FISHING

There are few more immersive experiences of the natural world than standing up to your waist in a river. Of course, there are less wet ways to go fishing, but whether you are on a quayside or the bank of a canal this is one of the most absorbing ways of spending time in the outdoors. The challenge of catching something elusive, barely glimpsed beneath the shimmering surface – of decoding the secrets of the river – lures anglers through long hours of sunshine and showers, until they return home, red-cheeked and happy. Or grieving the one that got away.

• Find hints and beginners’ tips at canalrivertrust. org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/fishing/fishingskills/learn-to-fish.