Inshore sea fish

The inshore strip concentrates life because it concentrates food. The ground varies over short distances — sand, rock, weed beds, wrecks — and the tide puts the meal back into circulation twice a day. That variety explains the number of species, and the fact that one mark can produce several of them in a single session.

Tide governs more than the clock here. The current that comes with the flood and the ebb switches fish on, dislodges prey and sets predators hunting; slack water often shuts it down. Knowing the day’s times is worth more, here, than any advice about rigs.

It is also the most welcoming sea fishing for a beginner. A general-purpose rod, a few simple rigs and access from a pier or a beach are enough to catch fish; specialist tackle comes later.