A newspaper layout with reference pages inside

Brook Post is an independent publication about rivers and streams in the UK. We write about freshwater wildlife, the rules and licences that apply to anglers, and how river health is measured and protected. We are not connected to any regulator, water company, angling body or conservation charity, though we rely on what they publish.

Who writes it

Articles are written and checked by the editors, and we publish without personal bylines. We make no claim to be fisheries scientists or lawyers, so our job is to read the primary source closely and describe it plainly.

How we check things

Every article links to the outside pages it relies on, and we open each page before citing it. Where a rule belongs to a nation or a region, we say so, because rules on licences, seasons and wildlife differ across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. When we cannot confirm a detail, we leave it out or send you to the body that can.

Fishing rules, prices and classifications change. If a date or fee matters to you, check it with the regulator or fishery for your water. Nothing here is legal advice. If you spot a mistake, please write to us and we will correct it.

Guest articles

We accept guest articles under the terms on our write for us page. Contributed work is checked in the same way, and any commercial interest must be disclosed.

Photo credits

Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. We have cropped and resized them and printed them in our blue ink. Credits also appear under each picture.

• River Wharfe, Ilkley: Tim Green, CC BY 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Angler in the River Wharfe - geograph.org.uk - 2437928: Rob Burke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Common-Barbel Romanche-River France: Tlauga, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Foam pollution in the Shimna River at Tollymore - geograph.org.uk - 6216386: Eric Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• River Itchen (18615735204): Andy Morffew from Itchen Abbas, Hampshire, UK, CC BY 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Water vole - Arvicola amphibius 2b: Sarah, CC BY 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Himalayan Balsam, Banks of the River Clyde: Dratsie, CC BY-SA 4.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Otter (Lutra lutra) at Toft pier - geograph.org.uk - 7094503: Mike Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Kick-sampling in the river Roding - geograph.org.uk - 1430583: John Rostron, CC BY-SA 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• Pacifastacus leniusculus 01 by-dpc: David Perez, CC BY 3.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.
• River Wye fly-fishing - geograph.org.uk - 1872485: Peter Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons.