A free online fishing directory with one simple ambition: more anglers and more fish on the bank.
Where it all started
Fishing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was on the banks of the River Thames with my grandad from pretty much as soon as I was old enough to hold a fishing rod. Those early trips gave me the bug, and the river has always felt like home.
Like plenty of anglers, I went through different stages as I got older. I got heavily into carp fishing, spending time learning the craft and chasing bigger fish. But over time I found myself becoming a little disillusioned with it. I missed the exploration and unpredictability of fishing rivers, and the feeling of not quite knowing what might happen next.
That led me back to the rivers, this time with a real interest in targeting specimen fish. I started spending more time looking for new stretches, researching access, working out who controlled different bits of water and trying to find places that might hold the fish I wanted to catch.
And that's where the idea for Rod & Bank really began. Finding somewhere new to fish could be surprisingly difficult. Information was scattered across club websites, forums, social media and old posts. Sometimes the details you needed were there, but it took ages to piece everything together. I thought there had to be a better way.
I wanted to bring that information together in one place, creating something genuinely useful for anglers. What started as an idea has grown into a much bigger project, with more than 1,200 fishing stretches documented across the UK and new rivers being added all the time.
There's also a personal side to the project. Recently, I used Rod & Bank myself to find a new stretch of the Thames to fish. I went on to catch a cracking chub from that stretch, and that fish has since featured in Angling Times magazine. For me, that's exactly what the directory is there to do: help anglers discover water they might not otherwise have found and create opportunities for experiences and catches like that.
But the ambition is bigger than helping me find my next fishing spot. I want more people to get involved in angling. I want someone who's never picked up a rod to be able to find somewhere local, give it a go and hopefully catch their first fish. I also want experienced anglers to discover new stretches, explore different rivers and make memories along the way.
What is Rod & Bank?
At its heart, Rod & Bank is a free, interactive directory of fishing stretches across the UK.
The website is built around an interactive map, allowing anglers to explore rivers, locate individual fishing stretches and find out more about the water before making a journey. Rather than having to visit multiple club websites or search through old forum posts, anglers can use one central resource to research potential fishing destinations.
Each listed stretch aims to provide useful practical information, including:
- Fishing access: whether the stretch is controlled by a fishing club, association, private fishery or offers free access.
- Membership and day tickets: information about the relevant club or controller and the options available for fishing the water.
- Parking: details to help anglers plan their visit and find suitable parking.
- Species: information about the fish anglers may expect to encounter.
- Location details: postcodes and What3Words locations to help anglers identify and navigate to the right area.
- Additional information: details such as night fishing availability and other useful access information where available.
The map also allows users to search around particular locations and filter results to narrow down the stretches that suit what they're looking for.
More than just a map
One of the things I've been keen to do is make Rod & Bank useful to the wider angling community, not just individual anglers.
By bringing these listings together, Rod & Bank can help anglers discover clubs and waters they might otherwise never have come across.
It's important that the directory continues to develop, and input from people who know their local waters is a huge part of making that possible.
Why is it free?
This is probably one of the most important parts of the whole project.
Rod & Bank is completely free to use. There are no subscriptions, no membership fees and no paywalls preventing people from accessing the information.
I know how frustrating it can be to find basic fishing information, and I didn't want to create another barrier for people wanting to get into the sport.
Angling already has enough costs associated with it. Between tackle, bait, travel and fishing permits, getting started can feel like a considerable investment, particularly for someone new to the hobby.
If Rod & Bank can remove even one obstacle by helping someone find somewhere to fish, then it's doing exactly what I intended it to do.
Fishing has so much to offer. It's the peace and quiet, the challenge of catching a new species, the excitement of finding a new stretch and, sometimes, simply spending a few hours outdoors. I'd love to see more people experience that.
What's next for Rod & Bank? There's still a huge amount to do. The ambition is to continue expanding the directory, documenting more rivers and fishing stretches and making the information as accurate and useful as possible.
It's not simply about adding as many locations as possible. I want to build a resource that anglers can rely on when planning a fishing trip.
That means continually improving the information available, adding more useful features and working with clubs, fisheries and anglers to fill in the gaps.
Ultimately, I want Rod & Bank to become a go-to resource for anyone looking to discover somewhere new to fish in the UK.
It's been a huge amount of work to get to this point, and there's plenty more ahead, but the response from anglers so far has been brilliant.
More anglers, more fishing and more fish on the bank.
You can explore the directory for yourself at www.rodandbank.com It's completely free, and if you know of a fishing stretch that should be included, you can submit it through the website. Because there's always somewhere new to fish.
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