from the area surrounding their peg even if it was there when they arrived. Any member found guilty of leaving such litter will be expelled from the Club.

29. No litter to be left- includes monofilament lines, hooks and weights. Members must remove all litter from the area surrounding their peg, even if it was there when they arrived.
Any member found guilty of leaving litter will be expelled from the Club.

COARSE FISHERY RULES

30.    SEASON FOR STILL WATER COARSE FISHERIES.
         These waters are open every day of the year – All the Huddersfield narrow canal all reservoirs ponds and dams.

31.    MAXIMUM NUMBER OF RODS.
A maximum of two (2) rods may be used at any one time on any club water other than Hill Top Reservoir as set out below.
Up to three (3) rods may be fished simultaneously at HILL TOP RESERVOIR ONLY providing the member is in possession of an Environment Agency three rod licence and a Slaithwaite and District Angling Club third rod permit.
When using three rods they must be placed no more than three metres apart on the bank.

32.    Anglers, when fishing, must remain within three (3) metres of their rods at all times.

33.    BAIT RESTRICTIONS
a)      The only permitted baits for rod and line fishing in waters regulated by the freshwater fish close season are fly, worm, minnow or artificial lure.
b)      As per rule 21.
c)      Hill Top Only:- during the period 15th March to 15th June dead baiting is prohibited NOTE: During the same period livebaiting is also prohibited on all Club Waters.
d)      Will members please refrain from throwing unwanted bait and groundbait into the water when vacating their swim.
e)      No crayfish to be used as bait either dead or alive, this includes parts thereof. This applies to all crayfish species i.e, white-clawed and signal crayfish.

34.    METHODS
There are no restrictions on methods other than the general stipulation “two rods/ two lines” per rod licence.

35.    KEEPNETS
a)      Keepnets must be of knotless material with a mesh larger than 25mm. they must be at least 2 metres in length. The rings of the net must be no more than 40cm apart and no less than 120 cm in circumference (40 cm in diameter). They may be used for the retention of all fish except Carp. NB Carp sacks are prohibited.
Carp may only be retained in a keepnet during an Official Club Match.
b)      Keepnets may now be used on all stillwater coarse fisheries all year round.

TROUT AND MIXED FISHERY RULES

NO DAY TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR TROUT AND MIXED FISHERIES

36.    OPEN SEASON – TROUT FISHERIES.
Trout fisheries are open from 25th March to 30th September inclusive.
Closed from 1st October to the following 24th March inclusive.
A separate permit is required for fishing on the River Colne.

37.    OPEN SEASON – MIXED FISHERIES.
Mixed fisheries are open from the 24th March till the 14th March of the following year inclusive.
Closed from 15th March to 24th March inclusive.

38.    METHODS AND BAITS.
a)      River Colne upstream of Britannia Road Bridge, Slaithwaite to Cellars Clough                  artificial fly, nymph or lure only.
b)      River Colne downstream of Britannia Road Bridge, Slaithwaite and River Holme during the period 25th March to 15th June inclusive the only permitted baits are :- artificial fly, nymph, lure and worm.
c)      River Colne downstream of Britannia Road Bridge, Slaithwaite, during the period 16th June to the following 14th March inclusive permitted baits are artificial fly, nymph, lure, worm, maggot, castor or single hook spinners only.
d)      River Holme during the period 16th June to 30th September inclusive permitted baits are artificial fly, nymph, lure, worm, maggot, castor or single hook spinners only.
e)      The following are NOT PERMITTED at any time:- ledgering, use of groundbait, loose feeding of any bait, multihook spinners (i.e. with double, treble or tandem hooks).
f)      Barbless hooks only to be used at all times.

39.    KEEPNETS.
Keepnets are not permitted at any time.

40.    GRAYLING.
Grayling must be returned to the water immediately-they must not be killed or taken at any time.

41.    ROD AND LINE
Only one rod and line may be used at any one time.

42.    RIVER COLNE SPECIAL RULES.
a)      JUNIORS
Juniors aged twelve to sixteen are allowed on the River Colne but only if accompanied by an adult member who is responsible for their conduct.
No juniors under twelve years of age are allowed under any circumstances.
A junior member aged sixteen to eighteen may fish alone but may not act as an adult to take junior members aged twelve to sixteen.

b)      FLY ONLY SECTION
No more than twenty (20) members may fish on any one day.
c)     Shaw Carr Footbridge to Britannia road bridge, Slaithwaite permitted bait :- fly and worm only.
d)      Barbless hooks only to be used

43.    REMOVAL OF FISH
No Trout to be removed from any waters.
After 30th September, on the mixed fishery part of the River Colne (i.e. Downstream of Brittania Road Bridge, Slaithwaite to Cottons Weir, Linthwaite) if anglers are regularly catching trout, they must move to another swim.

44.    LIVEBAITING
No Livebaiting is permitted on Trout only waters at any time.

45.     PIKE
If any pike are caught in the River Colne above Brittania Road Bridge, Slaithwaite then they must be killed and not returned.