Citation and commencement

1.  These Byelaws may be cited as the Public Angling Estate Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 2005 and shall come into operation on 4th July 2005.

Application

2.  These Byelaws shall apply to angling in the waters described in the first column of the Schedule.

Interpretation

3.  In these Byelaws –

“all lawful methods” means any method of angling except a method forbidden by any statutory provision for the time being in force;

“angling” means the fishing for, taking or killing of fish by rod and line or hand line;

“bait” means any material used on a hook for the purpose of attracting fish;

“earthworm” means any worm of the Family Lumbricidae;

“float tube” means any device or apparatus designed to hold a person vertical in the water;

“fly fishing” means the use of a single rod, reel (including a fixed spool reel), fly line or blow line and a single cast carrying not more than three artificial or winged natural flies but does not include the use of a bubble float in conjunction with artificial or winged natural flies;

“ground bait” means any material used otherwise than on a hook for the purpose of attracting fish whilst angling;

“hook” means a hook attached to a fishing line;

“length” in relation to fish means the measurement from the tip of the snout to the fork or cleft of the tail;

“maggots” means any larvae of the Order Diptera including the house fly of the Family Muscidae and the blue-bottle or blowfly of the Family Calliphoridae;

“shrimp fishing” means the use of a hook baited with a shrimp (Crangon species);

“spinning” means the use of a single rod, reel (including a fixed spool reel) and line to cast or throw bait and retrieve the bait by rewinding the line on to the drum of the reel with the bait kept in motion throughout;

“rainbow trout” means trout of the species Salmo Gairdneri;

“stocked trout” means brown or rainbow trout stocked from a fish farm;

“trolling” means the drawing of a fishing line with one or more hooks attached through the water from a moving boat;

“worm fishing” means the use of a hook baited with one or more earthworms.

Permitted methods of angling

4.—(1) Subject to the provisions of these Byelaws, the only methods of angling permitted in the waters described in the first column of the Schedule shall be those specified in the second column of the Schedule, and the use of those methods shall be subject to any restrictions as to the number or minimum length of fish which may be retained as specified in respect thereof in the third column of the Schedule or in the Fisheries Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 2003(3).

(2) The use of any matter of vegetable origin or the different species of maggots and earthworms as bait when spinning shall be prohibited.

Return of fish to water

5.  All brown trout, rainbow trout and sea trout in excess of the maximum number, or of less than the minimum length, which may be retained as specified in the third column of the Schedule and all carp must, without avoidable injury, be returned immediately to the water from which such fish were taken.

Prohibition of ground bait and maggots

6.  Subject to the provisions of Byelaw 7, the use or possession of ground bait or maggots while angling is prohibited.

Exception from prohibition

7.  The prohibition imposed by Byelaw 6 shall not apply on the Broadwater, the Colebrooke River downstream of Ballindarragh Bridge on the B514 road, Carnagh Forest Lakes, Craigavon (South) Lake, Creeve Lough, Cypress Pond, Enagh Lough, the Quoile Basin and River downstream from the disused railway bridge near Inch Abbey, Upper Lough Erne and in that part of Lower Lough Erne to the east of an imaginary line running from the nearest point on the shore of Boa Island in the townland of Pollaginnive to Hare Island and from that point on Hare Island to the most easterly point on Bess Island and to the most easterly point of Tully Point in the townland of Tully, the River Lagan from 150 metres downstream of Red Bridge to Stranmillis Weir, the Lower Bann navigation canals, Lough Macronan, Lough Scolban, and the Upper River Bann from Point of Whitecoat to Lough Neagh.

Restrictions on the use of boats and prohibition on use of float tubes

8.—(1) Except on the waters specified in paragraphs (2) and (3), the use of boats for the purpose of angling is prohibited.

(2) Anglers may use boats for the purpose of angling on Lough Achork, Brantry Lough, Castlewellan Lake, Lough Corry, Craigavon (North) Lake, Craigavon (South) Lake, Lough Creeve, Upper and Lower Lough Erne, Lough Glencreawan, Lough Keenaghan, Lough Meenameen, Mill Lough (Bellanaleck), Lough Scolban, and White Lough.

