Real rivers, lakes, lochs and loughs by name — not just live numbers, but genuine local knowledge for 38 regions across the UK and Ireland. A few to start with:
Records are current British rod-caught benchmarks (Angling Trust / British Record Fish Committee) at time of writing — lists are updated periodically, and Irish, Scottish and Northern Irish specimen weights can differ. See official lists below.
You may occasionally hook an eel while coarse fishing — the European eel is critically endangered, and in some fisheries (including the Shannon system) rod-and-line targeting isn't permitted at all. If you catch one, handle it gently, keep it wet, and return it as quickly as you can.
Tide times
Check before you go
Nearest reference port:
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This page doesn't have live tide predictions built in — accurate tidal data comes from UK Hydrographic Office stations and needs a registered (free) API key that can't safely live in a public page. Search your nearest port below on the official, free 7-day EasyTide predictor instead.
Reading high/low water & direction
Most of the UK and Ireland has a semi-diurnal pattern — two highs and two lows a day, roughly 6 hours 12 minutes apart. On EasyTide, find the two times either side of now: if you're between a low and the next high, the tide is coming in (flooding); between a high and the next low, it's going out (ebbing). The exact times and heights vary a lot by location — that's exactly why a single reference port here can't replace checking your actual mark.
Rock marks and estuaries can cut off fast on a rising tide — always check before you commit to a mark.
Coastal water conditions
Sea state today
Checking marine forecast…
Uses Open-Meteo's Marine Weather API (wave height and swell), free for non-commercial use. Indicative only — always assess conditions on the day at your actual mark.
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Rules, venues & live levels
Please refer to the official, always-current sources below for finding clubs, tackle shops and knowing if a river's fishable today.
"Coarse" covers every UK freshwater fish that isn't a trout, salmon or grayling — roach, perch, bream, tench, carp, pike and more. It's the most accessible way into fishing: no closed season on stillwaters or canals, day tickets are cheap, and most commercial fisheries are stocked and forgiving for beginners.
Typical starter kit: a 12–13ft float rod, a fixed-spool reel, 4–6lb line, a small selection of floats and hooks, split shot, a landing net and a bait box. A method feeder rod adds versatility for bigger fish.
First approach: start on a stocked commercial stillwater with a simple waggler float and maggots or corn. Watch the float, not your phone.
What is game fishing?
Game fishing targets trout, salmon and sea trout, almost always on fly gear (though spinning is common for salmon too). It's more technical and traditionally more regulated — most rivers and lochs require a permit or day ticket from the owner or club, on top of any national rod licence.
Typical starter kit: a 9ft #5–6 weight fly rod and matching reel, floating line, a leader and tippet, a small box of general wet and dry flies, waders if you'll be in the water.
First approach: a stocked stillwater fishery with instructor-led beginner sessions is by far the easiest place to learn to cast before tackling a river.
What is sea fishing?
Shore sea fishing needs no licence in most of the UK and Ireland and has no closed season — you're fishing public coastline, so it's genuinely free to start. Species and methods vary hugely by mark: open beach casting for cod and bass, rock marks for wrasse, estuaries for flounder.
Typical starter kit: a 10–12ft beachcaster or a lighter lure rod, a multiplier or fixed-spool reel, 15–20lb line, a selection of leads, hooks and traces, a bait bucket.
First approach: a piece of frozen mackerel or squid on a simple two-hook flapper rig from any accessible beach or pier will catch something almost anywhere. Always check tide times first (see the tide panel above when Sea is selected).
Glossary of common terms
Swim
The patch of water you're fishing from a fixed spot on the bank.
Feeder
A weighted cage or block that carries loose feed out to your hookbait.
Leger / bomb
Fishing a weight on the bottom with no float, watching the rod tip for bites.
Trotting
Letting a float run naturally downstream with the current on a river.
Trace
A short length of stronger line or wire between your mainline and hook, to resist teeth or abrasion.
PVA
A water-soluble bag or string used to introduce bait tight to your hookbait, then dissolves.
Keepnet
A mesh net that holds caught fish alive in the water until you're ready to release them.
Playing a fish
Letting a hooked fish run and tire against light rod/reel pressure rather than horsing it in.
First-trip checklist
Rod licence if required for your discipline/nation (see links above)
Landing net and, for anything with teeth or spines, an unhooking mat and forceps
Weather-appropriate layers — conditions on open water change fast
Polarised sunglasses — cuts glare and protects your eyes while casting
Tell someone where you're going and roughly when you'll be back, especially fishing alone
Litter/line bag — take everything home, especially old line, which is lethal to wildlife
Minimum sizes & taking fish home
The general principle: catch-and-release is now the default across almost all UK and Irish angling. Taking a fish home for the table is the exception, and on many waters and for many species it's restricted or banned outright — this page can't tell you the exact legal minimum size for your species and location, because it genuinely varies by regional authority and changes over time. What follows is the framework, with links to the bodies that set the actual current numbers.
