People ask me this more than almost any other question, usually a colleague or a friend’s kid who’s shown a flicker of interest. Here’s exactly what I tell them, without the padding.
Target perch first. They’re in almost every water type in the UK – canals, rivers, lakes, gravel pits, even park ponds – and they bite readily on the simplest tackle imaginable. A worm under a small float near any obvious structure catches perch reliably almost anywhere.
Learn float fishing before anything else. The visual bite indication – watching the float go under – is immediate and satisfying in a way that feeder fishing’s subtle quivertip movements or lure fishing’s total lack of visual feedback simply aren’t for a beginner.
Fish somewhere easy. Urban canals and park lakes are genuinely better starting points than a beautiful, difficult specimen water – low cost, reliable species, safe access. Save the harder, more atmospheric venues for once you’ve got some grounding.
Keep tackle simple. A basic rod, reel, some line, a few small hooks and floats is genuinely all you need to start. I’ve seen too many beginners get overwhelmed by tackle shop choice before they’ve even had a bite.
And get the licence first, obviously – it’s cheap, quick to buy online, and not optional. Beyond that: pick perch, learn to float fish, fish somewhere easy, keep it simple. That’s the whole answer, and it’s served every person I’ve given it to well.
Rob Hadley grew up fishing the rivers and drains of the Norfolk Broads, and it was inevitable that pike would become his species of choice. He’s been targeting predators seriously for over 20 years – starting on dead baits, moving through live bait rigs, and eventually landing on lure fishing as his preferred method about eight years ago.
These days he fishes the Broads through winter, travels to Chew Valley Lake each spring for its outsized fish, and spends the warmer months working soft plastics on rivers across the East Midlands for perch and zander. He’s had pike to 31lb and perch to 3lb 9oz, and reckons both records are beatable on the right day with the right set-up.
At The River Bend, Rob writes the predator species guides, lure fishing technique articles, and most of the winter fishing content.
Covers: Pike, perch, zander, lure fishing, winter fishing, predator rigs