Confusion about where I can fish legally

Shimbea The Space Trout

Hi there,

I'm fairly new to angling but I've been enjoying it a lot over the past few weeks.

I am not fishing for salmon or sea trout so I do not need a licence as far as I understand. But I do need to have a permit to fish certain areas of rivers which are privately owned. Is this correct?

My biggest problem so far is understanding where one can and cannot fish. I live in Cork city and am looking to do most of my fishing on the Lee. I was hoping somebody could tell me where there is free fishing on the river and where the water is owned by private fisheries. If I am fishing for brown trout or coarse fishing on the Lee and not after salmon do the clubs care?

I think that it's free fishing all the way up as far as the Lee fields by the county hall but I've heard mentions of other places like by the grotto on the Lee road that is free as well. I am very confused by the whole thing. Is the whole lot past county hall to the dam privately owned, or is it stretches here and there with free fishing in between? Where do I go to find this out?

Also what is the story with fishing on Iniscarra lake? I would like to try course fishing there and as I understand it that does not require any licence either but I assume it is private.

The reason I'm after free fishing is not because I'm too cheap to get permits but because I'm into this for a bit of fun, not necessarily to catch my dinner and will be releasing most if not all of what I catch. I think it would be nice to be able to enjoy the natural landscape of an evening at the drop of a hat without it turning into an expensive thing.

Thanks in advance

(crossposted from the angling forum)

Knifey Spoony

I haven't gone finishing on the Lee in years, so some of this advice may be a bit out of date, but I remember that for the trout season that we had to get a permit to fish on the Lee.

Used to fish mostly on the Lee Fields and by Angler's Rest, but I think beyond the Angler's Rest is owned by a fishing club. I also think that Iniscarra Lake is privately owned, but I do remember fishing there anyway. There should be signs up in areas that are privately owned or where fishing is not permitted and they are usually easy to stop, so if an area doesn't have signs up, then I would say that you can fish there no problem.

You should be able to get the permit in Murray's on Patrick's Street. It might even be worth going into them and asking what areas of the Lee are actually open to anyone for fishing.

MrFrisp

Shimbea The Space Trout wrote: »

Hi there,

I'm fairly new to angling but I've been enjoying it a lot over the past few weeks.

I am not fishing for salmon or sea trout so I do not need a licence as far as I understand. But I do need to have a permit to fish certain areas of rivers which are privately owned. Is this correct?

My biggest problem so far is understanding where one can and cannot fish. I live in Cork city and am looking to do most of my fishing on the Lee. I was hoping somebody could tell me where there is free fishing on the river and where the water is owned by private fisheries. If I am fishing for brown trout or coarse fishing on the Lee and not after salmon do the clubs care?

I think that it's free fishing all the way up as far as the Lee fields by the county hall but I've heard mentions of other places like by the grotto on the Lee road that is free as well. I am very confused by the whole thing. Is the whole lot past county hall to the dam privately owned, or is it stretches here and there with free fishing in between? Where do I go to find this out?

Also what is the story with fishing on Iniscarra lake? I would like to try course fishing there and as I understand it that does not require any licence either but I assume it is private.

The reason I'm after free fishing is not because I'm too cheap to get permits but because I'm into this for a bit of fun, not necessarily to catch my dinner and will be releasing most if not all of what I catch. I think it would be nice to be able to enjoy the natural landscape of an evening at the drop of a hat without it turning into an expensive thing.

Thanks in advance

(crossposted from the angling forum)

I'm not sure any of the River Lee system down from the Dam is free to fish at all.

I too for years would loved to have fished it for Coarse fish,,but always believed that the Fishing club there owned all the rights to it,,so I never bothered.
And,I do believe that there can be some crackin Coarse fish there too.

As for Inniscarra..You need a permit to fish there.

Murray's in Patrick St do them,,and you need 2 "passport" type pics (Signed),,driving licence,and a Utility bill with your name/address on it.

They cost €30.00 for the year (Janurary to Janurary) but I think you can get day/month ones too.

http://www.fishinginireland.info/coarse/southwest/inniscarra.htm

EDIT..

If you can travel,a bit further up the Lee system is Lough Allua. Some great fishing to be had there.

http://leeangling.com/lee-reservoirs-angling-services/the-fishery/
.