Environment Agency Fishing Byelaws - South West Region
Environment Agency Fishing Byelaws - South West Region
Rod fishing byelaws are statutory rules put in place by the Environment Agency. They protect migratory and freshwater fish stocks from damaging fishing practices.
Rod fishing byelaws set out when, where and how you can fish and what fish you can take
Some fishing rules are local, covering specific waters; others apply to the whole of South West Region; and some national rules cover the whole of England and Wales.
Angling clubs and private fisheries often have their own rules which you must respect.
These rules apply to anyone fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater (coarse) fish, eels, smelt and lamprey in all freshwater fisheries and to a distance of 6 nautical miles at sea. They cover all rivers, streams, drains, canals, stillwaters and coastal waters within the Environment Agency's South West Region.
The Region stretches from the Hampshire Avon in the east up to Bristol and down to Land's End in Cornwall.
Anyone fishing with rod and line in England and Wales must also hold a rod fishing licence and comply with the byelaws that cover the waters where they are fishing. You can be fined up to £2,500 for fishing without a rod fishing licence.
Children under 13 do not need a licence.
Anyone failing to comply with these byelaws could face prosecution and be fined up to £2,500.
South-west fishing byelaws
These byelaws for the south-west region apply to anyone fishing with a rod and line for salmon, trout, coarse fish, eels, smelt and lamprey in all freshwater fisheries.
Private fisheries may enforce their own additional rules, but national and regional byelaws still apply.
South-west and Wessex
Within the south-west region, some rules apply specifically to an area referred to as ‘Wessex’.
When and where you can fish
Dates are inclusive
All dates mentioned in these byelaws are inclusive: this means a stated period, such as 15 March to 15 June, includes the full day of 15 March and the full day of 15 June.
Close season rules
Many regional variations to national close season rules apply across the south-west region.
Salmon close seasons by river
River | Start and end |
---|---|
Avon (Devon) | 1 Dec to 14 Apr |
Erme | 1 Nov to 14 Mar |
Axe, Otter, Sid | 1 Nov to 14 Mar |
Lim | 1 Oct to the last day of Feb |
Camel, Gannel, Menalhyl, Valency | 16 Dec to 30 Apr |
Dart | 1 Oct to 31 Jan |
Exe | 1 Oct to 13 Feb |
Fowey, Looe, Seaton | 16 Dec to 31 Mar |
Tamar, Tavy, Lynher | 15 Oct to the last day of Feb |
Plym, Yealm | 16 Dec to 31 Mar |
Taw, Torridge | 1 Oct to the last day of Feb |
Lyn | 1 Nov to 31 Jan |
Teign | 1 Sep to 31 Jan |
Frome (Dorset) and Piddle | 1 Sep to the last day of Feb |
All other rivers in Wessex | 1 Sep to 31 Jan |
Migratory trout close seasons by river
River | Start and end |
---|---|
Avon (Devon) | 1 Oct to 14 Apr |
Erme | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
Axe, Otter, Sid | 1 Nov to 14 Apr |
Lim | 1 Nov to 15 Apr |
Camel, Gannel, Menalhyl, Valency | 1 Oct to 30 Apr |
Dart | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
Exe | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
Fowey, Looe, Seaton, Tresillian | 1 Oct to 31 Mar |
Tamar, Tavy, Lynher, Plym, Yealm | 1 Oct to 2 Mar |
Taw, Torridge, Lyn | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
Teign | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
All other rivers in Wessex | 1 Nov to 14 Apr |
Brown trout close seasons
Waters | Start and end |
---|---|
Enclosed stillwaters | No statutory close season |
River Camel | 1 Oct to 30 Apr |
River Fowey | 1 Oct to 31 Mar |
Other rivers in Devon and Cornwall | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
Other waters in Devon and Cornwall | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
All rivers in Wessex Area | 16 Oct to 31 Mar |
Other waters in Wessex Area | 15 Oct to 16 Mar |
Rainbow trout close seasons
Waters | Start and end |
---|---|
All reservoirs, lakes and ponds | No statutory close season |
River Camel | 1 Oct to 31 Mar |
River Fowey | 1 Oct to 31 Mar |
Other rivers in Devon and Cornwall | 1 Oct to 14 Mar |
All rivers in Wessex area | 16 Oct to 31 Mar |
Weirs
It is illegal to take or attempt to take fish by any means within 46m (50 yards) below the crest of Kilbury Weir on the River Dart.
Coarse fishing close season
The coarse fishing close season applies from 15 March to 15 June to rivers, streams, drains, and the Glastonbury Canal. This canal is part of an open system with the South Drain.
Legal fishing tackle, lures and bait
National byelaws apply in addition to regional byelaws to the use of tackle, lures and bait.
Use of floats
The use of any float when fishing for salmon or trout in any waters within the Avon (Devon), Axe (Devon), Dart, Exe, Taw and Torridge and Teign districts is prohibited.
Devon rivers – no spinning for trout
No spinning for trout in waters included within the Dartmoor National Park, the Exe above Exebridge, Otter above Langford Bridge, Torridge above Woodford Bridge, Bray above Newton Bridge, Mole above Alswear Bridge, Little Dart above Afleton Bridge, and the whole of the Okement, Lyn and Barnstaple Yeo.
Rods
Rules around the number of rods permitted, use of landing nets, keepnets, gaffs or tailers are all covered in National Byelaws.
Permitted baits
National byelaws apply across the south-west region, with the addition of the restrictions in the table below:
Fishery district | Species | Bait or lure rule |
---|---|---|
South-west region | Salmon | Artificial fly and artificial lure only before 16 June |
Avon (Devon) | Salmon and trout | No worm or maggot |
Axe (Devon) | Salmon and trout | No shrimp, prawn, worm or maggot. Fly only after 31 July below Axbridge, Colyford |
Dart | Salmon | See byelaw above. No worm or maggot. No shrimp or prawn except below Staverton Bridge. No spinning above Holne Bridge |
Trout | Fly only | |
Exe | Salmon and trout | No worm or maggot |
Barnstaple Yeo (tidal) | All species including sea fish | No fishing |
Taw and Torridge (except Lyn) | Salmon and trout | No shrimp, prawn, worm or maggot. No spinning after 31 March |
Lyn | Trout | No worm or maggot before 1 June |
Teign | Salmon | Artificial fly and artificial lure only after 31 August |
Trout | No worm or maggot before 1 June | |
Camel | Salmon | No byelaw restrictions on bait after 16 June |
Trout | No byelaw restrictions on bait | |
Fowey | Salmon | No byelaw restrictions on bait after 16 June |
Trout | No byelaw restrictions on bait | |
Tamar | Salmon and migratory trout | No worm, maggot, shrimp or prawn after 31 August. |
Wessex Area | Salmon and migratory trout | Artificial fly only before 15 May |
Wessex Area | All species in rivers, drains and canals | No maggot (or pupae), processed product, cereal or other vegetable matter during the coarse fish close season |
Catch limits, size limits and catch returns
For coarse fish catch limits, national byelaws apply across the south-west region.
Salmon and trout catch limits
It is illegal to catch and remove any live or dead salmon from these rivers, their tributaries and estuaries:
- Allen
- Avill
- Bristol Avon
- Brit
- Doniford
- Fal
- Harbourne
- Heddon
- Lerryn
- Looe
- Otter
- Par
- Parrett
- Porth
- Seaton
- Sid
- Valency
- Washford
- Winster
- Stour
- Yealm
All salmon caught from these waters must be released immediately with the least possible injury.
As per national byelaws all salmon caught before 16th June must be returned alive. The rules below apply after 16 June.
Keep limit | Period | |||
Area or Catchment | Species | 24 hour | 7 days | Season limit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wessex North | Non-migratory trout | 2 | N/A | N/A |
Wessex North | Grayling | 2 | N/A | N/A |
Taw | Salmon | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Taw | Migratory trout | 5 | 15 | 40 |
Torridge | Salmon | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Torridge | Migratory trout | 2 | 5 | 20 |
Coarse fish and eels catch limits
Across the south-west region, national byelaws apply.
Trout and grayling size limits
Trout and grayling smaller than the size limits outlined in the table below must be returned to the water.
Area, district or catchment | Migratory trout | Non-migratory trout | Grayling |
---|---|---|---|
Camel, Fowey, Tamar, Plym | 18cm | 18cm | N/A |
Avon (Devon), Axe (Devon), Dart, Exe, Taw, Torridge, Teign | 25cm | 20cm | N/A |
River Lim | N/A | 22cm | N/A |
Wessex North except By Brook | 35cm | 25cm | 25cm |
By Brook and tributaries | 35cm | 20cm | 25cm |
Wessex south | 35cm | 25cm | N/A |
These size restrictions do not apply to non-migratory trout in any waters included within the Dartmoor National Park, the Exe above Exebridge, Otter above Langford Bridge, Torridge above Woodford Bridge, Mole above Alswear Bridge, Little Dart above Afleton Bridge, and the whole of the Okement, Lyn and Barnstaple Yeo.
Taw and Torridge salmon
It is prohibited to take salmon more than 70cm long in the River Taw and River Torridge between 1 August and 30 September.
The length of a fish is measured from tip of the snout to the fork or cleft of the tail.
To find out more about fishing regulations, where to fish, codes of practice and information on how to stop the spread of invasive aquatic species which can harm our fisheries, please visit our website at
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fish or www.gethooked.co.uk.
See also: 2012 Fishing Byelaws and Fish Removal Bylaw Update 2010 and Fish for the Future Newsletter