Guidance

Rod fishing byelaws: South West

South West byelaws are statutory (regulated by law) rules and regulations explaining who can fish, where, when and what fish you can take.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 7 June 2019
• Last updated: 12 February 2021 — See all updates

Applies to England

Overview of South West byelaws

These byelaws apply to anyone fishing with a rod and line for salmon, trout, coarse fish, eels, smelt and lamprey.

See the national rod fishing byelaws for rules that cover the whole country.

Angling clubs and private fisheries may enforce their own additional rules, but national and local byelaws still apply.

South West: Wessex and Devon and Cornwall

Within the South West, some rules apply specifically to:

• an area referred to as Wessex – which is also divided into North Wessex and South Wessex
• rivers in Devon and Cornwall

They cover:

• North Wessex – all waters within river catchments that flow into the Bristol Channel or the Severn Estuary from Foreland Point eastwards to Newtown (Sharpness) – principal river catchments include Parrett, Axe, Brue, Huntspill River, Yeo, Bristol Avon and Little Avon
• South Wessex – all waters within river catchments that flow into the sea along the south coast from Lyme Regis, eastwards to Highcliffe, Dorset – principal river catchments include Avon (Hampshire), Stour (Dorset), Frome and Piddle
• Devon and Cornwall – all waters within river catchments that flow into the sea on the south coast from Lyme Regis (including the River Lim) to Land’s End, and then from Land’s End to Foreland Point on the north coast – principal river catchments include Axe and Lim, Sid and Otter, Exe, Teign, Dart, Avon (Devon), Erme, Yealm, Plym, Tavy, Tamar, Lynher, Looe, Fowey, Fal, Camel, Torridge, Taw and Lyn

When and where you can fish

Dates are inclusive

All dates mentioned in these byelaws are inclusive. This means a stated period, such as 15 March to 15 June, includes the full day of 15 March and the full day of 15 June.

Close season rules

Many local variations to national close season rules (when you must not fish) apply across the South West.

Salmon close seasons by river

River	Start and end
Avon (Devon)	1 December to 14 April
Erme	1 November to 14 March
Axe, Otter, Sid	1 November to 14 March
Lim	1 October to the last day of February
Camel, Gannel, Menalhyl, Valency	16 December to 31 March
Dart	1 October to 31 January
Exe	1 October to 13 February
Fowey, Looe, Seaton	16 December to 31 March
Tamar, Tavy, Lynher	15 October to the last day of February
Plym, Yealm	16 December to 31 March
Taw, Torridge	1 October to the last day of February
Lyn	1 November to 31 January
Teign	1 October to 31 January
Frome (Dorset) and Piddle	1 September to the last day of February
All other rivers in Wessex	1 September to 31 January

Migratory trout close seasons by river

River	Start and end
Avon (Devon)	1 October to 14 April
Erme	1 October to 14 March
Axe, Otter, Sid	1 November to 14 April
Lim	1 November to 15 April
Camel, Gannel, Menalhyl, Valency	1 October to 31 March
Dart	1 October to 14 March
Exe	1 October to 14 March
Fowey, Looe, Seaton, Tresillian	1 October to 31 March
Tamar, Tavy, Lynher, Plym, Yealm	1 October to 2 March
Taw, Torridge, Lyn	1 October to 14 March
Teign	1 October to 14 March
All other rivers in Wessex	1 November to 14 April

Brown trout close seasons

Waters	Start and end
Enclosed stillwaters	No statutory close season
River Camel	1 October to 31 March
River Fowey	1 October to 31 March
Other waters in Devon and Cornwall	1 October to 14 March
All rivers in Wessex Area	16 October to 31 March
Other waters in Wessex Area	15 October to 16 March

Rainbow trout close seasons

Waters	Start and end
All reservoirs, lakes and ponds	No statutory close season
River Camel	1 October to 31 March
River Fowey	1 October to 31 March
Other rivers in Devon and Cornwall	1 October to 14 March
All rivers in Wessex area	16 October to 31 March

Weirs

It is illegal to take, or attempt to take, fish by any means within 46m below the crest of Kilbury Weir on the River Dart.

Coarse fishing close season

The coarse fishing close season applies from 15 March to 15 June to rivers, streams, drains, and the Glastonbury Canal. This canal is part of an open system within the South Drain.

Rods and nets

See the national byelaws for rules on:

• the number of rods you are allowed to use
• using landing nets, keepnets, gaffs or tailers

Tackle, lures and baits

National byelaws on lead weights apply in the South West.

National byelaws on using tackle, lures and bait apply in addition to local byelaws.

These local byelaws also apply:

Use of floats

You must not use a float when you fish for salmon or trout in any waters within the Avon (Devon), Axe (Devon), Dart, Exe, Taw and Torridge and Teign districts.

