Dunrod Angling Club
The following revision of the Constitution (Rules and Bye-Laws) was approved at the Annual General Meeting of the Club on Wednesday 12th March 2025.
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Rules
1. The Club
The Club shall be called ‘THE DUNROD ANGLING CLUB’.
2. Objectives
a. The Club is a Not-For-Profit organisation for amateur anglers.
b. The principal purpose of the Club is the pursuit of game angling for native and migratory game fish and also for Salmonid Hybrids, using fly fishing as the method of angling.
c. To encourage members to take an active interest in the Club’s activities and to promote the art of angling.
To stock, conserve and improve the fishing of any reservoir or water which may be leased or obtained by the Club for use by its members.
d. To ensure a duty of care and fairness to all Club members.
3. Sports Equity
a. The Dunrod Angling Club is committed to ensuring that equity is incorporated across all aspects of its activities.
b. The Club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.
c. The Club is committed to everyone having the right to enjoy their sport in an environment free from threat or intimidation, harassment and abuse.
d. All Club members have a responsibility to oppose discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.
e. The Club will deal with any incidence of discriminatory behaviour seriously according to Club disciplinary procedures.
4. Membership
a. Membership of The Club shall be by application and open to anyone aged 18 or over. (Juniors, who are under 18 years of age and relatives of members, may fish subject to regulations laid down in the Bye-Laws).
b. All members are subject to the Constitution and Rules and by joining the Club deemed to accept those the Club has adopted.
c. The membership is open to anyone interested in participating in angling (fly fishing) and associated disciplines with no restrictions to class or creed or gender, provided they are duly proposed and seconded by current club members and such application shall be considered by the committee.
d. Proposers and Seconders must be Ordinary, Life or Extraordinary Members who have paid their subscription in full, at the level set for that year. Either one of the proposer or seconder must have been a member of the Club for a continuous period of two years.
An applicant who does not have a proposer and seconder may, at the discretion of the committee, have their name added to a waiting list.
e. Membership will consist of Ordinary Members, Life Members*, Extra Ordinary Members** and Honorary Members.
*Life Members
** Extra Ordinary Members
These categories of membership are only available to those who are current Life Members or Extra Ordinary Members on 6th March 2024.
Thereafter these categories of membership will no longer be available to any other Member.
f. Ordinary Membership -The number of Ordinary Members shall be unlimited but may be fixed at any time at the discretion of the Committee.
g. The Committee may from time to time create additional categories of membership as they deem necessary or beneficial to the Club e.g. Junior Member. Subscriptions for such categories will be no more than the subscription set at the AGM for Ordinary Membership, but may be lower, at the discretion of the Committee.
h. Juniors, who are under 18 years of age and relatives of members, may fish subject to regulations laid down in the Bye-Laws.
Honorary Membership
i. May be conferred on a non-member who in the opinion of the Committee has been of significant service to The Club.
j. Will be conferred for a duration to be determined by the Committee and may be life-long or for a limited period.
k. Honorary Members will not pay an annual subscription nor will they be entitled to vote at General or Committee meetings of The Club.
l. Honorary Members may fish at any of The Club waters and subject to spaces being available may participate in Club outings and other Club activities.
5. Subscription and Entry Fee
a. Each Member will be required to pay an Annual Subscription at the level set by the AGM.
b. New Members may be required to pay an entry fee in addition to the Annual Subscription. Any such entry Fee will be set by and put in place at the discretion of the Committee.
c. A Member whose subscription is unpaid by 1st April will not be entitled to fish Club waters, to attend meetings, to vote on Club business or participate in any Club activities, until his/her subscription is paid in full.
d. A Member whose subscription remains unpaid at 1st May shall cease to be a member of The Club and will be liable for any outstanding fees due to the club.
