Mid Sussex Angling Limited (MSA) – Ardingly Reservoir Rules for Day Ticket Anglers

1^st December 2025

1.      A Day-Ticket must be purchased in advance / prior to commencing fishing. These can be purchased from;

·         Swim-Booker web-site / app / the QR code link displayed on the signs around the reservoir

·         Clubmate web-site / app

·         In person from the Ardingly Activity Centre when this is open

2.      No juniors / 16 years of age or under can fish Ardingly Reservoir unless accompanied by an adult.

3.      Night fishing is only permitted by MSA Members who hold a premium Ardingly night fishing membership. No day-tickets are available to night fish Ardingly Reservoir. Day-ticket fishing times are dawn until dusk.

4.      Access to Ardingly Reservoir is by way of main entrances only. Anglers must keep strictly to the paths and pass to and from the water in a quiet and unobtrusive manner. Motor vehicles and cycles must be parked only in the allotted places. All gates must be closed and locked once passed through.

5.      No access to or fishing from the ‘Balcombe Estate’ bank is permitted.

6.      The pike fishing season on Ardingly Reservoir runs from 1st October to 1^st April inclusive. Pike anglers must be in possession of suitable unhooking tools, e.g. long forceps, long nose pliers & wire cutters. All pike rigs, lures & dead-baits with treble hooks must have a wire trace (30 cm for lures & 45 cm for dead-baits). Fluorocarbon traces may be used when targeting perch, but not when targeting pike, when wire only traces are to be used. Minimum breaking strain main reel line with pike fishing to be 15lbs when using monofilament and 40lbs when using braid.

7.      All fish must be returned unharmed to the water as quickly as possible.

8.      Carp sacks are prohibited at all times. Keep-nets, whilst not prohibited are discouraged from use other than in competitions.

9.      Anglers fishing for pike and carp must have both a well-padded unhooking mat and an appropriately sized landing net of a minimum of 36 inches diameter with them.

10.  Live-baiting (i.e. with live fish) is prohibited. This includes the catching of bait fish on the proposed day of use as a live-bait. No bait fish are to be caught and killed for the purpose of fishing with a dead-bait.

11.  A maximum of three rods may be used at any one time. When pike fishing, the maximum number of rods that can be used is two. Both / all rods must be fished in the same swim and must not be left unattended. If three rods are used, then the appropriate EA Licence must be held.

12.  All litter, waste line & other refuse, including cigarette butts must be taken home.

13.  Fires and BBQs are prohibited.

14.  Radios and / or any other devices that emit sound must not be used. The use of mobile telephones is permitted, but volume should be limited so as not to disturb other anglers’ enjoyment.

15.  Any type of bait or ground-bait that is left over at the end of a fishing session must

not be disposed of on the bankside or thrown into the water.

16.  All hooks must be barbless or whisker / micro-barbed, however when pike fishing and using trebles for dead-baiting only one hook may have a whisker / micro-barb for the purpose of mounting the dead-bait. A maximum of two trebles or two doubles is permitted on any one trace. All paternoster baits must be fished with an up trace twice as long as the bait trace.

17.  No picnics are allowed.

18.  Anglers are not permitted to bring dogs or guns on to the fishery.

19.  Anglers are not permitted to bring alcohol or drugs on to the fishery.

20.  Anglers must report any instances of or suspected pollution to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.

21.  No fishing is permitted at Ardingly Reservoir or any section(s) of the fishery within 3 hours of the commencement of a scheduled competition. Anglers must have left the fishery, or moved to a section of the fishery where the competition is not utilising the bank.