BCC Club Rules & Byelaws

BRITISH CONGER CLUB RULES

  1.  CLUB NAME: The club shall be known as the “British Conger Club” incorporating the “Conger Club of Great Britain”. The aims of the club are to nationally foster and develop interest in this branch of sea angling, to improve the techniques used for Conger fishing and to encourage conservation of the species.
  2. BUSINESS OF THE CLUB: shall be conducted by a Management Committee of not less than eight and not more than ten, of which the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be two. Five members, including the Secretary or Treasurer shall form a quorum. 3.  THE CHAIRMAN, SECRETARY, TREASURER AND COMMITTEE: shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) to serve for three years and shall be eligible for re-election.  Vacancies on the Committee shall be filled by an election at the AGM of members whose names have been proposed and seconded, not less than ten (10) days prior to the AGM. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt any member to itself should it be deemed necessary.
  3. THE PRESIDENT:  shall serve for a term of three years and thereafter shall be elected at the AGM. 5.  THE AGM:  shall be held at a venue and on a date decided by the Committee.  This will be within thirteen (13) calendar months of the previous AGM and will usually be on the same weekend as the club’s Personal Members’ Festival.6.  THE CLUB HEADQUARTERS:  shall be in the premises selected by the Committee.

    7.  MEMBERSHIP:  to the British Conger Club shall comprise: – Full, Associate and Junior member categories.  All applications for, and admission to, the British Conger Club will be at the discretion of the Committee.

The British Conger Club also has several Life members.  The British Conger Club will allow existing Life members to retain their membership in this category, but from July 2017 will cease to offer this category of membership and will not instate further Life members.

8.  ANGLERS SEEKING QUALIFICATION: for Full membership must produce proof that he or she has caught a Conger Eel of the weight specified in the Club’s Byelaws and substantiated by two responsible witnesses.

Associate membership shall be open to all, subject to the approval of the Committee, but such Associate membership shall be non-voting at the AGM.

9.  SUBSCRIPTION FEES shall be: –

Full and Associate members £20.00 per annum.  Senior Citizens £10.00 per annum.  Junior members £2.00 per annum.

Senior Citizens are aged sixty (60) years and over.

Junior members rates are available to persons between the ages of six (6) years and eighteen (18) years.  The Junior Section is known as S.T.R.A.P. S

Angling Clubs can obtain Affiliated membership of the British Conger Club on payment of an annual subscription of £30.00.

On request the Committee will give due consideration to “block payment” of several years’ worth of subscriptions.

All subscriptions shall become payable upon admission to the British Conger Club and thereafter annually from January 1st and must have been renewed by April 30th.  Non-payment will result in deletion of the member from the Club Register and will require application for re-registration and membership to previous status. Members unpaid for more than one calendar year will have to pay the previous year’s annual subscription rate for that year and the current year’s annual subscription rate in order to be re-registered to previous status or re-qualify for membership as per the Club By-Laws.

Subscription rates will only be amended by recommendation of the Committee, approved at the AGM and become effective from January 1st of the following year.

  1. SUSPENSION OF MEMBERS: The Committee shall have the power to suspend or expel any member who shall infringe any rule, or whose conduct shall, in their opinion, be prejudicial to the Club. The member will have the right to appeal. 11.  SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS:  of the Club can be called at any time by a requisition to the Secretary signed by more than twenty (20) members, but no business shall be transacted other than that for which it is called, and not less than twenty (20) members shall form a quorum other than the Committee. The notice convening the meeting shall be sent by post, stating the business to be transacted, at least fourteen (14) days before the meeting.12.  BYE-LAWS:  shall not be altered without the sanction of the AGM, but the Committee may, at any time, issue additional Byelaws.

    13.  PROPOSED ALTERATIONS:  to these rules shall be notified to the Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days before the AGM and shall be adopted if sanctioned by two-thirds of the members present or represented by postal votes.

    14.  THE SEASON:  will end on the 31st December and the new Season will commence on the 1st January each year.

    15.  A JUNIOR MEMBER:  is a member under the age of eighteen (18) years.

    16.  THE ACCOUNTS: of the British Conger Club shall be reviewed on an annual basis by a qualified Accountant, who will prepare a statement to be presented at the AGM.

  2. BCC WEBSITE:   The British Conger Club operates and owns a website which can be found  at the following domain names www.britishcongerclub.org.ukand www.britishcongerclub.co.uk which is controlled by a Webmaster appointed by the British Conger Club.  The content and copyright of this website is the property of the British Conger Club.
    The club also has a public social media page on “Facebook”.  Where necessary, this is also controlled by the Webmaster.

BYE-LAWS

1. QUALIFICATION FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP

Full Membership of the Club is by qualification.

In order to become a Full Member of the British Conger Club all applicants must provide evidence of the capture, by fair angling means, of a Conger Eel that falls into one of the following weight categories:

– 40lb or more when wreck fishing from a boat

– 30lb or more when fishing from a boat over reef or open ground

– 25lb or more when fishing from shore, harbour or jetty.

