UK River Fish

There is a wide variety of fish in the lakes, rivers and streams of the UK. Some of these are fished as game fish, but you do have to adhere to the various rules and regulations for fishing different species and for fishing in certain areas.

The main game fish are:

Salmon: Salmon are usually found in rivers and streams. They tend to be territorial and where there are salmon it is unlikely that you will find other species of fish in the same area. They are usually found where there are steady currents and tend to hover close to the bottom. Young salmon are called fry and those in the young adult stage are called parr. They stay in the river for about 2.5 years before going out to sea. When they spawn, they always come back to the same river where they were hatched.

Trout: Trout are a species of fish in abundance in the lakes and streams of the UK. These fish resemble pike with their big mouths. Some of them are shaped like a torpedo. They like deep water, surrounded by high banks. They like to hide in the mud. Most trout spend their lives in the same river, although some of them do find their way to the sea. Sea Trout always do come back to the rivers.

Grayling: These fish are mainly found in downriver streams. They migrate every day from the places where they can be found at night to the locations where they feed during the day. This is usually a distance of about 3 or 4 km.

In addition to the game fish, there are other species of UK river fish, some of which are used for bait to catch the game fish. These include such species as:

Bullheads: These fish spend their lives in the same stretch of river living under the stones in the shallow water. They are not good swimmers. These fish have long bodies with huge heads.

Roach: these fish are very similar to carp and can be found in still waters.

Eels: Eels are similar to fish in that they have gills, pectoral fins and a long dorsal fin. They swim up tiny rivers and streams