The River Mersey is one of North West England's most iconic waterways and arguably one of Europe's greatest environmental success stories. Rising at the confluence of the River Tame and River Goyt in the centre of Stockport, the Mersey flows westward through Greater Manchester, Warrington, and Cheshire before emptying into Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea. Historically forming the boundary between the ancient counties of Lancashire and Cheshire, the river was once considered biologically dead following centuries of industrial pollution. Thanks to decades of intensive restoration work since the early 1990s, the Mersey has undergone a remarkable recovery — with 45 fish species recorded in 2023 compared to just 15 in 2002. The river transitions dramatically along its length, from freshwater coarse and game fishing in its upper and middle reaches to tidal estuary and sea fishing in its lower stretches near Liverpool. This diversity makes the Mersey a genuinely versatile fishery capable of offering very different angling experiences depending on where and how you fish it.