Lake Como Fishing Regulations

Lake Como Fishing Regulations

Before I get into this all of this information is totally free for you. so you can get out and enjoy fishing on your holiday to Lake Como. I have however written a brief guide book to fly fishing on the lake with all of this information and much more more. it costs only 2.99 to download and will give you all the ins and outs of fishing on the lake plus some extra secret tips I have not mentioned in the blog. Help a fellow angler out and download the ebook. Thanks chaps!
ok let us continue.....
To fish in lake Como you need a simple day license that can be bought for €10 in the local fish store near you. You can also opt for the 1 year license for €24 by going to the post office and asking for the fishing license form, filling it in and paying. The regulations will be given to you but no one has translated them into English..... Except for me :) I did these a while ago so some small regulations may change in the future but I do tend to keep them up to date as much as possible so you don't get caught out
Lake Como Fishing License
There are two different types of licenses to fish on Lake Como: The regional license that lasts the whole year and costs €24 per person, and the Fipsas one day license that costs €10 per person per day. Please keep in mind Fipsas & APS are the governing body of the waters of Lake Como. This body can change over time, so prices and affiliated shops may vary. The regional license: It’s as easy as going into any post office, ask to pay for the regional fishing license, fill the form. You may be asked for the postal account number which is n25911207. You will be asked to fill in your personal data, name, and address, and in the section, the reason for payment. Insert: "FISHING TAX - TYPE B LICENSE". Pay and it ́s done. You may encounter translation problems because of the language barrier. Currently, there is no fixed regulation for fishing from a boat as a tourist. I have asked and all I got in return was that locals pay a fee to the governing body of €50 a year and receive a booklet to sign in their catch, however it ́s not mandatory if you have the Fipsas day license. If you feel unsure,
then you can buy the extra boat license to be safe at any of the Fipsas locations below. You can pick the Fipsas day license at any of the following locations: Town: Cabiate Shop: VISENTIN Address: Via Roma 20 – Phone number: +39.031.766650 Town: Cantù Shop: CARPE DIEM 2014 Address: via G. da Fossano 29 Phone number +39.031.709405 Town: Como Shop: ROPINO Address: Via Asiago Phone number: +39.031.340979 Town: Dongo Shop: BAR JOLLY address: Via Scalini 30 Phone number +39.0344.81736 Town: Menaggio Shop: BAR PICCADILLY Address: Via Diaz Phone number: +39.0344.32364 Town: Ponte Lambro Shop: BAR SPORT Address: Via Gerett Al Lambro Phone number: +39.031.414421 Town: Porlezza Shop: BLUES BROTHER Address: Via Colombaio 17 Phone number: +39.0344.72733 LAKE COMO ́S FISHING REGULATIONS There is no translated regulation on Lake Como in English as to the date this book was published, so I have compiled the most important regulations to bear in mind when fishing on the lake to avoid any unpleasant moments with the local fishing gillies. I have inserted all the regulations possible in regards to Lake Como only including techniques not used for fly fishing, just to be clear. SPECIES OF WHICH CAPTURE IS FORBIDDEN Some fish species considered to be at risk of extinction, are protected by an absolute ban on fishing. The fisherman who should eventually capture specimens belonging to these species is obliged to release them immediately and with all the care into the water body of origin. The species protected by the absolute prohibition of fishing are the following: All Sturgeon species
  • Common Loach
  • Masked Loach
  • European bullhead
  • Lamprey
