GOV.UK
Buy a fishing rod licence
1. When you need a licence
You need a fishing rod licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel with a rod and line in:
- England (except the River Tweed)
- Wales
- the Border Esk region of Scotland
You need an additional licence to fish in the Thames.
You must always carry your rod licence when you’re fishing or you could be prosecuted.
You can be fined up to £2,500 for fishing without a rod licence.
Children under 12 don’t need a licence. However, if you take a child under 12 fishing and hold the rod or help hold it you must buy a licence for yourself.
Types of licence
There are 2 types of licences:
- trout, coarse fish and eel licences that let you fish for non-migratory trout, char, coarse fish, eel and smelt
- salmon and sea trout licences that let you fish for salmon, sea trout and all of the fish in the licence above
Number of rods you can use with your licences
The maximum number of rods that you can fish with depends on the type of water and fish.
| Types of fish | Rivers, streams, drains and canals | Reservoirs, lakes and ponds |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon, trout and char | 1 rod | 2 rods |
| Coarse fish and eels | 2 rods (or 4 rods if you buy an extra licence) | 2 rods (or 4 rods if you buy an extra licence) |
‘Spod’ or ‘marker’ rods don’t count towards these totals, as long as they don’t have hooks attached.