GENERAL
1. The Championships will be fished to the EFSA rules governing at the time unless otherwise stated.
2. The Headquarters for the Championships will be the Stromness Hotel, Stromness.
3. The draw for the allocation of boats will take place in public not less than one month prior to the start of the Championships.
4. A husband and wife or parent and child may apply to be drawn on the same boat and this request must accompany the application form.
5. All juniors (under 16) must be accompanied by a responsible adult. This must be indicated on the entry form. Juniors and their responsible adult will be placed on the same boat.
6. A husband and wife or junior and responsible adult when drawn on the same boat, will draw for positions in the same manner as all other anglers and, once drawn, will fish from the position drawn.
7. A fishing captain and steward will be appointed for each boat and his or her duties will include:
a) Ensuring anglers are in the correct boat places.
b) Liaison with the skipper of the boat.
c) Observance of the Rules of the Championships.
d) Observance of the start and finish times.
e) Counting tokens when used.
f) Transferring anglers’ scores to boat score-card.
8. The fishing areas each day will be directed by the Organising Committee.
9. If, in the opinion of the Organising Committee, the weather is unfit to allow the boats to reach the normal fishing grounds, it has the power to abandon the competition for the day or to limit the boats to a safe area. Their decision shall be final.
10. The Boat Championship and Line Class Championship will be fished to points systems. Illustrations of these systems will be issued to Section Secretaries along with acknowledgement of entries.
11. A list of fish sizes will be distributed to all competitors before the start of the Championships stating minimum sizes.
12. No fish should be brought ashore for specimen or record purposes as there will be no weighing facilities available.
13. Casting will only be permitted using an under-hand method with the terminal tackle and trace outside the boat at all times during the cast.
14. Mackerel and Mussels will be supplied as bait; the only other bait permitted will be that caught by the competitor during the Championships. Bait may NOT be retained at the end of each fishing day. Pirks and all types of artificial lures and lead heads are permitted. Bait cages and feeders are not allowed.
15. Bait fishing, for Mackerel, can be carried out before the start of fishing time each day. All bait caught at this time will be pooled and shared equally by those fishing for bait.
16. Any fish retained by an angler or boat skipper must have the tail removed immediately on capture and before the angler can continue fishing.
17. The daily fishing results will be posted each evening in the Championships H.Q.
18. Boat assembly and fishing times:
19. Any competitor wishing to lodge a protest should adopt the following procedure:
1. Anglers may only use the Ande line provided by the organisers which will be 6kg line.
2. The competitors must supply a sample of the line from the reel in use where requested by the fishing captain.
3. A competitor who has a big fish on has right of way on the boat. Other competitors must, if requested, remove their lines from the water whilst the fight is in progress.
4. A maximum of one hook may be used. A pirk may be fitted with one single, double or treble hook.
5. The length of leader used shall not exceed 4.5 metres and the length of leader and double line shall not exceed 6 metres (NOTE length of leader INCLUDES any hook trace).