An independent fishing guide. We do not sell tackle or run competitions. Check bag limits, closed seasons and permitted waters in the fishing rules for your region.
Technique
Fishing technique comes down to a few simple actions: cast, present the bait so it looks natural, strike at the right moment and bring the fish in calmly. Add to that the ability to read the water, understanding where fish are likely to hold. This section covers the main techniques in general terms, along with the rules for releasing fish carefully.
Most lost fish are lost not because of the fish but because of haste. Calm hands catch more.
How this section works: here we collect techniques common to most fishing methods. For the finer points of individual disciplines and competition requirements, see the rules of the sport.
How to get your bait or lure to where the fish are, and make it look natural.
The rod is taken back and brought forward smoothly with acceleration, releasing the line at the right moment. Accuracy matters more than distance.
Tip: Look behind you before casting: check for people, branches and power lines.
The rod moves to the side, closer to the water. It lets you put a lure under bushes and reduces the effect of the wind.
Tip: Use it where trees get in the way overhead, but keep an eye on anglers next to you.
The bait should drift at the speed of the current, like natural food. The line must not drag it to one side.
Tip: Mend the line on the water so it does not overtake the float or fly.
Speed, pauses and twitches make the lure move as if alive. Different fish respond to different retrieves.
Tip: If there are no bites, change the speed and pauses first, and only then the lure.
The moment the fish is on the hook is the most critical one.
A short, confident movement of the rod to drive the hook home. The force and timing depend on your tackle and method.
Tip: Do not yank the rod with all your strength: a fine rig will not survive it.
Keep the rod at an angle so it absorbs lunges, and let the reel's drag work on strong runs. Tire the fish rather than hauling it in by force.
Tip: Do not point the rod straight at the fish: that is the easiest way to get a break-off.
Large fish are landed with a net, small ones carefully by hand. Remove the hook straight away, keeping the fish out of the water as briefly as possible.
Tip: Keep a disgorger to hand: you need it the moment the fish is at the bank.
Where to look for fish, in general terms and without reference to specific waters.
Changes in depth such as drop-offs, holes and shallows often attract fish. Study the bottom with a plumb weight, or a fish finder if you have one, and note depth changes in your diary.
On a river, fish often hold where the current changes: behind obstacles and along the seam between fast and slow water. The current carries food and determines how you present your bait.
Weed, reeds and snags give fish cover and food. Bites are more frequent near them, but so are snags. In winter, remember that ice is often thin near reeds and snags.
Fish activity changes during the day and with the weather. Record bite times and conditions, and after a season you will see the patterns of your water.
How to prepare for the season, which skills to practise and what to record in a fishing diary.
Rods, reels, terminal tackle and safety gear: what each is for and how to choose without rankings.
Summer and winter angling disciplines and the main styles of recreational fishing.
Bag limits, closed seasons and permitted waters are set by the fishing rules for each area, and competition procedures by the rules of the sport and each event's regulations. The Russian rules described here apply in Russia; elsewhere, check your local fishing rules and licence requirements before you go.