The UK's top fishing locations

The UK's leading fishing magazine editors offer their favourite fishing spots around the UK from coastal locations to riverbanks.

"This 700-acre reservoir is known as one of the UK's finest trout fisheries. Regularly stocked with both rainbow and brown trout, it offers the bank or boat angler superb sport from the start of the season (March) right through to the close in October.

Spring and summer evenings can be particularly productive, thanks to large hatches of midges, which the trout feed on avidly. Draycote is a particular favourite with reservoir anglers because of the fishes' willingness to feed on the surface; it's surely the UK's finest dry fly fishing venue."
Contact: 01788 812018

The Riverdale Hall Hotel runs the fishing side of things on a large proportion of the North Tyne. Thanks to a highly successful hatchery program, Tyne salmon stocks have boomed in the last 15 years, and the river now competes with some of the best that even Scotland has to offer. The difference, however, is the price - you don't have to be wealthy to fish it!

Now generally regarded as the best salmon river in England and Wales, the North Tyne also produces very large salmon. With the average size most seasons being in double figures, 20lb fish are relatively common, with salmon in the 30 to 40lb range a distinct possibility.
Tel: 01434 220661 Web: www.tynefishing.co.uk

One of the most famous cod fishing beaches in the UK. Although, the days when every angler could catch 20lb-plus cod have long gone it still produces a good share of double-figure specimens and there is still a realistic chance of a twenty.

Bass fishing can also be awesome during the late summer and early autumn. Try fishing a livebait no more than 15 yards from the shore for the best chance of a biggie.

The mark is also famous for its phenomenal flatfish angling, with huge numbers of dab, flounder, sole and a few plaice for good measure. To be honest, this beach could throw up just about anything.

Orford Ness is a 10 mile shingle bank, which can be walked or best reached by a ferry boat from Orford Quay on the Ore estuary. The two most famous marks are known as the Crouch and the Narrows, although the whole length can produce fish.

Orford Ness offers some excellent winter cod fishing, along with smoothhounds and bass in the summer. Peeler crab is one of the best baits, but whole squid also works well for the cod.

This is a venue that has fast tides and is one of the only marks in the country that fishes best with short-range casting tactics.

Daventry 07889 532563
Packed full of carp in the low-to-mid doubles bracket and always good for a bite. Beginners and experts alike will enjoy the action at this carp-filled water.

Stanton Harcourt, Oxon 01908 647320/07885 327708
Something for everyone, with runs water that offer a great chance of a multiple catch of carp up to mid-twenties, as well as large, more difficult gravel pits with giants lurking in the depths.

If river fishing is your thing, then pay a visit to this five-mile stretch of the Dorset Stour that offers the visiting angler some of the best chub and barbel fishing in the UK. Contact Chris Allport on 07789 408503

If you enjoy catching a mixed bag of fish from a stillwater, them Willow Park is the ideal choice whatever your age. The venue has three lakes that off some excellent bream and roach fishing, as well as perch, crucians and carp. Contact Tosh White on 01252 325867