These pages include the Society’s constitution, rules and general information. All members, particularly those who have recently joined The Society, should read the rules carefully. Details of Society officers will be found in your membership card.

You will be notified of any club matches. If you visit a venue where a match is being
held you may find your ability to fish, or choice of swims is restricted.
Keep nets are not permitted before 1 October, except in competitions as fish,
particularly Bream, Carp & Tench, may suffer (Rules 13.11 & 18.5).
 
Information
• Please read the following information and rules before visiting the Society’s
waters.
• Members are reminded of the legal obligation to possess a valid Environment
Agency Rod Licence. You should produce this when requested by an EA bailiff or
police constable. Members must produce their membership card if requested by a club bailiff or
another member (Rule 13.7).
• Members can discuss any subject matter relating to The Society personally with the
committee during the first half hour of any committee meeting. (See Rule 6.1).
• Night fishing, i.e. before dawn or after dusk, is not permitted on The Society’s
waters with the exception of Shovelstrode.
• Litter will not be tolerated on The Society’s waters. Take it home with you or
face expulsion. (See Rule 13.3)
• Guest Tickets and Exchange Permits see Rule 16.
• The Society recommends that barbless hooks should be used on all waters, with
the exception of hooks used for Pike. (See pike Code of Practice). This is a
mandatory requirement at Readers Lake.

CONSTITUTION
1.0 The Society Constitution
1.1 The Society shall be known as East Grinstead Angling Society (the Society).
2.0 Objects
2.1 The objects of the Society are to encourage fair angling and to provide the facilities
of an angling society for its members including the acquisition and maintenance of
fisheries and the promotion of angling.
3.0 The Trustees
3.1 There shall be not less than two and not more than four trustees of the Society.
Appointment of the trustees shall be by the Committee.
3.2 Trustees shall hold office until death or resignation or until removed by a resolution
of the Committee.
3.3 All property of the Society (except cash, which shall be under the control of the
Secretary or Auditor) including leases shall be vested in the Trustees to be dealt with by
them, as the Committee shall from time to time direct.
3.4 The Trustees shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Society against any risk
and expenses incurred by them in pursuance of their office.
4.0 President, Vice Presidents & Officers
4.1 A President and up to ten Vice-Presidents shall be elected annually at the Annual
General Meeting after being proposed, seconded and after indicating their consent.
4.2 A Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Maintenance Secretary and
Membership Secretary shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting after
being proposed, seconded and indicating their consent. The Officers shall be members
of the Committee.
5.0 The Committee
5.1 The Committee shall consist of the Officers and not less than two or more than
seven ordinary members of the Society elected annually at the Annual General Meeting
after being proposed, seconded and indicating their consent unless already a member
of the Committee.
5.2 Each member standing for election to the Committee shall be required to be a
member of the Society and must declare any involvement with the administration of
any another angling club, association or society.
In addition, a member standing for election shall have been a member for
a minimum of two years.
5.3 The Committee may appoint two additional members onto the Committee for the
period up to the next AGM.
5.4 Officers and committee members shall be entitled to pro rata free annual
membership in recognition of the service they provide to the Society. Any officer or
committee member may waive this entitlement when receiving a membership renewal
notice.
6.0 Powers and Duties of The Committee
6.1 The Committee shall meet each calendar month, with the exception of August and
December. It may meet more frequently if deemed necessary. The first thirty minutes
of each meeting is available for members to make personal representation on any
subject matter pertaining to the Society. The member(s) shall be required to leave the
committee meeting after thirty minutes or as directed by the chairman or acting
chairman.
6.2 The Committee will not convene on bank holidays unless deemed necessary .
6.3 A quorum shall be at least four committee members.
6.4 The Committee may declare vacant the position of any Committee member absent
from three consecutive meetings or four meetings in any year without reasonable
excuse. The committee member so expelled will not be eligible for re-election until a
period of one year has elapsed.
6.5 Decisions made by The Committee shall be based upon a democratic vote. All
Committee members, with the exception of the Chairman, shall be eligible to vote. In
the case of a tied vote the Chairman will be entitled to a casting vote.
6.6 The Committee shall be able to elect honorary members for a period of one year on
an annual basis.
6.7 The Committee reserve the right to refuse membership to anyone applying to join
The Society. The Committee similarly reserve the right to terminate membership of any
member during the course of a season should that member have broken the rules of
the Society or brought discredit upon the Society. In the case of termination of
membership no refund of membership moneys will be made.
6.8 No member shall be expelled under Rule 6.7 except at a committee meeting
convened especially, if necessary, for the purpose. The member may appear, or be
represented, at the meeting if so desired. The member shall be given 14 days notice.
7.0 Financial
7.1 The financial year of the Society shall end on the 30th November in each year.
7.2 The Secretary shall present a set of accounts at the end of the financial year. The
Society auditor shall examine these accounts and confirm in writing that they are a true
and accurate record of the Society’s finances.
8.0 Membership
8.1 The Society shall consist of the following classes of member's:- Senior,
Concessionary (Over 65 & Disability Pensioners), Junior, Joint (Husband & Wife or civil
partner), Honorary and Life.
8.2 Senior membership is open to any candidate over the age of seventeen as of 1st
June.
8.3 Concessionary membership is available to any candidate receiving Disability
Pension or over 65 years of age on the 1st June.
8.4 Junior membership is available to young persons over the age of twelve but under
the age of seventeen on the 1st June. Children under the age of twelve can fish the
Society’s waters free of charge providing they are accompanied by an adult member.
8.5 Honorary and Life Members are elected at the discretion of the committee
8.6 All persons applying for membership must do so using the Clubmate website or via
the secretary or membership secretary.
9.0 Subscriptions
9.1 The annual subscription payable shall be such a sum as the Committee shall
determine from time to time and to be ratified at the Annual General Meeting.
9.2 Subscription renewals are welcomed after the 15th March and before
15th May. This gives sufficient time for membership cards to be issued before the start
of the new season.
10.0 Annual General Meeting
10.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Society shall be held each year to; receive and
consider the accounts and balance sheet prepared by the Secretary, and approved by
the Auditor. Additionally, the meeting will elect a President & Vice-Presidents, appoint
Officers, fill any vacancies on the Committee, and consider any resolutions submitted.
10.2 Notice of the date, time and place of the Annual General Meeting shall be sent to
each member of the Society at least 14 days before the date of the meeting.
10.3 Members may submit a resolution to the AGM. It must be submitted to the
Secretary at least 7 days before the AGM. The resolution must be seconded by a
member. The proposer and seconder must attend the AGM and present it
11.0 Extraordinary General Meeting
11.1 An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be convened by the Committee or
on a requisition in writing signed by not less than ten members of the Society which
states the purpose for which the meeting is desired. No other business other than that
for which the meeting was called shall be discussed at the EGM. An EGM is the only
occasion (other than the AGM) where rule changes can be made. Such rule changes
can only be made provided that a minimum of twenty members are present.
In the event of an EGM not less than 14 days notice in writing together with details of
the business to be dealt with shall be sent by the secretary to each member of the
Society.

