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Home » Salmon and Sea trout fishing»

Salmon Angling Regulations 2013

The Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme regulates salmon and sea trout fishing in Ireland and is administered by Inland Fisheries Ireland. Please note that the regulations and bye-laws are subject to change. Contact your local Inland Fisheries Ireland office for information on individual rivers.

All salmon rod licence holders must affix a gill tag to all retained salmon (any size), or sea trout (over 40 cm).

Notwithstanding the restrictions in place for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm), there are also further restrictions prohibiting the use of worms, prawn and shrimp as bait in angling for all other fish species in certain closed and catch and release rivers. Anglers may only use single barbless hooks where these restrictions apply. Bye-law 897 of 2012 prohibits the use of any fish hooks, other than single barbless hooks, and the use of worms as bait in angling for all species of fish in the waters specified and revokes both Angling Bye-law No. 888, 2011 and Eastern Fisheries Region (Angling) Bye-law No. 824, 2007. The list of waters this bye law applies to is available at the following link: ANGLING BYE-LAW NO. 897, 2012 [.pdf, 19 KB]

Copies of relevant bye laws mentioned in this document are available online at http://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Salmon-Regulations/salmon-regulations.html

1. BAG LIMITS

There is an angling bag limit of 10 salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40 cm) on rivers where you may catch and retain salmon (Table 1). The bag limits are subject to any quota allocated to a river and its tributaries.

Subject to the maximum annual bag limit of ten fish an angler may take:

• A total of one salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) per day for the period beginning January 1^st to May 11^th (three fish in total may be retained for this period),
• Daily Bag Limit: Three salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) per day from May 12^th to August 31^st (except where a salmon rod (one-day) ordinary licence is held, 1 fish),
• Daily Bag Limit: One salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) per day from 1st September to the close of the season,
• There is an angling bag limit of three sea trout (under 40cm) per angler per day (bye-law no. 887, 2011).

Please note that it is an offence to kill any sea trout in the Galway, Connemara or Ballinakill Fisheries Districts including at sea from Hags Head in County Clare to Clew Bay (and in any waters flowing into Clew Bay) in the Bangor Fishery District south of a line drawn due east and west through Achill Head.

After the daily bag limit has been taken, anglers are permitted to fish catch and release, using single, barbless hooks and anglers may not use worms. The killing and possession of foul hooked fish is prohibited.

On rivers where catch and release is permitted (Table 2):

• anglers may not use worms,
• anglers must use single, barbless hooks,
• the fish must be handled carefully and should not be removed from the water prior to release.

On all other rivers (Table 3) angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) is prohibited.

• The River Avoca prohibits the taking of any sea trout (under 40cm) as well as prohibiting the use of worms as bait and any fish hooks other than single barbless hooks in angling for sea trout (under 40cm) (bye-law no. 890, 2011).
  
• The River Slaney provides for catch and release from 17th March to 16th Sept. Anglers may only use single barbless hooks with artificial fly only upstream of the old bridge, Enniscorthy and prohibits the use of worms, downstream of the old bridge, Enniscorthy (pending bye-law).
• The River Munster Blackwater season is extended from 1st - 12th October on a catch and release basis using artificial fly only (pending bye-law).
• The River Suir provides for catch and release up to 11th May and is open for angling from 12th May with a bag limit of 1 fish per angler per day and no more than 5 fish for the season (pending bye-law).
• The River Feale provides for catch and release up to 11th May and is open for angling from 12th May with a bag limit of 1 fish per angler per day and no more than 3 fish for the season (pending bye-law).
• The River Tor and its tributaries are closed for angling for all species of fish (bye-law no. 311, 2011).

2. OBTAINING A LICENCE

Anglers can obtain their licence from Inland Fisheries Ireland, any rod licence distributor or online at www.salmonlicences.ie. On payment of the rod licence fee, the angler will be given:

• The relevant rod licence.
• A logbook.
• 3 gill tags where a salmon rod (annual) ordinary, juvenile, district or 21-day ordinary licence is issued up until 11^th May and a further 7 gill tags (issued in lots of 3 or 4) from the period 12^th May to 30^th Sept up to a maximum of 10 gill tags in total provided they demonstrate that they have completed their logbook appropriately.
• 1 gill tag where a one day ordinary licence is issued up until the close of the season.
• A business reply envelope for return of the logbook and unused tags to the relevant Inland Fisheries Ireland office.
• A plastic wallet for the logbook.

3. THE TAG

The tag to be used by anglers is a blue plastic self-locking device (an additional brown tag is also required for certain rivers – (refer to Table 1 – Open Fisheries 2012) to ensure angling quotas are not exceeded. Contact the relevant IFI office for details on how to obtain brown tags). Each blue tag is embossed with a code identifying where the tag was issued, the year in which the tag can be used, a security code and a tag serial number.

• Anglers should carefully note the following concerning the use of these tags:
• Each rod licence holder will be issued tags for his/her use only. Tags are not transferable between licence holders.
• These tags shall not be re-used.
• One tag shall be attached to each salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40 cm) caught and retained.
• Tags must be attached immediately on landing the fish.
• Tags shall be attached through the gill opening and mouth of the fish and securely double locked around the gill cover.
• Additional tags shall be issued on presentation of logbook information showing that the licence holder has used the gill tags issued to him or her, subject to bag limits.
• Lost and accidentally destroyed tags may be replaced upon presentation of a signed declaration completed by the angler and signed by an Authorised Officer of Inland Fisheries Ireland.
• Gill tags shall only be removed from the fish at the time of processing in accordance with the Tagging Scheme Regulations. For the purposes of this scheme processing includes: smoking, marinating or cooking the fish, gutting and freezing the fish or cutting any steaks, cutlets or portions of the fish.

4. THE LOGBOOK

On receipt of tags the angler will also receive a logbook. Details of the gill tags issued to an angler will be entered into the angler’s logbook by the issuing agent.

Each angler shall:

• Have the logbook in his/her possession while fishing for salmon or sea trout.
• Record all details of their catch in their logbook immediately after tagging the fish.
• Make a catch record even if the fish is released (including kelts and baggots).
• Record details of any lost or damaged tags.
• Declare lost or damaged logbooks to Inland Fisheries Ireland.

5. RETURNING LOGBOOKS AND UNUSED TAGS

In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Regulations anglers are required by law to return their completed logbook (even if there is no catch recorded) and all unused tags to the issuing office of Inland Fisheries Ireland by the 19^th October 2012. A business reply envelope is provided for this purpose. Anglers are required to obtain proof of postage and to retain such proof for 12 months.

6. PROHIBITION ON THE SALE OF ROD CAUGHT SALMON OR SEA TROUT

Anglers are prohibited from selling salmon (any size) or sea trout (any size) caught by rod and line.

These guidelines have been prepared for information purposes only and do not purport to be a legal interpretation. The holder of a rod licence should familiarise himself or herself with section 69 of the Inland Fisheries Act, 2010 (No. 10 of 2010), the current Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations and the Salmon and Sea Trout Conservation Bye-laws.

Open Fisheries

Table 1:Open Fisheries

Fishery District	River
No. 3 or Waterford District	Nore - Open from 12th May Suir - Open from 12th May
No. 4 or Lismore District	Blackwater (Munster) including Glenshelane and Finisk
No. 5 or Cork District	Owenacurra Bandon Lower Lee Ilen Mealagh Owvane Coomhola Glengarriff
No. 7 or Kerry District	Roughty Laune Cottoners Sneem Watervillle/Cummeragh/Currane Inny Caragh Owenmore Croanshagh (Glanmore R and L), Maine
No. 8 or Limerick District	Feale - Open from 12th May, Galey Brick Mulkear
No. 9(1) or Galway District	Corrib
No. 9(2) or Connemara District	Cashla Ballynahinch (Owenmore)
No. 10(1) or Ballinakill District	Owenglin (Clifden) Bundorragha (Delphi) Erriff Culfin Dawros
No. 10(2) or Bangor District	Carrowmore Lake (brown tag required from 12th May - code C4) Owenmore (brown tag required – code P3), Glenamoy Owenduff Newport River, Lough Beltra and the Crumpaun River (Open from 12 May)
No. 11 or Ballina District	Moy Easkey
No. 12 or Sligo District	Ballysadare Drumcliff River and Glencar Lake Garvogue, River Bonet and Lough Gill
No. 13 or Ballyshannon District	Duff Drowes Eske (brown tag required – code X3) Eany (brown tag required – code Z3) Glen
No. 14 or Letterkenny District	Owenea Owentocker Gweebarra Gweedore (Crolly R) Crana Tullaghobegley (brown tag required – code V3) Clady
No. 17(2) or Dundalk District	Fane

