Rocky shore fish

Relief does everything here. A gully that drops away, a ledge that breaks, a pool that holds water at low tide, a carpet of kelp: each holds its own species, and two marks twenty metres apart will not give you the same fish. Fishing is often at short range, almost vertical, in clear water where stealth counts as much as the rig.

The sea itself is the first variable. A moderate swell breaking white over the rock stirs the water, dislodges prey and switches the fish on; a flat calm shuts it down. The hours after a blow are often among the best, provided the sea state lets you reach the mark safely.

It is also where you lose the most tackle. Snagging is part of the game: a rotten-bottom link, weights designed to pull free and line checked after every fish are the rule, not a precaution.