The first draw of the season for anglers to catch-and-keep salmon from Kerry’s Roughty River has opened.
‘Brown tag’ regulations come into force on the river on the 15th March, and will remain in place until the 30th September, when the Roughty's salmon fishing season ends.
Anyone without a brown tag may only fish on a catch-and-release basis.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is making a total of 74 brown tags available on the river this season, one per angler.
It will distribute the tags to anglers, who have a valid rod licence, via four draws across the season.
Applications for the first 19 brown tags will close at midnight on the 23rd February, and be drawn on the 26th (26 02 2025).
Full application details are available by phoning IFI’s Macroom office on (026) 41221, or by emailing [email protected].
South-Western Director at IFI, Sean Long, emphasized the importance of conservation, saying “The numbers of wild Atlantic salmon returning to our rivers is declining. The risk of over-fishing puts stocks in further jeopardy. Brown tag measures for salmon and sea trout are required on the Roughty River to conserve stocks and avoid accidental over-harvesting. Where there is a modest harvestable surplus with a risk of over exploitation, this brown gill tag system is introduced to closely monitor the angling quotas.”
IFI is the government agency that looks after Ireland’s rivers, lakes, and sea fishing areas. Its job is to protect, conserve, and manage these waters and the fish that live in them. It has over 320 full-time staff working across the country and operates with a budget of about €39 million each year. The agency is responsible for Ireland’s 74,000 kilometers of rivers and streams, as well as 128,000 hectares of lakes. It also oversees fishing along the coast, up to 12 nautical miles out to sea.
Salmon Fishing Regulations on the Roughty River
Tagging Requirements
- - A blue tag is a standard tag required for retaining salmon in Ireland. It is issued to anglers who purchase a state salmon fishing license. Each retained salmon must be tagged immediately after capture, and the tag's details recorded in the angler's logbook.
- - On the Roughty River, additional conservation measures require a brown tag along with the blue tag to retain salmon. Those with a brown tag must place them on the fish, along with the blue tag, as proof it was lawfully caught and may be retained for private use.
Catch-and-Release Regulations
- Anglers without a brown tag must practice catch-and-release using single or double barbless hooks.
- The use of worms as bait is prohibited.
- Catch-and-release salmon must be returned safely to the same waterbody.
