For the UK the principal catching period is from February to April, though some fish are caught as early as January and as late as June. There is no official close season. The majority of the fishing takes place on the River Severn.
Portugal. On the most Northern and Southern rivers the fishing is legal but for most of Portugal the taking of glass eels is prohibited.
Catching Methods.
There is some fishing in Spain and Portugal using hand nets and traps.
In France the majority of glass eels are caught by small trawlers using 'wing nets' and 'trawls'.
In the UK the only legal instrument for fishing is the hand net, which has been used for hundreds and hundreds of years.
