Introduction 1
Part I: Before the Bite 7
Chapter 1: Getting Hooked on Fishing 9
Chapter 2: Gathering What You Need to Fish 21
Chapter 3: Finding and Evaluating Water for Fishing 35
Chapter 4: Putting a Face on the Fins: Common Freshwater Fish 53
Chapter 5: Familiarising Yourself with Common Sea Fish 69
Chapter 6: Staying Safe On (Or Near) the Water 83
Part II: Gearing Up Without Going Overboard 93
Chapter 7: Hot Rods and Cool Reels 95
Chapter 8: The Bottom Line on Line 117
Chapter 9: It's Terminal (Tackle): Hooks, Weights, Snaps, Swivels and Floats 133
Chapter 10: Going the Extra Mile: Boats, Gadgets and More 155
Part III: The End of Your Line: Enticing Fish with Bait, Lures and Flies 171
Chapter 11: Real Food for Real Fish: Using Bait 173
Chapter 12: It Only Looks Alive: Tricking Fish with Lures 199
Chapter 13: Fish Don't Fly, But Flies Catch Fish 217
Part IV: Now You're Fishing 233
Chapter 14: Tying Popular Fishing Knots and Rigs 235
Chapter 15: Choreographing Your Cast 269
Chapter 16: Exploring Different Fishing Techniques 287
Chapter 17: How to Hook, Fight, Land and Release Fish 303
Part V: After the Catch 321
Chapter 18: Photographing, Weighing and Preserving Fish for Posterity 323
Chapter 19: Biting Back: Storing, Cleaning and Cooking Fish 331
Part VI: The Part of Tens 343
Chapter 20: Ten Fishing Lessons You Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way 345
Chapter 21: Ten Fishing Organisations You Should Know About 349
Chapter 22: Ten Great Fishing Reads 353
Index 357
