So you want to learn how to fish....

SeaFields

As the evenings are getting longer and the days warmer many threads are starting to crop up along the lines of so “where do I start...”. Therefore this thread may help clear it up before you need to ask. But we’re a friendly bunch here so if your question isn’t answered in this thread then just ask!

Salmon
To fish for salmon in Ireland you need to purchase a salmon licence and, in the vast majority of cases, you will need to buy a permit or join a club to be able to fish a particular river or lake. Local knowledge is key here so best to make inquires locally such as at your local fishing tackle shop. Salmon are traditionally caught with the fly, spinners and lures or bait. The methods allowed vary with fishery and time of year so best ask to avoid breaking rules. It’s for the good of the fish at the end of the day.

Brown trout, Sea trout and Rainbow trout.
You do not need a licence to fish for brown trout and they are found in practically every stream, river and lake in Ireland. You may in certain instances need to buy a permit or join a club and should check this before you set out. Brown trout are fished for usually with the fly but lures and bait is used as well.

Sea trout are the migratory cousins of the brown trout and travel out to sea as young fish before returning to spawn in the summer months. You need to salmon licence to fish for them as they are a migratory species like salmon. They are usually fished for at night with the fly but can be taken during the day too sometimes. Permits again may be required to fish certain fisheries so best ask beforehand.

Rainbow trout are available in commercial managed fisheries throughout Ireland (they are not wild here). On purchase of a day ticket you will be given a list of the rules for that fishery and the bag limit for the price you have paid. Boat hire is often available as well so give you more options. Rainbow trout can be taken with most methods.

If anyone thinks Ive forgotten anything just add it in

SeaFields

Sea fishing
We have a fantastic array of species that can be caught off the shores of Ireland and it’s completely free to fish for them. There are few regulations in this type of fishing too. All there is to decide is what to fish for and where.
Sea fishing is generally done with bait (either fished on the bottom or under a float) or with lures, spinners and feathers. Depending on what you are fishing for will depend on the method and many species can be taken on a variety of methods.

Sea fishing can be done from beaches, rocks, piers and estuaries and of course you can choose to go out in a boat. Rocks can prove dangerous though with the danger to big waves and tides so be careful if you’re not familiar with the area. Piers are perhaps the easiest to start out fishing from as they offer deep water close in and attract a variety of species.

Sea fishing tackle is generally heavier than what you would use to fish with in a river or lake but to start out with a simple setup of a pier rod (9ft-12ft) and a fixed spool reel will get you on your way. Some cheap weights, swivels, beads, hooks and feathers will have you set for most occasions.

The baits used are as variable as the fish out there but if you’re unsure try some mackerel slices. Most fish, including mackerel themselves, will take this at one point or another. This can be fished on the bottom with a weight or under a float. Feathering involves fishing a set of coloured feathers in a set. They are popular for mackerel and pollock fishing. When mackerel fishing, and indeed any fishing, be sure to just take home what you need.

Bass have strict regulations – you may only keep 2 bass in any 24 hour period and they must be over 35cm. There is also a closed season for bass when any caught must be returned. The closed season for bass is 15th May – 15th June.

SeaFields

I don't have a notion when it comes to coarse fishing so if anyone wants to add some general info on that it would be great!

faigs

Thanks, a great help, I posted down the page a bit about rods and lures but no replies, trying to learn as much as I can, but most of all trying to get out there and get experienced!

Guru Maith Agut

Coarse Fishing

We are blessed with a maze of inland freshwater from lakes to rivers and canals up and down the country and the vast majority of them hold coarse species of fish from roach to perch and rudd, tench to shoals of bream, there is something there for everyone to enjoy. And if that wasn't enough we have one of the best predators in our waters as well, the awesome pike (esox lucius).

Fishing for coarse species on public waters is free apart from some waters covered by clubs where there may be a fee to fish. Best to check before you start.
There are many coarse angling clubs also around the country and these are a great way to get out with like minded anglers and fish some of the best waters in Europe while in the company of helpful people.

Fishing for coarse species can be as simple as just buying a tin of corn or pint of maggots and heading to your nearest lake or canal or then you could have the option of fishing through the night for the bream and tench during the summer months, great craic if you have a friend to join you. Coarse fishing is best during the spring months through to October if it has stayed mild and there is no closed season unlike in the UK where they have a closed season during spawning time in the rivers.

We also have some commercial fisheries in Ireland, North and South and these waters are private and you must pay to fish there and book before hand. The commercials generally have a stock of carp in them and it is only a few places in Ireland that you will find carp in good numbers while they have been stocked in some other lakes around the country.

On a final note I would also like to make a plea for Catch & Release, regardless of the current four fish rule which is being broken up and down the country as it happens. We are pushing for catch & release of coarse fish to help conserve, protect and preserve what we have got and to ensure that coarse fishing remains a top sport for traveling anglers from Ireland, the UK and Europe and brings money into our economy as it did in the past for decades. The less fish taken for the plate the more fish in our rivers and lakes for you to enjoy catching and then watching swim off to grace somebody elses hook on another day. As Ironblue says, dead fish = fish that can't spawn = no fry = no fish. Why would we ever want this to be the case???
Thanks

ironbluedun

Just one thing to add. To ask all anglers intending to fish for game fish such as trout and salmon to please practice catch and release where ever possible.

Sadly this is something that the Irish are very far behind the rest of the developed world on. A good angler is someone with the vision to look to the future of the sport. It has been proved without any doubt that catch and release is very beneficial for the future of the sport. Angling is not about killing, its not how big the fish was, or its not about how many you have caught, such details are not of any real consequence.

For those who doubt or who are incapable of understanding this concept there is a very simple equation to remember,,

Dead trout in freezer = trout that cant spawn = no young fish = no fishing.

Slasher

SeaFields wrote: »

To fish for salmon in Ireland you need to purchase a salmon licence ...

A salmon licence can be purchased at www.salmonlicences.ie, or at most tackle shops.