Catch and Release Fisheries

Table 2: Fisheries open to Catch and Release only

Fishery District	River
No1 or Dublin District	Lower Liffey (downstream of Leixlip Dam)*
No. 2 or Wexford District	Slaney* Owenavorragh*
No. 3 or Waterford District	Nore - C&R to 11 May Colligan* Suir - C&R to 11 May Corrock* Barrow Pollmounty
No. 4 or Lismore District	Bride* Blackwater - C&R from 1st - 12th October
No. 5 or Cork District	Argideen* Adrigole*
No.7 or Kerry District	Blackwater* Ferta* Owenascaul* Milltown* Feohanagh* Kealincha* Lough Fada* Sheen*
No. 8 or Limerick District	Feale - C&R to 11 May
No. 9(1) or Connemara District	Lough na Furnace* Screebe*
No. 10(1) or Ballinakill District	Carrownisky* Bunowen* Owenwee (Belclare)*
No. 10(2) or Bangor District	Newport River, Lough Beltra and Crumpaun River - Catch and Release to 11th May Shramore (Burrishoole)*
No. 13 or Ballyshannon District	Oily* Bungosteen*
No. 14 or Letterkenny District	Bracky* Lackagh* Ray
No. 17(1) or Drogheda District	Boyne**
No. 17(2) or Dundalk District	Glyde** Castletown* Dee**

* Notwithstanding the restrictions in place for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm), further restrictions prohibiting the use of worms as bait in angling for all other fish species apply in certain closed and catch and release rivers. Anglers may only use single barbless hooks where these restrictions apply.
** Subject to paragraph* above these restrictions may not apply to the entire river. Please refer to IFI website www.fisheriesireland.ie or your local IFI office for any further changes or amendments.

A salmon from the Erriff River with both blue and brown gill tags

Closed Rivers

NB A section of the lower main Shannon River between O’Brien’s Bridge and Thomand Bridge in the city of Limerick will be open to catch and release of wild fish and harvesting of hatchery salmon, check with IFI Limerick.

Table 3: Closed fisheries

Fishery District	River
No. 1 or Dublin District	Upper Liffey (upstream of Leixlip Dam)** Dargle * Vartry*
No. 2 or Wexford District	Avoca *
No. 3 or Waterford District	Owenduff* Mahon * Tay *
No. 4 or Lismore District	Lickey* Tourig* Womanagh *
No. 5 or Cork District	Upper Lee*
No. 7 or Kerry District	Owenshagh* Finnihy* Cloonee* Owenreagh* Emlaghmore* Carhan* Emlagh* Lee (Kerry)* Behy*
No. 8 or Limerick District	Deel* Owenagarney * Skivileen* Aughyvackeen* Doonbeg* Annageeragh* Inagh* Fergus Maigue* Shannon (excluding Mulkear)^ A section of the lower main Shannon River between O’Brien’s Bridge and Thomand Bridge in the city of Limerick will be open to catch and release of wild fish and harvesting of hatchery salmon, check with Inland Fisheries Ireland - Limerick.
No. 9(1) or Galway District	Clarinbridge* Knock* Aille* Owenboliska, Spiddal* Kilcolgan
No. 10(2) or Bangor District	Owengarve* Muingnabo*
No. 11 or Ballina District	Brusna* Leaffony* Ballinglen* Cloonaghmore, Palmerstown*
No. 13 or Ballyshannon District	Abbey* Ballintra (Murvagh)** Laghy (Stream)* Owenwee (Yellow)* Erne*
No. 14 or Letterkenny District	Isle (Burn)* Mill* Clonmany* Straid* Owennamarve* Swilly* Donagh* Culoort* Leannan* Glenna* Glengannon*
No. 17(2) or Dundalk District	Flurry*

* Notwithstanding the restrictions in place for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm), further restrictions prohibiting the use of worms as bait in angling for all other fish species apply in certain closed and catch and release rivers. Anglers may only use single barbless hooks where these restrictions apply.
** Subject to paragraph* above these restrictions may not apply to the entire river. Please refer to IFI website www.fisheriesireland.ie or your local IFI office for any further changes or amendments.

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