SKIPTON AA RULES

1. This Society shall have for its objects Fish Culture, the Protection of Fish from Netting, Poisoning, etc. and the encouragement of true Angling; and shall be designated: -

"THE SKIPTON ANGLING ASSOCIATION"

2. This Society shall be governed by a President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, other duly appointed Officers and a Committee of twelve members, all of whom shall hold office for three years, but are eligible for re-election.

The Committee at its first meeting shall elect a Chairman for the year from its own number, and that he be supported by a Vice-Chairman who will be Chairman-elect for the following year, the system to be perpetuated by the annual election of a vice-chairman.

Five to form a quorum at any meeting of the Committee. The Chairman of any meeting and the Secretary shall both have a deliberative vote, and in the case of equality of vote, the Chairman shall have the casting vote in addition. Any member of the Committee absenting himself from three consecutive Committee Meetings without satisfactory reason for his absence shall be no longer in office.

An Honorarium shall be paid each year to the Secretary and Treasurer. The amount shall be determined by a vote at the Associations AGM.

3. There shall not be more than four Trustees of the Association. The Trustees shall be appointed by the  -

Committee and the property of the Association (other than cash which shall be under the control of the Treasurer) shall be vested in them to be dealt with by them from time to time as the Committee shall direct by resolution (of which an entry in the minute book shall be conclusive evidence). The Trustees shall be indemnified against risk and expense out of the Association property. The Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation or lapse of membership or until removed from office by a resolution of the Committee who may for any reason which may seem sufficient to a majority of them present and voting at any meeting remove a Trustee or Trustees from the office of Trustee. Where by any reason of any such death, resignation, lapse or removal, etc., it shall appear necessary to the Committee that a new Trustee or Trustees shall be appointed or if the Committee shall deem it expedient to appoint an additional Trustee or Trustees, the Committee shall by resolution nominate the person or persons to be appointed the new Trustee or Trustees. For the purpose of giving effect to such nomination as the person to appoint new Trustees of the Association within the meaning of Section 36 of the Trustee Act 1921 and he shall by Deed duly appoint the person or persons so nominated by the Committee as the new Trustee or Trustees of the Association and the provisions of the Trustee Act 1925 shall apply to any such appointment. Any statement of fact in any such Deed of Appointment shall in favour of a person dealing bona fide and for value with the Association or Committee be conclusive evidence of the fact so stated.

The financial year shall end on the 30th November in each year, and the Annual General Meeting of Members of the Association be convened for the second Wednesday in January at the Skipton Working Men's Club, Keighley Road, Skipton, commencing at 8:00 p.m. At this meeting the Annual Report and Balance Sheet shall be read, and the Officers and Committee elected for the ensuing year.

5. A Special General Meeting may be held to consider any matter of special urgency which the Committee may consider necessary or upon a written request to the Secretary signed by not less than ten members, clearly stating the purpose of the desired meeting.

6. All alterations to Rules decided at a Special General Meeting shall be subject to confirmation at the following Annual General Meeting, though in the event of a unanimous vote such alterations may become operative forthwith.

7. All propositions for the General Meeting must be given to the Secretary no later than 30th NOVEMBER.

8. The votes of members not residing within five miles of Skipton town centre, shall at any General Meeting be restricted to a total of 10 of the adult membership if necessary.

9. Persons shall be admitted as members on payment of the relevant annual subscription which shall entitle the member to the privileges of the Association as follows:

Adults and Juniors aged 12 and over—all the Association's waters.

Members 11 and under — May  fish all the Association's waters but MUST BE accompanied by an adult who need not be a member of the Association

In the interests of safety it is recommended that juniors are accompanied by an adult at all times and venues.

Tickets of membership to terminate on the 27th February each year. All subscriptions are to be paid by the 24th March. Failure to do so may result in automatic expulsion from the Association. There will be no appeal.

10. Every angler holding a ticket from the Association shall, on request, show the same to any owner or occupier of land or servant of the same upon which the Association’s members have fishing rights; to any bailiff or member of the Association

11. Members must not leave REFUSE or LITTER of any kind on the banks of the rivers or reservoirs. Anyone found doing so will be liable to expulsion from the Association. Members must take all discarded fishing line home or render it harmless by cutting into very small lengths or by destroying by burning, in order to prevent unnecessary suffering to birds and wildlife, thus avoiding adverse publicity falling on the Association and the Angling Fraternity in general.

12. If any member holding an Association's ticket be known to willfully or carelessly do any damage to property of any occupier of land on the Association's preserves, or be the cause of the same, he shall be required to pay to the person whose property is damaged an amount equivalent to the damage done or caused to be done. Any member contravening Association Rules will receive not less than one month's suspension. Also at any meeting, the Committee shall have discretionary power of expelling any member, if it is thought desirable for the good character of the Association; the member thus expelled to forfeit all  monies paid by him to the Association. This rule shall also apply in the case of any member being found guilty of trespassing on other preserves.