6. Resignations
a. Ordinary Members who wish to resign must intimate their intention to do so in writing to the Secretary, on or before the date of the Annual General Meeting, otherwise they shall be liable for the ensuing year’s subscription.
b. Any lapsed Member or Member who has resigned wishing to rejoin will be charged the current Annual Subscription and in addition, at the discretion of The Committee, may be required to pay a Re-entrance Fee at the same rate as the current Entrance Fee, should such a fee be in place.
7. Membership Cards
a. Members will receive a membership card on payment of their subscription. The card must be produced at the request of any Member of the Club, any riparian owner, or other authorised person.
8. Club Management
a. The Club shall be managed by a Committee consisting of President, Vice President, Secretary, (and Assistant Secretary as required, at the discretion of the committee), Treasurer and FIVE Members, all of whom shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called expressly for that purpose. In the event of an Assistant Secretary being appointed, then the number of committee members will be FOUR.
b. Office Bearers would normally remain in office for a period of TWO years and on retiral would be eligible for re-election.
c. Members serving on the committee would normally serve for a period of THREE years, with one committee member retiring each year.
d. On retiral from Committee a member will be eligible for re-election, but may not serve more than 2 (two) consecutive terms as a member of Committee, unless, at the end of the second term of service, he/she is elected to hold office. Otherwise, at the end of the second term of service as a committee member, a period of one year must elapse before the retiring member can be considered for re-election.
e. The Committee may at their discretion co-opt additional Members or non-members to the Committee in the best interest of the management and welfare of the Club.
f. If any office bearer or committee member position should fall vacant after such an election, the committee shall have the power to fill the vacancy until the next AGM.
g. The committee will be responsible for adoption of any new policy, codes of practice and rules affecting the organisation of the Club.
h. All actions in which The Club may be involved shall be at the instance of the President and Secretary/Assistant Secretary for the time being, and they shall subscribe all deeds for the Club.
i. The Committee will be responsible for disciplinary hearings of members who have infringed the Club’s constitution and also responsible for taking any action of discipline or suspension following such hearing.
j. Committee meetings will be held, as required, to transact the ordinary business of the Club. A minimum of three committee meetings will be held each year.
k. A quorum, consisting of one office bearer and three committee members OR two office bearers and two committee members present, will be required to allow committee meetings to proceed.
l. All committee members have the right to vote at committee meetings.
m. The Chairman at all meetings (Annual, Special or Committee) shall have a deliberative and casting vote.
9. Club Finances
a. The Club Treasurer will be responsible for the finances of the Club
b. The financial year of the Club will run from 1st January each year
c. All Club monies to be banked in an account held in the name of the Club
d. A statement of accounts, audited by an appointed auditor, will be presented annually.
10. Meetings – AGM or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting
a. Annual General Meeting – The Annual General Meeting will be held early in each year prior to the opening date of the trout season, to give club members the opportunity to receive the committee’s report on club business and finances.
b. To consider proposals relating to the election of office bearers, committee members and other relevant matters.
c. Notice calling the AGM, or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting should be given by the secretary at least 14 days prior to the date of the meeting.
d. Extra-Ordinary meetings can be called at any time by a majority of committee members or by ten ordinary members of the club giving fourteen days’ notice in writing to the secretary asking for the meeting to called.
11. Voting at Meetings
a. All members have the right to vote at the AGM or Special General Meeting provided that their subscription is not in arrears. A quorum for the AGM or a Special General Meeting will be 10 members entitled to vote.
b. The Chairman of the meeting will have casting vote at both general and committee meetings.
12. Proxy Votes
a. The Committee may at their discretion decide to accept proxy votes from members unable to attend the meeting at which the dissolution proposal will be considered.
b. In such an instance, proxy voting forms will be distributed along with the notice calling the meeting at which the dissolution proposal will be considered.
c. Completed proxy forms, nominating the Secretary or other member to vote on behalf of the absent member, must be submitted to the Secretary no later than 48 hours (forty-eight hours) prior to the date and time of the meeting at which the dissolution proposal will be considered.
d. Proxy votes submitted after the deadline will not be eligible to be counted.
