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| Fishery Name: Montreal Park Ponds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Address: Worships Hill, Riverhead, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2AT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Entrance Grid Ref. TQ 51026 55717
Car Park Grid Ref: Somewhere after the Entrance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sat Nav: TN13 2AT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Phone Numbers: No Number | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Email Address: [email protected] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Description: Montreal Park Ponds are owned by the Holmesdale Angling and Conservation Society and is located off the A25 (Worship Hill and the junction of Witches Lane) through the new school. There are two lakes covering approximately 2 acres, which has seen much in the way of re-stocking over recent years. Stocks now includes crucian carp, roach, rudd, perch, tench, dkimmers and with a good number of small carp. Essentially a junior water who can fish unaccompanied, although its quite common to see senior members enjoying a "fun" day fishing. Depths may vary between 2 to 8 feet.Total number of rods that can be used on these lakes is 2 rods and no bait boats are allowed.
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Rules:
Holmesdale Angling and Conservation Society. Rules and Bylaws. July 2021. A) CONSTITUTIONAL RULES. 1) The Society shall be called the 'Holmesdale Angling and Conservation Society', being a not for profit society have for its object the advancement of Angling and Angling Conservation. 2) The Trustees of the Society shall be two members appointed at an AGM, and hold this position until such time that they decide to give up the position or they are removed at a Special General Meeting in accordance to rule A10). They must abide to the trustee policy, and have a legal responsibility for the society's management and administration. They may individually delay, or unanimously stop any decisions made by the committee or membership, until an agreement is achieved, or the membership is invited to take part in the decision making, by calling a Special General Meeting. 3) The Management of the Society shall be in the hands of the Committee comprised of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Secretary, (being the principle officers) Competition Secretary, Membership Secretary, Head Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Officer, Publicity and Communications Officer, Junior Officer, Head Bailiff, Bailiff, all elected at the Annual General Meeting. 4) The Committee shall have power to co-opt up to a maximum of two additional Members for such period of time as the Committee shall require. 5) The Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and one other designated Officer shall be empowered to sign cheques on behalf of the Society. All cheques must bear two signatures. 6) A Qualified Accountant shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting to audit the books and accounts of the Society verifying all receipts and payments and generally vouch for the correctness of the Financial Statement presented at the Annual General Meeting. 7) Capital Shareholders of the Society shall be Senior, Senior Citizen and Life members. In the event a Special General Meeting being called for the closure of the society, the assets will be joined with another society or club of a similar type, format and standing, as directed for by a minimum of two thirds majority of the capital shareholders, at that meeting. 8) The committee shall have the power to make bylaws, which shall be binding on all members until the next Annual or Special General Meeting. At this meeting they shall be by vote, annulled or include as rules. The committee shall have no power to change Constitutional or Committee rules, these may only be done at a Special General Meeting or Annual General Meeting. 9) Any member wishing to initiate a change in the Society's Rules at the Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting, must supply the proposal in writing, to the Secretary at least 28 days before the date of the meeting. 10) A Special General Meeting may be requested by the trustees, committee or a group of no less than five members, provided that the reason for the request is given in writing to the Secretary. The Secretary must hold a meeting within 60 days of receiving the request. The Agenda (containing the reason) for the meeting shall be posted to all members at least 14 days before the meeting. 11) All Members may attend the AGM. Only Senior, Senior Citizen and Life members may be entitled to vote, and on any subject except for Trusteeship and Membership of the Committee, these being restricted to those members who have two year, consecutive membership. B) COMMITTEE RULES 1) Code of Conduct for Committee Members. Upon receipt of a complaint in relation to the behaviour of any Committee Member, a meeting shall be called within 14 days to investigate the complaint. If found to be substantiated, he or she may be expelled with immediate effect. 