Rules

Please see below the list of angling rules and general guidelines that we have at Old Mill Lakes. Although it is a long list most of these shouldn’t need to be said and are common sense, centered around etiquette towards your fellow anglers or ensuring that fish care is taken seriously. Please ensure that you acquaint yourself with them as ignorance will not be taken as an excuse. Birch Memberships are given along with a set of rules. Please note that any rules handed out for Birch or via that Members Facebook page take precedent over the rules posted here. 

The management accepts no responsibility for injury, death, loss, damage or theft to persons, cars or equipment whilst on the complex and reserves the right to close all or parts of said complex at any time. Damage to the complex will result in prosecution. Any subject not covered by these rules is at the discretion of the management. If you are in any doubt, then ask. Any problems or occurrences are to be reported to the management.

To book yourself on at Old Mill, please click the blue “start booking” button that floats down the right hand side of the webpage. Please be aware payment is required in advance to confirm your booking and this is taken over the phone by card payment. Please note bookings are only taken between the hours of 8am and 6pm. You are welcome to call for availability on the day you plan to fish and pay on the bank. No refunds given, if cancellation occurs at least 7 days prior to your session commencing, then you can re-schedule it for another time. No refunds includes when we need to close the lake to protect the well being of the carp (e.g. spawning); your session will instead be re-scheduled. Please note that sessions can only be re-scheduled once and must be within the calendar year. Please ensure that you are familiar with the rules prior to angling. Arrival is from 10am for fishing to start at 12 noon for Birch, Willow and Oak. Please consider taking out holiday insurance if booking to stay in the lodge on Alder.

Angling Guidelines

  • Please arrive from 10am for you angling to commence from 12 noon. This gives plenty of time for you to book in, dip nets and slings and buy any bait needed for your stay.

  • Strictly only frozen boilies and carp pellet to be brought onto site. We do not allow anglers to bring any other bait onto site. No readymade boilies, nuts, particles or maggots. No plastic, cork balls, imitation, foam or artificial hook-baits of any type to be used. We do permit the use of pop-ups (except cork-ball pop-ups), wafters, hard-hookers etc as hookbaits.

  • Please do not bring any unhooking mats onto the site. Unhooking mats are provided on all lakes, please ensure these are used at all times. Large landing nets only; 42 inch minimum for all lakes. All anglers must be in possession of their own floatation safety weigh-sling. This is per angler; sharing of nets, weigh-slings and unhooking mats is not permitted.

  • Please ensure that your slings and nets are easily accessible for dis-infection when booking in. No exceptions to this at all (even if you say its brand new and never been used!). Please ensure that your nets and slings are not soaking wet when brought onto site as they will need to be air dried sufficiently prior to dipping, there really is no excuse for turning up at a fishery with soaking wet nets and slings!

  • Fish are not to be sacked or retained (in all forms!) for any longer than 10 to 15 minutes. This is strictly to allow the fish a quick break and yourself time to sort camera and weighing equipment and or photographer. Retention of fish for any longer than this could result in you being asked to leave. When retaining the fish this must be done away from the peg margins in open water via a secure cord, we do not want fish retained in slings where the straps are looped over poles supporting the pegs.

  • Fish to be lifted out of the water by collapsing the net down and placing into a safety weigh-sling; no lifting of fish using landing nets. All fish are to be returned to the water safely and as quickly as possible. Again, this is to be done via the use of a safety weigh-sling. Any abuse of the fish will result in the angler being banned. Please see the you-tube video below for a practical demonstration on how we expect our fish to be handled.

  • Fishing is from recognisable swims or pegs only. Your rods must be setup in the same peg as your bivvy/brolly. Rods must not be left unattended. This is strictly enforced on Birch where we do not expect you to be in the next peg when angling to snags or channels between islands etc. Do not ever pull for a break, if you get into difficulty please contact us.

  • A minimum of 15lb and 0.35mm diameter line (minimum 0.40mm diameter on Birch) to be used at all times. Braided mainline is not permitted (with the exception of marker and spod/spomb rods).

  • We are a rig tubing only venue and expect everyone to use rub tubing – no naked mainlines at the lead. This means that all leaders, braid and leadcore are banned (that includes the particular brand leader you may use be it korda, fox, nash etc!). Naked chods, zigs, floater fishing and floaters are also banned. 
  • A maximum lead-size of 3.5 ounces to be used. We only allow lead clip lead arrangements. Helicopter and in-line lead arrangements are not permitted. Safety rigs only, lead must be able to free itself from the lead clip.

  • Both barbless and micro-barbed hooks are permitted.

  • The OMC Magic Twig is banned. Anyone found using it will be asked to leave immediately.

  • No back-leads of any description permitted. This includes flying back-leads.

  • Bait-boats are only permitted on Willow and Oak. The use of bait-boats on Birch is forbidden.

  • Strictly no drones to be brought onto the site or flown over the site. These are not permitted.

  • Spod/spomb floats must be used when using a spomb. These prevent the spod/spomb from sinking in the event of a crack-off.

  • Minimum 2lb test curve rods to be used. No sea fishing tackle or light coarse/match fishing gear to be used.

  • No keepnets or sacking of fish.

  • No tents, wind-breaks or non-fishing related camping gear to be used. Recognisable fishing bivvies or brollies only.

General Guidelines

  • Please ensure that you book-in prior to angling or going over to the lakes (arrival from 10am to commence fishing at 12 noon). Please note that we do not allow guests onto the fishery. Please note this also includes having people turn up to the fishery to drop things off to you whilst angling.

  • We do not allow lake viewings at Old Mill. This decision has been taken with angler’s best interests at heart. It allows people to fish in peace and quiet, safe in the knowledge that both themselves and their equipment is as safe as possible.

  • An Environment Agency licence is required to fish on the premises. The fishery allows a maximum of three rods be used at any one time per angler (2 licences are required to fish 3 rods).

  • 24 hour angling commences at 12 noon (arrival permitted from 10am to allow time for booking in, dipping nets and purchasing any bait) and ceases the following morning at 11am. Early entry prior to 12 noon is charged and subject to available pegs. For the purposes of security, night fishermen’s vehicles will be locked on site from fishery closing time until opening time the following morning (7pm til 7am). Anglers may only leave the site during closing hours for emergencies only. We request that anglers leave the site no more than once a day during there stay between the hours of 10am and 12 noon, anglers found to be coming and going all the time may find booking on in future difficult!

  • Under no circumstances are vehicles to be driven onto the lakeside. Parking in designated areas only.

  • Anyone caught entering the fishery outside hours will be treated as a criminal and may be prosecuted. In the event that the person/s entering the site are found to be doing so to visit an angler, the angler will also be asked to leave. No trespassing onto adjoining fields or railway.

  • No fires or unsupported BBQs. No load radios or TVs.

  • No litter, including cigarettes and tea bags. A bin is provided, please use it.

  • Toilet facilities are provided 24 hours each day. Use them or you will be banned.

  • No wading, swiming, walking on ice or using the onsite boat.

  • Alcohol is to be used sensibly and in moderation. Any bad behaviour caused by its abuse will result in you being banned.

  • Treat other anglers with respect. No poaching swims or casting over lines, only fish the water designated to your swim.

  • No dogs to be brought onto the site.

  • A 5 MPH speed limit is in force on the enitre complex, do not ignore it.