Fishing on the Thames

• Even if eels aren't your idea of good eating, the River Thames has them on offer along with carp, dace and bream. Get a fishing license at a Post Office, or online from the Environment Agency website. The Environment Agency also has free downloadable fishing guides to help you target the Thames fishing areas closest to you. You can purchase either 1-day or 8-day adult rod licenses, as well as junior licenses for kids between 12 and 17.
  
  

Riding in Hyde Park

• Immortalized in film and literature, Hyde Park's oddly-named Rotten Row in Central London is where Londoners have saddled up for recreational riding over the past three centuries. Join the tradition with a guide/instructor as you canter along the park's miles of broad tree-shaded bridle trails.
  
  Book your ride/lesson online at the Hyde Park Stables website, giving an accurate assessment of your riding experience. Riding hours are from 7:15 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekends, but weekends are booked well in advance. The stable supplies riding helmets and boots and the weight limit is 175 lbs.
  
  

Kayaking the London Waterways

• Rowing on the Thames has long been a favorite London sport. The city's canals, however, extend from Victoria Park to the northwest city and provide a much quieter but equally historic alternative. Book a guided 1-hour kayak dawn tour of the 8-mile Regents Canal.
  
  You'll get whatever instruction you need to navigate the glass-smooth canal waters past the exclusive neighborhoods of St. John's Wood and the London Zoo, where the breakfasting animals might view you with curiosity. They're likely to be the only ones awake to observe your passing.
  
  Or, if conditions permit, schedule a 2-hour paddle along the tidal Thames by the Tower Bridge, taking in Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, and London Bridge along the way. No matter which kayaking tour you choose, you'll be enjoying London from an unusual and green perspective. (Reference 3)