Reading water – find fish in lakes, rivers and on the coast

Where fish hold

• Lakes: drop-offs, points, underwater humps, weed edges, reed belts, inflows, outflows, sunken trees, bridges and piers.
• Rivers: current seams (where fast meets slow water), pools below rapids, behind boulders, undercut banks, the tail of a pool. Fish face upstream – cast upstream or across and let the lure swing.
• Coast: mixed bottoms with bladderwrack and sand patches, reefs, points, river mouths, stony shallows that drop off quickly.

Signs and timing

• Signs of fish: diving birds, jumping baitfish, swirls, rings on the surface, gulls over mackerel shoals.
• Time of day: dawn and dusk are prime for most predators; zander and burbot feed into the night; in cold water midday works best when it is at its warmest.