Rod fishing byelaws: Anglia
Anglia rod fishing byelaws are statutory (regulated by law) rules and regulations explaining who can fish, and where, when and what fish you can take.
Applies to England
Anglia byelaws overview
Anglia byelaws apply in all freshwater fisheries to anyone fishing with a rod and line for:
- salmon
- trout
- coarse fish
- eels
- smelt
- lamprey
The byelaws cover all waters within river catchments flowing into the North Sea between (but not including) the Thames catchment and the Humber catchment.
Principal river catchments include the:
- Stour (Suffolk)
- Waveney
- Yare
- Wensum
- Bure
- Great Ouse
- Cam
- Witham
- Welland
- Nene
- Ancholme
- Norfolk and Suffolk Broads
See the national rod fishing byelaws for rules that cover the whole country.
Angling clubs and private fisheries may enforce their own additional rules, but national and local byelaws still apply.
When and where you can fish
Dates are inclusive
All dates in these byelaws are inclusive. This means a stated period, such as 15 March to 15 June, includes the full day of 15 March and the full day of 15 June.
Salmon and migratory trout
The close season (when you must not fish) for salmon and migratory trout (in all waters) is 29 September to the last day of February. There is also a weekly close time from 6am on Sunday to midnight on Monday throughout the year.
Non-migratory trout
The close season for brown trout and rainbow trout in rivers, and for brown trout in unenclosed stillwaters, is 30 October to 31 March inclusive.
There is no close season for rainbow trout in any stillwater or for brown trout in enclosed stillwaters.
Coarse fish
National close season rules for coarse fishing apply across Anglia. The coarse fishing close season between 15 March and 15 June applies to all rivers, streams, drains, the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, some canals and some stillwaters.
Canals with a coarse fish close season
Some rivers in Anglia have been converted into canals (canalised). They are:
- Fossdyke Canal
- Louth Canal
- Horncastle Canal
- North Walsham and Dilham Canal
The national coarse fish close season applies to these.
There is no coarse fish close season on other canals in Anglia.
Stillwaters in Anglia that have the national coarse fish close season
Bedfordshire
Felmersham Gravel Pits 鈥�
Cambridgeshire
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Fowlmere Watercress Beds | |
| Grafham Water | |
| Holme Fen | |
| Little Paxton Pits | |
| Stow-Cum-Quy Fen | |
| Wicken Fen | |
| Woodwalton Fen | |
| Dogsthorpe Star Pit | |
| Nene Washes | , |
| Ouse Washes | , |
Norfolk
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Didlington Park Lakes | |
| Dillington Carr, Gressenhall | |
| East Wretham Heath | |
| Gunton Park Lake | |
| Sea Mere, Hingham | |
| Stanford Training Area | |
| Thompson Water, Carr and Common | |
| Wretham Park Meres | |
| Westwick Lakes excluding Captain鈥檚 Pond |
Northamptonshire
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Higham Ferrers Gravel Pits | |
| Pitsford Reservoir | |
| Twywell Gullett |
Suffolk
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Benacre to Easton Bavents | |
| Cavenham and Icklingham heaths | |
| Lackford | |
| Lakenheath Poors Fen | |
| Minsmere and Walberswick heaths and marshes | , |
| North Warren and Thorpeness Mere | |
| Sizewell Marshes | |
| Stallode Wash, Lakenheath |
There is no coarse fish close season on other stillwaters in Anglia, including some stillwaters in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads catchments.
Waters in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads with no coarse fish close season
| Water | OS grid reference |
|---|---|
| Aldeby Hall Pits | |
| Boundary Farm Campsite Pond, Oby | |
| Bungay Common Pond | |
| By Pass Pit, Bungay | |
| Cantley Sugar Factory Lakes | |
| Ditchingham Pit | |
| Earsham Pits | |
| East Ruston AC Pit | |
| Farm Reservoir, Dunburgh | |
| Holly Farm Lakes, South Walsham | |
| Limpenhoe Fishery | |
| Marsh Trail Lakes, Beccles | |
| Martham Pits | |
| Mill Road Fishery, Stokesby | |
| Mown Fen, East Ruston | |
| New Pit, Mustard Hyrn, Martham | |
| Penneygate, Barton Turf | |
| Priors Diesel Pit, Martham | |
| Reedham Ferry Touring Campsite Pond | |
| Shell Club, Aldeby | |
| Snakesmeadow, Winsford Hall, Stokesby | |
| Weavers Way Fishery, East Ruston |
Fishing for eels
You are allowed to fish with a rod and line for eels all year round in waters with no coarse fishing close season.
