Membership runs from January to December. The Affiliation fees is £25 for new clubs, and £20 subscriptions for existing clubs providing they subscribe before the end of January. Late subscriptions will be treated as new members and charged £25. All monies from subscriptions are spent on trophies for competitions or essential equipment for the Association. By joining the association, you must agree to abide by our Rules (see below)

Online Affiliation Form

To join the NJAA, please print out this affiliation form, complete it and return it to the address at the bottom of the form, along with payment as explained on the form. 

If you have any queries regarding affiliation, please contact the NJAA either by Email:

office@njaa.org.uk

or by post:

NJAA

75 Stoney Rock Lane

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TB

NJAA ASSOCIATION RULES - updated April 2005

1. Annual affiliation fees run from January to December and should be paid before the A.G.M. in March. New associations wishing to join must pay the affiliation fee prior to the first event entered.

2. Each affiliated association is entitled to enter any number of teams of six Juniors (under 16 on the day of the match) and teams of four Intermediates (under 20 on the day of the match) into the National match which always takes place on the first Saturday in September, and into the Challenge match run on the first Saturday in October.

3. Each member club is allowed to enter one team of six Juniors (under 16 on the day of the regional heat) into the nationwide Knockout Competition whereby the top 50% of the teams from each heat qualify for the Final. This event takes place between the months of January to the beginning of June with the Final being around the middle of June.

4. Every competing club must provide one competent steward (over 18) per team entered. Stewards must register with the match officials at least 30 minutes prior to the match draw, where they will be allocated to a specific section(s). Stewards must attend and remain on their allocated section for the duration of the competition unless other arrangements area agreed with the match officials. Stewards are responsible for upholding the rules of the Association, the safety of the competitors and any equipment placed in their care. Team captains will not be allowed to draw unless their nominated steward has registered.

5. Each association is responsible for transporting their own competitors to and from the pegs.

6. Any person of the age of 12 and over must have a valid E.A. licence to be eligible to fish the matches. This to be the responsibility of every competitor.

7. Before the competition starts, help may be given to: assist competitors to their pegs, position equipment, seatboxes, umbrellas, keepnets, banksticks and assemble rods, etc. Once the competition is underway, all competitors must cast, strike, play and land their own fish. In cases where assistance is deemed necessary for the welfare of the competitor or the fish, stewards must be called upon. Coaching is not allowed during the competition and spectators must be positioned behind the towpath, or halfway between pegs where there is no towpath.

8. Competitors must not disturb the water prior to the match, including the act of groundbaiting, except to position their keep net, wet their groundbait and plumb the depth (with a lead weight, not a feeder).

9. Competitors shall use only one rod, line and hook. Other tackle may be assembled for use but not baited. Landing nets must not be placed in the water unless being used to land a fish. 

10. On still waters each competitor may fish as far as half the distance between their peg and the adjacent peg. On flowing waters they will fish in the direction of the flow as far as the next peg.

11. All baits may be used except those banned by the controlling body of the water on which the match is fished, although venues where Bloodworm & Joker are allowed will only be considered for NJAA competitions held between October and March. Fish must not be used as live or dead bait. Groundbait may be thrown in by hand or by the use of a catapult, throwing stick, swimfeeder or bait dropper.

12. All fish caught (including eels) must be retained in keepnets, which comply with the Environment Agency bye-laws. Large fish, which could be damaged by retention in keepnets, may be weighed, recorded and returned during the match at the discretion of the stewards.

13. After commencement of the match all competitors must remain at their pegs, except to attend the call of nature, until details of their catch has been recorded, even if they have caught no fish. 

14. For the duration of the match, competitors may not use mobile phones unless in the case of an emergency.

15. All fish in season must be weighed except Salmon and crustaceans or those banned by the hosting club or the controlling body of the water on which the match is fished. In the event of any dispute, the fish must be weighed and recorded and a report given to the committee upon arrival at H.Q. Fish hooked before the ‘all out’ will be eligible for weighing if landed within 15 minutes of the match ending.

16. It is the responsibility of the competitor to clear any litter from his / her peg and to ensure that details of their catch are properly recorded.

17. The individual weight of each competitor’s catch will be recorded to the nearest half ounce (or 10g if metric scales are used) rounded up and the results will be worked out on a points system.

18. Should any objections relating to the match arise; these must lodged with the secretary or a committee member within one hour of the match ending. In this event, the N.J.A.A. will set up a committee to consider any dispute or claim and to interpret the rules where necessary. They shall have the power to disqualify offenders of the rules and their decision will be final with no appeal.

19. It is the responsibility of each and every competitor and their officials to read these rules and abide by them. Infringement of the rules may result in disqualification and ignorance will not be accepted as a reason or excuse for irregularities.