This is an absolute must. Your first priority if you want to start fishing is a rod license. If you are found to be fishing without a license then you may be heavily fined – this at the moment is up to £2,500, not really worth the risk is it?

The rod license is policed by the environment agency. The officers spend their time visiting fisheries and tapping people on the shoulder to see their rod licenses – make sure you have one!

You can buy a rod license at most post offices, online, over the telephone and by direct debit. Initially I bought a 1 day license for £3.75 using the online service; I then got bit buy the fishing bug and decided to purchase a full season license which cost me £27 – one license will cover you for up to two rods, which is all I needed to start with. Now that I have more experience with fishing, I will be considering using three rod next year. If I decide to fish three rods, I would need to purchase two licenses.

All licenses expire on the 31st of March and must be renewed. I bought mine in August which means I only get 8 months worth of fishing before I have to renew.

Obviously if you only intend to fish for 3 days a year, it would make sense to buy day licenses only. If you will be fishing for more than 7 days per year, you’d be better off buying a full season ticket.

If you are under the age of 12, you do not need a fishing license. You can purchase a concessionary license if you meet the following criteria;

  • You are aged between 12 to 16
  • You are aged 65 or over
  • You have a blue badge parking concession or in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.

There are two types of license, but for carp fishing you need the non-migratory trout license as opposed to the Salmon and migratory trout one. Fortunately the cheaper of the two! Woo-hoo!

Familiarise yourself with the guidelines to make sure are on the right side of the EA

Visit – http://www.postoffice.co.uk/rod-fishing-licence for further details.

Shane

Shane

I have made a lot of mistakes during my fishing sessions and don’t want you to make the same mistakes. I’ve learned the hard way over 20 years of fishing most weekends, testing, tweaking, and testing again and now want to help you excel with your carp fishing.

If you need any help, you can reach me at Fishing Again’s Facebook page

Last Updated on February 10, 2024 by Shane