Club rules
The club's rules are shown below. Efforts will be made to keep them up to date, so please let the Secretary know if there are any omissions or errors. Contact info@dornochangling.co.uk
General rules
1
The waters controlled by the Association are as follows.
For brown trout from 15th March to 7th October:
- Laoigh, Buidhe
- Cracail
- Ghuibhais
For brown trout from 1st May to 30th September:
- Laro
- Laggain
For rainbow trout from 15th March to 31st October for visitor permits, members and their guests shall be allowed to bank fish all year round (excluding float tubes when the boats are out the loch):
- Lannsaidh
Where bank permits are sold, members may use Float tubes except Lannsaidh when the boats are out of the loch.
For salmon, sea-trout, brown trout & char from Ist April to 15th October, boat only – no bank fishing:
- Brora
2
In these Rules & Regulations the term "Angler" means any person holding a full membership card or permit to fish by rod and line issued by or on behalf of the Association.
3
All fishing shall be by fly.
4
Sunday fishing is permitted on all lochs except Loch Brora, Ghuibhais and the River Fleet.
Arrangements for permits and keys to be made prior to the Sunday.
5
Anglers shall;
a) Exhibit their membership card or permit on demand to the Association's poaching patrol teams, gamekeeper or authorised persons employed by the lessors of the waters or fellow angler, exhibiting his/her own membership card.
b) Exhibit to the Club's Secretary or gamekeeper and any other authorised person aforesaid, the tackle used and any fish caught, if requested.
c) Assist to the best of their ability in the prevention of unauthorised fishing, or of contravention of the rules.
d) Report at once to the Secretary or any committee member, any observed case of fishing contrary to the Salmon & Trout Act of Parliament and these rules.
e) Return to the water any fish which does not reach the minimum 10 inch length prescribed and particularly on L Brora where the minimum taking size for sea trout is 12 inches. The current rule relates to (a) members and (b) visitors.
6
Anglers undertake; (a) To take all their litter & discarded nylon home, therefore leaving the vicinity of all club waters tidy and follow the country code. (b) Show common courtesy to fellow anglers. (c) A bag limit from the Association's stocked waters, Lannsaidh (two stocked fish). Laoigh (4) and a limit of 2 fish from Ghiubhais. See loch details on rule 10. (d) To make a return of the numbers of fish caught and weight of catch using the catch return link given on the booking confirmation issued when initially booked on line. (e) Any brown trout or rainbow caught to be registered for entry into the heaviest fish for the season competition to be verified by a club member.
7
The Association and Lessors shall not be held responsible in any way for any accident and loss sustained by any angler fishing Association waters or using Association boats or equipment.
8
The angler who wilfully or negligently causes any loss or damage to Association boats or equipment shall be liable for the cost of repair or replacement of the same, or possible expulsion, with the right to present their case as outlined in constitution rule f
9
No boat will be hired out to persons under 18 years of age.
Catch limits
Loch Brora rules
Salmon
1st Feb.- 31st March. Anglers are required by law to return all Salmon they catch to the water. Please not there are no exceptions and that includes “bleeders”.
1st April – 15th October, each allocated pair of rods may keep one Salmon/Grilse only per full week of fishing, provided that it is less than 10lbs in weight. All fish of 10lbs and over, all coloured fish or stale fish of any size must be returned, and please also return all hen fish.
For the avoidance of doubt this will be a maximum of two fish under 10lbs retained by a 4 rod party for a week’s fishing. Those fishing a single rod for less than a week must return all Salmon and Grilse. May we remind anglers that by law all kelts must be returned.
These rules are subject to any amendment to the current legal requirements that might be imposed by the Scottish Government as a result of their ongoing conservation measures.
If an angler catches his/her first ever Salmon after April 1st, he or she is at liberty to retain it.
Single or double hooks may be used, but no treble hooks please, and consider barbless hooks.
Sea Trout
Each angler may keep, in addition to the one Salmon/Grilse, one sea trout of 15 inches in length (approximately 1.5lbs) or less per rod per full week fishing. Those fishing for less than a full week must return all sea trout.
Please note that any fish caught or killed for whatever reason outwith these conservation rules will remain the property of the estate and should be handed to the Bailiff on duty.
The Scottish Government has banned the sale of rod caught Salmon and sea trout throughout Scotland, irrespective of where the fish have been caught.
These conservation rules have been passed to the DDAA by CKD Galbraith and are designed for the River. They should also be adhered to in respect of the loch.
Possessing migratory fish
The committee wish to make all anglers aware of the consequences of possessing migratory fish that have been taken from a Category 3 river system. River Brora and Loch Brora are now Category 1. River Evelix remains category 3.
Possessing salmon which have been illegally taken, killed or landed
1. Any person who:
(a) is in possession of salmon and believes; or
(b) is in possession of salmon in circumstances in which it would be reasonable for that person to suspect, that a relevant offence has at any time been committed in relation to the salmon shall be guilty of an offence.
2. A person found guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—
(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both such fine and such imprisonment; and
(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both a fine and such imprisonment.
3. It shall be a defence in proceedings for an offence under this section for the accused to show that no relevant offence had in fact been committed in relation to the salmon.
4. A person who commits an offence under this section may be convicted on the evidence of one witness.
5. For the purposes of this section an offence is a relevant offence in relation to a salmon if:
(a) it is committed by taking, killing or landing that salmon, either in Scotland or in England and Wales; or
(b) that salmon is taken, killed or landed, either in Scotland or in England and Wales in the course of the commission of the offence, and for the purposes of this subsection, “offence”, in relation to the taking, killing or landing of salmon either in Scotland or in England and Wales means an offence under the law applicable to the place where the salmon is taken, killed or landed.
6. A person shall not be guilty of an offence under this section in respect of conduct which constitutes a relevant offence in relation to any salmon or in respect of anything done in good faith for purposes connected with the prevention or detection of crime or the investigation or treatment of disease.
