Wild Ardennes rivers and the Meuse running through the cities: Wallonia is a fishing destination two hours from the French border. And the permit takes a few minutes to buy, online only.
The Semois, river of the Ardennes
The Semois winds in great meanders through the wooded valleys of the Belgian Ardennes. A natural river, it holds trout and pike of a good size, and offers fine mayfly hatches for fly anglers. Local guides report fish averaging 25 to 35 cm, with specimens over 45 cm caught every season.
The Meuse at Liège, home of big perch
In the city, the Meuse has become a street fishing hotspot: in Liège as in Namur, anglers target big perch and zander along the quays. The river also holds some of the biggest zander, pike and catfish in the country. In December 2021, a zander of around 85 cm was caught from the banks in Liège.
The Walloon fishing permit
Since 1 January 2021, the Walloon fishing permit can only be bought online, at permisdepeche.be. It is sent by e-mail. For a trip, the tourist permit is the best fit: €25 for 14 consecutive days, with the rights of permit B (wading, boat or float-tube fishing).
The other permits are annual and valid until 31 December: A at €20 (daytime fishing from the bank), B at €45, C at €110 (night carp fishing), and free for under-15s. Note that many waters also require a local angling club card, and a Flemish permit is not valid in Wallonia.
Sources: Wallonie.be · Fishing World Guide · RTBF (22/12/2021). Photos: Dylanleagh and raubfisch24de via Pixabay.