Capital
Amsterdam
Region
Europe
Sub-region
Western Europe
Currency
EUR (€)
The phrase "Fly Fishing"
Vliegvissen
The Netherlands might not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking about fly fishing destinations. Yet the fishing here is incredibly diverse. From pike and carp in the beautiful polder landscape to bass in the big rivers to seabass in the Rotterdam harbour.
Another huge advantage of fly fishing in the Netherlands is that a license is easy to get online, affordable and it will give you access to a vast amount of water.
With the offical license that costs just €40 per year, you can fish in 90% of all the water in the Netherlands.
Fly fishing in the Netherlands requires some creativity, because it's not the more well known 'go to the river and catch brownies' type of thing. But ones you've figured things out the possibilities are endless: one fifth of the country's surface area is water.
Although the country is primarily flat, the diversity of water to fly fish in will give you a huge range of options. From fresh to salt, from canal to sea, there is a lot to explore.
No big trout in the Netherlands? Think again
Brown Trout
European Flounder
Rainbow Trout
Fly fish in the largest harbour of Europe
Sea bass
Sea Trout
Twaid shad
Big predator fish in the iconic Dutch landscape
Perch
Pike
Pike-perch
Do you have a location you want to share? Let us know.
Saltwater
For fishing in saltwater in the Netherlands you do not need a license.
Freshwater
The official license is called the VISpas ('vis' means 'fish' and 'pas' means 'card' in Dutch). With just this one license that costs €40 per calendar year you're all set!
The only thing that you need to do is to check if the water where you want to go fishing is covered by the VISpas. To do that, go to visplanner.nl. Please note: some waters require an additional license from a local association. The Visplanner will indicate if this is the case.
How to use visplanner.nl
Zoom in on the map, or use 'Plaats of postcode' (city or zipcode) to fill in where you want to go fishing, then click on 'Ververs gegevens' (refresh data). All the water that shows up dark blue is water where you can fish, the possibilities are endless!
Make sure to download the Visplanner app. If your license is being checked by an official, you need to show proof that you've checked the water. For this having the Visplanner app is sufficient.
Almost all species that you can find in the Netherlands you can fly fish for. Some require more creativity than others, but almost all have them have been caught on the fly!
Is your favorite fish not listed? Let us know.
The VNV (Vereniging Nederlandse Vliegvissers, which means Association of Dutch Fly Fishers) is the national fly fishing association.
They actively help protect the fish stock in the Netherlands, promote fly fishing and publish a magazine 4 times a year.
Visit vnv.nu (Dutch)The Netherlands enjoys a moderate maritime (or oceanic) climate. This type of climate generally features mild winters and cool summers. Precipitation, such as rain, is common throughout the year.
These are the organizations that can help you exlore new waters while learning a thing or two.
Unfortunately it's still difficult to find the right information to go fly fishing in another country.
Things like: Where do I go? What species to fish for in what months? How do I get a local permit? What gear works best?
FlyFish Circle aims to solve this problem.
Webshops where you can find all your fly fishing gear.
dyckers.com
e10-flyfishing.com
exclusiveflyfishing.shop
exclusiveflyfishing.shop
hengelsportfauna.nl
flyfishingdutchman.nl/index.php/en
flysupply.nl
peetershengelsport.nl
poseidonflyfishing.nl
qflyshop.com
smartlures.nl
Is your country not listed? Let us know.
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Founder of FlyFish Circle
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