Angling - Rod Licence Prices and Distributors, Permits and Some Regulations

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Please note that only 1 game licence can be issued to an individual.  It is illegal, unless authority is given in writing by the Agency, for any person to have more than 1 licence of a particular description. 

ROD LICENCE AND FISHING PERMIT

A rod licence is required to fish on rivers and lakes (known locally as ‘loughs’) in the Loughs Agency area. This applies equally to those fishing for trout, coarse fish and salmon.

In addition to a rod licence, it is a requirement to hold a permit to fish on many stretches of river and on many of the lakes in the Foyle and Carlingford systems. These are often sold locally - at license distributors, tackle shops, and even the occasional rural hardware store and grocery shop! As an indication of affordability a typical day permit costs in the region of £10.

DAY TICKET AVAILABILITY

Download this document for details of day ticket outlets and availability.

ROD LICENCE AND FISHING PERMIT DISTRIBUTORS

Details of licence distributors in 2011 can be downloaded here. The listing is by county and in alphabetical order.

Prohibited methods – for reasons of conservation of fish stocks! (as at 1st January 2010)

Anglers are advised to update themselves on current regulations!

Information is available from the Loughs Agency and is updated on the Agency website.

Bag Limits and Tagging

 • No salmon, brown trout or sea trout of less than 25.4cm (10 inches) may be retained

• Anglers must gill tag all wild salmon and sea trout over 40cm that are caught and retained - immediately on landing the fish

• 1st March - 31st May inclusive: bag limit 1 salmon or sea trout over 40cm on any one day; maximum of 5 in this period.

• 1st June - 31st October: bag limit 2 salmon or sea trout over 40cm on any one day; maximum of 20 in this period.

• No more than 4 trout can be caught and retained on any one day

• Float. No use of a float with bait is permitted for game fishing on any waters in the Foyle area - other than in conjunction with a single artificial fly (however, see entry below).

• Bubble. Use of a bubble and fly is not permitted on DCAL waters (lakes, parts of the River  Mourne) or the rivers Roe and Faughan.

• Bait. Use of shrimp or prawn is strictly prohibited in the Foyle and Carlingford areas!

• Live bait. Live fish cannot be used as bait in fresh waters in the Foyle and Carlingford areas.

• Coarse fish. It is prohibited to kill coarse fish (however, see regulation on pike, below) in the Foyle and Carlingford areas waters.

• Eels. It is prohibited to kill eels in the Foyle and Carlingford areas.

• All such coarse fish and eels caught, must be carefully handled and returned alive and unharmed to the water. 

• Pike. There is a bag limit of 2 pike weighing 4 kg or less, on any one day. Pike of 4kg or more must be returned unharmed to the water. There is an exception for specimen pike with a bag limit of 1 specimen pike in any one day (a specimen pike in a river is 9 kg or more; a specimen pike in a lake is 13.6 kg or more). However, anglers are encouraged to return pike to the water unharmed.

• Bass. A regulation planned to come into force in 2010 will introduce bag limits, size limits and close season for bass in the Foyle and Carlingford areas.

• Tope. The Loughs Agency plan a regulation to prohibit killing of tope in the Foyle and Carlingford areas.

• Weirs. There is a general prohibition of angling within 5 meters of any weir in the Foyle and Carlingford areas. This distance may be extended locally. For instance, angling is prohibited 25 meters upstream and downstream of the fish counter in Newry.