2) Committee Meeting shall be held monthly or bimonthly as deemed appropriate. 3) Any Committee Member missing three consecutive meetings without reasonable excuse may be asked to resign. 4) All members of the committee will stand down at the AGM. At this point a trustee will chair the appointment of a new committee. Any capitol shareholders that have been society members for a minimum of two consecutive seasons, may be nominated and seconded for a position on the committee. In the event of more than one nominee for a position, a vote by the members will be held, if there is equal votes for nominees the trustee will have the deciding vote. If there are vacancies on the committee after an AGM these may be filled by co-option. Any member wishing to be co-opted, may do so by submitting in writing to the secretary, their wish to be considered by the committee for the position. 5) Five Committee Members will constitute a quorum. Any meeting being held must have one of the four principle officers in attendance. 6) All members of the Committee including co-opted members shall have equal voting rights for the duration of their term of office. The Chair has the overriding vote in the case of a tie. BYLAWS (shown in red), in operation but to be approved. These are rules introduced by the committee, and replace existing rules or are new rules, they come into operation once posted on our social media sites. They remain in operation until the next AGM or SGM at which point they are to be approved or rejected by the membership. Bylaws may not be introduced to sections A) CONSTITUTIONAL RULES and B) COMMITTEE RULES of the society rules. C) MEMBERSHIP RULES 1) Membership categories. (MJ) Montreal Junior - 13 to 16 years old; (MF) Montreal Family - parents and 4 children 12 years old and under; (S) Senior - 17 to 65 years old, and may add spouse and 4 children 12 years old and under; (SC) Senior Citizen - over 65 years old, and may add spouse and 4 children 12 years old and under; (L) Life, and may add spouse and 4 children 12 years old and under; (C) Complimentary, type specified. 2) Annual Subscription cheques and postal orders made payable to Holmesdale Angling and Conservation Society. 3) Guest Tickets may be purchased by members for friends to fish the Society's waters, provided the member remains not more than one swim apart from the guest, takes responsibility for the latter's conduct and observing the Society's Rules. 4) Guest Tickets to be obtained before starting to fish. Any guest not in possession of a Guest Ticket will be asked to vacate the Society's property. The member with the guest will be asked to leave as well and reported to the committee for breach of rules. 5) Maximum of two Guest Tickets to be issued to any one Member, on anyone day. 6) Guest Tickets are valid only for the calendar date shown. 7) All Members and authorised holders of Guest Tickets enter on the Society's Property entirely at their own risk. The Society does, not accept any liability for death, injury, theft or damage to property. 8) The right of the Society to fish is liable to be, from time to time, limited or extended and these Rule and privileges of the Members are subject to such right, and the Society shall not be liable to return to any Member fees they may have paid to the Society for such privilege. 9) Any Members or their guests found breaking Society rules may have their membership card confiscated by a Society Bailiff or Committee Member. This will then be passed together with a report of the incident to the Committee for further action. 10) All members are authorised to act as Water Bailiffs and to report any infringement of rules to a Committee Member. A current Membership Card or valid Guest Ticket must be produced on demand to a Water Bailiff, Committee Member or Member on production of their Membership Card. In the event of any Member wilfully breaking any of the rules, regulations and bylaws of the Society, the Society shall have the power to expel such Member, who shall have no claim on the Society or any Member thereof for compensation or for the return of any subscription paid. No Member shall be expelled under this rule except at a monthly committee meeting or meeting specially convened for the purpose. 11) The Society shall have the power to commence any prosecution for any offence committed which they may consider detrimental to the objectives of the Society. 12) Access and any special rules relating to Society waters are on The Water Details Maps and should be consulted before commencing to fish. Vehicles should at all times be parked only in designated areas, and so as not to cause any obstruction. All access gates used must be closed and secured when both entering and leaving the society's property. 13) Any member who loses there Membership Card, ID card, Rule Book, must notify the Membership Secretary immediately. Replacement items must be obtained from the Membership Secretary on payment of a sum agreed at the discretion of the Committee. 13) Any member who loses there Membership Card, ID card, Rule Book or Key, must notify the Membership Secretary immediately. Replacement items must be obtained from the Membership Secretary on payment of a sum agreed at the discretion of the Committee. 14) Membership cards to be carried at all times when on society waters. Any person not carrying their membership card or permission to be there, will be asked to leave with immediate effect. 15) A swim area shall be defined as: on still water - half way between your set up area and that of set up area on either side; on moving water - 1m upstream and within 1m of the setup area downstream; and on both still and running water the dividing lines run 90 degrees to the bank and half way between your bank and the bank opposite. 16) No Member shall discard litter at any time and shall be responsible for clearing away any litter that may be left at the swim they have occupied; expulsion from the Society may follow this non- compliance. 17) Maximum number of rods to be used: Small Lake - 3 rods, Montreal Park - 2 rods, Longford Lake - 4 rods. All rods used must be confined to one swim and used in a manner so as not to inconvenience other members. If leaving a swim unattended, all lines to be removed from the water and baits removed with hooks clipped up. 17) Maximum number of rods to be used: Small Lake - 2 rods, Montreal Park - 2 rods, Longford Lake - 3 rods. All rods used must be confined to one swim and used in a manner so as not to inconvenience other members. If leaving a swim unattended, all lines to be removed from the water and baits removed with hooks clipped up. 18) Un-hooking mats. Members must at all times have open and ready for use. 19) The use of a gaff is prohibited 20) The use of pike gags is prohibited. 21) All anglers must have an appropriate size landing net, assembled for use. 22) The maximum size of live baits is to be restricted to not more than six inches. No live or dead to be removed for use as bait elsewhere. 23) No live fish may be introduced to any Society water without written consent 24) All fish to be returned to the water where they were caught. 25) The use of keep-nets is prohibited. Except on official society sanctioned competitions, where they must conform to the prevailing Environment Agency byelaws relating to length, diameter and material type.Competitors must ensure that they are placed in sufficient depth of water, and the fish retained are not overcrowded or in distress. 26) The season for fishing in the Society's waters shall be as laid down by the relevant water authority or other statutory body or as otherwise determined by the Society. 27) All Members must abide by the bye-laws of the relevant water Authorities. 28) All Members must at all time behave in such a manner as not to cause any disturbance to wild life or other persons. 29) Any Member hooking or entangling any fowl must make every effort to untangle the fowl with the least amount of harm, if unable to do so, a Committee Member must be notified. 30) Angling shall not be permitted in any other manner than rod and line. No Member or Guest Ticket holder to use more rods than permitted by the relevant water authority rules or as otherwise determined as the Society 31) Any member found damaging any lock, gates, floating craft, fences, banks, grass, trees or foliage, or other property adjoining lakes and rivers shall be expelled. 32) No Member or Guest Ticket holder shall at any time fish from floating craft, or make use of such for the playing or landing of fish or placing baits. 33) No fires to be lit at any time or disposable barbeques to be used. Except at the request of a committee member on working parties. 34) Bait restrictions. On Montreal Park; Banned baits, boilies over 12 mm in size, peanuts and floating mixer style baits. Restriction, a maximum of 1 kilo or 2pints of bait to be used in a 24 hour period. 35) No member may occupy a swim for more than 3 consecutive days, if requested to move by another member. 36) For the purposes of night fishing temporary shelters may be used but not in excess of two man bivvey. 37) No swimming or boating (with the exception of bait boats, see rule C48, on Longford Lake) on any society controlled waters. 38) No member may fish, prepare to fish or occupy any swim being used for a competition from 6.00am until the end of the competition and swim vacated. 39) Notice of competitions and pegs to be used, will be posted a minimum of fourteen days in advance on the notice board, web site and facebook. 40) Where no peg numbers are booked, the competition will be fished around swims already occupied. 41) Social members must be residents of Chevening, Riverhead or Dunton Green Parish, or have been nominated (in writing) by a member of the club, and approved by the committee. 41) Delete rules as no longer applicable, due to change of membership categories. 42) Dogs are to be kept under control at all times. (Please clean up any dog mess on the paths and fishing areas). 43) Social members have pedestrian access to all the land owned by the club, but are only allowed to fish at Montreal Park. 43) Delete rules as no longer applicable, due to change of membership categories. 44) Social members may not disturb any fishing members, or disrupt the tranquil atmosphere most anglers seek, with boisterous or loud behaviour. 44) Delete rules as no longer applicable, due to change of membership categories. 45) If a fishing member wishes to fish a swim a social member is occupying, the social member must give way and vacate the area promptly. This rule does NOT apply to Montreal Park 45) Delete rules as no longer applicable, due to change of membership categories. 46) Access keys. These are for members only. Any person found holding a key that is not registered to them will have the key confiscated and that person will be asked to leave, and the member who that key is registered to will have their membership terminated immediately. Replacement keys see rule C13. 47) A drone (aka Multirotor Model Aircraft) shall not be flown from any HACS premises unless with the express permission of the committee, such permission to be given in advance of the operation of the drone in compliance with the relevant articles of the Civil Aviation Air Navigation Order in force for the time being. Prior to the operation of the drone, the pilot shall satisfy the committee that he/she is insured in respect to Public Liability risks to cover at least £10 million per separate incident. If using a drone for photography purposes, the pilot will comply fully with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulations and the club's Data Privacy Policy. 48) Bait Boats (Infringements of this rule may result in bait boats being band) No bait boat to go further than 130 meters from the angler's swim. Do not bait up or fish, past or close to a sailing club buoy. Do not bait up or fish, past or close to the island to the right of the club hut swim. Stay within your swim area see rule C15. Do not use a bait boat when the sailing club is having an official race. Exercise extreme caution when there are sailing club members on the water. No bait boats to be used on the Longford Small Lake or Montreal Park Lake. (Three designated committee members will act as judges on infractions of the above rule by a member, and their unanimous decision on a bait boat ban for the offending member will apply. In the event the judges cannot agree or there is any serious breach of this rule will be reported to the committee as per rule C10.) D) COMPETITION RULES 1) The draw shall take place and fishing shall commence at the Competition Secretary's discretion. 2) Only Holmesdale Angling and Conservation Society members may compete for the Society Trophies. 3) Night Hawk - Fishing will commence from a "walk off" at the time stated. 4) Night Hawk competition to be fished using a maximum of two rods. 5) The start and finish of all competitions shall be by whistle. 6) In general competitions all species count except pike. In special competitions only specified species count. 8) Hybrids will not count for specimen awards. 9) No competitor shall move more than 12m from his peg without first removing his tackle from the water and unbaiting his hook. A competitor's swim shall be defined as (see rule C15) 10) The Society Championship and other 'series' competitions shall be fished on a point's basis, points to be awarded as follows: First place is awarded 10 points; second 9 points and so on. In the event of a tie between two or more competitors the points will be totalled together and divided equally between them. 11) In the event of a tie on total points, winner decided by gross weight. 12) Fish to be hooked and landed without assistance from any other person, except persons who have obtained prior permission of the Competition Secretary. 13) All fish hooked on or before the final whistle may be played, landed, and weighed in within Fifteen minutes of the whistle. 14) The weigh-in will be at the competitor's pegs, by the Competition Secretary or their appointee. 15) No dead fish to be weighed in. No fish to be weighed in during competitions, unless expressly approved by the Competition Secretary e.g. Specimen fish not to be kept in keep net. 16) In any dispute the Competition Secretary's decision is final and binding. 17) Any Member intending to weigh in fish for a competition must remove all rods on final whistle and must not recommence fishing until after weighing in. Holmesdale Angling & Conservation Society Pike Policy Pike are one of our most valuable resources and essential for a balanced fishery. This policy has been produced to ensure that the quality of pike fishing is maintained and we expect our members to observe and implement this.We have sourced material from the web and consolidated this into an easy to read guide. It will be revised overtime and with experience. We recognise that there is a wide variety of anglers fishing for pike, both novice and experienced and so we have tried to produce a balanced policy that all find able to use. Pike policy 1) All pike are to be returned alive and unharmed to the water. 