Angling regulations on the River Bush

This is a short guide to the rules and regulations when angling on the River Bush, which apply in Northern Ireland. It is not a comprehensive guide. More information is available in the angling regulations section.

River Bush regulations

• Town stretch fishing is from both banks. Dundarave stretch fishing is from both banks but access is easier from the right (East) bank in the vicinity of the golf club. Otherwise fishing is from the left (West) bank only
• fly fishing and worm fishing are permitted at all times. Shrimp fishing is only permitted on the Town and New stretches
• spinning is not permitted when the red section is visible on the marker posts erected at the head of each stretch. Prawns may not be used.
• day tickets are not transferable
• full day tickets are valid between 8 am and 10 pm or one hour after sunset, whichever is the earlier on the date stated. Half day tickets are valid on the date stated between either 8 am and 2 pm or 2 pm and 10 pm or one hour after sunset or, whichever is the earlier. Evening tickets are only issue after 3 pm on the day and are valid from 5 pm and 10 pm or one hour after sunset or, whichever is the earlier
• the catch return for each ticket must be completed and returned on completion of fishing (see below for further details)
• all fin clipped fish (those from which the adipose fin has been removed) must be submitted to the Salmon Station for examination on the day on which they are caught, or for fish caught outside normal office hours, weekends or public holidays, as soon as possible on the next working day (see below for further details)
• all foul hooked fish must be returned gently to the river
• the day ticket, DCAL game rod licence and permit (if applicable), must be produced when requested by an authorised officer of DCAL

Recording catches

It is very important that fish caught by anglers downstream (on the Dundarave, New and Town stretches) are recorded to give an accurate count of all the salmon that return to the river in any year. Catches are also recorded for the Leap stretch.

Information is collected on all angling and details of fish caught (especially fin-clipped fish) should be recorded in full. Even when nothing is caught a nil return should be made.

Some of the salmon caught will have an adipose fin removed (fin-clipped fish) and it is important for the research staff to examine them as they normally contain tiny tags which can only be detected using specialised equipment. These fish will be returned to anglers immediately after examination, and a reward is given for the retrieval of the tags.

Any angler catching a fin-clipped fish outside office hours, weekends or public holidays is asked to retain the head and bring it to the Salmon Station as soon as possible.

Anglers are asked to submit their completed catch returns by using the post box on the front gate of the station or by normal post to the address below.

River Bush Salmon Station
21 Church Street
Bushmills
BT57 8QJ.
Telephone; 0300 200 7860 (outside NI + 4428 9151 3101)
email:- bush@dcalni.gov.uk

River Bush Salmon Tagging Project 2010

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) commissioned a tagging programme to monitor upstream migratory activity of adult Atlantic Salmon in the River Bush.

This project involved tagging around 50 adult salmon with small acoustic transmitters in 2010. The tags are not obvious on these fish and consequently tagged fish have been marked with a small blue dye spot on the underside of the belly, close to the pectoral fins (see picture below).

Anglers are asked to check any salmon they catch for a small blue dye mark. Ideally, these fish should be returned to the river.

Should an angler decide to retain a tagged fish, they are encouraged to return the whole, ungutted carcass to the River Bush Salmon Station (address above), where the tag can be rapidly removed and the catch returned with a small reward for the angler.

If this is not possible, when gutting the fish if anglers remove the transmitter from the stomach and bring it to the River Bush Salmon Station they can collect their reward.