NOTE 1: The Club will accept estimated weights of qualifying fish for New Applicants for Full membership if they are witnessed by two responsible persons.  One of these should be the boat skipper if the fish is caught from wreck, reef or open ground marks while fishing from a boat.

NOTE 2 : Exceptionally large fish are eligible for the Eileen Cup which is awarded annually for the heaviest qualifying boat caught Conger. Eligibility for this trophy requires that the fish is physically weighed at sea (*WAS) or on dry land.  The application should be witnessed as per NOTE 1 and supported with photographic evidence.

NOTE 3:  Similarly, the Ray Rush Cup is awarded annually for the heaviest qualifying shore caught Conger Eel.  Eligible fish for this should be weighed on dry land, witnessed by two responsible persons and supported with photographic evidence.

1A.  All Conger Eels being entered for Annual Club Trophies and Awards must exceed the minimum qualifying weights of 25 lbs shore, 30 lbs reef or open ground and 40 lbs wreck.  Potential record eels and potential winning eels caught in the annual Personal Members’ Boat Festival must be weighed on dry land using scales that have been certified for accuracy during the previous twelve months by the recognised authority for the area.  Eels weighed at sea (WAS) will be accepted for all other club trophies or awards, provided that their capture is appropriately witnessed and supported with photographic evidence.  

1B.  Entries can be accepted, and confirmations will also be sent by email. However, the same information that is included on the Specimen Fish Form is required, together with names of witnesses will need to be provided.

  1.  ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

As well as Full Members, an Associate Member may complete for Club Trophies and Awards providing that the fish entered is of minimum qualifying weight so that the Associate Member can thus transfer to Full Membership Status. 

  1.  Only Conger Eels which satisfy the conditions of these rules and have been submitted on the official entry form can be accepted, either for competition for the challenge trophies, or for full membership and the Registrarshall see that all details are recorded in the Club’s register of members. 4. Handlining of fish in any form is prohibited and only rod, reel and line may be employed, in the capture of fish. Another person may however take hold of the trace once the fish has been brought within reach for the purpose of capture or release.
  2. During the playing of a fish the angler must not rest the rod on a boat gun whale, or rod rest. Neither must the rod, reel or line nor any part of the equipment be attached to the boat, or any object ashore in the case of the beach angler, nor any part of the structure in the case of pier or harbour angler.
  3. Club Burgeesshould be flown on the boat in which a member is fishing and should be removed when the member leaves the boat.
  4.  Members should notify the Fish Recorderof all fish of qualifying weight, or over, within twenty-eight (28) days of capture except for fish caught in the month of December, when fourteen (14) days will apply, in order to allocate Trophies and Awards and to notify the membership in advance of the AGM.
  5.  For the purpose of awards a Junior is a member who has not reached the their eighteenth (18th) birthday at the time of any competition or festival.
  6.  MINIMUM WEIGHTfor Conger Eels in the annual Personal Members’ Boat Festivalis 40lbs for eels caught from a wreck and 30lbs for those caught from a reef. Fish obviously under this size should be returned to the water alive. For eels returned alive, each competitor will be awarded 40 points/lb for each wreck-caught eel and 30 points/lb for each reef-caught eel.  Weighed-in eels shall receive one additional point per pound for each pound above the appropriate minimum weight.
  7. Thompson MedalsMinimum Weights are as follows: 
Boat Captured: Shore Captured:
Bronze-55lbs and over  Bronze-25lbs and over
Silver-65lbs and over  Silver-35lbs and over
Gold-75lbs and over  Gold-45lbs and over

 

As previously stated in BYE-LAW 1A, Conger Eels that are *WAS will be accepted for Thompson Medal Awards, provided that their capture is appropriately witnessed and supported with photographic evidence.

  1. TROPHIES. Trophies that are required to be returned to the Cup Custodian must either be delivered by hand or forwarded by Securicor to ensure their safety.
  2. MEMBERSHIP.An angler will only formally become a member once a membership number has been issued.
     

COMPETITION RULES

1. Trophies shall be competed for annually by members of the BRITISH CONGER CLUB.

  1. Members may win more than one trophy in any one season but will be awarded only one Thompson Medal.
  2. APPEALSby competitors to be lodged with a Committee member of the British Conger Club within thirty (30) minutes of the announcement of results.  The decision of the Committee will be final.
  3.  When entering fish for LINE STRENGTH AWARDSa member must submit twenty (20) feet of line used, together with the official entry form. The line to be submitted within twenty-eight (28) days of the capture of the fish, as per Byelaw 8.
  4.  In order to participate in the Personal Members’ Boat Festival, an entrant must have paid their annual membership fee prior to this event.  They must also have been fully paid up members for the preceding year.

 

MEMBERS OPEN COMPETITIONS

INTERPORT COMPETITION

This is run between June 1st and September 30th each year for members fishing from boats and there is no entry fee.

Any two members may enter by phone call, email, or SMS text to the Fish Recorder or Secretary stating the names of the two members, which day, which port and which boat, and then, after the trip, another phone call, email, or text, to the same Committee Member giving the weight of the heaviest fish captured by each of them. The winners will be the pair with the heaviest aggregate of these two fish and will be awarded one of our ‘special’ Tankards.