You may also fish for eels during the coarse fish close season (15 March to 15 June inclusive) in waters that are seaward of the demarcation points in the following table.
You may fish for eels in all other waters all year round, as long as no hook or metal implement is attached to your line.
You must return any eel you catch by rod and line to the same water unharmed.
Waters where you can fish for eels during the coarse fish close season
| Watercourse | Demarcation point | OS grid reference |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Level Main Drain | St German鈥檚 Pumping Station | |
| Tidal Great Ouse | Stowbridge Road | |
| Mill Basin | The Sluice | |
| Smeeth Lode | Pumping Station, The Sluice | |
| Flood Relief Channel | Tail Sluice | |
| Nar Valley Drain | The Sluice | |
| Nar | Tidal Sluice, King鈥檚 Lynn | |
| Middleton Stop Drain | Pumping Station Sluice | |
| Gaywood | Mill Fleet Sluice, King鈥檚 Lynn | |
| West Lynn Drain | The Sluice | |
| North Lynn Drain | The Sluice | |
| Babingley | Tidal Sluice, The Saltings | |
| Ingol | Tidal Sluice, Wolferton Creek | |
| Heacham | Tidal Flap Valve, Heacham Harbour | |
| Stour (South Channel) | Judas Gap | |
| Stour (North Channel) | Cattawade Barrage | |
| Stutton Brook | Stutton Mill Tidal Sluice | |
| Holbrook | Tidal Sluice near Lower Holbrook | |
| Ramsey | Dock Sluice near Parkeston | |
| Holland Brook | Holland Sluice, Holland Haven | |
| Colne | East Mills, Colchester | |
| Salary Brook | Tidal Sluice | |
| Roman | Essex Water Company Dam | |
| Tenpenny Brook | Tidal Sluice | |
| Blackwater | Beeleigh Long Weir | |
| Pennys Brook | Osea Road Sluice | |
| Bowstead Brook | Tidal Sluice | |
| Virley Brook | Tidal Sluice Salcot | |
| Chelmer | Beeleigh New Sluice | |
| Asheldham Brook | Round Barn Dengie | |
| Crouch | Wickford Gauging Station | |
| Shotgate Brook | A129 Road Bridge | |
| Rawreth Brook | Rawreth TQ778932 | |
| Roach | B1013 Road Bridge | |
| Prittle Brook | Rochford | |
| Mardyke | War Department Sluice | |
| Chelmer/Blackwater Canal | Heybridge Basin | |
| Winterton Beck | Winteringham Haven Sluice | |
| West Drain | Sluice at South Ferriby | |
| Ancholme | Sluice at South Ferriby | |
| East Drain | Sluice at South Ferriby | |
| Barton Haven | Barton Haven Sluice | |
| Barrow Beck | Barrow Haven | |
| New Holland Main Drain | New Holland Sluice | |
| Goxhill Haven | Goxhill Haven Sluice | |
| East Halton Beck | East Halton Skitter Sluice | |
| North Killingholme Drain | North Killingholme Haven Sluice | |
| Killingholme Marsh Drain | Killingholme Marsh Sluice | |
| South Killingholme Drain | South Killingholme Haven Sluice | |
| Habrough Marsh Drain | Habrough Marsh Drain Sluice | |
| North Beck Drain | North Beck Sluice | |
| Middle Drain | Middle Drain Pumping Station | |
| Oldfleet Drain | Oldfleet Drain Sluice | |
| Mawmbridge Drain | Mawmbridge Drain Sluice | |
| New Cut Drain | Pyewipe Sluice | |
| Freshney | Alexandra Dock Pumping Station | |
| Buck Beck | Buck Beck Outfall Sluice | |
| Louth Canal | Tetney Sluice | |
| Old Fleet Drain | Tetney Sluice (North Coates) | |
| Seven Towns North Eau | Grainthorpe Sluice | |
| Seven Towns South Eau | Pyes Hall Sluice | |
| Grayfleet Drain | Saltfleet Haven Sluice | |
