Stewartby Water Sports Club (SWSC)is run by an elected Management Committee that oversees the activitiesperformed by the four sections of the club: Angling, Sailing, Powerboat and Water Ski. Each section has its own elected committee to look after section affairs. Overall, the SWSC has up to1000 members with a maximum of 250 in the Angling Section.
The SWSC clubhouse, where anglers are welcome, is usually open on Wednesday evenings during the summer and on most weekends – particularly Sundays - throughout the year. The clubhouse has a bar and kitchen and it alsohas good shower and toilet facilities. Several social events are held in the clubhouse over the course of a year. Notice of such events is given in the clubhouse, in Section newsletters, and in Club or Section newsletters.(Members may wish to note that the Country Park Visitor Centre also includes anexcellent restaurant. The Visitor Centreis open on most days between 10 am and 4 pm. – and often longer in summer.)
The lake contains roach, roach/rudd hybrids, rudd, bream, tench, perch, pike and zander. There are also a few carp and eels, but these are caught rarely. Please report any signs of fish disease or water pollution to acommittee member or clubofficial as soon as possible.
Restocking is carried out when deemed necessary by the Angling Section committee. Under no circumstances should fish be transferred to the lake as a private venture sincethis is illegal and could introduce diseases.
Environment Agency licences are required. The number of rods permitted is given in the Section's Constitution and Rules.
Each individual or family membership is entitled to three guest permits per year. A separate permit is required for each guestand the permit is issued for fishing on a stated day. To obtain a permit, contact the MembershipSecretary in advance. State the name and address of the guest and the date thatyou wish to fish. Also, note that a particular guest may only take part in the Club's sporting activities up to a maximum of three times per year.
Please abide by the Section's Constitution and Rules, and remember that all members are honorary bailiffs and should do their bit to protect and preserve our fishery. Carry your membership book at all times. You will be asked to show it ‑ and will beasked to leave if you can't produce a valid book! Treat the hedges, vegetation and wildlife with respect ‑ and clear your litter at the end of a fishing session, taking particular care to remove all line and weights.
Finally, should you have cause for complaint about the antics of members of other sections, contact a member of the Angling Committee. Take the number of the boat involved and report it. This is effective and helps to preserve the current goodwill between sections ‑ none of the sections tolerate cowboys who ignore the rules.
STEWARTBY WATER SPORTS CLUB ‑ ANGLING SECTION
CONSTITUTION AND RULES
1. NAME. The Section shall be known as the 'Stewartby Water Sports Club AnglingSection'.
2. OBJECTS. To promote the sport of ‘Angling' in all itsaspects.
3. MEMBERSHIP. Members of the Section shall be Members ofthe Stewartby Water Sports Club Ltd., and shall consist of Individual Membersover the age of 18 years and Family Members and their children under the age of18 years.
4. SUBSCRIPTIONS. The subscription for membership of theSection shall be determined by the Committee of the Section and will beadditional to the subscription levied by Stewartby Water Sports Club Ltd., andwill be due by the 31st March each year.
5. OFFICERS. The Officers of the Section will consist ofChairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary and Treasurer, all ofwhom shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting.
6. COMMITTEE. The Committee of the Section should consist of the Officers of theSection and up to six memberselected annually at the AGM.
7. MANAGEMENT. The management of the Section shall be in thehands of the Committee who shall have power to co‑opt and appoint sub‑committees.
8. COMMITTEE MEETINGS. The Committee shall meet as necessary but onat least four occasions in each year and a quorum for business shall be six.
9. GENERAL MEETINGS.
An AnnualGeneral Meeting of the Section shall take place during the months March/Aprileach year but the Committee shall have the power to summon a General Meeting atany time on reasonable notice.
The business of the Annual GeneralMeeting shall be the election of the Officers and Members of the Committee andthe Section's Representative to the Club Management Committee, the passing ofAccounts and any other relevant business of which shall have been given to theSecretary not less than twenty‑one days before such Annual GeneralMeeting. Any proposal for a SectionMember to be elected Officer or Committee Member of the Section at the AGMshall be delivered to the Secretary not less than seven days before the AGMsigned by the Proposer and Seconder and endorsed with the signed consent of theperson proposed. At any General Meeting, the Chairman shall have unfettereddiscretion to take any other business that may be proposed to the Meeting and aright to adjourn or close the Meeting.
The persons entitled to vote at aGeneral Meeting shall be Individual Members and one adult member of a FamilyMembership, and every person entitled to notice of a General Meeting shall beentitled to one vote.
TheSecretary shall, at least fourteen days before any General Meeting, send everyMember, by electronic notification, a notice of such Meeting stating the timeand the place where it will be held and, if known, the business that will bebrought before it.
