Fish want three things
Every fish, from a palm-sized bluegill in an American farm pond to a perch in an English canal, spends its day chasing three simple wants: food, shelter and comfort.
Think about how you choose a seat in a busy café. You'd like to be near the counter (food), with your back to a wall so nobody bumps into you (shelter), and away from the cold draught by the door (comfort). Fish make exactly the same choices underwater. Food means insects, worms, small fish and bits drifting past. Shelter means anything that hides them from herons, otters and bigger fish. Comfort means the right temperature, enough oxygen and not having to fight a strong current all day.
So when you arrive at the water, don't just cast at the middle. Stand still for two minutes and look for the café seats.
Five places to try first
Start with these, in roughly this order, and you'll rarely be far from a fish.
The edges and weed beds
The shallow strip near the bank, called the margin, is full of insects and cover. Beginners often cast too far; many fish are only a rod length or two away.
Under overhanging trees
Branches give shade and drop the odd insect into the water, like a snack bar with a roof. Cast carefully so you don't hook the tree.
Around "structure"
Structure is anglers' shorthand for anything in the water a fish can hide beside: fallen logs, rocks, jetties, bridge supports or lily pads.
Drop-offs and deeper pools
A drop-off is where shallow water suddenly gets deeper. Fish rest in the deep part and pop up to feed. Slightly darker water often gives it away.
Seams and inflows on rivers
A seam is the line where fast water meets slow. Fish sit in the slow side and grab food drifting past in the fast side, a bit like a sushi conveyor belt.
Timing, weather and which fish to expect
Early morning and evening are often the friendliest times. The light is low, so fish feel safer moving into the shallows, and in summer the water is cooler. A grey, overcast day can be just as good. Fish are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature follows the water, so in a cold winter they slow right down and feed less.
After heavy rain, rivers can turn brown, fast and dangerous. That's a day for the kitchen table and knot practice, not the bank.
What might you catch? In North American ponds, bluegill and other sunfish are famously eager. In the UK and much of Europe, perch, roach and rudd are classic first fish. Stocked lakes often hold rainbow trout, and carp reward patient anglers. A local stocked fishery or park lake is a great first venue; in the US, many run free events during National Fishing and Boating Week each June.
Lesson 2 recap
Tick what feels solid. You're halfway through the course already.