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Follow national and local rules (byelaws) when freshwater fishing with a rod and line in England and Wales

• Overview

  You must follow national and local rules (byelaws) when freshwater fishing…

• When and where you can fish

  ‘Close seasons’ are seasons when you cannot fish for some types of fish on…

• Fish size and catch limits

  You’re only allowed to keep a certain amount of the fish you catch. These…

• Tackle you can use

  There are rules on how many rods you can use at a time, and the types of…

Rod fishing byelaws are rules and regulations explaining who can fish, where, when and what fish you can take in England.

• Updated: 12 December 2023

How to import or move fish for human consumption to the UK.

• Updated: 15 August 2024

Apply for the Registered Traveller service to get through UK border control faster and without filling in a landing card

Use the Fish Export Service to create a UK catch certificate for fish and shellfish caught by UK flagged vessels for export.

• Updated: 2 July 2025

You'll need to give prior notification before you land fish directly from your UK flagged vessel in an EU designated port.

How to apply for an accommodation licence for a structure on the River Thames, the licensing requirements, and licence fees.

• Updated: 29 September 2020

The Blue Book is a single collection of UK and EU laws.

• Updated: 30 July 2025

Guidance on the technical conservation and landing obligation (discard ban) regulations from 2025, including how the rules apply, selling undersize fish, reporting requirements and quota management.

• Updated: 24 February 2025

Find out how to import timber and wood material, including the documents, identity checks and plant health inspections required.

• Updated: 19 September 2025