Angling permits explained
As well as a rod licence anglers must also have permission to fish in the chosen water. This can be in the form of a permit or day ticket from the fishery owner. Below are the types of permits/day tickets available and where to buy them.
Fishery owners
A fishery owner can be:
- a private individual
- a company
- an angling club
- the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)
Permits for private fisheries
To fish in private waters you must buy:
- a rod licence and
- a permit or day ticket
The rod licence is for the fishing rod and the game or coarse fish you're allowed to catch.
A permit or day ticket gives you the right to fish in a particular fishery. More information on private fisheries is on the following page:
Permits for DAERA's fisheries
DAERA's 91 fisheries are part of the 'DAERA Public Angling Estate', offering the public inexpensive fishing throughout Northern Ireland. To fish these waters you must buy the following from DAERA:
- a rod licence and
- a permit or day ticket
Find out more about these fisheries on the following page:
Game and coarse angling
There are two types of angling, game and coarse:
- game species include brown trout, sea trout, salmon and arctic char
- coarse species include pike, bream, roach, perch, carp, tench and rudd
Your rod licence will show the type of fish you can catch and the number of rods allowed.
Detailed below are the different types of DAERA permits you can buy which give you permission to fish in the chosen water.
DAERA game permits
All DAERA game permits allow the holder to fish the Public Angling Estate for either game or coarse fish but with only one rod at a time. A separate game permit is needed for any extra rod being used for game or coarse. More information about game permits and prices is on the following page:
DAERA coarse permits
All DAERA coarse permits allow the holder to fish the Public Angling Estate with two coarse rods. A separate coarse permit is needed for a third and extra coarse rods being used. More information about coarse permits and prices is on the following page:
DAERA local season permits
Local season permits are for anglers who just want to fish in their local area:
DAERA short-term permit types
If you do not fish regularly or if you're a tourist, you might find this type of DAERA permit useful. More information about prices and the number of rods you're allowed is on the following page:
DAERA day tickets
The River Bush is close to the Giants Causeway. It has several types of DAERA day tickets available for salmon fishing and caters for various fishing methods:
Buy DAERA rod licences, permits, day tickets
Anglers can buy DAERA rod licences, permits and day tickets online or from a distributor (for example a tackle shop). They should read the 'Conditions of Sale' for fishing licences and permits before buying.
You can Buy rod licences and permits including River Bush day tickets online to fish the 91 DAERA Public Angling Estate fisheries. You can also buy a rod licence and permit together by choosing 'combined licence and permit'.
Authorised distributors sell DAERA rod licences and permits. Some also sell Loughs Agency rod licences and permits:
Note that you can't buy a permit or day ticket without a rod licence.
Have proof to show you're fishing legally
When fishing you may be approached by a DAERA Fishery Protection Officer, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) or a Private Water Bailiff to check if you're fishing legally.
Find out more about having proof to show you're fishing legally.
Paperless
DAERA runs a paperless system. Upon buying you will get a receipt by email.