Lake Competition Rules


  1. Competitors have the responsibility to familiarise themselves with these rules.
  2. Competitors must have a current membership of their club which must be affiliated to the T.A.F.I. Competitors must produce their membership cards at any competition if requested.
  3. The Council reserves the right to refuse entry of any competitor for an competition without being obliged to state the reason for doing so.
  4. The organising committee reserves the right to alter postpone or cancel the competition.
  5. The organising committee will not be liable for any accidents to any competitors or for any loss of property.
  6. Any competitor bringing the championship into disrepute may be disqualified and at the discretion of M.R.T.A.C. may be barred for a period from competitions.
  7. For all championship competitions only brown trout will be accepted.
  8. For all major championships entries will only be accepted from club Hon. Secretaries.
  9. In all senior competitions competitors shall be 17 years or over on the 1st of January in the year in which the competition is held.
  10. The size limit shall be measured overall, tail stroked for all major competitions. Size limit may be fixed by the host club.
  11. Competitors must provide their own measure competitors presenting at the weigh in under sized fish will have their entire catch disqualified. All qualifying fish will be determind by the official measure on the day.
  12. If a competitor fails to arrive to take part in any competition unless for good and sufficient cause his or her entry fee shall be forfeited.
  13. When the competition is fished from boats, competitors shall not fish from the bank and shall return to the starting point in the boat in which they set out, except in the event of damage to boat or oar, failure of motor, or being overtaken by storm, when they may return by other means but the circumstances shall be reported on return to the organising committee.
  14. In the team event if one competitor is disqualified he is disqualified from all prizes both individual and team but it will not disqualify the other team members from prizes.
  15. In the event of equality of weights the greater number of trout wins.
  16. Artificial dry and wet fly fishing only. Not more than four files on a cast. Spinning and threadline fishing are not allowed.
  17. Trolling of flies behind the boat is not permitted whether the boat is drifting or being driven by motor or oars. Side casting is permitted but flies are not allowed to be trailed behind the board.
  18. Boats and boatmen will be alloted by ballot. Mixed pairings will apply.
  19. No boatman shall be allowed to fish in the competition not to handle a mounted rod during the hours of the competition. In case of where a boatman is provided competitors shall have the option to change ends every two hours.
  20. During the competition no boat shall encroach within a distance of one hundred yards in front of another boat from which competitors are fishing.
  21. All boats must be positioned inside the starting point immediately before finishing time.
  22. One rod not exceeding 12 feet in length may be used by each competitor but each competitor will be entitled to have a spare rod (length as before) in the boat with him, both rods however are not to be mounted at the same time.
  23. In all competitions fishing shall not start before the appointed time.
  24. No competitor may fish while the boat is being propelled by the engine.
  25. A competitor whose partner has failed to arrive may not depart from the starting point until the permission of the official in charge has first been received.
  26. All competitors shall present their fish at the starting point immediately after the closing hour for fishing.
  27. Competitors must provide their own measure. Competitors presenting undersized fish at the weigh-in will have their entire catch disqualified. All qualifying fish will be determined by the official measure on the day.
  28. The onus is on all competitors to present fish in a clean and fresh appearance and condition and intact. All fish will be removed from bags creels etc for the purpose of weighing.
  29. Any competitor being disqualified due to having undersized trout is to be informed by the officials prior to the disqualification being recorded by the recorders. It the competitor in question is not available, the matter should be brought to the attention of his team captain on the day, or to an officer of his club or association.
  30. Any competitor noticing any breach of the above rules by a fellow competitor is to report the matter to the organising committee at the earliest opportunity to do so.
  31. In all disputes judges decision will be final and binding and the same applied for any breach of regulations and stewards reports. A competitor may appeal for steward enquiry but must accept the decision of the enquiry.