RULES
Please note the specific rules (17, 18 & 19) that apply to fishing at
Hedgecourt Lake, Readers Lake and Gabriel’s Fishery
12.0 General rules relating to conduct
12.1 Members shall at all times conduct themselves in a proper manner and refrain
from causing any damage whatsoever to property, disturbing game, wildlife or farm
animals and shall in no way interfere with another members sport.
13.0 General rules relating to our waters
13.1 The following rules apply to all the Society’s waters:
13.2 Members and their guests shall walk only on the banks and not across standing
crops. All gates to be kept shut.
13.3 Do not discard any litter at the water. Members should remove any existing litter
that is found in the immediate vicinity of their swim and take it home. Failure to do so
could result in expulsion from the Society.
13.4 No dogs, radios, glass bottles, or metal cans are allowed.
13.5 The unauthorised transfer or removal of fish and plants is strictly prohibited. Any
member found breaching this rule will be subject to expulsion from the Society.
13.6 Camping and the lighting of fires are not permitted.
13.7 Members are required to carry a valid membership card and rod licence at all
times when on the Society’s waters. If requested, membership cards are to be
produced for inspection by a bailiff or another member of the Society. Failure to
produce this document will result in the angler being asked to leave the water.
13.8 The use of any unauthorised kind of firearm is strictly prohibited.
13.9 No member shall occupy more than one swim or fish beyond the confines of the
swim or cause annoyance to other members or leave unattended any rod that has
been cast out with the intention of catching fish.
13.10 Members may have a maximum of two rods in use at any one time.
13.11 Keep nets shall not be used before 1 October, except for use in competitions
(see Rule 15.6).
13.12 All coarse fish to be returned to the water unless stated otherwise herein.
13.13 The use of live bait is NOT permitted.
13.14 In order to discourage vermin, bait of any kind is not to be deposited on the
banks or discarded into the water.
13.15 All vehicles to be parked in designated parking areas only.
13.16 Night fishing, i.e. before dawn or after dusk is not permitted on any of the Society
lakes with the exception of Shovelstrode.
13.17 Any official notice posted on notice boards at individual waters must be adhered
to.
14.0 Close Season
14.1 The EA close season for coarse fish is from the 15th March to 15th June inclusive.
At Hedgecourt Lake, its feeder stream and Eden Brook the statutory EA close season
applies; At Readers Lake the close season will be from 1 April to 31 May inclusive.
14.2 The close season will not apply to any commercial water where the Society has
negotiated fishing rights for members for the period 15 March to 15 June inclusive.
Members must be in possession of a valid membership card and rod licence when
fishing at these waters and produce these if requested..
14.3 The fishing seasons will be at the discretion of The Committee. Any notification of
changes will be given at the annual general meeting.
15.0 Competitions & Trophies
15.1 All competitions are to rules promulgated by the Angling Trust.
15.2 The competition venue may be closed to all members, except those competing,
from two hours before the start of the competition until all competing anglers have
cleared the water after the competition.
15.3 The competition secretary or his representatives shall be entitled to change the
venue of any competition at short notice.
15.4 All members are eligible to take part in Society competitions.
15.5 No person shall take part in a competition or represent the Society in external
matches unless the subscription fee has been paid.
15.6 All competitors taking part in matches held on Society lakes shall use two keep
nets. One net shall be used to retain Carp, the other to retain all other species caught
15.7 Disputes must be referred to the match secretary or his designated deputy. The
match secretary or his deputy’s decision shall be final.
15.8 Registration of specimen fish for the Society records must be made in writing
within 10 days of the capture to the Secretary with the name and address of one
witness. (Not necessarily a Society member). If a member catches ‘Specimen Sized’
fish (as per Society’s Club Record Fish List) report same to Competition Secretary or
Secretary. The members weighing scales must be submitted for a calibration test.
15.9 The Knock out Competition
When held this competition is open to all Society members and is basically a series of
matches between pairs of anglers. The organiser (see membership card) will make the
draw for each round. A draw is made to determine the “home angler” & who shall be
the “away angler”. Drawn on a round by round basis with the date [subject to rule (a)],
venue, time & duration of match to be mutually agreed. Winners from each round meet
in the next round until a final pair meet. The rules are:
(a) The cost of entry is £2 & the closing date for entry is 31st May.
(b) All matches shall take place on Society waters only.
(c) The draw will be made after the closing date & all anglers will receive a card.
(d) The first round must be completed by 31st July. Thereafter one round per month.
(e) If round one has an odd number entries will be adjusted with byes to ensure an
even number go forward to the next round.
(f)”Home” angler is responsible for informing the “away” angler of the match &
venue also for retuning the result card to the Match Secretary, although a telephone
confirmation of the result is acceptable.
The “away” angler has the choice of swim.
(g) If the result has not been communicated as given in (f) at the start of the next
round the “home” angler shall be disqualified & the “away” angler will enter the next
round.
(h) The entry fee will be divided 60% to the winner & 40% to the loser.
16.0 Guest Tickets & Exchange Permits
16.1 A member is allowed to take up to two guests on specified Society waters in any
one day. The member shall be responsible for the guest’s behaviour and their
compliance with the rules of the Society.
16.2 Guest tickets must be bought in advance. They are available via the individual
members Clubmate page.
16.3 Some exchange permits may be available to allow members to fish other
approved club waters. If so, exchange permits are available from 1st July. Enquiries
regarding exchange permits can be made to the Secretary.
The following rules are in addition to all other Society rules.

