General Fishing Info, Licence Fees, Licence Combinations,
and Minimum Keeper Sizes
2010 (to be announced early in new year)

Fishing Departments: Similar to the size of counties in the UK/USA, the French fishing authorities govern regional fishing by department. Licences issues by Fish and Fun Brittany are for the department of Finistère.

Fishing Hours: For public freshwaters, you can start fishing one half hour before sunrise and must cease one half hour after sunset. This applies to both class 1 (trout/salmon) and class 2 (other species) waters.

68 euros: Standard Yearly Fishing License 'Carte Societaire' (good from 1 Jan to 31 Dec). The only resident licence you need to fish most public freshwaters in the department of Finistère.

18 euros: L'EHGO stamp. Allows fishermen to fish 33 other French departments within the L'EHGO system plus 36 French departments under the CHI system. For this stamp to be valid, you must also possess a valid fishing licence, e.g. annual, ladies, young persons, holiday, daily.

30 euros: Women's Fishing license 'Decouverte Femme' (good from 1 Jan to 31 Dec). This licence allows the female angler to fish reservoir St Michel in Finistère, plus all waters within the L'EHGO/CHI departments. Fantastic value for the female angler.

10 euros: Day license. Adult licence 'Carte Journaliere' allows visiting anglers to fish the same waters.

30 euros: Holiday License or 'Carte d'Vacance' (good for two full weeks fishing from June to September).

10 euros: Children's License 'Carte Mineure'(12 to 18 year olds; good from 1 Jan to 31 Dec).

2 euros: Children's License 'Carte Mineure' (under 12 years old; good from 1 Jan to 31 Dec).

Reservoir St Michel Permit and Stamp to fish this lake you MUST also POSSESS a departmental licence (e.g. annual, holiday, daily etc) : 20€ per day (day permit/stamp plus departmental day licence) or 20€ per year for the permit/stamp plus a departmental licence.

30 euros: Salmon Stamp. This stamp is available to those anglers possessing a yearly or holiday license to pursue Atlantic salmon. Stamp includes one plastic capture tag or 'BAG'. Additional plastic capture tags are available for free from Sam after you have taken your first salmon.

 

Minimum Keeper Sizes (2010)

Salmon (saumon): size limit depends on what period you are fishing: click here

Pike (brochet): 65cm in St Michel Reservoir (aka: Lac du St Michel). You cannot start fishing for pike in this lake until mid May.

Pike (brochet): 60 in the Nantes to Brest canal. You cannot fish for pike in the canal system from Feb to mid May. All other months are authorised.

Rainbow trout (truit arc en ciel): unrestricted in St Michel reservoir as it is stocked with keeper rainbows only

Zander (sandre): 60cm in the canal. Regulations for pike are the same for zander.

Sea trout (truite de mer): 35cm

Allis shad (Alose): 30cm

Brown trout (truite fario or truite sauvage): 20cm (length restrictions may vary according to region, consult Sam if you plan on pursuing wild trout outside the immediate fishing region unless your are a catch and release angler.

Juvenile salmon (parr or smolt): must be returned immediately regardless of size.