13. Management of the Waters and Property
a. The Committee shall have the powers to arrange for watching, stocking and improvement of the waters and to impose such byelaws as they may deem necessary.
b. The Committee may from time to time secure, lease or purchase fishings on behalf of and for the benefit of the Club and the Members.
c. Disposal – The committee has the power to sell, dispose or relinquish any property which they consider to have no further value to the Club. All monies acquired through this process shall be returned to Club funds.
14. Fishings, Fishing Season, Fishing Methods
The Committee shall determine
a. Fishing seasons
b. Fishing methods
c. Length/size/weight of fish that may be killed
d. A catch and release policy or capture policy as required.
e. A stocking policy with due regard to the financial position and health of club
The above items will be specified in the bye-laws and can be revised at the discretion of the Committee, without reference to a General Meeting of the Membership. Such revisions will be intimated to the Members.
15. Conduct of Members, Environmental Matters and the Country Code
a. Members should at all times be aware of the environment, proceed to and from the Waters using recognised paths, roadways and access points etc. and be mindful of the Country Code.
b. No Member is permitted to take a dog with him/her to the fishing waters when fishing.
c. Members are not permitted to camp near or adjacent to Club waters when fishing or to facilitate access the fishings.
d. Members shall on all occasions assist gamekeepers, bailiffs, and other relevant persons lawfully appointed by providing information regarding individuals who have no right or liberty to fish, or who may be poaching, or taking fish illegally from the Waters or acting in a manner that is detrimental to the fishings.
e. The Club shall not be held liable for any accident or injury to members or visitors to the Club fisheries.
16. Discipline and Appeals
It shall be competent for the Committee to suspend or expel for such period as thought fit any Member (Ordinary, Life, Honorary or Extra Ordinary) who
a. May have acted in defiance of the Rules or Bye-Laws of the Club.
b. Or who shall have been guilty of improper conduct
c. Or non-sporting conduct, or any behaviour considered detrimental to the reputation or best interest of the club.
In this case the member will be provided with fourteen days’ notice that a committee disciplinary meeting will be convened to discuss the issue. The member will then be given the opportunity to attend a subsequent meeting of the Committee to give an account of his/her behaviour or put forward mitigation in relation to his/her behaviour.
d. Notwithstanding Rule17, The Committee may impose immediate suspension of a member whose conduct is in flagrant breach of the Club Rules or Byelaws.
17. Conduct and Complaints
Complaints regarding the behaviour of members should be presented and submitted in writing to the secretary.
a. The committee will meet to hear complaints within 14 days of a complaint being lodged. The committee has the power to take appropriate disciplinary action including termination of membership.
b. The outcome of a disciplinary hearing should be notified in writing to the person who lodged the complaint and the member against whom the complaint was made within 28 days of the hearing.
c. There will be the right of appeal to the committee following disciplinary action being announced. The committee should consider the appeal within 14 days of the secretary receiving the appeal.
18. Guests
a. All Ordinary Members, Extra Ordinary Members and Life Members are entitled to apply for a maximum of three guest tickets/permits during the fishing season.
b. Each guest ticket may be requested for use on a single day or on a series of days up to a maximum of three guest fishing occasions. i.e. one guest on each of three different days or three guests on one day or other combination.
c. Guest permit applications should be requested to the Secretary and must specify the date on which each ticket is to be used.
d. Each guest ticket will be subject to a payment at a level set by the Committee for that season.
e. Honorary Members wishing to invite a guest may make a request to the Secretary who will have the discretion to grant the request.
The request must specify the date on which each ticket is to be used. The guest ticket payment will be at the level set for the season. The Honorary Member is limited to three guest fishing occasions in line with that of Members.
f. All guests must be accompanied by Ordinary Members, Extra Ordinary Members and Life Members or Honorary Member who is hosting them and any guest tickets/permits issued are to be produced in the same way as Membership Cards as defined in Rule 7a.