10. FAMILY MEMBERS. Family Members under the age of 18 yearsmust be accompanied by, and within close proximity to, an adult Member whoshall accept full responsibility.
11. RULES ETC. Breaking or contravening the Rules orRegulations of the Section, or conduct likely to bring the Section intodisrepute, will render the Member liable to endorsement or suspension by theSection Committee from the Section and expulsion from the Club. Three endorsements will result in automaticsuspension from the Club.
12. FISH RETENTION. Fishweighing 8 oz. or less caught fromStewartby Lake may be retained for use as bait in Stewartby Lake onlyand a maximum limit of ten such fish per day per Angler shall apply. Otherwise,all fish shall be returned to the water alive. No live fish are to be brought from other waters. Any person retainingfish outside these limits will be reported for theft.
13. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (EA). All appropriate EA Rules and Byelaws willapply.
14. KEEP‑NETS. The minimum size of keep‑nets used is toconform with EA Rules and Byelaws. Pikeand zander must not be held in keep‑nets and must be returned to the water assoon as possible following capture. During the period 15th March to 15th June inclusive, keep-nets are notto be used and all fish are to be returned to the water as soon aspossible after capture.
15. GAFFS. No gaffs to be used on Club Waters.
16. PIKE ANGLING. All pike anglers must have the followingitems of tackle: at least 15lb main line, wire trace, semi-barbed or barblesshooks, suitably sized landing net and unhooking mat, forceps, wire cutters anda weigh sling should you wish to weigh.
17. LITTER. No Member shall deposit litter, includingdiscarded 'line', and the Member fishing a 'swim' will be responsible for anylitter found in the immediate vicinity thereof.
18. MEMBERSHIP BOOKS. These shall be carried at all times. Members must add their photo and signaturefor the book to be valid. Anglers with books containing no photo and signaturewill be asked to leave the lake. All Members are Honorary Bailiffs and mayrequest other Anglers to show their membership book(s).
19. RODS. Rods with baited hooks must not be leftunattended.
20. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF RODS. A maximum of four rods may be used by anangler when fishing at Stewartby lake. Use of four rods requires twoEnvironment Agency licences.
21. FIRES. No member shall light unauthorized fires ofany kind on the banks of Stewartby lake.
22. CLOSE SEASON. There is no close season at Stewartby lake,but the Angling Section Committee is empowered to ban fishing at the lake atany time during the period 15th March to 15th June inclusive for conservationpurposes.
Members should note that keep-nets are notpermitted during the period 15th March to 15th June inclusive. (Rule 14 aboverefers)
23. NATURERESERVE. No angling is permittedin the nature reserve area of the South West corner of the lake betweenSections 8 and 9 as shown on the lake map. This includes the lagoon. Members violating this rule will be suspended from the SWSC for life.
24. PUBLICITY. To reduce the possibility of attracting poachers,any publicity of catches by members should not identify Stewartby lake, and thebackground in any photograph published should be neutral so that Stewartby lakecannot be identified. This applies to all forms of publicity including, forexample, social media, internet, mobile telephones, newspapers andmagazines.
25. BOAT FISHING. A strictly limited amount of boat fishingis allowed on Stewartby lake. Application forms for boat fishing and copies ofthe boat fishing rules are available from the Angling Section MembershipSecretary; members are advised that there are additional fees and that thereare additional fees and that there is a long waiting list. Only approved boats can be used for anglingon Stewartby lake; kayaks, canoes and inflatable craft are not permitted.
26. RISKS. In joining the Stewartby Water Sports ClubAngling Section, members accept that the Stewartby Water Sports Club Limitedand its Officers cannot be made liable for inherent risks to the member,member’s family or guests whilst participating in the activities of theClub. Neither the Stewartby Water Sports ClubDirectors, Stewartby Water Sports Club Angling Section Committee, Trustees orLandowners shall be responsible for any injury sustained or damage committedwhile members their families or guests are fishing on or travelling to and fromStewartby Water Sports Club waters.
27. FISH WELFARE. Any member fishing on Stewartby lake musttreat fish welfare as paramount. Anymember considered to be mistreating fish will be subject to endorsement.
28. NOFISHING AREAS. No fishing isallowed from the Skiers’ black jetty marked ‘No Anglers’(what3words.com/joked.bless.owned) or from the concrete platform marked ‘UnsafeStructure’ (what3words.com/respond.proofread.games). No fishing is allowed fromany temporarily closed area marked as ‘Closed’ or ‘No Access’. Also, members must follow our landlord’ssignage and keep out of any structures or areas marked.