 17.0 Rules Pertaining to Hedgecourt Lake and Feeder Stream
Hedgecourt Lake and its feeder stream and the areas of wetland that border the site
have been declared a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’. Angling is listed as an activity
that may be detrimental to the habitat of the various plants, insect and birds that can
be found there. The Society therefore has to ensure that certain conditions are met in
order to secure continued use of the water. The following rules form the basis of our
agreement with the landowners, Crawley Mariners Yacht Club.
17.1 Members of The Society or anyone fishing with the authority of the Society shall
not remove any fish from or introduce any fish to the waters.
17.2 Members of the Society or anyone fishing with the authority of the Society shall
not fish from any spot other than the swims provided and shall not use any waterborne
craft.
17.3 The banks and adjoining land must not be dug for bait nor disturbed for any other
reason. Cutting of trees, bushes, or foliage is not allowed and flowers and shrubs are to
remain untouched.
17.4 All Society members, and anyone fishing with the authority of the Society shall:
a) be responsible for clearing away all litter whether introduced by them or not at the
position at which they are fishing. Such litter is to be removed from the area of the lake
or deposited in the litterbins provided.
b) not by their action cause pollution to occur
17.5 Camping is not allowed and no fires to be lit.
17.6 Members of the Society or anyone fishing with the authority of the Society shall
not take or permit to be taken any animal, radio, air gun, air pistol, or firearm onto the
lake or its surrounds.
17.7 All hooks, line traces in any form shall be removed from in or around the
surrounds of the lake.
17.8 Swimming or wading in the Lake is not allowed.
17.9 All Society members or persons fishing with the authority of the Society shall keep
to the footpaths, roads, and way provided or failing this will keep close to the bank.
Public rights of way are not to be obstructed.
17.10 Fishing before 5 am at any time or before dawn and after dusk and on Tuesdays
between the hours of 9am and 3pm is not permitted.
17.11 Glass, plastic, tins or metal containers, other than vacuum flasks and bait
containers, are not to be taken to the venue. Any person found contravening this Rule
may be expelled from the Society.
17.12 Parking of motorcycles, motorcars and any other vehicles is restricted to the
area at the north east point of the lake – previously identified as the punt/boat
launching area. Registered disabled members displaying a ‘Blue Badge’ may park in
the layby in Mill Lane. Mill Lane must not be obstructed.
17.13. Any Society member or persons fishing with the authority of the Society shall not
unreasonably interfere with the sailing of any member of Crawley Mariners Yacht Club
or any persons sailing with the authority of the club or with any person on any adjacent
property or land to which the public or others have lawful access.
17.14. Any member of the Society or persons fishing with the authority of the Society,
upon being challenged and failing to produce a current membership card or valid
permit to fish, will be required to give their name and address and leave the water
unless they can prove their authority to fish.
17.15. Casting beyond the limits of the marker buoys is not permitted.
 