(3) Only boats supplied by the Department, or its agent, shall be used for the purpose of angling on Ballykeel Lougherne, Clay Lake, Dungonnell Reservoir, Lough Money, Lough Mourne and Upper South Woodburn Reservoir.

9.  Mechanically propelled boats, other than electrically powered boats, shall not be used for the purpose of angling except on Upper and Lower Lough Erne and Craigavon (North) Lake.

10.  A float tube shall not be used for the purpose of angling.

Restrictions on trolling

11.  Trolling is prohibited except on Upper and Lower Lough Erne.

12.  For the purpose of trolling on Upper and Lower Lough Erne the number of fishing rods and lines or hand lines which may be used shall not exceed –

(a)four in the case of a boat occupied by two or more persons; and

(b)two in the case of a boat occupied by one person.

Prohibition on angling in certain areas

13.—(1) Angling shall be prohibited in the River Bush –

(a)between the two metal posts coloured yellow on both banks immediately downstream and upstream of the Salmon Leap Falls; and

(b)in Bushmills, between Church Street road bridge and the metal post coloured yellow on both banks immediately upstream of the hydrographic flow gauge upstream of the Salmon Research Station.

(2) Angling shall be prohibited in the following areas of the Quoile Basin –

(a)the western shore from Shooter’s Island to the new Barrier; and

(b)the eastern shore from Steamboat Quay to the most southerly point of Castle Island.

Times for angling

14.—(1) On that section of the River Bush between a point 457 metres downstream of the Lower Road Bridge, Bushmills and the crest of the Salmon Leap Falls angling shall be permitted only between 0800 hours and either one hour after sunset or 2200 hours whichever is earlier.

(2) Angling shall be permitted only between the hours of 0800 and 2200 on the undermentioned waters:

• Copeland Reservoir;

• Lough Mourne;

• Stoneyford Reservoir;

• Lower South Woodburn Reservoir;

• Middle South Woodburn Reservoir;

• North Woodburn Reservoir; and

• Upper South Woodburn Reservoir.

Revocations

15.  The following Byelaws are hereby revoked –

(a)The Angling (Department of Agriculture Waters) Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1989(4);

(b)The Angling (Department of Agriculture Waters) Amendment Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1992(5);

(c)The Angling (Department of Agriculture Waters) Amendment Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1994(6); and

(d)The Angling (Department of Agriculture Waters) (Amendment No. 2) Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1994(7).

Byelaws 2, 4 and 5

SCHEDULE

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Byelaws)

These Byelaws revoke and replace with amendments the Angling (Department of Agriculture Waters) Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1989. The Byelaws provide for angling controls and restrictions on waters within the public angling estate of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure.

The principal changes are as follows –

1.  Leathemstown Reservoir, Loughbrickland, Lough Melvin and the River Erne have been deleted from the list of waters to which the Byelaws apply. The Broadwater, Ballymoney River, Carnagh Forest Lakes, the remainder of the Carey River, the River Lagan, the Lower Bann navigation canals, the Upper Bann River, the Quoile/Annacloy/Ballynahinch River, the Colebrooke River, Cypress Pond, Killyfole Lough, Lough Scolban, Lough Creeve, Enagh Lough, Lough Macronan, and White Lough have been added to that list (Byelaw 2 and Schedule).

2.  All carp caught must be immediately returned to the water (Byelaw 5).

3.  The list, and description, of waters that are excepted from the prohibition on the use of ground bait or maggots while angling is amended (Byelaw 7).

4.  The list of waters that are excepted from the prohibition on the use of boats for the purpose of angling is amended (Byelaw 8).

5.  The maximum number of rods and lines or hand lines that two persons can use whilst trolling from a boat in Upper and Lower Lough Erne has been increased from three to four (Byelaw 12).

6.  The permitted methods of angling, as specified in the second column of the Schedule, have been amended in respect of the River Blackwater, River Bush, Dungonnell Reservoir, Glenshesk River, Lough Mourne, Lower South Woodburn Reservoir, Middle South Woodburn Reservoir, Clay Lake Reservoir, and the North and South Craigavon City Park Lakes, Lough Money and White Lough.

7.  The maximum numbers of fish that may be retained, as specified in the third column of the Schedule, have been amended in respect of Dungonnell Reservoir, Upper South Woodburn Reservoir, South Craigavon City Park Lake, Lough Money, and the Shimna River.