By Rodney Hsu

Have you ever been unsure of the regulations when you were fishing? Whenever you catch a fish, do you wonder whether you can keep it or not? The most common complaint that people always bring up during a fishing chat is "the fishing regulations are simply too complicated to follow."

I can somewhat relate to that. When I first arrived in Canada, I found the regulations puzzling, many simply did not make sense, and seem unnecessary. That view changed overtime of course. The more I fished, the more I studied in the field, the better I understand why these regulations are so important to the future of these fisheries. You may not like the regulations, but they can not be ignored.

Here is a generic guide that you can follow before heading out to fishing next time. If you go through these steps to check the regulations, then you'll have an enjoyable outing without having to worry about whether you are breaking the law or not.

Fishing license
To fish in British Columbia, you need a fishing license, tidal or non-tidal. A tidal license is required when you are fishing in the ocean or portions of river where tidal status is designated. A non-tidal license is required if you are fishing in streams and lakes. These can be purchased at your local fishing tacklestores.

Regulation synopsis
While you are at the fishing store purchasing your fishing licenses, make sure you pick up a copy of the freshwater regulation synopsis as well as a tidal waters sportfishing guide/freshwater salmon supplement (the two are published as one booklet). Regulation guides are also available on the internet:

BC tidal waters sportfishing guide
BC freshwater regulation synopsis
BC freshwater salmon supplement

General regulations
At the beginning of each regulation booklet, there is always a section on general regulations that need to be followed wherever you are fishing in BC. Read it thoroughly.

Specific regulations in your fishing area
Once you have decided on your fishing location, make sure you read the regulations of that particular area. Some of the important rules that you have to watch out for include closed areas, closed seasons, gear restriction (whether or not you can use bait, lure or flyfish), retention limit of each species.

Learn your fish
Do some research on the fish that you will be targeting. Find out what kind of fish can be caught at your fishing location. Make sure you know how to distinguish between species and their genders.

Check for updates
Regulations may change from time to time in the last minute due to unusual stock returns or environmental changes. To find out these changes or updates of regulations in your area, simply visit the following websites:

BC tidal waters regulation updates
BC Freshwater salmon regulation updates

Sportfishing code of conduct
Beside knowing the rules, it is also important to know how to conduct yourself around your fellow fishers while fishing. Sportfishing institute of BC has come up with a set of code of conduct for anglers to follow. You can read it here.

Sportfishing Regulations seem complicated in BC, but they are needed to ensure a healthy sport and resource that can be enjoyed by many generations to come. Spending ten minutes the night before going through the do's and don'ts will result in a better fishing day.