19. Constitution
a. The Rules shall not be altered unless by a majority vote of two-thirds of the Members present and entitled to vote at any Annual General Meeting or Extra-Ordinary General Meeting at which the proposed alteration is considered.
b. Notice of any proposed alteration to the Rules of the Club must be made in writing to the Secretary who shall give notice of the proposed alteration to Members. The proposed alteration shall be included in the notice calling the meeting at which it will be considered.
c. Any amendment of Rule 2 will require approval by 80% of the Members entitled to vote. Such amendment should be considered in General Meeting after appropriate notice detailing the amendment has been given to Members. The normal period of notice is fourteen days.
d. The Byelaws may be altered at the discretion of the Committee in the best interests of the management of the Club.
20. Dissolution of Club
a. If It is proposed that the club should be dissolved, a proposal to that effect should be presented to a general meeting of the club (in accordance with Rules10c, 10d and 11).
b. A dissolution proposal will require approval by 80% (eighty percent) of the membership to allow it to be implemented.
c. Voting in a general meeting on a Dissolution Proposal will normally be amongst those present and entitled to vote.
d. Upon dissolution of the club, after outstanding liabilities have been discharged, any remaining assets shall be given or transferred to another not-for-profit amateur sports club or clubs operating in Inverclyde Inverclyde or other body at the discretion of the committee. No member or office bearer may benefit from the distribution of funds.
[End of Rules]
12th March 2025
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Bye-Laws
Fishing Season, Methods, Species and Use of Watercraft
1. The Brown Trout Season will open on 15th March and close on 6th October.
2. There is no close season for Rainbow Trout fishing and Members may fish for Rainbow Trout throughout the year.
3. Fishing on Loch Gryfe No.1 Reservoir, Reservoirs No. 3, 4 and 5 is by artificial fly ONLY for Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and other Salmonid hybrids.
4. The open lure period on Loch Gryfe and on Reservoirs No. 3, 4 and 5 is from 1st July to 31st August, during which any legitimate method may be used, any such method is restricted to use only by Juniors i.e. junior relatives of members. Juniors who choose to spin should replace the treble hook attached to spinners etc. with a single hook, preferably a barbless or debarbed one.
5. Juniors are considered to be under 18 years of age and are relatives of members. They do not pay a subscription.
6. Juniors under 16 years of age (i.e. relatives of members as specified in Bye-Law No.5) must be accompanied by a responsible adult when they are fishing. The accompanying adult need not be a member of Dunrod Angling Club, however he/she is NOT permitted to fish unless he/she is a member of Dunrod Angling Club.
7. Pike and Perch may be fished for by Members throughout the year by fly fishing.
8. During the brown trout close season, members and guests will be allowed to spin for Pike or Perch from 7th October to 14th March, when spinning for pike or perch anglers MUST replace any treble hook or double hook with a SINGLE hook on all terminal tackle in use.
9. The use of organic bait (deadbait/Powerbait etc.) on any Club water is NOT permitted.
Capture or Release
10. All Brown Trout under 10 inches must be returned to the water. This applies to all of the Club waters.
11. A Member or a Member’s Guest/s may kill only TWO Trout PER DAY when fishing Dunrod Club Waters.
12. Catch limits may be amended at the discretion of the Committee.
13. Catch and Release may be imposed on any Club waters, at the discretion of the Committee.
14. Catch and Release is permitted on ALL club waters.
15. Anglers intending to release fish are requested to fish with barbless or debarbed hooks.
16. Anglers are requested not to remove fish from the water or to handle fish that are to be returned.
17. If possible, anglers should make use of a knotless landing net.
Annual Returns
18. Members are required to forward to the Secretary by 31st October a return indicating the number and location of fish killed outwith Club competitions.
19. Members fishing for Rainbow Trout on Loch Gryfe Reservoir No1 between 7th October and 14th March shall make a return to the Secretary by 31st March indicating the numbers of fish caught during this period.