18.0 Rules pertaining to Readers Lake
18.1 Entrance to the lake is by a locked gate on Hophurst Hill.
18.2 The combination number for the lock on the gate is given on your membership
card. The gate must remain locked at all times.
18.3 Keep on the path provided, do not walk on grass.
18.4 Fishing is allowed from numbered swims only.
18.5 Between 1 June and 30 September, inclusive of each year, keepnets shall not be
used except for matches, when two keepnets shall be used. One keepnet will retain
carp and the second all other species. At other times of the year one keepnet may be
used for both match and pleasure angling
18.6 The use of barbed or micro-barbed hooks is not permitted
18.7 The use of braid line is not permitted
18.8 The use of floating baits is permitted in small quantities only
 
19 Rules pertaining to Gabriel’s Fishery
19.1 The Society fishes at Gabriel’s under a licence agreement. As such, when fishing
at Gabriel’s the rules of the fishery take precedence over Society rules , with the
exception of this Rule 19. The fishery rules on conduct explicitly have precedence over
Society rules 12 and 13 regarding conduct.
19.2 Members must familiarise themselves with the rules of the fishery given on its
website at https://www.gabriels-fishery.co.uk/fishing/#therules
19.3 Failure to observe the fishery rules, and the rules following, may result in
members being required to leave the fishery and will be subject to being reported to the
Society.
19.4 Members must be in possession of an valid EA licence, their Society membership
card AND an acceptable form of photo ID (e.g. Driving Licence). These must be
produced on request. Failure to produce these will result in members having to pay full
price or being asked to leave the fishery.
19.5 The licence agreement allows member to fish a single rod at Hare, Silver, Swallow
Lakes and the River Eden between 7am and fishery closing time seven days a week.
Admirals Lake is excluded from the Society’s licence.
19.6 The licence agreement allows members to fish a single rod at Oak Lake between
7am and fishery closing time Monday to Thursday only, and from 7am to 2pm on
Fridays.
19.7 Members wishing to fish two rods must pay the Gabriel’s published price for the
extra rod.
19.8 Barbless hooks and unhooking mats are compulsory.
19.9 Junior members under 16 years must be accompanied by a person aged at least
21 years. If that person is not a Society member, a guest charge of £5 is payable. Proof
of age may be asked for.
19.10 The Society concession allowing adult members to take a child under 12 years of
age fishing with them free of charge (Rule 8.4) does not apply at Gabriel’s.
19.11 Holders of Joint membership are limited to free payment for one member only.
The second joint member will pay Gabriels standard charge.
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