Fishing in Britain: Best Places to Enjoy the Quintessentially British Pastime of Angling
On a relatively small island covered in streams, rivers, and waterways across its undulating landscape, you can bet that there are plenty of anglers across Great Britain. Where once it was a necessity, fishing is now a very popular pastime - regardless of the weather that faces each person with their camping chair and rod to hand.
The popularity of angling is spurred on by many factors. There's the heritage side of the sport and how it's been passed down each generation. Another element is the prevalence of fishing fun in modern entertainment media, encouraging more people to give it a go.
Finally, and most notably, the abundance of different species of fish and the various challenges posed by British waterways continue to attract the nation's anglers. If you're on your way to the UK and fancy casting out a line, you'll find yourself in good company and with many grand locations to explore.
Fishing is Everywhere in Britain
You simply can't escape fishing in the UK, be it because of its heritage across the country or the way it's tapped into for the creation of popular entertainment products. Earlier this year, in fact, the Hastings Contemporary Gallery celebrated the living histories of the local fishing community - one of the oldest in Europe.
Commercial fishing remains a huge revenue stream for the UK, but few need a monetary incentive to cast a line. In an increasingly digital world, anglers covet the connection to nature and the quiet days by the water. In fact, the UK Environment Agency found 38 per cent of respondents say that they'll fish for relaxation and meditation.
Spurring people to the waterways along with this is just how entertaining fishing has been portrayed as in popular media. While Extreme Fishing and River Monsters still get reruns on British TV, the headline act now is the much calmer Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing. With Season 8 on the way, the show's clearly a huge hit for BBC.
Fishing has also taken off to become the most popular theme in another corner of entertainment. Largely thanks to Big Bass Bonanza, fishing slots are now the most sought-after section of British online casino gaming. Across the vast series, the feature lets players catch fish with different cash symbols on them by landing a fisherman. It's proven to be a hit way to play slots thanks to how it plays off of the angling experience.
Best Places to Cast a Line in Britain
Before you go fishing anywhere in the UK, it's best to check the government website to see if a particular body of water is closed for the season and to get your relatively cheap fishing licence. After that, you can get ready for an idyllic day by the water. One of the best stretches is the River Itchen, which you can freely fish between Wharf Mill and City Mill.
If you want to get a bit wild, Loch Ken is a great place to fish from a rowboat or kayak, while Loch Awe and Buttermere in Cumbria are great locations to set up camp for a night or two and fish the waters for hours. Linking back to the prevalence of fishing entertainment earlier, we can also find more top spots to go angling.
Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse have hailed the Lower Wye in Herefordshire, Bemersyde on the Tweed in Scotland, and the Old Fen Lakes in Norfolk among their highest-rated places to fish. If you want to catch a big bass of your own, though, you can look to top coastal spots like The Lizard in Cornwall and the North Norfolk coast.
If you're on the way to this little fishing-obsessed island, be sure to check these angling hotspots to guarantee a great day out with your rod and reel.