1The competition

1. Frostbite, The Winter Voyage 2027, is run by Voyagers Hook Fishing Company Ltd in support of Tackling Minds.
2. It runs from 00:01 on 1 January to 23:59 on 14 March 2027, UK time.
3. Entries open on 1 December 2026 and close on [closing date].

2Who can enter

1. Anglers aged 16 and over enter the main series. Under-16s enter the junior series, signed up by a parent or guardian.
2. One account per person. Accounts can't be shared.
3. Nobody from Voyagers Hook, or their households, can win prizes. They may enter for fun.

3Entry, caps and refunds

1. Adult £10. Parent + child £12. Junior alone £5. Extra donations to Tackling Minds are optional.
2. Entries are capped at 200 adults and 200 juniors.
3. If fewer than 40 adults enter, the competition is cancelled and every entry is refunded in full.
4. No refunds once the competition starts, except on cancellation. Disqualified anglers are not refunded.

4Where and how you can fish

1. Any UK water, fresh or sea, where you have the right to fish.
2. Lure or fly only. No natural bait, live or dead. Artificial worms and pre-scented soft plastics are fine.
3. Freshwater: from the shore or a boat.
4. Sea: shore and kayak only. No charter or other boats, so everyone fishes on equal terms.
5. You must hold the right licence, follow venue rules, close seasons and byelaws, and have permission to be there.

5Species and equations

Every scoring species uses the same formula: score = 100 × length ÷ benchmark. The benchmark is the length in centimetres that scores 100. There are no minimum sizes: small fish on light tackle are part of the fun.

1. Any other legal species, fresh or sea, counts towards the most species prize but scores no points.
2. Lake and stillwater trout count wherever the fishery is open in winter and allows lures or fly.
3. Not eligible at all: sea trout, salmon and eels. Wild river brown trout are out of season for the whole competition.
4. A fish caught in its close season, or against venue rules, doesn't count.

6Grand Slams

Slams add bonus points once each. You need one accepted fish from every line of the list.

7Scoring

1. Fish caught on lures or flies bought from UK sellers score at the standard rate, 1x.
2. Fish caught on a lure or fly from an approved UK handmade maker, or one you made or tied yourself, score 1.25x.
3. Your best 10 fish count towards your total, with no more than 5 of any one species. A better fish automatically replaces your lowest counted fish. Every accepted catch stays on your record.
4. Species points: every different scoring species you catch adds 5 points, whether or not that fish makes your best 10.
5. Scores keep two decimal places and show to one on the leaderboard.

8Logging a catch

1. Log every catch on your My Frostbite page. Take the photo there, or with your phone's camera and upload it later. Either is fine.
2. Today's code must be clearly visible in the photo, written on a card or on the mat. A new code goes live at 00:01 each day.
3. Up to 5 submissions per angler per day.
4. Upload within 48 hours of the catch. We check the photo's time against the code.

9Photo and measuring

1. The whole fish beside a measuring board, mat or tape measure, mouth closed, nose at zero, tail lying naturally.
2. The scale readable at the tail tip. Lengths are rounded to the nearest centimetre.
3. The fish on an unhooking mat or wet measuring mat. For pike, the trace in view.
4. For the lure or fly bonus, the lure or fly visible and identifiable.
5. Original, unedited photos only. No filters, crops, composites or AI images.

10Fish care

1. Any fish on the bank goes on an unhooking mat or wet measuring mat. Never on soil, gravel, stone or concrete.
2. Use a trace that suits the fish you're targeting. Wherever pike could take your lure or fly, that means a wire or other bite-proof trace strong enough for the pike in that water, jacks included.
3. Handle pike safely: a gloved gill-plate grip, the body supported, never fingers in the gill rakers. Every entrant should know safe pike handling before they start.
4. Unsafe handling makes that catch void.
5. Carry unhooking tools at all times.
6. Keep fish out of the water only long enough to measure, photograph and unhook.
7. Take all litter home, including old line and packaging.

11Safety

1. Everyone takes part at their own risk and is responsible for having the experience, skills and kit to fish and handle fish safely. Voyagers Hook can't be responsible for injury, loss or damage, except where the law doesn't allow us to limit that responsibility.
2. Tell someone where you are going and when you'll be back.
3. Check tides and the forecast before every sea trip. Never fish rock marks alone in a big swell.
4. We strongly recommend a lifejacket near open or deep water, on rocks and piers, and always on a kayak or boat.
5. Winter brings floods, ice and early darkness. If it doesn't look safe, don't fish.

12Tackle

1. Frostbite exists to back legitimate British businesses: tackle shops, UK online retailers, UK makers and the people who run them.
2. All lures, flies, fly-tying materials, terminal tackle, rods, reels and line must be bought from a UK-based seller (a shop, an online retailer or a private seller), or be a gift.
3. Tackle doesn't have to come from Voyagers Hook.
4. Tackle bought direct from overseas marketplaces, or from dropshippers sending goods from overseas, isn't eligible. That's no judgement on anyone's shopping. The competition simply puts its weight behind UK sellers.
5. You tick a declaration at entry. Prize winners may be asked for proof of purchase.
6. Approved UK makers are listed before entries open. UK lure makers and fly tyers can apply to join.

13Fair play

We can't police every bank, and we won't pretend to. Cheating doesn't beat anyone. It only spoils the competition for you and for everyone fishing fairly.

1. You must hook, play and land every fish you log. Someone may help you net or unhook it.
2. Fish must be hooked in or around the mouth. Foul-hooked fish don't count.
3. The same fish counts only once for you. Another angler catching it counts normally.
4. The top 10 in each series may be asked for original photo files or a short video call before prizes are confirmed.
5. Abuse of other entrants, partners or the organiser, online or on the bank, means disqualification.

14Penalties

The peer panel is five entrants picked at random each week plus a guest judge. They see the photo with the angler's name hidden, hear the angler's side, and decide by majority in private. The outcome is posted in the Frostbite Facebook group without naming anyone. Anyone removed by the panel isn't refunded.

15Checking and appeals

1. Every catch is checked, usually within 48 hours. Small length errors are corrected downwards.
2. You can appeal a decision once, by email, within 7 days. The decision after appeal is final.
3. A guest judge checks any catch where the organiser has a conflict.

16Leaderboard, votes and ties

1. The leaderboard shows display names, badges, counted fish and totals. Locations are never shown.
2. From 1 March scores are hidden. The top 10 order stays visible until the results.
3. Fish of the Week and Action Shot of the Week: 5 of each shortlisted every Monday, one vote per entrant in each, never for your own. Votes decide prizes and badges, never leaderboard points.
4. Action shots celebrate real moments. Staged or unsafe stunts won't be shortlisted.
5. The Frostbite Facebook group is for every entrant: catches, banter, nominations and results. Disputed photos are never judged there.
6. Ties go to the angler with the highest single fish score, then to whoever submitted that fish first.

17Juniors

1. Juniors are here to learn. They fish with a responsible adult present and follow the same fish care rules.
2. A void catch comes with a coaching note on what to do next time, not a penalty.
3. Repeated problems lead to a friendly chat with the parent or guardian. Juniors aren't sent to the peer panel.
4. A junior's fish never counts towards the main series.
5. Photos show the fish only, unless a parent consents to their child's face being shown.

18Prizes

1. Prizes are a fixed share of entry money and are Voyagers Hook vouchers unless stated. Final prizes are confirmed when entries open.
2. Donated prizes from partners may replace vouchers. The money saved goes to Tackling Minds.
3. Winners are announced within a week of the final day. Prizes are posted to UK addresses.
4. Prizes unclaimed after 30 days are donated to Tackling Minds.
5. The top 5 in the main series get a guaranteed place and early entry to the next Voyage, summer or winter, plus the Returning badge. The champion enters free.

19Your photos and data

1. Catch photos are stored by Voyagers Hook. We only ask for the county a fish came from, never the exact spot, and you can hide your county on the records map.
2. By entering, you agree that your catch photos and display name may be shared by Voyagers Hook and Tackling Minds.
3. Voyagers Hook is registered with the ICO. Our privacy notice explains how we handle your data.

20Where the money goes

1. £4 from every adult entry, and every extra donation, goes to Tackling Minds.
2. Junior entries pay for junior prizes first. Anything left goes to Tackling Minds.
3. A full breakdown of entries, prizes, costs and the amount paid is published within 30 days of the results.

21Changes to these rules

1. The organiser may clarify a rule during the competition. Clarifications are posted here and apply from the time they are posted.