Devon rivers – no spinning for trout

You must not spin for trout in waters included within the Dartmoor National Park, the Exe above Exebridge, Otter above Langford Bridge, Torridge above Woodford Bridge, Bray above Newton Bridge, Mole above Alswear Bridge, Little Dart above Afleton Bridge, and the whole of the Okement, Lyn and Barnstaple Yeo.

Baits

National byelaws apply across the South West, with the addition of the following restrictions.

South West

Salmon – artificial fly and artificial lure only before 16 June.

Avon (Devon)

Salmon and trout – no worm or maggot.

Axe (Devon)

Salmon and trout – no shrimp, prawn, worm or maggot. Fly only after 31 July below Axbridge, Colyford.

Dart

Salmon – no worm or maggot. No shrimp or prawn except below Staverton Bridge. No spinning above Holne Bridge.

Trout – fly only.

Exe

Salmon and trout – no worm or maggot.

Barnstaple Yeo (tidal)

No fishing for all species, including sea fish.

Taw and Torridge (except Lyn)

Salmon and trout – no shrimp, prawn, worm or maggot. No spinning after 31 March.

Lyn

Trout – no worm or maggot before 1 June.

Teign

Salmon – artificial fly and artificial lure only after 31 August.

Trout – no worm or maggot before 1 June.

Camel

Salmon – no bait other than prawn or shrimp, and only with a single, barbless hook with less than 13mm gape,

Trout – no bait other than a single worm and a single, barbless hook with less than 13mm gape.

Salmon and trout:

• artificial lures and spinners may only have barbless treble hooks with less than 8mm gape, or single barbless hooks with less than 13mm gape
• no artificial lures or spinners with any treble hooks may be used after 30 September
• any double or treble hook used with an artificial fly must be barbless and less than 8mm hook gape
• any single hook used with an artificial fly must be barbless and less than 13mm hook gape

Fowey

Salmon – no byelaw restrictions on bait after 16 June.

Trout – no byelaw restrictions on bait.

Tamar

Salmon and migratory trout – no worm, maggot, shrimp or prawn after 31 August.

Wessex area

Salmon and migratory trout – artificial fly only before 15 May.

All species in rivers, drains and canals – no maggot (or pupae), processed product, cereal or other vegetable matter during the coarse fish close season.

Catch limits, size limits and catch returns

Coarse fish and eels catch limits

National byelaws for coarse fish and eel catch limits apply across the South West.

Salmon and trout catch limits

It is illegal to catch and remove any live or dead salmon from these rivers, their tributaries and estuaries:

• Allen, Cornwall
• Avill, Somerset
• Bristol Avon
• Brit, Dorset
• Camel, Cornwall
• Doniford, Somerset
• Fal, Cornwall
• Harbourne, Devon
• Heddon, Devon
• Lerryn, Cornwall
• Looe, Cornwall
• Otter, Devon
• Par, Cornwall
• Parrett, Somerset and Dorset
• Porth, Cornwall
• Seaton, Cornwall
• Sid, Devon
• Stour, Dorset
• Valency, Cornwall
• Washford, Somerset
• Yealm, Devon

You must release all salmon you catch from these waters immediately, with the least possible injury.

You must return alive all salmon you catch in South West waters before 16 June. The following rules apply after 16 June.

Area or catchment	Species	24 hour limit	7 days limit	Season limit
Wessex North	Non-migratory trout	2	N/A	N/A
Camel	Sea trout	2	N/A	N/A

Trout size limits

You must return to the water trout smaller than the size limits in the following table.

Area, district or catchment	Migratory trout	Non-migratory trout
Camel, Fowey, Tamar, Plym	18cm	18cm
Avon (Devon), Axe (Devon), Dart, Exe, Taw, Torridge, Teign	25cm	20cm
River Lim	N/A	22cm
Wessex North except By Brook	35cm	25cm
By Brook and tributaries	35cm	20cm
Wessex South	35cm	25cm

These size restrictions do not apply to non-migratory trout in any waters included within the Dartmoor National Park, the Exe above Exebridge, Otter above Langford Bridge, Torridge above Woodford Bridge, Mole above Alswear Bridge, Little Dart above Afleton Bridge, and the whole of the Okement, Lyn and Barnstaple Yeo.

Sea trout

You must not take sea trout more than 50cm long from the River Camel.

How to measure fish

You measure fish from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail.

Published 7 June 2019
Last updated 12 February 2021 + show all updates

1. 12 February 2021

   We clarified what the South West byelaws cover. We have also clarified the meaning of certain byelaws.

2. 7 June 2019

   First published.