Fishing Tackle Rules in England & Wales: Rods, Bait, Lead and Nets

Fishing rods

The number of rods you can use at once depends on the water and the fish you're targeting (see gov.uk/fishing-licences/rod-limits).

When fishing with more than one rod, the distance between the butts of the outermost rods must be no more than 3 metres.

Lures, bait and tackle you must not use

• Crayfish as bait
• Another fish you've taken as bait, unless you're using it on the same water where you caught it
• A gaff (a pole with a large hook) or a tailer (a loop of cable or wire on a pole)

Fish that are foul hooked (hooked anywhere other than the mouth or throat) can't be kept and must be returned alive. Before 16 June, salmon may only be fished with artificial lure or artificial fly and must be returned unharmed.

Lead weights

You can only use lead weights of 0.06g or less, or more than 28.35g. In practice that means lead shot sizes 14 to 8, and lead weights over 1oz. Lead is toxic to birds, so keep lead dust shot in spill-proof containers.

Keepnets

• No knotted meshes or meshes of metallic material
• Mesh holes smaller than 25mm
• More than 2 metres long
• Supporting rings or frames less than 40cm apart and more than 120cm in circumference

Keepsacks

• Soft, dark coloured, non-abrasive, water-permeable fabric
• At least 120cm by 90cm if rectangular
• At least 150cm by 30cm by 40cm if used with a frame
• Hold no more than one fish at a time

Landing nets

You cannot use a landing net with any knotted meshes or meshes made of metallic material.

Local byelaws for each Environment Agency region are listed at gov.uk/government/collections/local-fishing-byelaws. Wales is managed by Natural Resources Wales (naturalresourceswales.gov.uk). Private fisheries and clubs can add their own rules on top of the law.

Source: Environment Agency and GOV.UK, Freshwater rod fishing rules (gov.uk/freshwater-rod-fishing-rules), checked 13 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Rules apply to England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate laws. Always check the current GOV.UK page and your local byelaws before fishing, because rules can change. This guide is general information, not legal advice.