Article by Ben Spencer 

Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing has been a revelation of British television.

The low-key adventures of two old friends looking to catch some of the country’s most iconic fish in glorious spots is a complete change of pace from our usual fishing TV schedule. Yet, it’s been a rampant success.

Joining the upper echelons of angling entertainment productions, Gone Fishing will be embarking on its eighth series in 2025.

At the time of writing, an official release date had yet to be announced.

However, HMV is now listing its physical release for 17 November 2025, meaning that it’s likely not far away now.

Yet, in its description for the DVD release, it’s only mentioned that rivers in Wales and North West England are to be visited. So, while it’ll certainly going to be must-watch TV when it lands, once again, the duo won’t be coming to the West Midlands.

Changing the Game in Fishing Entertainment

Fishing became a wildly popular theme in entertainment, particularly in the UK, because of two long-running shows.

River Monsters and Extreme Fishing still populate the TV schedule with their reruns and truly lean into the man-vs-nature side of angling. Both showcased high-octane trips with an eye on the most challenging catches.

It’s TV shows like these that helped to inspire the fascination with fishing in entertainment and similarly action-focused productions.

This is most evident when scrolling through the library of online slot games. A banner pick and prevalent among Our Picks, the Big Bass series is one of the best-known slot series.

As shown by the game’s tile, be it Big Bass Amazon Extreme, Big Bass Mission Fishin’, or Big Bass 3 Reeler, the emphasis is on the buzz of the catch, showing the fish leaping out of the water.

In stark contrast to River Monsters, Extreme Fishing, and Big Bass, Gone Fishing will soon be eight series in and based on chilled-out, laid-back angling.

Never Gone Fishing in the West Midlands

For now, Gone Fishing has cast a line in waters across the UK, in Ireland, and even Norway, but not yet the West Midlands.

Even so, the release of the eighth series of the show will have plenty in Solihull and the wider region wanting to sit by the waterways – even at this time of the year!

Most locally, three spots stand out as the best places to go fishing in Solihull.

Earlswood Lakes features three hefty reservoirs you can fish, and the Canal & River Trust recently completed a £1.6 million programme of improvements to the pools.

Also worth a look are the five lakes of Blythe Waters – which also has a café – and the four lakes of Woods Farm Fishery.

Running through the county are many rivers where you could get permits to fish at certain points. River Blythe, River Cole, River Rea, River Sherbourne, River Sowe, River Stour, and River Tame all flow through the West Midlands. Gone Fishing might not have visited them yet, but you can certainly go fishing on them with a licence.

Angling continues to be popular as a sport and form of entertainment across the UK. While Mortimer and Whitehouse have yet to visit our county, there are plenty of idyllic spots for locals to enjoy if they want to get in on the action.