Conditions of sale for fishing licences and permits

The conditions of sale and refund policy for fishing rod licences and permits.

Conditions of sale

1. A DAERA rod licence is issued in line with the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and in regulations made under the act and anglers should make themselves aware of these.

2. A rod licence is valid only for the period recorded when you buy it. This period will be on your email confirmation or receipt.

3. The rod licence is issued by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) as an authority to fish. It's not meant to give rights to fish in any particular waters. The holder of the licence must make sure that they have the permission of the fishery owner. The holder of a game rod licence must make sure that such waters are open to fishing.

4. The holder of a coarse rod licence is allowed to fish for, by rod and line or hand line, all species of freshwater fish (as defined by the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966) other than brown trout and rainbow trout, on waters that have been deemed by the DAERA as coarse fisheries waters.

5. Any salmon, sea trout, brown trout or rainbow trout inadvertently caught by the holder of a coarse rod licence must be immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which they were taken.

6. DAERA rod licences and permits can only be used by the person whose name appears on the licence.

7. Game rod licence holders must legally make a catch return for salmon and sea trout. However, all anglers, game and coarse, will be contacted by the DAERA to encourage catch returns for other species as well.

8. A DAERA permit is valid only for DAERA Fisheries. The permit holder must also be aware of all the department’s angling regulations for fishing including, season, minimum takeable size and bag limits.

9. The holder must give such information about their angling activities on departmental waters as the department or any authorised person may need.

10. The department reserves the right to close any of its angling waters should this become necessary for management or other purposes. In such an event no refund can be paid to the holders of departmental permits.

11. The holder may not fish on DAERA waters when they are closed or reserved by the department.

12. There shall be no fishing in DAERA waters containing salmon, sea trout or brown trout during the close season for game fishing except where the department allows pike or coarse fishing.

13. A DAERA permit may be forfeited at the discretion of DAERA should the holder break the rules.

The main angling regulations can be found at:

Angling Regulations

A full copy of the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966 and the other relevant legislation can be found at the following links:

Refund policy

Portadown Inland Fisheries

All refund or buying queries should be directed to DAERA Inland Fisheries:

Inland Fisheries Portadown Office - DAERA

Note that angling licence and permit distributors cannot process refunds for licences or permits.

Three day / 14 day licence/permit

The last day to ask for a refund for a three or 14 day licence/permit is two days before it starts. You must ask for a refund before 4.00 pm on a working day. Once a licence/permit starts, no refund will be given.

Season licence or permit

No refund will be given for season licences or permits once they have been bought.

DAERA game licence/permit

A DAERA game licence/permit, valid from March to October, also allows for coarse fishing all year round. Therefore, the licence/permit becomes effective immediately when bought.

River Bush day tickets

The last day to ask for a refund for a River Bush day ticket is two working days before the day the given day ticket starts.

Firstly, the day ticket may be transferred to another date, depending on availability, or a refund will be given.

Once a day ticket is live (on the start date), no refund will be given.

If DAERA closes a stretch of the River Bush fishery, the day ticket bought may be transferred to another date depending on availability, or a refund can be given upon asking.

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

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Conditions of sale for fishing licences and permits