RULES FOR WILLOWCROFT FISHERY
( Instant ban if not obeyed and no refunds)
All fishermen must report and pay at reception before any fishing,if the reception is closed please call 07766815603
No oversized fishing hooks, no treble hooks,no barbed or micro barbed hooks,hook sizes between 10-4 (carp size not catfish size)
No keep nets,no fixed rigs,no lead core and no braid line
No live baits,no dead bates,no nuts (maggotts and worms are allowed)No floating baits
No rods to be left unattended,no running and disturbing other fishermen and no changing swims
Braided hook lenghts must be smooth with a plastic coating
No abuse to the fish,nostriking hard and not playing the fish in the correct manner and causing physical damage
Every fish must be landed using your net and placed over the unhooking mat/cradle
No one is to leave,enter or visit the fishery in darkness or when the gates are closed
No abuse to a ballif or member of staff
Fishermen are responsible for their litter and their visitors litter,this must be took home with you and not left on the fishery,you are responsible for their behaviour.The cameras will pick you up if you decide to throw your rubbish out of the window when leaving
No dogs allowed on the fishery,no children allowed on 6 islands,no anglers under 13 on cafe/horseshoe lake
This is a catch and release site,any fishermen removing fish to the other lakes or off the premises will be banned and procecuted
We have the right to search vehicles if necessary and a 24 hour surveilance camera is in use to help with procecution
Do not wander beyond designated areas
Large unhooking mat/cradle at least 110x75cm padded so it is off the ground not flat and 42" landing nets must be used ,every person fishing must have their own,no sharing tackle and every person must land their own fish.Small nets and mats can be used for grandad and seadyke lake only.
No small method feeders,boilies and pellett to be thrown in in moderation,no more than 2 kilos allowed in 24 hours
Any photographs must be taken leaning over an unhooking mat
Fish can not be passed around for photographs,only the paying fisherman can hold it
If your neighbour angler has a large fish on please pull your rods in to allow them to land the fish safely
Fishermen on 6 islands have to report their swim number he fishes from and any damage and mess that has been left by the last person as you are held responsible
There are 12 swims on six islands, if you book a session and decide its not suitable for you and then refuse to fish, then you will forfeit your membership if you don't pay for the session. Cancellations are only accepted 48 hours prior to your session.
Membership holders have the right to book and secure a place if not cancelled before 48 hours you will forfeit your membership
No guests unless it is your wife or partner,children only allowed on cafe lake(£6 per guest per 24hrs)
No cars on the grass ,different fisheries have different rules so please comply to willowcrofts rules
If you turn up without the correct tackle you will be given the option to purchase it from the reception.If you decline then under no circumstances can you fish
5 MPH SPEED LIMIT ON THE FISHERY AT ALL TIMES
WE DO NOT GIVE REFUNDS UNLESS THE MANAGEMENT IS AT FAULT
FAQ
Q, Why does every angler have to have their own fishing tackle and no sharing ?
A, The fishery caters for high catch rates therefore you can not share tackle because when one fishermen catches a fish it has to be landed in the correct manner not rushed and bullied so he can then pass his net or unhooking mat to another fishermen
Q, If i pay for two rods why cant i give my friend one ?
A, The price for fishing is for one rod and the second has a discountso by giving it to a friend means he is fishing with the discounted rod.This is not acceptable
Q, Why can you not land other anglers fish ?
A, If you land another persons fish the fish is on the bank too quick,from the fisheries experience the fish flaps about damages itself because it has not gone through being played and tired out
Q, Why are you not allowed to use live or dead baits ?
A, Tests have been carried out on food on the deli counter,prawns,cod liver squid and other fish have been proven to have deadly viruses because they have come from unregulated countries.These are harmless to humans but lethal to a fishery,this is part of our bio security plan
Q, Why can you not use braided line or braided hook lengths ?
A, When a line feels serated it is scraped along the fishes skin and takes of all the mucus.The fish then gets a secondry infection, this could be the beginning of a disease that could spread to other fish.For example ulcerations and red sores which is all part of a stress factor.If the braid is plastic coated and feels very smooth when this slides along the fishes body it will remove the mucus but a percentage will be left behind giving it protection.So rub your finger along the line and only fish if it is smooth for this reason
Q, Why can you not use barbed hooks ?
