Fishing - Rod Licence Question?!
 

Not been fishing for 20 years, but, will be going on holiday to Snowdonia in August ...... the owners of the land have a River on their boundary - they said I am welcome to fish it as long as I have a Licence.

Ok, so, I just now buy my licence online - sorted.

BUT .....

I have just spoken to the owners of the RiverBank to ask what I might catch and they said Rainbows, Browns and - possibly - Salmon! :eek:

I am a coarse fisherman if anything - and thats the licence I have bought - what happens if I catch a game fish whilst trying to catch Chub/Roach/Barbel??

Will I get 'done' by the EA? Or can I say I was fishing according to my licence? the fact that a Rainbow threw itself on my hook can't be my fault .... surely?

Pete

Tricky, if the river holds only game fish then it is likely that you will require a game license to fish it. It is unlikely that they will wear the "i was fishing for coarse fish" if there are no coarse fish in there. It is also possible that they will then attempt to imply that you were also using illegal methods for game fish (maggots etc.)

If the river holds a good head of both game and coarse then i suppose you might get away with it but, as you would be aware, it is rare for both types to cohabit well.

It is also possible that the river is "designated" a game water. This certainly happens in some situations and if it were the case then i would suspect you would need a game license no matter what you thought you might be fishing for. I don't know how you might determine this designation.

The other thing to be careful of is that the owner of the river bank, and even the river bed, doesn't necessarily have any rights to the fish in the river.

I haven't bought a licence this year (not had chance to go fishing yet) but as far as i remember the course licence is for "Course and Non-Migratory Trout". Just tick that and you're covered for the trout (rainbows and browns). As far as the salmon or sea trout goes, you were "told there were only rainbows and browns in here". ;)

I flyfish for trout in fisheries and always buy the regular "course/trout" licence. I assume the licence is the same this year as it's been for the last 10 or so years....

Iwan

Fook a licence no one's gunna check up on you .. :rolleyes:

yeah no one apart from the game keepers on crosstrail bikes :P

why not buy an 8 day game licence that covers all species:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk..._fs_697961.jpg

If you only want to fish for coarse fish then you only need the cheaper licence which includes Brown Trout. But there must be the possibility of catching those type of fish in the water you are fishing.

If you wanted to catch sea trout or salmon then you need the licence for "migratory" fish, ie those that go out to sea and then come back to the river. You may well find that there is a fly fishing only rule on that water. So if you want to bait fish you would have to go somewhere else.

Best advice is to get a short term licence as advised above.

Don't be silly Audi chap, the bailiffs are always checking licences and it is expensive if you get caught!

Les

How can they charge you for fishing for salmon and trout?

It's not like people stock these fish, its a river - replenishes its own stock each season etc.

The money raised through rod licences is used to maintain the river systems.
There has also been alot spent on breeding and releasing young salmon over the the last few years ,and improving their spawning grounds.

If the river is "any method" you should be fine with the standard coarse n.m trout licence.
Sea trout are mainly caught at night anyway.
Brown and rainbow trout are fine on the standard licence.
If you catch a salmon, then:eek::eek::cool:

Great idea! Scoobynet should charge for rod licences when its members go fishing...

Blimey a rare oppertunity to get some advice that the legendary psL will heed.


In short dont worry. just because you are told there are fish in there, dosent mean you will catch them.

i have coarse fished all round the uk, and as of yet, have not caught a salmon.

i have fished any method trout, and caught them, and then again cought bugger all.

unless the water is a specified salmon water, or you are specifically advised, to purchase a slamon licence, a standard rod licence will be fine.

you like countless other anglers cannot predict what will take your bait...

hope you get a good bag!!!!


Mart


Audi boy, take your head out of your ar**

as this is a detectable crime,,, i have seen countless baliffs and bib attending many waters to check licences...

at times your wtf attitude shows you for what you are...


;)

Mart

as mart says - if you go coarse fishing and catch a salmon, that is one f*ckin deluded salmon and you are a lucky b*stard. the chances of catching even a rainbow on course gear is fairly remote.

be a real man and fly fish for trout. then you'll understand the true meaning of disappointment.

:)

:D, how true is that statement?, that's fishing full stop mate.

Oh, the joys of fluff flinging:rolleyes::p

Fishing is about expectation management. If you expect to catch nothing, its a bonus when you do catch something! :D

Blimey. I thought we fishermen were supposed to be optimists!
Can't help you with the EA licence question cos we don't have them here in Scotland but I do know that the money does go to enviromental projects so I say buy the licence as fishing will benefit. Huge amounts of money have been spent on improving and indeed saving the atlantic salmon and it has to come from somewhere.
actually Salmon are not that difficult to catch IF you know what you are doing and you get the right conditions and there are some there to catch. :D
Wales has some very good runs of sea-trout I hear so I would go with that in mind.

