Hook Lake is a special water which is run by Northaw Fisheries Management Limited (NFM Ltd). Please play your part in ensuring that the lake and its surroundings, the fish and the wildlife, your fellow anglers, lawful visitors and our neighbours are all treated with respect.

The Fishery will be administered by NFM Ltd. A team of bailiffs will oversee the day-to-day administration of the water.

The NFM LTD committee has drawn up the following rules. Please observe these rules. If you infringe them NFM Ltd reserves the right to suspend or terminate your permission to fish the water, or otherwise deal with you as is considered appropriate.

Please follow the S.A.A Code of Conduct, especially with regard to fish handling, the retaining of fish and the damage to fish that certain rigs can cause.

NFM Ltd reserves the right to add to and/or amend the rules from time to time, and will notify you of any changes.

Rules relating to permits

Your permit remains the property of NFM Ltd and is for your personal use only. It must not be tampered with in any way. If it is lost or damaged a duplicate can be obtained by sending in two passport size photographs of yourself, a SAE and an administration fee of £15

Your permit is not transferable and entitles only you to fish Hook Lake, subject to you fulfilling all the necessary criteria. It remains in force until 31st March 2003 unless terminated earlier.

In the event of a permit holder having his/her entitlement to fish the lake suspended or terminated, he or she shall cease to fish forthwith and must return their permit to the NFM Ltd.

Should a permit holder lose his/her entitlement to fish Hook Lake in accordance with the rules, NFM Ltd shall not be liable to refund any part of the moneys that the permit holder has paid for the right to fish the Lake.

Rules relating to the fishery

1. Only syndicate members and authorised visitors may enter the property. Members must at all times carry their permit and produce it to a bailiff or other permit holder on request. If they are not in possession of the required document they can be asked to leave the property.

2. NFM Ltd reserves the right to hold angling events on Hook Lake from time to time for fund raising, research or such other reasons. Permit holders will be informed of these in advance.

3. Work parties shall be held on the property during the close season over a weekend or weekends to be notified each year.

4. The gates to the property must be closed and locked immediately after entry or exit.

5. While on the property vehicles must be driven carefully and quietly and must be parked in the car park provided.

6. No swims may be altered without the consent of NFM Ltd. No bankside vegetation may be damaged other than by authorised cutting and trimming.

7. Fishing, other than stalking, is only permitted from recognised swims.

8. A swim about to be vacated may only be "reserved" by an angler already fishing another swim on the lake.

9. The bailiffs have the right to enforce rule 8 in the spirit in which it is intended and to prevent the monopoly of a swim by teams or groups of anglers, or swim swapping by friends in adjoining bivvies. This rule is introduced with great reluctance, but we have to try to give as many anglers as possible a chance to fish the favoured swims. It is also only right that we prevent long stay anglers from restricting their less fortunate fellow permit holders access to swims.

10. It is the responsibility of any person fishing a swim to ensure that the swim and surrounding area is kept free of litter.

11. Swimming and wading in the lake is forbidden under any circumstances.

12. Members can only use the boat if given special permission to do so by NFM Ltd.

13. The use of nuts as baits, hookbaits or in loose feed is banned.

14. Barbless hooks, or hooks with the barb fully flattened are preferred, however barbed hooks are not banned.

15. Anglers fishing for carp must use a minimum line strength of 8lb breaking strain.

16. Whilst the sacking of carp is not prohibited, they must only be used for the shortest period of time possible and only in the right conditions.

17. There is a two-rod limit in force between 1st June and 31st October and a three rod limit between 1st November and 31st March.

18. No angler's rods shall be left unattended at any time. The definition of "unattended" shall be left to the discretion of the bailiffs, and all offences will be judged strictly on their merits.

19. A permit holder may be absent from his/her swim for a maximum of four hours in any twenty four hour period.

20. All anglers must carry and use a good quality unhooking mat of adequate size.

21. Fishing in any area deemed to be out of bounds and marked or designated accordingly is prohibited.

22. No guns, crossbows or weapons of any kind are allowed on the property. Any knives carried must be suitable fishing equipment or eating utensils.

23. No fires must be lit on the property.

24. Anglers must not introduce into the lake from any other water any live fish or spawn, including fish intended to be used as live bait.

25. Any person fishing the water must hold a current EA coarse fishing licence, and must comply with the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act, and the by-laws in force for the area.

26. Any permit holder may purchase up to five 24 hour guest permits from NFM Ltd per season. The permits run from 1st September until 31st March and cost £20. Guest permits must be purchased at least 1 week in advance.

27. NFM Ltd reserve the right to examine any vehicle on or leaving the property to ensure that fish are not being removed, transferred illegally, or stolen. This right may only be exercised in the presence of the person using the vehicle, but refusal to co-operate may result in the termination of the vehicle owner's rights to fish and/or be on the property. Any person found attempting to remove fish from Hook Lake shall automatically lose their permit.

28. NFM Ltd shall have the right to inquire into and take the appropriate action in the event of an infringement of the rules being suspected. Subject to the seriousness of the incident NFM Ltd can suspend permission to fish whilst investigating an alleged infringement. All alleged rule breakers shall be given the opportunity to state their case at a meeting of NFM Ltd. Penalties imposed by NFM Ltd will be notified to the member in writing.

29. Any damaged, diseased or dead fish must be reported to N.F.M Ltd immediately.

30. No spinning.