A, Barbed hooks are not allowed on this site ,fish that are tethered up in the reeds with ten metres of fishing line that they have dragged round the lake normally stay there until they die.The fish has a higher chance of breaking free with a barbless hook.
Q, Why can you not use sweetcorn as loose feed and nuts ?
A, Fish can not digest the skin of sweetcorn or nuts,this can result in the fishes death.Sweetcorn on the hook as bait is allowed because the fish will only consume small amounts.Nuts can not be digested by the fish ,after several years of nuts being thrown in we will have thousands of nuts on the bottom which will be consumed over and over
Q, Why can you not throw in more than two kilos of boilies or pellets ?
A, If there are twelve fishermen on 6 islands and they all throw in five kilos each this is a total of sixty kilos.If this happens thursday,friday and saturday and twice during the week ,this is a total of three hundred kilos of food.A fishes digestive system is controlled by water temperature,if it is a cold day the fish will not each much.The uneaten food creates ten times more ammonia than eating food.It does not take long for the water quality to be unacceptable for the fish to live in
Q, Why can you not use small method feeders ?
A, Small method feeders that are made of wire and full of food attracts a catfish to eat it whole resulting in it being stuck in its throat.PVA bags preffered as a method
Q, Why are there no bins on the fishery ?
A, If we had bins people would chuck all their waste food,ground bait ect in them,when it comes to emptying the bin,the sludgy mess inside creates smells,maggots and rats.By asking the fishermen to take it home with them this reduces the rats urinating around the area which is part of our bio security and health hazards plan
Q, Why are no dogs allowed around the lakes ?
A, Fishermen sometimes have luncheon meat with hooks in and a small length of line which a dog can grab before a fishermen realises it is gone.We have exsperienced a child being bit in the face after the owner assured us his dog does not bite and is of good behaviour.This resulted in a court case where they said the fishery was responsible ??Q, Why are wifes and partners the only guests allowed overnight ?
A, When a fishermen is allowed to have guests we find that theywill invite their friends and end up disturbing the rest of our anglers
Q, Why will our membership for 6 islands be thrown in the bin if we fil to notify you we are not coming ?
A, 6 islands only holds twelve swims by letting us know you are cancelling this can be offered to another angler to fish
Q, Why will i be banned if i arrive and do not want the swims that are available ?
A, When an angler phones up we do not reserve a swim number because if one swim is fishing better than the other all anglers want that swim,it is only fair that when you arrive you can only fish one that is available.If you are not happy with that swim when you arrive you can pay for it and go home and this will not result in a ban
Q, Why do i have to fish cafe lake before i can join 6 islands ?
A, We like you to fish cafe lake so we can see how you are fishing and your set up.When we ask people have you read the rules 90% say yes ,when we check their tackle thay do not seem to have a clue.So once you become a member and you fish as if the rules do not apply to you, you are told to leave immediately and the angler can not say i did not know
Q, Why are you so stricton vehicle speed ?
A, When an angler drives through the fishery at unacceptable speeds this shows a disrespect to the fishery and other anglers.I normally allow them to set themselves up and settle in ,then i tackle check them and ask questions on the rules.The disrespect side normally shows that they believe they can do what they want,which they can but they will not be doing it at willowcroft
Q, Why do you want to search peoples cars ?
A, When an angler reports to the office that somebody has strange behaviour we have an interest to find out why.Fish poaching whether it is to sell a 40lb fish to a fishery up the road or simply to eat them,this is a crime that is very popular.A 40lb fish if £100 per lb
Q, Is the fishery safe ?
A, We try to make the fishery as secure as possible by not allowing anglers to come on and off the fishery in the dark and if the gates are closed.We try to cover all angles of the fishery with cctv so we can rewind and resolve any issues that arrise during yur stay with us. Residents on the holiday park will have access through a different electric gate than the fishermen.
Q, Why are we not allowed to drive on the grass ?
A, When it has been raining for several days and the ground is soft the grass is spun up by the wheels itbis made to look very untidy and someone has to tidy that mess up.If you are allowed to drive on the grass when the ground is hard and the sun is shining not much damage will be done but because anglers ignore this fact the rule is made that nobody is allowed on the grass with a vehicle