Salmon are not difficult to catch!! What have I been doing wrong? I've been fishing the absolute best waters that cost the sort of cash people would consider a reasonably yearly wage and only rarely caught one.

Now, I've got to say that I'm not really a salmon angler and certainly have no expertise in the field but if you are finding them easy to catch you really should write a book. Sart by sending me a copy, just to check that you are getting things right and to let me test some of your ideas :-)

Unless, of course, you are using methods other than fly fishing. I have seen throw, duck and vanish and also monofil produce fish to order!

The fun in fishing isn't the catching, it's the fishing. Nothing better than sitting by a remote loch drinking tea, watching the world go by and knowing that even if you don't catch a fish it doesn't matter. There are few other things in life that you can approach with commitment and yet which don't really matter. Well, actually, the tea drinking does matter but it's a side show.

Thats exactly right hedgehog, I fish for sea trout which has to be done after dark in our river or you won't catch. I won't fish for salmon because there are so few left in our river now so I would rather they got upriver and produced some more before its too late. I have only caught two salmon 10 years ago and it was unforgettable, its true they are hard to catch.

As hedgehog says, its the being out there that counts and if you do catch its a bonus, and they taste good too.

ProperCharlie has got it right on the nail :)

Les

Did you miss the smiley and the bunch of ifs in my post guys? I have caught one salmon in my life and that was last year on a small spate river on the east coast of Scotland. I put it back as well. I was actually spinning for sea trout at the time so I am sure you can spin with coarse gear and a Flying C. As for sea trout, I have caught a few in both light and dark.
Yes it is all about being up to your armpits in icy water with the ice forming on your rings. It is the best therapy I know and I haven't done enough this year.

Tight lines

I don't like this talk about ice. You are putting me off again! What river did you get your fish from?

As far as I know, nothing prevents you from catching any species of fish in any river by normal angling methods apart from any restrictions placed on the stretch you fish by the owner.

Thanks everyone!

The river in question is Afon Gwyrfai - I have just found this written about it:-

'The Afon Gwyrfai in north-west Wales is representative of the small montane rivers in this region. It contains a largely unexploited salmon population with a characteristically late run'

and:-

'Afon Gwyrfai:
Flowing from the pewter bowl of Llyn Y Gadair and onwards through Llyn Cwellyn, the Gwyrfai meanders for some 10 miles into the Menai Straits, some two miles south of the Seiont estuary. A beautiful, wild and wooded banked river which provides unforgettable fishing from the open flats at Betws Garmon to Waunfawr where the character of the river changes: here it runs fast and deep, its many islands walled by trees, and at first glance this is worming water, but don’t be deceived - here the wet and dry fly can rule supreme with the many fine rising trout. This is a summer river, but seatrout and salmon can be caught up to the season’s end.'


Pete

Get caught without a licence for your rod and your shafted :D





...I know, I know, :rolleyes: <gets coat>

Make sure you dont drown :)

Sounds like a nice river if you get it on the right day. Many similar rivers don't produce much in the way of brown trout but others, and it looks like this might be one, can produce good sport with brown trout even if the salmon and sea trout are not moving.

From what pictures I can find of it I do gain the impression that it probably needs waded in most sections as there seem to be a lot of trees. If you are going to fish fly then getting a cast from the bank might be tricky. In saying that if you are new to this lark then the worm or spinner might work well for you, if allowed.

I don't know the rivers but if you get rising water after rain then even in daylight swinging a spinner for sea trout might be the way to go, assuming you are not a fly angler. There is also some implication that the river flows out from a lough and it might be worth considering a cast or two in there if you can.

I actually haven't fished in the ice I was just adding colour :D
I got my salmon from the Cowie in Stonehaven.

Zeolite

It is possible to catch sea trout by day if you are spinning for them of course. On our river spinning is not allowed for sea trout and so you have to fish for them with a fly after dark. On some rivers the sea trout will take a fly by day but no one knows why this is not universal.

Les

The Cowie is really too small to fish with the fly properly and we tend to worm during the day with some success for both salmon and sea-trout. We do fish fly and maggot at night too.

My first salmon
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/10...ish/salmon.jpg
Caught in an estuary pool on the incoming tide with an onshore wind. Bright sunshine and at 15:00. also about 25 spectators :S

But, will the normal licence cover me??

Far be it for me to be illegal! :D

Pete

Who's going to do their duty and report the old poacher? ;)