However, there are also plenty of places around the UK that offer equally challenging experiences for local anglers. Some of the most famed prize and predatory fish swim these waters, so if you’ve caught onto the trend of angling in entertainment or want to base your next trip around the sport, you don’t have to go too far.
Bringing Fishing into Focus
Fishing trips have become rather popular of late, driving a significant amount of tourism. It’s a trend in the industry that has coincided with the return of angling-set entertainment to the spotlight. Nowhere is this at its most prominent than in online gaming, with a big part of this being the fan base there to play Big Bass Bonanza online.
The focus of the game is on the catch. Players wait for the bonus feature to trigger after seeing different fish with prizes on them rolling on the reels. It’s here that landing a fisherman will collect all of those fish and prizes at once. It’s part of the collection of wider entertainment that focuses on the reel scream and the mystery of the catch.
That’s what Wicked Tuna rode for 13 seasons until it recently ran its course. Since 2012, it’s been all about a team of anglers going out to try to catch giant bluefin tuna, which are notoriously mighty fish that are as hard to reel in as they are valuable per pound.
Still active, British show Grand Fishing Adventure also delves into this, but puts more time into testing different bits of kit, recording the action under the waterline, and going for iconic freshwater fish, like carp. Then, of course, there’s the wildly popular Gone Fishing, which is due a ninth series at some point in the near future.
Iconic Fish to Catch in Britain
Easily the most iconic of Britain’s freshwater fish, and most common, is the pike. It’s common across slow-moving waterways, particularly reed-filled lakes and canals. They tend to stick to the canal ways that are less busy on the surface and offer clearer waters, as the aggressive fish primarily uses its excellent vision to hunt.
Having watched popular adventurous fishing shows, like River Monsters or Extreme Fishing, many people fancy taking on the Wels catfish. Known to be the largest freshwater fish in Europe, a small population made its way to the UK and can be fished by licence-holders. To try to catch these behemoths, you’ll need a trip to Tring.
Recent angling headlines have also demonstrated a return of a famous fish to waters that were once famed among anglers. As reported by the BBC, Atlantic bluefin tuna have returned to the Whitby coastline. For the first time in around six decades, some truly giant tuna were caught over this summer, marking the fish’s long-awaited return.
Whether you want to take on pike, a Wels catfish, or a bluefin tuna, you can base your fishing holiday from right here in the UK.