I decided to make this information available to anybody who, as a non-Czech national, might want to get the documents necessary for course fishing in the Czech Republic as all the procedures I found on the internet were incorrect.
What follows is the procedure I followed as a UK national in order to acquire my Czech licence and permit to fish in non-salmonid waters in West Bohemia. The papers were issued in Plzeň.
Fishing Licence
I found the procedure for obtaining the licence simple – contrary to all information published on the internet.
Required Documents
The first step is to ensure that you have the necessary documents. For me, these were a current passport, proof of address and a fishing licence issued by a foreign country. Of course, you’ll need some cash too.
Application Procedure
Once you have these you need to go to the Office of the Municipal District of Pilsen 3 (Úřad Městského Obvodu Plzeň 3) which is located at number 7, sady Pětatřicátníků – tram and bus stop Sady Pětatřicátníků.
Be aware that the staff at the Úřad speak only Czech so, if you do not speak Czech, you should take a Czech speaker with you.
Enter the building and take the corredor immediately to the right, the office you need is on the left – there is a board inside the entrance listing each office and its purpose.
When I was there, in August 2023, this office was closed but there was a notice on the door indicating which office to go to.
Once in the correct office I was greeted by two ladies who helped me by providing the correct form which, by the way, is not the form found on the internet. The correct form is totally different so don’t bother downloading and completing the form in advance. I did and it proved to be a waste of time.
Licence Issued
They verified the form and my documents, spoke with a colleague by telephone to confirm the procedure and then made and issued my licence.
During this procedure they told me that it was easier because I had a current and valid UK rod licence. Perhaps that, if my UK licence wasn’t current I would have had to wait.
Cost
The price for a 10 year licence was 1,000 Czech crowns.
The staff here were very friendly and very helpful turning what I had been led to believe was a complicated and stressful experience into one that was easy, rapid and enjoyable.
Now I had my licence, I was able to move on to the second, and final, step.
Fishing Permit
Required Documents
The documents you need for the permit are a valid passport or residents permit, the Czech fishing licence, a recent passport type photograph and some cash or bank card.
ČRS Organisation
Your permit is issued by the Český rybářský svaz (ČRS) – Czech Fishing Union. The Union is divided into many local associations and, in general, it is easiest to use your local association which can be found with a simple internet search. However, as each association is resposible for the management of the fisheries in their area, it may be beneficial to select the association that manages the fisheries you intend to fish.
For example, in the region of Stod, there is a flooded quarry managed by the Stod association where fishing is limited to members of this association. Obviously, if you intend to fish such a fishery you will need to join the managing association. Worth a check before deciding.
I decided to go the easiest way and join my local association.
My association is Český rybářský svaz, z. s., místní organizace Plzeň 1 (Czech Fishing Union, zs, local organization Pilsen 1) located at Masarykova 455/132, 312 00 Plzeň 4 which is in the Doubravka district of Plzeň.
Procedure
Once inside there is a waiting room and a window/hatch through which you can speak with the staff.
Permit Types and Cost
Tell them you wish to obtain a fishing permit and they will ask for your licence, your ID, a passport style photo and which kind of permit you require. You can ask for a permit covering Salmonid fisheries, non-salmonid fisheries or both. Be aware that each has a price – in 2023 the price was 3,500 Czech crowns each.
I selected the non-salmonid permit, paid my 3,300kč and was issued with the permit, a booklet explaining the regulations and card on which it is necessary to register each fishing session and any fish taken home.
I highly advise reading the regulations and doing so each year as they can change. They are available on the internet in English, German and Russian in PDF format.
Permit Issued – Let’s Go Fishing!
So that’s it – if you’ve followed this procedure you probably now have all the documents you need, so, I wish you Tight Lines!
When to Fish
All permitted fishing times and days are detailed in the rules and regulations booklet provided by the ČRS with your fishing permit but I find this to be a tricky document to follow.
So I compiled this information (for non-salmonid fisheries) into a table that I find easier to consult.
You can access my table (handwritten) on the page: