Rules

Ross on Wye Angling Club rules and guidance for Coarse Angling.

All anglers fishing our waters must adhere to the following rules and guidelines.

1. All Club members use the Club waters, facilities and equipment at their own risk.
2. The coarse fishing season runs from 16 June until 14 March inclusive. Fishing outside these dates is prohibited.
3. All gates are to be closed, do not damage fences or crop
4. No litter of any description to be left, including any discarded line.
5. No dogs, with the exception of those owned by the Bailiff , allowed on any waters
6. No fires to be made on the banks of the river or in the fields adjoining the Club water
7. No night fishing is permitted (Night fishing is one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise). For the avoidance of doubt, sunrise and sunset means the sunrise and sunset times published for Ross-on-Wye on the Met. Office website each day. Members must cease fishing no later than one hour after sunset and must then immediately leave the fishery and car parking areas.
8. Boat fishing is prohibited with the exception of accredited Salmon anglers at Weirend.
9. Coarse Anglers are allowed to fish the pegs at Weirend marked with white posts during the coarse fishing season, however during the salmon season a coarse angler must give way if a salmon member wants to fish through the white post peg.
10. Do not leave baited rods unattended or unsupervised whether the bait is in the water or not.
11. Anglers must fish only one peg at any one time.
12. Members when fishing must always carry  their membership cards  and their Environment Agency Licence. These must be available for inspection upon request. The holder of a membership card has the right to challenge any person fishing on Club waters
13. No fish to be removed from club waters with the exception of bleak or minnows for use as live bait in Ross AC waters.
14. Dead-baiting allowed with SEA FISH ONLY.
15. Keep nets can be used with the exception of Barbel, Carp, Pike or Grayling. The Bailiff has the right to inspect the contents of any keep net used.
16. No spinning by coarse fishermen on the Weirend stretch in the salmon season (3rd March – 17th October.)
17. Any member conducting themselves in any way detrimental to the interests and principles of the Club shall be liable to expulsion.
18. Use of any fishing access points or platforms is at the users own risk. Please be aware that access points and platofrms may be slippery, especially when wet or forzen, and could give way at any time due to river/flood/erosion damage. If you are unsure as to the security, stability or safety of any fishing access points or platforms, do not use them.
19. Members are to ensure that the welfare of any fish caught is paramount. Appropriate landing and unhooking care must be observed. This includes the use of unhooking mats where appropriate, not keeping the fish out of the water unnecessarily and ensuring the fish has had chance to recover in the landing net before release.
20. Ross on Wye Angling Club reserves the right to close its waters to fishing when it deems the river conditions to be unsuitable. (e.g. Sustained high temperatures, very low water conditions, pollution issues).
21. Members should access the river only by the routes shown on the maps.
22. Whilst using treble hooks, at least two of the three hooks must be barbless.
23. Ross on Wye Angling Club encourages the use of barbless hooks where appropriate / suitable (e.g. hair rigged baits). This is in line with Environment Agency guidelines for ‘best practices’ with regard to fish care. From 16 June to 11 September, when using maggots, barbless or microbarbed hooks must be used.
24. Members under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult when fishing Ross on Wye Angling Club waters. Note that non-members are not allowed to access non-public areas. For example this precludes a Junior Member from fishing Benhall unless the supervising adult is also a Member of Ross on Wye AC.
25. Members contributing to any form of media must not disclose the specific location/swim by name or photograph. Ensure the background cannot be identified to a specific location

Should any member see a swan in distress call Swan Aid on 07763 424892.

These rules were last updated January 2023.

GENERAL RULES FOR SALMON and SEA TROUT ANGLERS 2023.

Members must keep a record of their visits and record them either in the Salmon Log at the Weirend hut or via text or recorded message with the Clubs Recorder, Trevor Hyde.   Details of the river level and general conditions along with any sightings are appreciated.

