Bag limit in put and take

How many fish you may keep, the bag limit, varies between waters and always sits on the fishing permit. There is no figure that applies everywhere, so the first thing you do is read what applies for the water you are fishing. Then the rest is simple.

How a bag limit can look

Put-and-take permits are designed in a few different ways. A permit can cover a set number of fish, where the ones you keep are included in the price. Another covers a certain number of hours or a whole day. Some combine both, with a time limit and a cap on the number of fish, and some waters also regulate which sizes may be kept.

These are examples of how systems usually look. The exact terms sit with the permit seller and can change, so never rely on how it was last year or on what someone else says.

When you have reached the bag limit

When you have caught your bag, fishing for the day is normally over, unless you buy a new permit where the water allows it. Some waters allow continued fishing with putting fish back after the bag is filled, but only if the rules say so expressly. If you carry on fishing without support in the rules you risk both a fine and losing the permit.

Count correctly

Fish you keep count against the bag limit. If a fish is deeply hooked and does not survive it is usually right to count that one too, rather than throw back a dying fish. Keep track yourself of how many you have taken, because the responsibility sits with you as the angler, not with some inspector.

Why bag limits exist

The bag limit is not there to be awkward, but to keep the fishing fair and economically sustainable. The water stocks fish on an ongoing basis, and the bag limit spreads the harvest among everyone who buys a permit, so there is fish left and so the permit price adds up. If you see the bag limit as part of what you have paid for, it is easier to accept. More on that under keep or put back, and on how permits work under fishing permits.