Should the nominated trip be cancelled or curtailed because of inclement weather conditions, then please phone in whereupon you can select another date and be eligible for a further attempt even if it is with a different member. 

Specimen fish forms must be completed and sent to the Fish Recorder as per BYE-LAW 7.

SHORE COMPETITION.

This runs from October 1st to November 30th each year and all that is required is for the member to go shore fishing and notify the Fish Recorder of the Conger Eels captured during this period by sending in a specimen fish form in the normal manner within 28 days.
After the end of the period the member with the heaviest Conger Eel will be awarded a ‘special’ Tankard as well as the fish being considered for other club awards.

 

 

S.T.R.A.P.S RULES

  1. NAME Section name: shall be known as “S.T.R.A.P.S”– British Conger Club Junior Section”. (hereafter referred to as “S.T.R.A.P.S”).
  2. OBJECTIVES Section aims: to develop junior anglers in all areas of sea angling and to encourage a respect and understanding of the marine environment with attention to safety and conservation. Through continuing support and organised instructional events, it is the long term objective to nurture sensible and capable anglers to enable the enjoyment of the sport of sea angling, to be capable of pursuing the objectives of the British Conger Clubas senior members, and throughout to “Supporting The Return And Preservation of Species”in the interests of conservation for future generations.
  3. MANAGEMENT The section will be administered by its own Junior Development Officerreporting to and in accordance with the Management Committeeof the “British Conger Club” with the assistance of a junior sub section committee as approved in accordance with the British Conger Club requirements.
  4. COMMITTEE & JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER The positions will be elected, initially, by the Management Committeeof the British Conger Club and subsequently by election at the AGM subject to the established requirements of the British Conger Club.

The Committee shall retain the power to appoint co-opted members to the BCC Junior Section Sub Committee at the request of the Junior Development Officer in order to accommodate the ongoing requirements of its members.

5. QUALIFICATION

Membership of “S.T.R.A.P.S” is open to all young men and young ladies from the date of their 6th birthday until the end of the year in which their 18th birthday occurs.

6. MEMBERSHIP

Membership is subject to the payment of the current year’s subscription as specified by the Management Committee and will be payable on the 1st of January each year and must be renewed by April 30th otherwise the member will need to apply for re-registration.
Subscription rates will only be amended by recommendation of the Management Committee approved by the AGM of members and would become effective from January 1st of the ensuing year.

7. SUSPENSION OF MEMBERS

The committee shall have the power to suspend or expel any member who shall infringe any rule, or whose conduct shall in their opinion be prejudiced to the club, or whose actions are deemed to deliberately endanger the safety or wellbeing of other persons whilst involved with club events or other angling pursuits.

8. THE SEASON

The season will end on the 31st December and the new season will commence on the 1st January each year.

  1. ACCOUNTS

Accounts for “S.T.R.A.P.S” will be maintained as a separate section from the “British Conger Club”, but for accounting purposes will be contained within the overall accounts of the “British Conger Club” and shall be audited on an annual basis as per section 16 of the RULES as contained in the “British Conger Club” yearbook.

  1. ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARDS Eligibility for awards will remain in accordance with the Bye Laws of the British Conger Club Rules for “British Conger Club” awards, with the provision of separate S.T.R.A.P.Sawards as notified under S.T.R.A.P.S AWARDS. 
  2. STRAPS AWARDS A certificate of merit will be awarded for any species of fish which achieves a weight of 50% of the NFSAspecimen weights list issued to each member, and a subsequent Bronze, Silver or Gold Certificate of Merit will be awarded on successful attainment of 3, 6 and 10 separate species certificates. These certificates will remain continually valid throughout the period from joining to the end of the year in which the anglers 16th birthday occurs. Certificates for the same species will only be awarded if the fish is an improvement of the previous one for that same species.

A trophy will be awarded for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd most successful angler in any one year based on the number of different qualifying species entered during the period from 1st January to 31st December of that year. In the event of a tie, the percentages of each species against the regional NFSA weights will be used to determine the positions.

  1. REMEMBER:

    It is the objective of the section to enable all anglers to be capable of experiencing as many types of fishing and species to broaden their angling expertise. It should be the objective of the angler, to catch as big a specimen of those species and to continually improve on their previous best, wherever possible, returning those species which provide no useful purpose by keeping them. A list of club records by species per region will be maintained and a certificate will be issued for the achievement of a new club record for each species.An annual award will also be presented for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd number of species returned alive to the water on capture, subject to the usual conditions used for entering fish for other club awards.
  2. ENTERING FISH All species entered for club awards and record purposes must be submitted in writing to the Junior Development Officerclearly stating the angler’s name in full, species of fish, date and location of capture, whether returned alive, weight in lbs & oz. and be supported by an adult witness’ name and address.

Other than specific rules for individual competitions organized by S.T.R.A.P.S or by any other recognised club on its behalf in any region, the full rules of the British Conger Club as outlined on the club’s website apply. 

Secretary of the BCC,

Updated: January 2019
BCC Secretary BCC
Paul Milkins
E: secretarybritishcongerclub@gmail.com