13. No member shall take fish out of the Association's waters under the lengths and in greater number than shown in Rule 29. All undersized fish to be liberated, and no attempt made to disgorge the hook when same has been swallowed, but the line must be cut close to the fish's mouth and the fish returned to the water as gently and quickly as possible, and with the least injury practicable. Except for lip hooked fish, the use of any type of disgorger is PROHIBITED. Forceps are recommended for unhooking lip hooked fish.

All members MUST carry a measure to accurately ascertain the length of fish.

14. The Committee shall have power to set aside four Transferable Tickets to aged men who have been anglers of the Club. All applications for same to be considered by the Committee and applicants must have been on the Club Roll for at least ten years.

15. No member shall be allowed to attend Committee meetings except through permission of the Committee.

16. Members must enter the waters by the recognised entrance and must not cross fields except down wall or hedge sides.

17. No official of another Association or Club can hold an official position in the Association.

18. Anglers must not leave any rod and line with its hook and bait in the water unattended, on any of the Association waters.

19. No member may put a boat on any of the reservoirs nor may he fish from a boat owned by a member of the Sailing Club.

20. Fishing is not allowed on the reservoirs between dusk and dawn.

21. Members are strictly forbidden in any way to pollute or throw any substance in the water in the reservoirs or streams running into them, or damage any of the fences, walls or other works of Yorkshire Water. Any member found so doing will be immediately expelled from the Association and will be required to pay the cost of reinstating damage.

22. No ground bait or loose feed of any description shall be put by members into Embsay Reservoir or streams running into it.

23. No vehicles are allowed inside the reservoir enclosures, except for the designated parking bay at Whinnygill, nor are allowed to remain on the car parks overnight.

24. Dogs are not permitted on any of the Association's waters.

25. Members may only fish with one rod and line at any one time. A second rod and line may be partially but not fully assembled ready for use.

26. The use of a net, other than a landing net, is strictly prohibited. Keep nets allowed for coarse fish.

27. Members shall neither cause nor permit —

(i) Any litter, fragments of food or other refuse, matter or things to be left within the curtilage of the Reservoirs.

(ii) Any fires to be lit or any other act whereby damage by fire may be caused.

(iii) The use of any noisy instrument or loudspeaker.

(iv) Any tent or caravan to be brought on to the car parks or within the curtilage of the Reservoirs or upon any adjoining lands of Yorkshire Water, nor any person to remain overnight on any of the lands of the Yorkshire Water Authority at or adjoining the Reservoirs.

28. Members must use non-toxic split shot in accordance with the Environment Agency Bylaws. Refer to particulars on the rod licence.

29. The use of a net other than a landing net is strictly prohibited. Keep nets may be used for coarse Fish when Environment Agency rules allow.

30. Embsay Reservoir will be closed for all fishing between the dates of the 28th of February to the 24th of March inclusive.

31. BAITS ALLOWED:

River Aire Fly, worm, minnow and artificial lure from the 25th of March until the 15th of June. All legal baits and lures from the 16th of June until the 14th of March.

CanalIn accordance with the Environment Agency (Yorkshire Region) Byelaws; i.e. all legal baits and lures but no keepnets from 14th of March until the 15th of June.

Embsay Reservoir — Fly, worm, minnow and spinning Ground baiting or loose feeding is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Whinnygill Reservoir — All legal baits and lures.

Note: Yorkshire Water request that groundbait is only used in reasonable quantities to prevent water pollution.

32. SIZE AND BAG LIMITS:

Trout [Brown and Rainbow] may be retained by members to the following minimum size and maximum bag limits

Trout   28cm (11 inches), 2 fish per day.

If a member retains one Trout from the River Aire and then fishes the reservoirs, he may only retain one more trout from the reservoirs.

Pike     May be retained up to the following maximum weight and bag limit

2250g [5:0:0], 2 fish per day.

Environment Agency ruling:— Pike may not be retained during the Coarse Fish Close Season and must not be discarded into the water or left on the banking.

All other species including Grayling are to be returned to the water alive.

In order to help the Committee decide the re-stocking policy each year,  All members must send in their returns form when renewing their membership.

33. Adult members are allowed to take ONE Juvenile (under 16 years) non-member to the River Aire only and the Juvenile may fish with the adult member's rod provided that:

(i) The Juvenile is accompanied at all times;

(ii) That no other rod is assembled;

(iii) That all the Association Rules are carefully observed;

(iv) That the Juvenile is in possession of an Environment Agency rod licence if they are of the required age.

Members infringing this rule will be severely dealt with by the Committee.

34. Any pollution or dead or dying fish must be reported to the Environment Agency and the Club Secretary ASAP