Portugal - a warning!

Just back from a week in Portugal. Didn't realise you needed a license to sea fish over there. After 20 mins fishing from a breakwater we notice 4 national guards walking our way. Long story short - 2 shimano catana telescoics confiscated along with my brand new okuma 40s and my bro in laws daiwa certate.! Only bought the reel last week in Viking from Gerry. Very costly lesson. No talking to the guards, one was a right you know what. More stripes than the other 3. The license would have cost just 3 euro for a month but you need a portugese bank account to buy one. Be warned.

Ouch!

That's shocking Eoghan, have you contacted the Portuguese Embassy over here about it.

As the Donegal catch guy would say, can you be more 'pacific' , as heading to vilamoura in a few days, as per usual, and often fish the breakwater at the boatyard, never have seen any inspections for permits, though have seen a few suspect being ushered out of the marina,
But I would usually take a charter on the first day or two, which will include the purchase of a sea area permit, which will cover the shore as well, or so I am told,,my Portuguese is awful.....

I feel for you mate, I didn't even know you needed a licence to fish in Portugal ,I never seen the guards there before

Ouch! That smarts

Villamoura for a week. Fished on the left breakwater at around 4 pm. Sickened. Apparently the gnr are picking on tourists as easy targets for fines, esp if hiring a car. Anyway will be on to embassy but won't hold breath. Hotel tried to help. I don't speak portugese but it looked like 3 of them would have let us off and appeared to be pleading with the main guy but he was having none of it. Local tackle dealer said he was notorious for it and liked the look of the gear.

You should have chucked the tackle into the ocean rather than let him get new toys!

You should have chucked the tackle into the ocean rather than let him get new toys!

Thought did cross my mind but I thought we were just getting a slap on the wrist once I worked out what was going on. Prob would have done me for littering etc. nasty piece of work that he was. Won't do their tourism much good if the gnr keep that crap up. Anyway, just a heads up as would hate it to happen anyone else on the forum.

I wouldn't mind but I have 2 exage 4000's sitting the shed that would have done just fine but oh no I have to pack the new reel.

Like I said eoghan, heading in that direction, and in a highly unlikely event of the hotel gaining possession of the gear, I could maybe do something to repatriate to you and yours, who know,
I suppose that the public sector in Portugal is being squeezed just like home, any confiscated gear would be a keeper......

Tnks Martin. Have a few calls and mails to do tomorrow. Not holding breath but will let you know how it goes.

Nasty nasty,what a s*** way to lose gear and the cops prob have it at home.

John Ainsworth.

Scum, sub human scum!! Not much you could have done I suppose but they were obviously on the make but count yourself lucky as the Portuguese have been known to confiscate a country or two never mind a few rods.

Mail sent to both embassies this morning. No reply as yet. Worth a shot. I have no doubt officer sheet head is fishing with em or has em on eBay!

I would give Joe Duffy a call Eoghan if you don't here back from the embassy.

Just back from a week in Portugal. Didn't realise you needed a license to sea fish over there. After 20 mins fishing from a breakwater we notice 4 national guards walking our way. Long story short - 2 shimano catana telescoics confiscated along with my brand new okuma 40s and my bro in laws daiwa certate.! Only bought the reel last week in Viking from Gerry. Very costly lesson. No talking to the guards, one was a right you know what. More stripes than the other 3. The license would have cost just 3 euro for a month but you need a portugese bank account to buy one. Be warned.

I feel for you Eoghan. They obviously don't like foreign nationals fishing their waters!

Tnks Rory. I'll always have that 20 mins I spent with the okuma. They can't take that away from me!
I did have one bite and a few follows in that time from small bass.

H all I can add to this post about the licences . . . . . So my self and better half decided to holiday in alberfuiera Portugal . I also wanted to fish and I was bring deer tackle with me . Well deer to me. So I found a spot that sold bait but wouldn't sell till I got licence . So he tryed to tell me how to go about it. I went and asked in the hotel and they gave me a rough idea where to go. So from the hotel at 7.30am I got a bus to main city to find the what I'd call the fishery s office but it is not listed so ihad to get a taxi to help me who only half faired me .. Another angler happy to help. So with I'd and where I would fish I queued and all the locals cut in front of me . When I got to the desk I was given a piece of paper all in portugeses that I had to fill out . It was now 5 to 1and they closed at 3 for the day and rest of the week. :
So with it filled in and some help from a nice woman behind the counter . I was told to go to the bank and pay the amount but only one bank will take the money and for. So off I went and got to the bank but not the right bank it was one the other side of the town . So over I went still trying to think of the fishing and how I was going to Injoy all the different species. Got the the right bank ( post office over there) . And went I payed I was told I had to go back to the first place to get it stamped . It was now 4 .30 if not more and I had enough . So we gave up I had enough I was rageing the first place knew we had to get back before 3 but never gave us a chance. So we decided to walk the beach the next morning early . And we rented a peddle boat for the day for €25. I got the bait for twice the price maddies is what we were using and we fished and peddled all day loads of different rasses and goby type fish. Hope this is some help sorry if I ranted on but it still windes me up. . Also I found out after that the licences can be got on line but it takes some weeks for them to be processed so if your going look it up few weeks in advance. Good luck.

how are they scum they are doing there job would you call the guards scum for confiscating fishing gear from someone illegally fishing for bass or sea trout

when in turkey i knew you needed a licence for sea fishing and didnt bother due to the crap involved in getting one ,and the huge amount of rules on where you can fish ie spawning grounds and estuaries where only locals can fish if they have a special licence ,i did go on a charter where i was told not to worry about a licence as the skipper had it covered (backhander and a few fish i,d say )
i did how ever check all this out before i went so i wasnt going to get in trouble!!