How to Start Fishing

One of the most popular pastimes amongst nature lovers, fishing is a wonderful excuse to spend time in the countryside and unwind from the modern world. Enjoying the fresh air and (hopefully) beautiful weather is a great way to relax, spending time with our family, friends or just giving ourselves some breathing space.

Fishing is also a fantastic sport, testing our skills and rewarding patience and persistence, which is why so many people have been hooked by it! If you’re looking to take up fishing this year, for whatever reason, then here is our easy beginner’s guide to set you along the right path.

Choose Your Fishing Discipline

If you have zero experience with fishing, then you probably have images of people sitting on riverbanks in your head. However, fishing as a sport comes in many forms and there are multiple options available to you depending on what kind of experience you want. These different fishing disciplines can have different requirements regarding equipment, so it’s a good idea to look into and decide which one is right for you at the very beginning.

The traditional fishing on a riverbank is commonly referred to as freshwater or coarse fishing. This discipline is a great place to start for many, as it is simple enough for the whole family to get involved. A slightly more challenging version of this is fly fishing, which uses a fake fly on the end of the hook to lure freshwater fish. This discipline will involve the learning and mastery of many more techniques, which makes it hugely popular amongst regular anglers.

Another fishing discipline that is becoming increasingly popular is sea fishing, which can incorporate the techniques seen in freshwater angling above but utilising them from boats out to sea. As you can imagine, this can require a bit more investment in areas such as boat hire, but for many it takes leisure to the next level, allowing you to genuinely detach from the world and enjoy a peaceful time amongst the waves.

Learn from Other Anglers

The three disciplines mentioned above cover most of the leisure angling scene, and it is within these that you should start your fishing journey. It is good to start with one of these disciplines, predominantly because there is a higher chance of you finding further support to make your angling as good as it can be.

Getting support and advice from local anglers will make a real difference to your enjoyment of fishing in the early months. Whether it’s a friend, co-worker or local fishing club, they will be able to help you settle into fishing by pointing out the best locations and times, the right equipment or permit and many other pointers from potentially years of experience. Tap into the friendly and helpful knowledge of local groups before you start, and you’ll be angling like a regular much faster!

Check the Requirements

Once you know where you want to fish and what you are fishing for, you can begin looking into the legal side of fishing. This is often much more straightforward than it sounds, and if you know what it is you want to do, then organising this side of angling should be straightforward. Look at local and national government requirements on things such as fishing seasons and local permits and make sure you have everything to avoid any headaches down the line. Again, the support and guidance of local groups here can go a long way to making this very simple to organise.

Get Your Fishing Gear

Once everything is ready, it’s time to get your fishing gear! Early on, there may be certain items you can hire from a local store or club, which can allow you to try different setups to see what would work best for you. While there are often cheap and reliable options to choose from, if you are serious about spending time to learn how to fish, then it may be worth investing more in equipment that has an excellent track-record amongst local groups. This choice will not only stop you from having to purchase new stuff in the future, but it will also help you learn the sport early on, as better equipment will lead to improved results and further fishing enjoyment!

While fishing, you will be spending many hours out in the countryside, so it’s also worth investing in reliable outdoor clothing and footwear that you can trust. Here at LOWA, we have a range of boots, that are perfect for long days by the water.

Hopefully, this simple guide will help you to discover the joys of fishing! Angling is a great way to get closer to the outside world, and with the help of our boots, you will be able to enjoy your time outdoors even more! If you want to learn more, check out how we achieve total comfort with LOWA outdoor footwear.