TWAPSFrequently Asked Questions
If you don’t find an answer to something please contact us.
Membership
Details on applying for membership can be found on our Membership Application page.
Our membership and joining fees are shown on our Membership Application page.
The Society’s membership is regularly at full quota. When this happens, a waiting list may come into being. Note that the period for accepting new applications may be restricted. See our Membership Application page for more information.
Membership runs from April to March every year. Your subscription is due at the end of March every year. If your subscription lapses you will have to rejoin the Society.
You can join the Society during the period when the Society is accepting new membership applications. There may or not be a waiting list. Regardless of when you join your membership expires at the end of the following March unless you renew your subscription before then. See our Membership Renewal page to find out how to renew your subscription.
Your membership subscription, together with your joining fee if you are a new member, entitles you to fish all Society waters (subject to certain rules and bye-laws), an ID card, a membership card and access to our Rules and Bye-laws.
Visit the Membership Renewal page for instructions on renewing your membership.
No, as a TWAPS Member you automatically have the right to fish any Rother Fishery Association water, subject to any closed season restrictions. You should have an RFA sticker on your membership card and you must have this with you (and your TWAPS photo ID card) when fishing or visiting any RFA water.
General Questions
You need to have with you your ID card, membership card, access to the Rules and Bye-laws and rod licence. If you cannot produce these documents when asked to do so by a Society Bailiff, you will be asked to leave the fishery.
The number of rods you can use depends on the Society water you intend to fish and the type of member you are (eg. Junior). The Rules and Bye-laws, and the website fishery pages, state the number of rods you can use at each Society water. You will also need the correct number of valid Environment Agency rod licenses to fish on Society waters.
Yes. Fishery notice boards, the Rules and Bye-laws state any bait restrictions currently in force on all Society waters.
Bait boats cannot be used, except on Blue Lake.
You can use a keepnet at the River Medway and at Paddock Wood lakes. Keepnets may also be used at other Society waters if approved by the Committee, or during a match.
No, but your help at working parties would be greatly appreciated!
The website Working Parties article and Society water notice boards contain details of upcoming working parties. Also, members with access to email receive notifications of working parties. Before attending any working party, it would be very helpful if you can let the organiser know in advance that you wish to attend a working party. Details on how to do this are given with the working party notifications.
Yes, on some of the Society waters, with restrictions. The Rules and Bye-laws state any night fishing restrictions currently in force.
Yes, more information about day tickets can be found on our Club Information page.
Yes, there is a statutory close season on the River Medway, from 15th March to 15th June inclusive.
With the exception of Shorne Country Park and Campanile, members cannot take guests onto any Society water, unless prior approval is granted by the Committee. This includes non-fishing family members and friends. There may be non-fishing permits available, see the Membership Application page for details. Information regarding taking fishing guests can be also be found in the TWAPS Membership section.
The Society’s membership is made up of a variety of coarse anglers, including carp specialists and match anglers. (The Society has an active friendly match fraternity which is open to all members.) The majority of members are pleasure anglers and enjoy a wide variety of coarse fishing at the Society’s fisheries.
Contact one of the Bailiffs, the numbers are on the front of your membership card, or use the website Contact form.
With the exception of assistance dogs, no dogs are allowed on Society waters, unless stated in each individual fishery Bye-law. See the Rules and Bye-laws for more information.
Matches
The Society has a very active match fraternity, which are fun and good natured. See the Match Calendar for more details.
Yes, just contact the Match Secretary. Details can be found on the Match Calendar.
Baliffs
Every official TWAPS Bailiff carries and displays an identity badge. Pictures of the current Bailiffs are on the Club Information page.
All Bailiffs are volunteers and have a limited amount of time to patrol Society Waters. Every effort is made to visit the waters as frequently as possible.
Contact the Head Bailiff (the number is on the front of your membership card, or use the website Contact Form).
Website
The Society has a very active Facebook Group – TWAPS Official – which is limited to all current members. This group serves the purpose of a forum/chat page. All TWAPS members who use Facebook can request to join the group.
The Society receives a lot of pictures for inclusion in the gallery and we simply cannot publish all of them. The pictures must be of good quality and suitable composition.
Anything on Society waters or matches. eg:-Photos of fish caught, other anglers fishing (with their permission), wildlife, scenic pictures, amusing pictures etc.
The postcode is approximate due to the remoteness of the fishery. You are advised to consult the Rules and Bye-laws and/or the relevant fishery page for accurate maps and directions to Society fisheries.
Blue lake
Yes ALL members are entitled to fish Blue Lake.
No it is a Society water and is available to every member of the Society.
There are combination locks on barrier, the main gate and all the inner fence gates. The number on all the combination locks is the same as the number on the Inn on The Lake and is printed on your membership card.
No. Unfortunately, the fluctuating water levels are beyond the Society’s control.
There are approx 4 to 12 swims depending on the current water levels.
Cobham
No, due to the cost of installation, cleaning, emptying and maintenance.
Following a member survey it was agreed to have this lake as a silver fish only water.
The state of the access road is constantly monitored and repaired subject to the funding and labour availability.
Inn On The Lake
The amount of weed at the Inn On The Lake fishery is an ongoing problem that is continually monitored. Keep an eye on the website and newsletters for more information.
There are other species, it’s just that most of our members only fish for the large carp there and these catches are the only ones reported back to us.
On going work regarding the swims, trees, vegetation and paths is due to take place during the year.
Any litter at the Inn on the Lake fishery is left behind by other members. Please take it home.
Paddock Wood
As a working Quarry the owners J. Clubb decided to drain and fill in the main lake and disallow access to the smaller pond behind the main lake. This was beyond our control, but they did inform us they would be excavating a new lake in the future just behind the Canal Lake.
This is a working quarry controlled and run by J. Clubb Ltd. They will only let the Society have a limited number of keys. This is non-negotiable and is the reason why keys are distributed to nominated key holders.
See the Rules and Bye-laws or go to the Paddock Wood fishery page for more details and how to loan a key.
We have not been supplied with such information and therefore it is down to members who fish these waters to provide us with catch updates. It is hoped that at a later date we will be able to use the services of Hadlow College to obtain further stock answers.
There is one designated parking area at the Paddock Wood fishery, just as you pass through the inner gate on the right. Do NOT park anywhere else! From the car park to the River Medway it is a 300m walk.
Shorne Country Park
Following a survey by Hadlow College on both lakes, SOME of the carp have been moved to other waters, as the stock density was detrimental to all fish species in the lakes. Recent reports hace suggested that Shorne Country Park is fishing well.
The parking charges are set by KCC and the Society has no control over these charges. Purchasing an Annual Season Parking ticket can work out cheaper in the long run.
Shorne Country Park is a public space open to all and they are allowed to access the lakes. Day ticket anglers are subject to the same rules as Society members. If you see any infringement or unacceptable behaviour from anyone contact one of the Bailiffs, the numbers are on the front of your membership card, or use the website Contact Form.
Campanile
In short, we are not sure! However, there are some reports of carp to around 10 to 15lb being caught as a well as some silver fish.
At the time of writing (March 2017) the Society arranged for some stocking which took place in January 2017, see the Campanile fishery page for more details.
Parking is in the hotel car park in the marked bays only (i.e. between the white lines). You must register you vehicle with the hotel reception immediately upon arrival, and, if staying for longer that 24 hours, re-register your vehicle again, once every 24 hours. Failure to do this may incur a hefty fine, for which TWAPS is NOT responsible.
The hotel facilities are available to you, but no dirty footwear please.
More Information
You can use the Contact Form, ask a Society Bailiff or Committee member, or use one of the phone numbers on the front of your membership card.
