【Epoch Times September 21, 2025】 The River Thames in the UK was once criticized for its pollution, but now it is attracting urban anglers eager to cast their lines. Reuters senior journalist Steve Stecklow personally tried fishing and witnessed how this historic river, once considered a “dead river,” has transformed into a new urban fishing hotspot.
The meandering River Thames flows through London, flanked by landmarks such as the Parliament building, Big Ben, and the Tower of London. Few believed that this urban river could yield big catches. Investigative journalist Stecklow, who had a preference for fishing wild trout in the British countryside, was initially skeptical of the crowds and the history of sewage pollution in the Thames. However, after seeing others sharing their catches of pike, sea bass, and other prized fish on social media, he decided to personally test it out.
He enlisted the founder of the Facebook group “London Urban Fishing,” Lubos Grajciarik, a Slovakian angler, to accompany him on a fishing trip. This angler had once caught a nearly one-yard-long giant pike in the Canary Wharf area of London, with a proud look on his face in the photo as the weight of the fish even broke the fishing net. The two of them cast their lines multiple times in the area lined with office buildings on the waterfront. While they didn’t catch the big fish they had in mind, they still managed to reel in white eels measuring 30 centimeters and bass weighing around half a kilogram.
For Stecklow, the joy of fishing lies in the process rather than the catch.
The River Thames has suffered from pollution for decades, with cases of Oxford rowing team members falling ill due to E. coli infections. However, the city of London recently initiated the multi-billion-pound “Tideway Tunnel” project to intercept rainwater and sewage overflows, a move praised by conservation groups for its potential to significantly improve water quality.
According to conservation observations, there are now over 120 fish species in the river, with occasional sightings of seals and porpoises. Conservationist Nick Bertrand stated that, “In the 1950s, fish could not survive, but things are very different now.”
Stecklow later booked one of the few boat fishing services on the Thames, spending £200 to participate in a “predatory fish experience.” Captain Dan Lantz took him to the Weybridge area upstream on the Thames, using live bait to lure large predatory fish.
After several casts, Stecklow finally caught a bass weighing at least one pound, and in the final moments, he and Lantz worked together to reel in a massive pike weighing 10 pounds (about 4.5 kilograms). As the fish surfaced, Stecklow finally understood why Lantz had said that fishing on the Thames was “one of the best experiences in the world.”
As this ancient river gradually regains its natural and cultural value, Stecklow mentioned that fishing is one of those rare moments that allows him to refrain from checking his phone.