TIME OF PROHIBITION Not all fish can be fished every day of the year. Many of them have a "ban period" during which they can neither be fished nor taken/held at the place of fishing. The table below shows the list of prohibition periods. Shad from 15 May to 15 June Eel from 1 October to 31 December Barbo from 15 May to 15 June Carp from 15 May to 15 June Chub from May 1st to June 1st Whitefish from December 1st to January 15th Zander from 1 April to 31 May Pike from 15 February to 15 April Bass from May 1 to June 15 Perch from April 1st to May 31st Roach from April 15th to May 15th Grayling from December 15th to April 30th Tench from May 15th to June 15th Trout of all species and Alpine char in the lake waters from December 1st to January 15th Brown trout and marble trout and arctic char in fluvial waters from the first Sunday of October on the last Sunday of February The prohibition periods enter into force one hour after the start of the day's sunset and end one hour before sunrise on the day of expiry. The fish caught during the prohibition periods must be immediately released with the maximum care. It is forbidden to hold fish species on the fishing place whose capture is prohibited. The Province can, in exceptional cases, move or extend the prohibition periods. MINIMUM SIZE Many fish cannot be fished or held on the fishing site if they do not reach a determined length, called "minimum measurement". The table below shows the list of minimum measures. Fish must be measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. Shad 15 cm Eel 50 cm Barbel 30 cm Chub 25 cm Carp 30 cm Whitefish 30 cm Pike 50 cm Bass 30 cm Perch 16 cm Roach 30 cm Arctic char 25 cm Grayling cm 35 Tench 25 cm Trout of all species in the lake waters 30 cm Brown trout in fluvial waters - competition fields excluded 24 cm Rainbow trout in fluvial waters - competition fields 22 cm Fish below the minimum size must be immediately released back into the water body. *Of course if you practice catch and release, the above is of little consequence. However, do respect prohibition periods as the periods are in place to allow the fish to reproduce and it can stress them greatly. CATCH LIMITS Each fisherman, on a fishing day, cannot capture more than:
  • 10 fish belonging to the Salmonidae family (trout of all species, whitefish,
  • char and graylings), with the additional limit of:
  • 6 total heads of trout and char
  • 1 head of marble trout
  • 2 graylings
  • 2 pikes
  • 2Bass
  • 30 perch
  • 1 Kg of roaches Furthermore, each fisherman cannot capture more than 5 kg of fish in a day, including the species referred to in the previous point. The catch limits do not apply during fishing competitions and events. The weight limit can be exceeded by the capture of a last large sample. The catch limits shall not apply to the undesirable alien spe- cies referred to in the following point.
FISHING FOR UNDESIRED ALIEN SPECIES The undesirable alien species present in the waters of the province of Como are the following:
  • Abramis (Abramis brama)
  • Carassium (Carassius carassius)
  • Catfish (Ictalorus melas)
  • Gardon (Rutilus rutilus)
  • Pseudorasbora (Pseudorasbora parva)
  • Bitter Rodeo (Rodeus sericeus)
  • Russian catfish (Silurus glanis)
  • cobite (Misgurnus fossilis)
These species can be fished without any catch limit. Specimens belonging to these species, once captured, cannot be returned to the water and must be suppressed. FISHING FROM THE BOAT ON LAKE COMO Fishing from the boat is allowed only in lake waters. For the purpose of fishing, the belly boat is equated as a fishing vessel. The use of the sonar is not allowed during the fishing action itself, only to locate the fish. OTHER GENERAL RULES The fishing spot belongs to the person who first arrives, and he has the right to ask the fishermen they are placed at a distance of at least 10 meters from the air line. It is forbidden to hold fish species on which fishing is forbid- den, specimens of length below the minimum size and quantities of fish above the catch limits. Fishing "with live bait" can only be practiced if the following species are used as bait: • bleak • roach • Krabbie It is also possible to use fish belonging to other species, pro- vided they are caught on the fishing site and immediately used, without the right to detention and in compliance with the minimum and prohibition periods in force for the indi- vidual species. It is forbidden to:
  • use the landing net, except as a means of recovering the fish already attached
  • foul hook fish purposefully
  • catch fish with your hands
  • Bait the area with the use of solid or liquid blood or with the use of chemicals
  • use solid blood as bait
  • fish through openings in the ice
  • abandoning lures, fish, fishing tools or waste near the water
  • to keep fishing gear, bait or pasture on the place of fishing
  • hold more than 500 gr. of larvae of fly maggots
  • fishing from bridges and their support structures
