Main rivers and canals belong to the government as well as some lakes and reservoirs (public
domain). The rest
of the waters are private property.
The government and the private owners can give the right of fishing to fishing associations : it is then their
responsibility to manage the rivers or lakes and sell the licences.
Nobody can fish in France (except on privately owned closed waters) without having a licence (permis de pêche)
delivered by a fishing association (AAPPMA). When you buy a licence, you pay for a national tax (timbre
de pêche) and a local tax. Having paid a national tax, you can fish the lots managed by the association,
lots belonging to the government and lots belonging to other associations if they have agreed on a reciprocity
between then.
Rivers are classified in the following way :
1) First category : all rivers with mainly
trouts, graylings, salmons
2) Second category : all others.
There are special regulations for salmon and sea
trouts. Private reservoirs and river sections exist too.
We do admit that :
1) This seems a bit complex,
2) This makes fishing really not expensive most of the times !
