Match Fishing Rules

1. To enter a match, competitors should contact the Match Secretary by 8.00pm on Friday preceding the match. Latecomers may be entered at the discretion of the Match secretary.
2. If a venue is unfishable for any reason, then the Match secretary will decide upon an alternative venue or date and inform all competitors as soon as possible.
3. All matches are pegged down.
4. Courtesy and good manners should be shown to fellow competitors.
5. The Match Secretary will blow a whistle to signify the start and finish of a match.
6. Any competitors playing a fish at the finishing whistle is allowed 15 minutes to land the fish.
7. Matches to be fished all-in.
8. Competitors are not permitted to disturb the water prior to a match other than to wet their ground bait, position keep-net(s) or to plumb the depth.
9. Only one rod to be used at any time. Other rods may be assembled but not baited, with one hook per rod.
10. All hooks must be barbless (as manufactured, not crushed barbs),
11. No feeding or use of any floating baits.
12. All competitors must be in the possession of a suitable landing net.
13. Keep-nets may be used in Society competitions should be the knotless kind for which the net must have minimum dimensions of 2 metres in length and 120cm in circumference. See EA National Byelaws.
14. All landing nets and keep-nets must arrive at the fishery completely dry.
15. All landing nets and keep-nets must be laid out on the ground behind each competitor and not put into the water until ten minutes before the start of the match or, when direct by the organiser.
16. When fishing competitions on ALL waters, carp must be kept in a different net to all other species.
17. All competitions have a 60lbs net limit. If you exceed this limit, your competition weight will be reduced to 60 lbs.
18. Matches fished on other club's waters shall be governed by the host club's rules and vice versa, visiting clubs governed by ours.
19. All unused bait must be taken away from the fishery after the match and not disposed of in the pond or the surrounding environment.
20. 10 points are awarded for 1st place down to 1 for 10^th place in one-point increments, plus you get one point for blanking. Points matches for the club championship are shown on the fixture card.
21. The match winner will be paid 50% of pools. The other 50% is for the best net of silver fish. Pay outs on other commercial waters will be at the Match Secretary’s or Deputy’s discretion.
22. Wading is NOT permitted in competitions.

1. Competitors are not permitted to let their float drift into or past another competitor’s peg.
2. No floating baits or feeding of floating baits is permitted.
3. Matches to be fished all-in with the exclusion of Pike.
4. An optional pool is to be paid before the draw is made, or before the peg is given to late arrivals, failure to do so will exclude the competitor from pools. When prize money is paid out:  If 10 or more competitors have entered the pools then 1st,2nd & 3rd may be paid out, between 6 & 9, 1st & 2nd and 5 or less competitors, 1st only.

Contact the Match Secretary

For further details please do not hesitate to contact the Match Secretary by using the form below.