ALLOWED FISHING TOOLS AND METHOD OF USE In the Lake of Como, the following tools are allowed: Fishing rod, with or without reel: Maximum simultaneous use of three rods for each fisherman, each of which can have a maximum of 5 baits, for one total of 15 baits for a fisherman. Troll fishing, for which there is no limit of 5 lures on the single fishing rod. In shore fishing, every single fisherman cannot occupy a stretch of shore above ten meters. During the period of prohibition of the Shad, it is forbidden to fish with the "moschette" for Shad. During the period of prohibition of whitefish, it is forbidden to fish with "amettiere" for whitefish. Spaderna, with a maximum of 25 hooks per fisherman (with limit of 75 hooks per boat) measuring no higher than n.4, to be placed on the bottom. This tool is allowed only from 12 noon on Saturday to 12 o'clock on Monday and must be equipped with a buoy bearing le generality (name, surname and license number) of the fisherman. Harpoon, with up to 7 aligned tips. This tool can only be used in the night hours, by rowing boats and equipped with light source (lampara) harpoon is prohibited from 15 November until the end of the ban period for whitefish as well from April 1st to June 30th. Chinese fishing net (Quadrato) on the side no higher than 1.5 m, mounted on a maneuvering pole. This tool must be used exclusively at night and for the capture of the Shad. The side of the net must not be less than 17 mm. This tool is allowed only during the period between the opening of fishing for the Shad and 10 August. The Chinese fishing net cannot be used from the boat and the fisherman must operate from the bank "with dry feet". The minimum distance between fishermen and fishermen must not be less than 10 m. The tool must be used exclusively in the vertical direction, the scale stick cannot exceed the length of 10 meters and any fixed installation is forbidden on the ground, even if only temporary. Trolling Fishing has towing is allowed with the following tools: Fishing rod, prohibited during the trout prohibition period Tirlindana, prohibited during the period of prohibition of perch. Molagna (tirlindana per trout), prohibited during the trout prohibition period. Cavedanera, prohibited during the period of prohibition of trout and chub. A second tool is allowed only during the recovery of a fish with a hook. For trolling, only one applies: the maximum limit of 25 lures per boat, cumulative for all the tools AREAS RESERVED TO SPORT FISHING In the areas reserved for sport fishing, listed below, any form of professional fishing is prohibited. • Municipalities of Como, Blevio and Cernobbio: south of the point of the junction between Punta del Pizzo and the navigation dock of Blevio. In this area, the following particular rules are in force: Zander, unlike other areas of the lake, here is protected with a minimum size catch (50 cm), with a protection period (01 April-31 May) and with the daily limit of 2 pieces per fisherman. The use of a harpoon is forbidden.
  • Municipality of Lezzeno, fraz. Sossana, from the ac- cess road to the landing piers up to the Furnace, for a width of 100 meters from the shore.
  • Municipality of Tremezzo, from the border with the Municipality of Griante up to the steps of Villa Carlotta and from the south end of the Mayer Park up to the villa Sola stairway to Bolvedro for a distance of 100 meters from the shore.
  • City of Menaggio, from the old barracks of the Guar- dia di Finanza up to the staircase to the south of the Minigolf, for a width of 100 meters from the shore.
  • Municipality of S.Siro: from the Acquaseria pier in the north direction to the tip of S. Maria Rezzonico for a width of 100 meters from the shore.
  • Bellagio Municipality: from the Bellagio Lido to the boat jetty, for a width of 100 meters from the shore.
  • Municipality of Musso: throughout the municipal area, for a width of 100 meters from the shore.
  • Municipality of Gravedona: from 100 meters to the north of the mouth of the river Liro up to the hydroelectric station, for a width of 100 meters from the shore.
PROHIBITED FISHING AREAS Protection and restocking areas are established, only during the period from 1 December to 30 April, inside of ports and piers. The Consortium of the Pian di Spagna Nature Reserve and Lake Mezzola has also banned fishing in the stretch of coastline, in the Municipality of Sorico, between the Camper Service "La Punta" and the mouth of the Adda River. This area is bounded offshore by special yellow buoys.
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