Fishing In Ireland
Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme
Includes information on bag limits, mandatory Catch & Release, rivers which are open and closed, gill tags, and returning your completed logbook and unused tags to your Regional Fisheries Board by 19th October of the relevant year.
Please note that these regulations and bye-laws are subject to change. Contact your Regional Fisheries Board for information on individual rivers.
The Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme is administered by the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards.
This leaflet provides information for anglers on tagging their catch and recording the relevant details in their logbook.
All salmon rod licence holders must affix a gill tag to:
- all salmon (any size), or
- sea trout (over 40 cm)
they catch and retain.
BAG LIMIT There is an angling bag limit of 10 fish per angler of 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) for the period beginning January 1st to May 12th (one 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 13th to August 31st,
- Daily Bag Limit: One salmon (any size) or sea trout (over 40cm) per day from 1st September to the close of the season,
- Please note that no sea trout of any size caught in the Western Region or the Clew Bay area of the North Western Region can be retained.
After the daily bag limit has been taken, anglers are permitted to fish catch and release, using single, barbless hooks and there is a ban on the use of worms.
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Table1: Open Fisheries
Fishery district
(1) |
Rivers
(2) |
Waterford |
Black Water |
Lismore |
Blackwater (Munster) |
Cork |
Owennacurra |
| |
Lower Lee (Martin, Shornach, Bride) |
| |
Bandon |
| |
Ilen |
| |
Mealagh |
| |
Coomhola |
Kerry |
Roughty |
| |
Blackwater (Kerry) |
| |
Sneem |
| |
Waterville |
| |
Caragh |
| |
Laune |
| |
Owenmore R. |
Limerick |
Feale |
| |
Mulkear |
Galway |
Corrib |
Connemara |
Cashla |
| |
Screebe |
| |
Ballynahinch |
Ballinakill |
Erriff |
| |
Bundorragha |
| |
Common estuary |
| |
Owenglin (Clifden) |
| |
Dawros |
Bangor |
Burrishoole |
| |
Owenduff (Glenamong) |
| |
Owenmore R. |
| |
Common estuary |
Ballina |
Moy |
| |
Easkey |
Sligo |
Ballysadare |
| |
Drumcliff |
Ballyshannon |
Duff |
| |
Drowes |
| |
Eany |
| |
Glen |
Letterkenny |
Owenea |
| |
Gweebarra |
| |
Clady |
| |
Tullaghobegly |
| |
Crana |
Dundalk |
Castletown |
| |
Fane |
On rivers where catch and release is permitted (Table 2):
- there is a ban on the use of worms,
- anglers must use single, barbless hooks,
- the fish must be handled carefully and should not be removed from the water prior to release.
Table 2: Open Fisheries Catch and Release only
Fishery District |
River |
No. 3 or Waterford District |
Nore
Suir |
No. 10(1) or Ballinakill District |
Owenwee (Belclara)
Bunowen |
No. 10(2) or Bangor District |
Glenamoy
Newport, Beltra |
No. 17(2) or Dundalk District |
Castletown |
On all other rivers (Table 3) angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) is prohibited.
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On the Liffey and the Slaney, angling for all salmon (any size) and all sea trout (any size) is prohibited.
Table 3: Closed Fisheries
Fishery District |
River |
No. 1 or Dublin District |
Vartry
Dargle |
No. 2 or Wexford District |
Avoca
Owenavorragh |
No. 3 or Waterford District |
Corrock
Owenduff
Pollmounty
Linguan
Clodiagh
Mahon
Tay
Barrow
Colligan |
No. 4 or Lismore District |
Lickey
Finnisk
Glenshelane
Tourig
Womanagh
Bride |
No. 5 or Cork District |
Argideen
Owvane
Adrigole
Upper Lee
Glengarriff |
No. 7 or Kerry District |
Owenshagh
Finnihy
Owenascaul
Feohanagh
Kealincha
Ardgroom, Lough Fadda
Cloonee
Owenreagh
Emlaghmore
Cottoners
Emlagh
Milltown
Lee (Kerry)
Croanshagh
Sheen
Maine
Carhan
Ferta
Behy
Inny |
No. 8 or Limerick District |
Brick
Galey
Deel
Owenagarney (Ratty)
Skivileen
Aughyvackeen
Doonbeg
Annageeragh
Inagh
Fergus
Maigue
Shannon (excluding Mulkear) |
No. 9(1) or Galway District |
Clarinbridge
Knock
Aille
Owenboliska, Spiddal
Kilcolgan |
No. 9(2) or Connemara District |
Stream, Lough Nafurnace |
No. 10(1) or Ballinakill District |
Culfin
Carrownisky |
No. 10(2) or Bangor District |
Owengarve
Muingnabo |
No. 11 or Ballina District |
Brusna
Leaffony
Ballinglen
Cloonaghmore, Palmerstown |
No. 12 or Sligo District |
Grange
Garravogue River Estuary, Lough Gill (Bonnet) |
No. 13 or Ballyshannon District |
Abbey
Ballintra (Murvagh)
Laghy (Stream)
Owenwee Yellow River
Oily
Bungosteen
Eske
Erne |
No. 14 or Letterkenny District |
Bracky
Isle (Burn)
Mill
Clonmany
Straid
Owentocker
Owennamarve
Glenna
Swilly
Donagh
Glenagannon
Culoort
Lackagh
Leannan
Gweedore (Crolly River)
Ray |
No. 17(1) or Drogheda District |
Boyne |
No. 17(2) or Dundalk District |
Flurry
Glyde
Dee |
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OBTAINING A LICENCE
Anglers can obtain their licence from Regional Fisheries Board headquarters or any rod licence distributor. On payment of the rod licence fee, the angler will be given:
- The relevant rod licence
- A logbook
- 1 gill tag up until May 12th and additional allocations after this date provided they demonstrate that they have completed their logbook appropriately
- A business reply envelope will be provided for return of the logbook and unused tags to the relevant Regional Fisheries Board
- A plastic wallet for the logbook.
Licence Fees (2007)
- All Districts (i.e. all Regions) Annual: €128 (incl. €64 conservation stamp)
- Juvenile (under the age of 18 years) All Districts Annual: €20 (incl. €10 conservation stamp)
- One District, Annual: €60 (incl. €30 conservation stamp)
- All districts, 21 Days: €48 (incl. €24 conservation stamp)
- All districts, 1 Day: €34 (incl. €17 conservation stamp)
- Special Local (for Annual Licence holders) €24 (incl. €12 conservation stamp)
- Special Local (for non- Annual Licence holders) €96 (incl. €48 conservation stamp)
- Foyle Area Extension €80 (incl. €40 conservation stamp)
THE TAG
The tag to be used by anglers is a blue or brown plastic self-locking device. Each tag is embossed with a code identifying the region (or river and district) in which the tag was issued, the year in which the tag can be used and a tag number.
Fishermen 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 and securely 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 a Regional Fisheries Board
- 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.
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 fisherman 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
- Record details of any lost or damaged tags
- Declare lost or damaged logbooks to the relevant Regional Fisheries Board
RETURNING LOGBOOKS AND UNUSED TAGS
In accordance with the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout 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 Regional Fisheries Board by the 19th October of the relevant year. 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.
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 Part 3 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1999 (No. 35 of 1999), the current Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme Regulations and the Salmon and Sea Trout Conservation Bye-laws. |
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