Anglers are permitted on the water one hour before sunrise and must leave the water no later than one hour after sunset according to Meteorological Office data.

Anglers must be in possession of a valid National Rod Licence for migratory fish when fishing. Club bailiffs will ask to see these when checking Club permits.

National Resources Wales (NRW) is the regulatory authority for the River Wye and their bylaws for salmon and sea trout angling must be observed at all times.  For full details refer to the NRW website.

Guest permits are available for members by prior arrangement with the Club Bailiff or Salon Representative at a cost to the member of £30. These can be obtained 3 times in any one season per member.

Members must not build or modify croys or interfere with the River bank in any way without first gaining permission from the committee.

The salmon season is from 3rd March until 17th October both days inclusive. Members can fly fish throughout the season but can only spin for salmon from 3rd March until 31st August.

All salmon and sea trout to be returned to the river unharmed and only barbless/de-barbed hooks used. This is a National Resources Wales bylaw.

All spinners must be furnished with one single hook only – maximum gape of 13mm.  Plugs may have up to three single hooks.  This is a National Resources Wales bylaw.

All salmon caught must be recorded either in the Salmon Log at Weirend or with the Club Recorder, Trevor Hyde, by text or recorded message. Size of fish, method and location of capture must be recorded.

All coarse fish must be returned unharmed to the River.

On occasions when there are waiting anglers, members are expected to fish through the pool then return to wait behind any other anglers wishing to fish the pool.

On the Weirend beat Salmon anglers have priority on designated White Post catches during the salmon season. If the swim is occupied by a coarse fisherman the salmon angler may request and be allowed to fish through.

BENHALL BEAT Access is via Benhall Lane and the Club carpark which must be locked at all times. Combination for the lock is given on members cards and must not be passed on to any other person. On the Benhall Beat salmon anglers have no priority over coarse anglers.

WEIREND BEAT. Access to the fishing is only via points described on the beat maps at A,B and D. Cars MUST NOT be parked in field entrances. At access A there is a members carpark which must be locked at all times. The combination for the lock is on members cards and must not be past on to any other person. Combination for the Salmon hut will be given to members on joining the salmon section.

Anglers using the salmon hut must ensure the electricity is turned off at the fuse box when the hut is vacated and that the hut securely locked. Rubbish must not be left in the hut.

Boat Rules

All boats are under the control of the Committee. Anglers may utilise the boat for fishing but this must be mutually agreed with other salmon anglers fishing that day. The boat is not to be taken out of sight of the salmon hut upstream. Anglers use the boats AT THEIR OWN RISK and must not impede other anglers fishing from the banks. The boat is not to be used when the River gauge at the salmon hut is above 1 metre.

All fishing from a boat must take place with the boat on the Ross AC side of the river.   Fishing from the boat when it is over the centre line of the river is not allowed.

The boat is to be secured by the last angler to use it and the oars returned to the salmon hut.

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Summary of River Wye Bylaws

Season Dates & Fishing Methods

The season runs from 3^rd March to 17^th October both dates inclusive

Only fly and spinning with artificial lures is allowed. No bait fishing of any sort is allowed for salmon or sea trout.

Fly fishing is allowed throughout the season whilst spinning is allowed only during the period 3^rd March to 31^st August both dates inclusive.

Catch and Release Only

For salmon and seatrout the Wye is 100% catch and release for the whole of the season. 

Hook Restrictions

All hooks must be barbless or de-barbed

On spinners only one single hook is allowed except for artificial fish baits, plugs and wobblers where up to three single hooks may be used.  The gape allowed for any hook must not exceed 13mm.

For fly fishing single, double and treble hooks are allowed.  Treble hooks must have a gape not exceeding 7mm whilst for single and double hooks the maximum gape is 13mm.

A fly may be furnished with up to 3 hooks but subject to a maximum of four hook points in total.  Where more than one hook is used on a fly, all hooks must have a gape not exceeding 7mm.