Competition Rules
20. Unless otherwise laid down in the Bye-Laws of the Club, the rules to be observed by competitors are as laid down in the SANACC Competition Rules. In all cases of dispute or doubt the Committee will be guided by, and base their decisions, which shall be final, upon those Rules.
21. Fishing in trout competitions is confined to artificial fly as laid down in the current SANACC Competition Rules (International Rules).
(The current SANACC Competition Rules can be found on the SANACC website.)
22. To be considered as a bona-fide Dunrod Angling Club competition, a minimum of TWO members must participate.
23. Fishing in Salmon and Seatrout competitions is confined to artificial fly. Single, Double, treble or two or more hooks in tandem and tube flies are all permissible.
24. No trolling of flies behind boats is allowed. Trolling at any time during a competition will disqualify a competitor.
25. No more than four flies shall be fished on any cast. A double hooked fly will count as fishing two flies.
26. One rod not exceeding 12’0” in length is to be used by a competitor except in Salmon and Seatrout competitions/outings when a rod of up to 15’0” may be used. Each competitor will be entitled to have in the boat with him/her spare rods, length as specified before. Only one rod be mounted at any one time.
27. Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout under 10 inches, and Salmon and Sea Trout under 12 inches cannot be weighed in, in any Dunrod Club competition.
28. Members and guests in Dunrod Club competitions or outings shall not be permitted to fish in the standing position without the express permission of the fishery, and of other Members and guests in the boat.
29. All anglers fishing from a boat MUST wear a life jacket.
30. Where eight or more competitors take part in a Dunrod Club competition a second prize will be awarded.
31. Additional or alternative competition rules may be introduced or imposed at the discretion of the Committee or Competition Organiser/s.
Club Trophies
32. Speirs Quach: To be held for one year by the member having the highest aggregate number of brown/rainbow or other hybrid trout caught on artificial fly during the season in Club competitions. Provided he/she has not previously won the Quaich, a miniature replica will be presented by the Club to the Quaich winner, to become his/her property.
33. The Presidents Prize: To be presented to the runner-up to the Speirs Quaich.
34. The Jubilee Cup. To be held for one year by the member having the highest aggregate number of fish caught on artificial fly during the Opening day competition.
35. The Tom Stewart Cup: To be held for one year by the member having the highest aggregate number of fish caught on artificial fly during the mid-season competition.
36. The Centenary Vase: To be held for one year by the member having the highest aggregate number of fish caught on artificial fly during the evening competition on reservoirs Nos. 3, 4 & 5.
37. The Elsie Blanche Trophy: To be held for one year by the member having the highest aggregate number of fish caught on artificial fly during the closing competition on home waters.
38. The Salmon and Seatrout Trophy: To be held for one year by the member having the highest aggregate number of salmon/seatrout caught on artificial fly during the season in all Club competitions. The normal venue for this competition is Loch Eck but an alternative venue can be substituted.
39. The J.W. Ashford Trophy: To be held for one year by the member having the highest aggregate number of fish caught on artificial fly during the season in Club competitions on outings to NON-home waters. Salmon or sea trout do not count in calculation of aggregate number.
40. The Thomson Brothers Trophy – This trophy is for competition between Dunrod Angling Club and Dunoon Angling Club. Both clubs act as host alternately and the venue is normally arranged by the host. The winner will be the club whose anglers have caught the greatest weight of fish.
41. In the event of two or more members in a competition landing the same weight of fish then number of fish caught by those in contention will be taken into consideration and the winner being the member with the greatest number of fish caught.
National and International Competitions
42. A total of three Members may fish in the individual SANACC national championship.
In the first instance precedence shall be given to the winners of the Speirs Quach, the President’s Prize, and the member with the next highest aggregate of fish caught in all Club Competitions.
43. Members wishing to form Club teams to compete in the SANACC National Clubs and National Rivers championships shall advise the Committee of their intention prior to applying to take part.
[End of Bye-Laws]
8th February 2024
