Fishing Techniques

By Alex Clayton · Updated 24 October 2026

In the UK, almost all fishing techniques fall into one of five families: coarse, carp, predator, game and sea. Choose by the water near you and the fish you want to catch, and most of the other decisions follow.

Start there and the tackle shop wall of a hundred lures gets easier to ignore, as does online advice written for American waters that talks about bobbers and sinkers. This page explains the types of fishing practised on UK waters, where each one suits and which rules shape your choice, then points you to the detailed guide for each.

Types of Fishing in the UK at a Glance

Find your nearest water and the fish you want in this table, and the method family follows.

Method family	Typical waters	Main species	Core methods	Good first choice if…
Coarse	Canals, rivers, lakes, commercial fisheries	Roach, rudd, perch, bream, tench, chub, barbel	Float, feeder and ledger, pole	You want regular bites and to learn watercraft
Carp	Commercial fisheries, estate lakes, gravel pits	Carp	Bolt rigs on the ledger, method feeder, surface and margin fishing	You want bigger fish and don’t mind waiting
Predator	Lakes, rivers, canals, drains	Pike, perch, zander	Lures, drop-shot, deadbaits, trolling where allowed	You like to keep moving, especially in the cooler months
Game	Rivers, reservoirs, lochs	Brown and rainbow trout, sea trout, salmon	Fly fishing, some spinning where rules allow	You enjoy casting technique and clear, moving water
Sea	Beaches, piers, rocks, boats	Bass, mackerel, wrasse, flatfish, cod	Bait from the shore, feathers, spinning, soft lures and plugs, LRF	You live near the coast

Match fishing and specialist fishing (targeting chub, barbel, tench or bream individually) aren’t separate families. Both are ways of coarse fishing, so they sit under the coarse branch of fishing methods in the UK.

Coarse Fishing: Float, Feeder and Pole

Experienced anglers tell beginners to start with coarse fishing for a reason: float, feeder and pole teach bite detection and feeding, and every other branch uses both.

Float fishing: you watch a float for bites. It suits roach, rudd, perch, tench and bream on stillwaters and canals. Trotting a float downstream is the river version, for roach, dace, chub and barbel.
Feeder and ledger fishing: the bait sits on the bottom and bites show at the rod tip or on an alarm. A feeder releases groundbait or pellets around the hookbait, which makes it strong for bream, tench, commercial carp and river barbel.
Pole fishing: longer than a rod (rods typically run 6 to 13 ft) and fished without a reel for precise presentation close in. It’s the match angler’s main tool.

On Windermere I float and feeder fish for bream and perch, and for bream I trust a feeder cast repeatedly to the same spot over a bed of feed.

For bites on your first session, fish a float on a canal or commercial. Our guide to coarse fishing techniques covers each method in detail.

Carp Fishing: Waiting Game or Active Approach

You don’t need a bivvy and three rods to catch a carp. A method feeder on a day-ticket commercial is a common way to land your first.

Longer sessions rely on self-hooking bolt rigs, bite alarms and a baiting plan to hold fish in the swim. Short sessions suit the method feeder, and in warm weather surface and margin fishing are active, visual options.

The trout and coarse rod licence covers up to 2 rods, or 3 on the 3-rod licence, and fisheries can set their own limits. Many fisheries require an unhooking mat and a suitably sized landing net.

Compared with coarse feeder fishing, expect fewer bites and bigger fish. Read our carp fishing techniques and rigs guide next.

Predator Fishing: Lures, Drop-Shot and Deadbaits

Save your predator fishing for when the water cools. Pike feed well through the colder months, and winter perch hold tight to structure, where a slow drop-shot beats a fast spinner.

Three methods cover most predator fishing:

Lure fishing: spinners, soft plastics and plugs, fished on the move.
Drop-shotting: a small soft lure held just above a weight on the bottom, one of the most effective methods for big perch.
Deadbaiting: sea deadbaits fished static or wobbled back slowly for pike.

Big stillwaters can be trolled from a boat where the venue allows it. On Windermere I lean on lures and deadbaits for pike and drop-shot for perch, and I’ve found that slowing down in cold water matters more than the choice of lure.

For pike, use a wire trace, carry long-nosed unhooking tools and keep the fish out of the water for as short a time as possible.

Best for: anglers who like to rove. Skip if: you want to sit in one swim all day. Our predator fishing tactics guide goes deeper.

Game Fishing: Fly Fishing for Trout and Salmon

In fly fishing the weight is in the line, not the fly. That’s why the cast looks so different from every other method.

Game fishing targets brown and rainbow trout, sea trout and salmon, mostly with the fly. Stocked stillwater trout fisheries are the easiest start, while rivers and wild fish need more watercraft.

The rod licence covers salmon and trout as well as other freshwater fish, but licence types differ, so check which one you need on GOV.UK. Seasons and byelaws vary by river, so confirm them with the fishery first.

To try fly fishing, book a casting lesson, then start on a stocked trout fishery. Our game and fly fishing guide explains the next steps.

Sea Fishing: Shore, Boat and Lure

Sea fishing swaps lakes and rivers for beaches, piers, rocks and boats, and its rules work differently from freshwater.

The main sea methods are:

Bait fishing from beaches and piers
Feathers for mackerel
Spinning, soft lures and plugs for bass
LRF (light rock fishing) with tiny lures for wrasse, gobies and other small species
Boat fishing for bigger fish

Recreational bass rules include a catch-and-release period, a daily bag limit and a minimum size, and they’re reviewed each year, so read the current GOV.UK bass fishing guidance before you keep one. For other licensing questions, check GOV.UK or the Marine Management Organisation.

Best for: coastal anglers and lure fans. Skip if: you’re far from the sea. See our sea fishing guide.

How to Choose a Method and Stay Legal

Pick a method by the water near you, the fish you want and how you like to fish:

Canal or commercial nearby and you want bites: coarse float or feeder.
You want one big fish: carp.
You like to keep moving: predator lures.
Clear rivers or reservoirs: game fishing.
You live on the coast: sea fishing.

Freshwater rules don’t change with the method. In England (except the River Tweed), Wales and the Border Esk region, you need a rod licence to fish with rod and line for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel, including on private waters.

Under 13s don’t need one, and 13 to 16 year olds need a free junior licence. You also need the fishery owner’s permission and must follow local byelaws. Failing to show a valid licence can bring a fine of up to £2,500, so check the current price on GOV.UK and buy before you go.

Scotland and Northern Ireland need different permissions or licences, so check before you fish there.

Follow our beginner’s route into fishing for licence, first kit and first session.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest fishing technique for beginners?

Float fishing for coarse fish on a canal or commercial fishery is the easiest start. The kit is cheap, bites come often and watching a float teaches bite detection quickly. Our coarse fishing techniques guide has the full breakdown.

Do I need a fishing licence for every type of fishing?

Not always. Under 13s need none, and freshwater rod and line fishing in England and Wales needs a rod licence from 13 (free for 13 to 16), plus the fishery's permission. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. Sea fishing works differently again, so check GOV.UK or the Marine Management Organisation for current requirements.

How many rods can I fish with?

The trout and coarse licence covers up to 2 rods, and a 3-rod licence costs more. Fisheries can set lower limits for any of these angling techniques, so check the venue rules and the current licence prices on GOV.UK.