Fishing Rules, current 6 April 2024

Rule changes

At the 2023 AGM we passed some changes to our rules.  You need to be familiar with them before you fish.  In summary, members must:

1. Return all salmon (even if they appear likely to die). Note that it is a member's duty to be able to recognise a salmon and, if you are in doubt (which many of us are on occasion), you should return the relevant fish
2. Not kill any sea trout of 60cm or longer, measured from snout to the fork of the tail (I recommend that all members mark their rod or net with this length, so they can tell easily if a fish is too big to keep)
3. Not kill more than 4 sea trout in any year (this includes any fish your guests take) - we have issued tags to ensure this rule is visibly complied with.  You should apply a tag as soon as you have netted a fish; do not leave your tags in your car or you will have to return your sea trout
4. Not kill any sea trout in October

Our full fishing rules are set out below.

Fishing Times

1.     No member shall commence fishing before 7.30am or fish after 12.00 midnight, or use more than one rod at any time.

Fishing Methods

2.     

a.     Spinners, spoons, Rapalas and similar lures are permitted throughout the season provided that no more than one hook (which may be a single, double or treble hook) is used at any time. 

b.     Artificial fly is permitted throughout the season.  Where fishing is with an artificial fly one single “dropper” fly (tied on one single, double or treble hook) may be used in addition to one single point fly (which must be tied on a single, double or treble hook).

c.     Worm fishing is permitted between 16^th June and 19^th September everywhere except the Danby Lodge beat, as long as a Shelton self-release hook is used. Worming is totally banned from the start of the season until 16^th June and from 20^th September to the end of the season and at all times on the Danby Lodge beat.

d.     Shrimp or prawn fishing is permitted between 16^th June and 19^th September. Shrimp or prawn fishing is totally banned from the start of the season until 16^th June from 20^th September to the end of the season.

e.     No other fishing methods may be used.

f.      The Committee may approve hook types in additional to the Shelton self release hook from time to time and will notify the members of any new hooks. Rule c will then be treated as including Shelton hooks and the additional hook type(s) which the Committee has approved.

Gaffs and tailers

3.     The use of gaff or tailer is prohibited at all times

Landing Nets

4.     Landing nets must be made of knotless, non-metallic material

Fishing Weights

5.     No fishing weight made of lead may be used except those of 0.06 grams or less and those of more than 28.35 grams. In angling terms this means that lead shot from size 14 to size 8 and lead weights over 1 ounce can be used in fishing. These restrictions do not apply to non-lead weights.

Permitted seasons

6.     You are allowed to fish for

a.     Salmon: 6^th April – 31^st October inclusive (You must return all salmon caught before 16^th June)

b.     Sea Trout : 6^th April – 31^st October inclusive

c.     Brown Trout: 25^th March – 30^th September inclusive

d.     Grayling: 16^th June – 14^th March (after 1^st November by artificial fly only)

Size limits

7.      Size limits must conform to Environment Agency limits which currently are set as:

Salmon:              NO SALMON MAY BE TAKEN

Sea Trout:          25.4 cms             (10 inches)

Brown Trout:    23 cms               (9 inches)

Grayling:            30-38 cms          (12 inches -15inches)

Bag limits

8.     The Environment Agency set bag limits for grayling (2 fish per day) and trout (6 fish per day). No member or guest shall kill any salmon. No member or guest shall kill any seatrout over 60cm in length (measured from the tip of its snout to the centre of its tail). The Association imposes a bag limit on Sea Trout of four sea trout per year per member and his/her guests (ie 4 in total across the member and all of that member’s guests) and strongly encourages  catch and release. All members and guests are requested to ask themselves the following question when considering taking a sea trout:

“Do I need to kill this fish?”

In addition, in any year where the Association issues fish tags with membership passes, each member shall apply one of his or her tags to each sea trout taken, at the time it is killed, to demonstrate to members that they have not killed more than 4 sea trout that year. Members’s fish tags are not to be transferred from one member to another or used on more than one fish.

Returning fish

9.     All:

a.     Salmon (whenever they are caught) and

b.     Sea trout caught in October

must be returned to the water unharmed as quickly as possible. All red or stale salmon and sea trout are to be returned to the water unharmed as quickly as possible.

10.  Any fish that is hooked other than in the throat or mouth must be returned to the water immediately with as little injury as possible as quickly as possible.

Sundays

11.  Fishing is allowed on all days of the week, including Sundays

 Showing tickets

12.  All persons fishing must, if requested show their Membership Card and give their names and addresses to the River Keeper or members of the Association.

Guests

A full or intermediate member may take a guest on not more than six days in any one season and both the member and guest may fish, provided that the guest is accompanied by the full or intermediate member and that the full or intermediate member has given prior notice (including the guest’s name) to a person nominated by the Committee before commencing fishing (the person is currently Mike Howard). Not more than 5 pairs of members and their guests may both fish at the same time in September and October to limit the risk of congestion. The five pairs will be booked on a first come, first served basis. All members are responsible for their guests’ behaviour and safety and must therefore remain sufficiently close to their guests to ensure behaviour and safety at all time. Members must also ensure that their guests hold the appropriate rod licence. No member may invite the same guest on more than 2 occasions during any season (but if the guest is a child or grandchild of the member, this restriction will not apply).

13.  Members may at any time share their rod with a child or grandchild of theirs without that activity counting as a guest day.

Dogs

14.  No member or guest shall be accompanied by dogs when using the facilities of the Association.

Selling fish

15.  It is an offence to sell, exchange or barter any rod caught salmon or sea trout.

 Fishing Licence

16.   All members of The Association must hold a current Environment Agency Migratory Fishing Licence.

General behaviour

17.   Always have regard for fellow anglers particularly when arriving at a point on the river. It is particularly important to note that fishing movement is permitted in only one direction ie.your movement is in a DOWNSTREAM direction. Good manners and common courtesy should ensure pleasurable fishing for all members and guests.

Fishing returns

18.  Within a month of the end of each season each member must provide a written return to the Committee showing:

a.     All salmon caught, including:

                                                   i.    Where they were caught

                                                  ii.    Date they were caught

                                                 iii.    Sex of fish

       iv.  Approximate weight of the fish in pounds and ounces

                                                  v.    The method used to catch the fish

b.     All sea trout caught, including:

                                                   i.    Where they were caught

                                                  ii.    Date they were caught

                                                 iii.    Sex of fish

                                                 iv.    Whether they were returned or killed

                                                  v.    Approximate weight of the fish in pounds and ounces

                                                 vi.    The method used to catch the fish

c.     The overall number of trout caught on the Grosmont water

d.     The number of days that season the member has fished on each of:

                                                   i.    Grosmont water

                                                  ii.    Egton water

                                                 iii.    Danby water

                                                 iv.    The Danby Lodge water