Fishing

The total number of fishers in the UK was around 11,000 in 2021, down from around 20,000 in the mid-1990s. In 2021, 53% of fishers were based in England and Wales, 40% in Scotland, and 8% in Northern Ireland.

Coarse fishing is the most widespread type of angling in England. In this kind of fishing, you try to catch fish in freshwater rather than the sea, and the fish are returned to the water instead of taking them for food.

Put simply, there are three ways to go fishing in the UK. You can fish on public waters, go to privately owned waters, or fish on the sea – and needing a license depends on what you fish and where.

Cod, haddock, and bass are all common examples of round fish. The majority of these fish species can be found in relatively shallow water; as a result, they are regularly caught by sea anglers across the UK.

Every year, our rivers start to reawaken between March and June, and our coarse fish populations will soon begin spawning. The close season aims to protect fish during this delicate time to ensure they remain healthy and resilient.

Reservoirs, lakes, and ponds ('enclosed Stillwater's) and canals. You can fish for coarse fish, eels, rainbow trout, and brown trout on most enclosed StillWaters and canals all year.

Top fishing spots in the UK
. Herefordshire and the Welsh Border: Red mire Pool, near Ross-on-Wye. ...
. Devon: Angler's Paradise, ...
. Eastern Scotland: Perth and Tay side. ...
. Southern England: The River Itchen, Hampshire. ...
. South Wales: Swansea and the Gower Peninsula. ...
. Northumberland: The River Tyne. ...
. East Anglia: Wroxham Broad, Norfolk.