Sea fishing: the one UK-wide statutory figure is European bass — 42cm minimum, with catch-and-release only every February–March and a 3-fish daily bag limit outside that window (see the bass rules link above). Almost every other species — cod, pollack, whiting, wrasse and more — has its minimum size set regionally, in England by one of ten IFCA (Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority) districts, and by equivalent bodies in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland. These districts genuinely disagree with each other. The Angling Trust also publishes recommended sizes based on when each species reaches sexual maturity, which are often more conservative than the legal minimum.
Coarse fishing: removing live coarse fish from a fishery is restricted by national byelaws in England and Wales above certain sizes without written Environment Agency consent, and the overwhelming norm on day-ticket and club waters today is full catch-and-release — check your specific fishery's rules, which almost always mandate return.
Game fishing: salmon and sea trout are increasingly subject to mandatory catch-and-release byelaws on individual rivers as stocks have declined — some rivers permit limited retention within a size window, others don't allow it at all. Trout retention limits also vary fishery by fishery. Always check the specific river or fishery's current rules before deciding to keep a fish, not a general guide like this one.
Even where retention is legally permitted, consider releasing larger, older fish — they're disproportionately important for breeding stock.
Flies, lures & spinners — how to choose
The same underlying logic applies whether you're picking a fly, a spinner or a soft plastic: match your choice to how visible you need to be, and how much the fish can see. The live conditions above (water clarity, cloud cover, water temperature) already point you toward a specific choice — this is the reasoning behind it.
Water clarity — the biggest factor
In coloured or murky water, fish hunt by vibration and silhouette more than fine detail — go bigger, bolder and flashier (bright chartreuse, orange, black, or a fly/lure with rattles or a paddle tail that pushes water). In clear water, fish can inspect your offering closely, so go smaller, more natural and more translucent (olive, silver, brown), and use a finer leader or lighter line.
Light & cloud cover
Bright, direct sun means fish looking upward see sharp silhouettes against the sky — darker profiles stand out better then. Overcast, low light favours flash and movement to compensate for reduced visibility — brighter or more reflective patterns work harder for you.
Water temperature
Cold water slows fish metabolism — downsize and slow down: smaller flies fished deep and static, smaller lures with a slow, subtle retrieve. Warm water raises activity levels — bigger profiles and a faster retrieve can trigger aggressive reaction strikes.
Fly types, in brief
Dry flies sit on the surface and imitate adult insects — use when fish are visibly rising or there's a hatch on. Wet flies & nymphs fish just below the surface, imitating emerging insects — the reliable default when nothing's rising. Streamers imitate small fish or leeches — reach for these in coloured water or when targeting larger, more predatory fish.
Lure & spinner types, in brief
Spinners & spoons give flash and vibration — good searching baits, especially in coloured water or low light. Soft plastics & jigs are versatile and natural-looking — strong in clear water finesse fishing. Crankbaits & plugs cover water fast to locate active fish. Spinnerbaits are relatively weed-resistant, useful around cover. Poppers & surface lures trigger explosive takes in calm, warm conditions at dawn or dusk.
Safety & etiquette
Never wade or fish alone in fast or rising water — river levels can change quickly after rain (see live levels above)
On rock marks and estuaries, know the tide before you commit to a spot — it's the single biggest sea-angling safety risk
Handle fish with wet hands, minimise time out of the water, and support their weight — never hold by the gills or squeeze
Leave gates as you find them, keep noise and disturbance down for other anglers, and always ask before fishing a new stretch of bank
The Angler's Emporium
Trending rods, reels, line, tackle, keepnets, landing nets, lures, forceps/pliers, bite alarms, rod pods/bank sticks, disgorgers, line clippers, tackle boxes and other related kit.
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Disclaimer. The Angler's Outlook (UK & Ireland) is provided for general information and interest only and does not constitute professional, safety, legal or regulatory advice. Weather, tide, river level, flood warning and other live data are sourced from third-party services (Open-Meteo, the UK Environment Agency, and others credited throughout the site), may be delayed, incomplete or inaccurate, and are not a substitute for official warnings from the relevant authority. Rules, licence requirements, minimum sizes, bag limits, close seasons and byelaws referenced on this site are general pointers only, change over time, and vary by nation, region and individual fishery — always verify current requirements directly with the official body before fishing.
Angling, and particularly fishing near rivers, estuaries, rock marks and open water, carries inherent risks including drowning, being cut off by tides, and exposure to the elements. Use of this site and any decision to fish, at any location, in any conditions, is entirely at your own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the creators of this site accept no liability for any injury, loss, damage or legal consequence arising from use of, or reliance on, information provided here.
About & contact
The Angler's Outlook (UK & Ireland) is an independent, free resource for UK and Ireland anglers, combining live weather, tide and river-level data with practical, discipline-specific guidance for coarse, game and sea fishing. It's an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Environment Agency, the Angling Trust, the UK Hydrographic Office, or any other body it links to for further information.
It exists because most tools do one of two things well but not both: either they show live conditions with no local context, or they offer general angling advice with no way to check whether today's actually any good. This site tries to do both — live weather, tide and river-level readings sit alongside genuine regional write-ups naming real rivers, lakes, lochs and loughs, not generic filler, across 38 separate regions covering the whole of the UK and Ireland.
Contact:hello@theanglersoutlook.co.uk
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