Fishing seasons dates for salmon, sea trout, brown trout

Dalguise beat on the Tay You can just about fish all year round for salmon in the UK and Ireland with the earliest opener being the Drowes in Eire which opens on the 1st of January and the latest closing date being 15th of December on the rivers of Devon and Cornwall which means that there are only 16 days a year when you cannot wet a line for salmon - beat that Kola and Alaska. The truth is salmon run 52 weeks of the year and the only (and very sensible) reason we don't fish all year is to let the salmon spawn in peace.

The dates shown are as accurate as I can get at this time, please check with the fisheries before you head off. With the end of drift netting in Ireland and conservation measures in the rest of the UK season dates are being changed, I have heard that the Dee is seeking to extend their season. Changes in run patterns in other areas are also being reviewed and some rivers may adjust their seasons to suit.

In Scotland the Brown Trout fishing season starts on the 15th of March however many fisheries, especially in the north of Scotland, start on the 1st of April. The closing date in Scotland is 30th September (with the exception of a few major systems; Tweed and Tay being the most important, where the season extends to the 6th of October).

In England the season starts on the 22nd of March through to the 30th of September however some fisheries may go on for an other week in October, it's always worth checking locally before setting off on a fishing trip. There are hundreds of contact numbers in the Where to Fish Directory.

The is no closed season for Rainbow Trout (Brook, Tigers, Blues, Golden and so on) in the UK on the grounds that they are not indigenous species being imported from the US of A.

For those of you interested in coarse fishing please note that there is no closed season for coarse fish at all in Scotland nor for stocked fisheries in England and Wales. For natural course fishing waters in England and Wales the close season is 15th March to 15th June each years.

In Scotland Grayling are a non indigenous species and classified as coarse fish to boot therefore there is no closed season for them - but please leave them alone over the summer when they are spawning, they are worthy of our respect.

The UK and Ireland, what a place to go fishing, great trout, terrific salmon and sea trout, so many species of coarse fish including great pike and of course we still have some ace sea fishing despite over fishing by our commercial 'friends'.

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