| Great Eau | Great Eau Sluice | |
| Mablethorpe Cut | Mablethorpe Sluice | |
| Woldgrift Drain | Trusthorpe Sluice | |
| Boygrift Drain | Huttoft Sluice and Pumping Station | |
| Anderby Main Drain | Anderby Sluice and Pumping Station | |
| Willoughby High Drain | Chapel Sluice and Pumping Station | |
| Ingoldmells Main Drain | Ingoldmells Point Sluice and Pumping Station | |
| Steeping | Wainfleet Haven Clough Sluice | |
| Steeping Relief Channel | Steeping Relief Channel Sluice | |
| Cowbank Drain | Pumps at Wainfleet Haven | |
| Witham | Grand Sluice Boston | |
| Maud Foster | Maud Foster Sluice Boston | |
| South Forty | Foot Drain Black Sluice Boston | |
| Hobhole Drain | Hobhole Pumping Station and Sluice Fishtoft | |
| Hun | Sluice | |
| Burn | Near Burnham Norton | |
| Stiffkey | Stiffkey Greens | |
| Glaven | A149 Road Bridge (Cley next the Sea) | |
| Thorpeness Hundred | Sluice Cottage | |
| Lothingland Hundred | Benacre Pump | |
| Cove Run | B1127 Road Bridge | |
| Blyth | Blythburgh Bridge | |
| Wang | Wolsey Bridge A1095 | |
| Dunwich | Dunwich Bridge | |
| Minsmere | The Sluice | |
| Alde | Near B1069, The Maltings Snape | |
| Butley | Butley Mills | |
| Deben | Wilford Bridge Melton | |
| Fynn | Martlesham | |
| Shottisham Creek | Near Shottisham | |
| Mill | Kirton Creek | |
| Gipping and Orwell | Velocity Control Structure | |
| Belstead Brook | A137 Road Bridge, South of Ipswich | |
| Bure (including Ant and Thurne) | Five Mile House | |
| Yare | Six Mile House | |
| Waveney | Waveney Seven Mile House | |
| Mun | Mundesley Mill | |
| Welland | Confluence downstream of Fulney Lock and Coronation Channel | |
| Glen | Surfleet Seas End Sluice | |
| Nene | Guyhirn Road Bridge | |
| Vernatt鈥檚 Drain | Vernatt鈥檚 Bridge | |
| Risegate Eau | Risegate Outfall | |
| Lutton Leam | Leamlands Sluice | |
| South Holland Main Drain | Confluence with River Nene | |
| North Level Main Drain | Confluence with River Nene at Foul Anchor |
Rods and nets
See the national rod fishing byelaws for rules on:
- the number of rods you are allowed to use
- using landing nets, keepnets, gaffs or tailers
Tackle, lures and baits
National byelaws on lead weights apply in Anglia.
National byelaws on using tackle, lures and bait apply in Anglia, in addition to local byelaws.
These 2 local byelaws also apply.
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You must not fish with any form of gorge bait. A gorge bait is a piece of stick, plastic or bone hidden in the bait parallel to the line 鈥� when swallowed, a tug on the line causes the gorge to turn sideways in the fish鈥檚 throat.
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You can only fish for trout using artificial wet or dry fly during the annual coarse fish close season.
Catch limits, size limits and catch returns
National byelaws on catch limits, size limits and catch returns for salmon, migratory trout and coarse fish apply across Anglia.
Updates to this page
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We have clarified how national byelaws work with Anglian byelaws. We have also added the locations that are covered by Anglian byelaws.
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First published.