Salmon Angling Regulations 2007 (Ireland)

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

Subject to the maximum annual bag limit of 10 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 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.

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.

On all rivers (table 3) angling for salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) is prohibited. On the Liffey and the Slaney, angling for salmon (any size) and all sea trout (any size) is prohibited.

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 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 transferrable between licence holders.
• These tags shall not be re-used.
• One tag shall be attached to each salmon (any size) and sea trout (over 40cm) 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/her, subject to bag limits.
• Lost and accidently 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

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 or 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/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