Gentlemen,

After recently moving toNorthern Ireland (Lisburn Area) I want to have a couple of days fishing but am totally confused by the licence/permit requirements.

Does anyone know if my licence I bought in England cover me in NI, and what is the difference between a permit and a licence and why there seems to be such a big difference in price over £60 for a licence (I think).

I am particularly interested in fishing on Hillsborough Lake if anyone can give me a steer to what is required it would be much appreciated.

I have read the DCAL website but it may as well be in Spanish for the sense I can make of it.

Thanks in advance.

Hi TG and welcome to our little sod.

Your EA permit will not cover you over here. You will need to purchase a rod licence issued by the Fisheries Conservancy Board for NI. You will get one in any decent tackle shop. They are available for both coarse and game fishing, so make sure you get the game one. That is simply your entitlement to carry a rod, not permission to fish.

There are some excellent day ticket fisheries near you. I have recently fished Murloc near Aghalee and it is an excellent fishery.

As well as private trout fisheries we also have a public angling estate which is managed by DCAL. Hillsborough Lake would be one of it's waters. You can buy permits for these waters at the same shop you get your licence. There are different options, either buy a permit that covers all DCAL waters, or buy one that covers a number of local waters. Again there is a coarse fishing option so be sure to buy the game permit.

My prefered option is to fish mostly the private fisheries but keep a local DCAL permit for the waters close to my home.

Unfortunately unlike England, where your EA licence runs from April to April, both our licence and permit systems run from January to January. Means that you will really only get 3 months fishing for your years fee. You need a rod licence rgardless, but could perhaps concentrate on the private waters in the mean time and buy a DCAL permit in the new year.

You are right of course, it is a strange and over complicated system which is certainly off putting to visitors, but we live in hope that it will soon be reformed.

Fossil-fish,

thanks for your reply starting to get my head around it now, anyway because sometimes my brain is like a 3 year olds can you confirm.

1. I need a game licence for NI cost approx £16 for season. That gives me the right to carry a rod like in England.
2. If I then bought a DCAL permit cost approx £60 can I then fish any DCAL water such as hillsborough whenever I want.
3. With my licence I can then go to any private water and pay the daily rate and fish.

Thanks from a thickie.

You have that quite right, but

1. I think it is actually about £21.
2.Yes, but about £40 for the local option
3. again yes spot on. You do live in a part of the country that has a number of very good such waters.

May I also invite you to join us here http://anglingireland.myfreeforum.org/index.php
A small locally based, but very friendly, forum for those of us with small signatures.

Thank You.

PM sent about hillsboro lake

the rod permit is still £16. Tiger I work at a fishery just outside Ballyclare called Tildarg Fishery. You would be more than welcome to come up and fish

As well as the Angling Ireland forum, check out this forum http://nita.myfreeforum.org/index.php i help to run it

Gosh Chris, how very good of you.

Hello Chris. Whats tildarg fishing like at the moment?

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Cromie

Matt, Its been fishing well to nymphs and buzzers mate.
See Joe up there the other week, he's keeping well.

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