Rules
1.The members shall abide by all rules of the Association and the rules of any bodies to whom the Association is, or may become, affiliated to.
2.Neither the Association committee, trustees or landowners shall be responsible for any injury sustained or damage committed while members are fishing or travelling to and from Association waters.
3.Members must hold any necessary licences or permits e.g. EA rod licence. Members not carrying a valid MKAA membership book will be liable to purchase a day ticket, or where applicable, leave the fishery.
4.The membership book is the property of MKAA. If it is lost or stolen the secretary must be notified and a fee may be charged for a replacement. Breaches of the Association rules will render a member liable to expulsion at the discretion of the executive and/or the delegates (representatives of clubs affiliated to MKAA).
5.Those under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult at all times when fishing MKAA waters and may only use one rod at any time. Anyone aged under 17 must also be accompanied by an adult while night fishing (between dusk and dawn) MKAA waters.
6.Claims for specimen fish must be registered with an Association officer within 7 days of capture together with the names and addresses of 2 witnesses who must be adult members of the Association, or be witnessed by an Association Officer or Bailiff. Any claimant may be required (at the request of the executive committee) to submit the weighing scales for independent verification.
All claims must be from Association waters where the Association has sole control.
All claims will be awarded at the discretion of the executive committee.
In the event of a suspected National Record an association officer must be notified immediately.
7.Fishing may only take place on Association waters during the traditional close season (15th March to 15th June inclusive) provided that the fishery in question is designated as being open.
8.Welfare of fish must be paramount at all times. Members must follow the NFA keepnet code, taking maximum care of their catch and retaining fish for a minimal time. Keepnets must be pegged at both ends when used in shallow water, and all fish must be returned to the water alive. Fish must not be retained on Willen South Lake between March 15th and June 15th.
No fish are to be removed from Association waters and NO LIVE fish are to be ADDED. Such additions(even such small numbers as baits) are illegal and risk spreading diseases, which can wipe out existing stocks.
Fish live baits can only be used if they have been caught from the water they are being used on, on the day they are being used, and only native English species can be used, no Koi etc, even if they were caught from the water in question.
Use of live-bait buckets and tubs is banned on MKAA waters.
9.Any member whose behaviour is deemed to bring the Association into disrepute shall be liable to disciplinary action.
10.No guns (including replicas, air rifles/pistols and BB guns) or other weapons to be taken on to or carried on any fishery accessed via an MKAA ticket.
11.Please respect the countryside and parks. On all fisheries accessed via an MKAA ticket: no approach shall be made through mowing grass or growing crops; trees, bushes and bank-side vegetation are not to cut or damaged; all gates are to be closed after passing through; lighting of fires, including barbeques which sit directly on the ground, is prohibited as is the taking of dogs on to fishery banks (though dogs may be taken into MK and Emberton parks if kept under control).
12.In the event of booked pegs not being taken within 1 hour of the start of the match such pegs shall become available to their other MKAA members, subject to the booking club?s approval. This does not apply to MKAA matches. Unofficial (not previously booked) matches are not allowed on any waters accessed via an MKAA ticket.
13.On Association waters: use of fixed leads and feeders which cannot be released on break off of rig is banned; no "bent hooks" are to be used; over-casting leads onto the far bank is prohibited; wire traces must be used when pike fishing; the use of gaffs is illegal and banned as is carrying them. Use of boats for fishing, bait boats and other controlled devices for the delivery of bait and/or tackle is also banned as are any swim markers which cannot be promptly retrieved.
14.Cars are not permitted on the banks of any fishery accessed via an MKAA ticket other than in properly designated parking areas.
15.No season/day ticket member shall leave litter of any description on Association fisheries or any fishery to which access has been gained via an MKAA membership card; cans, tins and glass bottles must not be taken onto such waters; anglers are responsible for clearing litter in and around the vicinity of their swim PRIOR to fishing: no match competitor?s catch will be weighed in if there is litter (including peg numbers) in/around their swim.
16.Anglers are not allowed to set up at the waterside of any MKAA Fishery (which is still subject to the traditional close season) more than 12 hours before the start of the season (June 15th 24.00 hours).
17.All waters that are reserved for any purpose must be vacated by midnight of the previous day. The only exception is when the competition is scheduled to start on or after 5.00pm. In this instance only, the water may be fished up to 12 noon (12.00am) on the day of the competition. Water reservations and start times are shown in this membership handbook.
18.Specimen anglers must have in their possession a suitable landing net of at least 30" arm length (75 cm) if triangular or 24" (60 cm) diameter if circular or spoon. They must also have a suitable unhooking mat of at least 18" wide by 36"long.
Note: As well as barbel, carp and pike anglers, any angler using feeder tactics to target large bream or tench must also consider themselves as specimen anglers and abide by this rule.
Where accessing another club/organisation's waters (those listed as in "association with") via an MKAA ticket or match, MKAA members will be bound by the host club/organisation's rules while on that water.
No more than 40 lbs (18 kilo) of fish shall be retained in a single keepnet at any one time, and keepnets used on waters accessed via an MKAA ticket or match shall NOT be smaller than the legal minimum size - see note below - specified by the Environmental Agency and will preferably be larger and made of a "fish friendly" material.
One bivvie only to be erected in the vicinity of any peg on Furzton Lake, Tear Drops or Lodge Lake irrespective of whether or not more than one angler is fishing from that peg.
No spodding in MKAA Matches.
IMPORTANT NOTES
NOTE 1: Night fishing is normally allowed by season and day membership holders on all MKAA waters other than Wolverton Mill, Lincoln Lodge and Long Field on the Tove, Ravenstone Mill, and those waters listed as "by arrangement" with other clubs/organisations.
NOTE 2: Anyone NOT paying the premium when buying their season card may purchase an upgrade by contacting the Association chairman or general secretary.
NOTE 3: MKAA day membership tickets are valid for a 24 hour period midnight to midnight, so fishing through midnight requires the purchase of TWO day membership tickets - and if a day membership angler is fishing three rods through midnight he/she will need a total of 4 day membership tickets.
NOTE 4: Rule 20 says that a limit of 40 lbs (18 kilos) is to be held in any one keepnet at any one time. The match anglers will operate within this rule by using two nets or having interim weigh-ins. But anglers fishing on Willen North in particular (record session weight 209lb) must realise that it takes very few 6-8lb bream to reach the 40lb limit. So be aware of the rule and empty your net at regular intervals.
The current legal minimum size for keepnets is 2 metres long with a minimum CIRCUMFERENCE of 1.2 metres (for round nets that equates to a minimum ring diameter of 381mm or 15 inches). They must also be of soft "knotless" material and no hole in the mesh must be larger than 25 mm (approx).
In the interests of fish welfare anglers should, if using them, be using keepnets considerably larger than the legal minimum.