2) Use strong tackle. A minimum of 15lb mono is recommended matched with 2.5 - 3.5lb rods. Remember pike fight harder and take longer to recover in the summer so gear up accordingly. 3) Use a large knotless landing net with arms of at least 36% or a round frame of at least 30%. 4) Use an unhooking mat of at least 36%. If you find yourself embarrassed and have caught a pike withou having a mat with you (not all pike are caught deliberately!) then use soft, wet grass to lay the fish on. 5) Use barbless or semi-barbed hooks. Absolutely no pike gags! 6) Make sure you are suitably equipped. Use 10%-12% artery forceps and/or long-nosed pliers. Always carry a pair of side cutters to crop hooks that are difficult to extract. 7) When bait fishing, strike quickly when a run develops. If you find you've deep-hooked a fish, do not cut the trace. Unclip it and seek help. 8) No live baits over 6% to be used and no live baiting at all in competitions. 9) Under no circumstances retain pike in keep-nets. Use a carp sack or a pike retention tube while you get ready to photograph the fish (if you need to!). Pike should be weighed and released quickly, even in matches. 10) If retaining fish for a short while, use deep water, out of direct sunlight, and point the fish toward the waves to encourage oxygen flow. 11) Once a pike has been weighed, safely carry it back to the water in the net or sling for careful release. Ensure the pike can support itself before releasing it. Stay with the fish for as long as it takes to recover. There is the opportunity to have pike teach-ins for those that have not experienced unhooking pike. If you would like to benefit from this, please ask. And remember, mistakes do happen and you won't be vilified if you do make a mistake, but do seek support so you don't compound an error. Carp and Specimen policy. 1) Remove a fish from the lake. Always carry a spare bank stick that is positioned in a convenient part of the swim you are fishing in order to safely hold the net in place with your fish inside whilst you prepare the all- important utensils needed to look after our water dwelling friends whilst they are on the bank. Get wet. Dampen your hands and wet both the unhooking mat and weigh sling with lake water. This ensures that the protective slimy membrane on the specimens skin does not dry up which could cause damage and scarring to your capture. Location. Position mat in an appropriate place with the backdrop you desire for your photographs. It is worth positioning the mat slightly away from your gear with a backdrop of foliage or water in which your catch resides. Camera and Scales. Get the camera out of its case and position the shoot. Also zero the scales with your wet sling so that the record weight is accurate. Remove and roll. Detach the net from its handle and roll the net towards the specimen, this will support your catch as you lift it from the water, and allow you to have complete control of the lift. Bring ashore. Ensure ALL the fish's fins are folded flat against its body and then lift from the water's edge, being cautious not to bump the specimen on any obstacles and gently lower the fish onto your well-padded mat. 2) Unhooking a Specimen. All too often on pressured waters, specimens turn up on the bank with battered mouths. This is primarily down to poor unhooking skills employed by anglers. Obviously it is important to play the fish correctly too. Fish safety and looking after the fish we catch in the right manner should be the most important skill to be learnt in fishing. It goes without saying that each hook hold should with some form of carp care product. Get a grip. It is important to grip the hook correctly when removing it from the fish'smouth. You need to hold the hook at two points, apply steady thumb pressure against the eye of the hook and use your index finger to prevent the hook from moving around. Push down. Once you have got to grips with the hook apply the thumb pressure to the eye of the hook whilst pushing down on the shank in the opposite direction to the point of penetration. Use forceps. Some hook holds are easier to remove than others. If you are really struggling to unhook the fish then use a pair of forceps by clamping down on the shank applying steady downward pressure. Snip, snip. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position where the hook point has gone in and come back out of the flesh, instead of passing it back through, which could cause significant damage to the fish's mouth, simply snip the point and barb off the hook and then pass the remainder of the hook back through. 