SALMON and SEA TROUT

A State Licence is required to fish for salmon and sea trout, but does not entitle you to fish. Permits or permission from fisheries owners must be obtained.

General salmon angling regulations

A State Licence is required to fish for salmon and sea trout
All salmon (and sea trout over 40cm) kept must be tagged, and the logbook filled out accordingly.
It is prohibited to keep or kill any sea trout in Connemara or the Ballinakill district.
It is prohibited sell rod caught salmon or sea trout over 40cm between January 1st and October 31st

Salmon Licence Fees (2009)

All Districts (i.e. all Regions) Annual: €134 (incl. €67 conservation stamp)
Juvenile (under the age of 18 years) All Districts Annual: €20 (incl. €10 conservation stamp)
One District, Annual: €64 (incl. €32 conservation stamp)
All districts, 21 Days: €50 (incl. €25 conservation stamp)
All districts, 1 Day: €36 (incl. €18 conservation stamp)
Special Local (for Annual Licence holders) €26 (incl. €13 conservation stamp)
Special Local (for non- Annual Licence holders) €100 (incl. €50 conservation stamp)
Foyle Area Extension €84 (incl. €42 conservation stamp)

Open Rivers
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, as listed below.
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 season bag limit of 3 fish in the period 1 Jan to 11 May,
a daily bag limit of 3 fish from 12 May to 31 August
and a daily bag limit of 1 fish from 1 September to the end of the season.
The Bye-law also provides for the use of single hooks and prohibits the use of worms as bait once the specified number of fish have been caught in the specified periods
Please note that no sea trout of any size caught in the Western Region can be retained.

Fishery district (1)	River (2)	Open date	Close Date	Notes
Galway All sea trout must be released in Galway District	Corrib	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
Connemara All sea trout must be released in Connemara District	Cashla	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
	Screebe	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 12th Sept
	Ballynahinch	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
Ballinakill All sea trout must be released in Ballinakill District	Erriff	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 12th Oct
	Bundorragha	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
	Owenglin (Clifden)	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
	Dawros	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept

Catch and Release Rivers
On rivers where catch and release is permitted (see below)

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: Fisheries open to Catch and Release only
Fishery District (1)	River (2)	Open Date	Close Date	Notes
Ballinakill District All sea trout must be released in Ballinakill District	Carrownisky	1st April	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
	Bunowen	1st April	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
	Owenwee (Belclara)	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept
	Culfin	1st Feb	30th Sept	Sea Trout 1st June to 30th Sept

Closed Rivers
On all other rivers (see below) angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) is prohibited.

Fishery District (1)	River (2)
No. 9(1) or Galway District	Clarinbridge Knock Aille Owenboliska, Spiddal Kilcolgan
No. 9(2) or Connemara District	L. na Furnace

OBTAINING A LICENCE

Anglers can obtain their licence from Regional Fisheries Board headquarters, 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.
Up to 10 gill tags where an (annual) ordinary, juvenile, or district licence shall be issued.
3 gill tags where a twenty one day ordinary licence shall be issued up until 11th May and additional allocations after this date 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 shall be issued up until 11th May, 3 gill tags from 12th May to 31st August and 1 gill tag from 1st Sept to the close of the season.
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.

Up until the 11th May, no more than 3 tags can be issued. On 12th May onwards the balance of the 10 tags shall be issued in batches of 4 and 3 on presentation of a logbook showing that at least one of the previous tags have been used.
On 12th May onwards for a new licence no more than 4 tags to be issued on the first allocation, the balance of the tags will be issued in batches of 3 and 3 on presentation of a logbook showing that at least one of the previous tags have been used.

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 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 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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