Useful Fishing Facts to Know Before You go Fish in the UK

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Useful Facts to Know Before You Start to Fish in the UK - Fishing Season Dates

For detailed information about the salmon, sea trout and brown trout fishing seasons in Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales click Here to go to the article.

In theory you can fish for salmon on just about every day of the year in the British Isles. In Scotland the earliest opening days are on the north of Scotland rivers, with the Helmsdale opening on the 11^th of January. The latest opening dates are in the Scottish Borders, Tweed closes on the 30^th of November and in England the many of the rivers in Devon and Cornwall such as the rivers Camel and Fowey fish on to 15^th December. In Ireland the river Drowes opens on New Years day This means that there are only 16 days of the year when you cannot fish for salmon somewhere in the UK and Ireland.

Scotland Back to Top

For details of the salmon and brown trout fishing seasons in Scotland click this link

Brown Trout

The brown trout fishing season has much less variation than the salmon season. It is generally accepted as being 15^th of March to 30^th September, however rivers in Aberdeenshire and the north in particular do not usually start until 1^st of April and the Tay can go to the end of the first week of October.

Grayling

There is no closed season for grayling fishing in Scotland however some rivers that have migratory fish do impose a no fishing period to protect redds being disturbed by wading anglers.

The Grayling Society, notably, want a closed season to be imposed for grayling during the spawning season (grayling are, technically, course fish which spawn in the spring). Sadly there is some acrimonious debate on the whole issue of protecting grayling and it is about time that prejudices on both sides were set aside for the good of migratory fish and grayling.

Grayling are not native to Scottish rivers being introduced to the Annan, Nith, Clyde, Tweed, Tay and Ayr in the 19th century. The species has spread within these river systems extending their range to a significant parts of the Borders, Central Scotland and Perthshire. All of the river systems are important salmon and sea trout habitats. If a three month closed season was imposed for grayling as well as a ban on fishing during the salmon and sea trout spawning period it would mean that grayling fishing would be severely restricted to a 6 month period, possibly January to March and July to October.

The reality is that a split 6 month season would be the only sensible arrangement. Salmon fisheries should be prevented from culling grayling stocks while grayling fishers cannot expect to wade through spawning salmon.

Rainbow Trout

As far as rainbows and other imported species are concerned there is no closed season which means you can fish 365 days of the year. Where brown trout are stocked they must be returned unless they are in season in season.

Course Fish

There is no closed season for course fish, including grayling, in Scotland.

England and Wales

Salmon

For full details got to Fishing Season Dates Salmon, Sea Trout, and Brown Trout in England.

The fishing season for trout is very similar to that in Scotland although many fisheries do start on April 1st and finish at the end of the first week of October. The salmon and sea trout seasons a wide variety of start and finishing dates.

Course Fishing

There is a closed season for course fish between the 15^th of March and 15^th of June however there are many lakes, fisheries and canals holding stocked fish available that have no closed season so you can fish all year round.

I hope you find the information above useful when planning a fishing trip and please do not hesitate to contact me with any corrections or additions.

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