3) Transferring a specimen from the mat to a weigh sling. You have caught a cracking fish, the photos have been taken it is now time to get those all-important figures and find out just how much she/he weighs. Again, from a fish safety aspect it is essential to get this right so the fish can return to the water without damage and minimal stress. Wet, wet, wet. Ensure your sling is wet before attempting to place the specimen into it. If the sling mesh is dry then it can cause the protective slimy membrane that covers the fish's body to dry out and may result in cause damage or scarring to your captures skin. Place and lift. Lay the wet sling open on the mat and lift the fish onto the sling in an upright position. This is better than laying the fish on its side as the movement of lifting the fish and potentially damage its fins. Zip and lift. Once all the previous steps have been carried out, zip/tie-up the weigh sling to ensure the fish cannot fall out when lifted, then attach the scales to the sling and lift your prize, not moving the fish away from the mat, in order to see those pounds and ounces! 4) Controlling a specimen on the mat. Every now and then we catch a real lively one that continues its fight on the bank. Some fish go beserk on the mat and it is essential that we own the knowledge and ability to calm them down and stop the fish causing itself harm whilst in captivity. Get over it. The very first action to take if our specimen friend get a bit excited on the mat is to get your body over the frantically flapping critter and hold the specimen in position so it is not flapping around of its own accord. This will reduce the light on the fish as your body will shadow any sunlight that is present and you will be able to take full control of the fish so that it cannot injure itself or slide off the met. Block the light. If the fish is still giving you the run around, cover its head with a wet sling. This will relax the fish as the mesh will block all the light. Hot potato. If your catch decides to give you a tail slap whilst you are holding it for photographs, then bring the fish close to your body and lower the specimen gently onto the mat until it behaves. When holding a fish you can tell when ti is going to flick its tail or wriggle, as the fish will tense up just before. When you feel the fish tense, lower it onto the mat until normal order is restored. 5) How to hold a specimen. This may seem a no brainer for many, however, we still see people in photographs or on the bank almost cuddling their catch rather than holding it correctly. It is paramount to hold a specimen in the right manner for two reasons. Firstly it will be more comfortable experience for the fish and secondly, you photos will look great. Keep low. Make sure you are in a crouched or kneeling position when holding the fish at all times, and always hold the fish over the mat, in case for any reason the fish should flap and force you to lose grip. Fingers and fins. To hold a specimen correctly, one hand must be placed with your fingers gripping either side of the pectoral fin and the other hand should repeat the process on the specimen's anal fin Close to your body. Never hold a fish too far away from your body, as you will find it difficult to safely control the fish should it start to flap around. Always stick to tucking your elbows and upper arms parallel to your body with your forearms at right-angle, this is the best and safest way to hold a specimen. 6) Bait Boat and casting etiquette. The objective as anglers must always be to enjoy our sport without endangering our quarry and other wildlife, either on the bank or in the water. Some of the fish care issues are obvious, such as never fish where you cannot safely play or land you fish, but fishing without ruining the sport of others to be more of a challenge in this intolerant day and age. Never fish more than half way to another angler. A common complaint against bait boaters and casters alike! Even if someone is not fishing in that part of their swim, there is no excuse to cast or drop bait into another angler's area. Always err on the side of caution and stay less than half way from another angler. Never fish in areas from where you cannot safely land a fish. Using a bait boat to put a rig under or into a snag to improve your chances of getting a bit, but will stand a very high chance of losing a fish and shows no respect for you quarry. Never fish at ranges beyond where you can safely land a fish. Fish kite on long lines, it is a fact that cannot be escaped and if you fish at extreme ranges make sure that you can land a fish that kites and of course, not take out lines of fellow anglers in the process. Try not to turn night into day. As a keen boater you may quite enjoy watching other boats quietly going across the water at night, but to others this is an obvious intrusion, not to mention that it advertises where you are fishing. Try to be a little discreet and use only the light you need to see your boat and navigate and not a personal light show. Always keep control of your bait boat. Never let your boat drift across another anglers swim while you sort your rod out or continue beyond your drop point after discharging your bait/rig, always stop and recover your boat to a point that will not intrude on other anglers areas before setting your rod up.This is not an exhaustive list and merely the high lights of Bait boat / Casting Etiquette and Fish Care, but think about the guide and you will hopefully be able to enjoy your fishing without causing anger in others. |
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