I fished as a kid and came back to it 30 years later after taking and early retirement. Why do I fish? to escape the world and have some me time. Oh yes the odd catch is fun as well.

What have I learnt ?

Money - buy cheap and upgrade when you know what the hell you're buying and how to use it. Especially rods !

Experts - you'll get advice from many anglers. Listen and learn. Unfortunately there are so many varied opinions I find it best to listen to all and then go with the majority!

Books - get the Fox guide to modern angling, it ain't perfect but it's the best I've read.

TV - Henry Gilbey - he's good.

The Public - 50% suffer the compulsion to ask the mandatory question - "had any luck yet" or "caught anything" , I've no idea why they want to know but you just have to get used to it. Grit your teeth and smile !

Dogs - let's take Fido to the beach and slip him off the lead. Let him shit everywhere, eat that anglers bait and lunch and then bite him. This is a lot more annoying than "The Public" Keep your bait sealed up - it stops it drying out in the summer as well and keep your lunch hidden.

Casting - it really is worth getting advice. My thanks to the good old boy at Gorleston who taught me OTG and pendulum casting. Get it right before you develop bad habits.

Bait - learn who likes what. Keep some in the freezer for those impulse trips. Experiment and carry a quantity (nothing worse than running out when the fish are still biting) and a variety. Gulp artificials are great to keep in the tackle box for when you run out and the buggers start to bite!

Travel - have a supply of coins for parking meters. Don't park in car parks that flood. Suss out your venue before you fish it, nothing worse than fannying about trying to find parking when you're wasting valuable fishing time.

Towel - great for cleaning your hands, holding slippery fish, wiping your nose on and cleaning gear.

Plastic bags - always carry a few for rubbish, take homes and stuff that gets wet.

Terminal rig - keep it simple. Why do you want a 4 hook flapper that catches 1 fish and gets all fucked up in a strong current.

Clothes - baseball cap for wearers of glasses. Layer up on cold days. Bib Waders are great they're warm and you can just forget the water and cast from where you want. Get the right gear, don't fudge it , you'll just get cold or wet.

Tackle Box - don't buy a specialist one. get a cheap tool box from B&Q, wheels are a bonus.

Plasters and TCP - nuff said

Marks - read the sea, find the gulleys learn how wind and tide interact, when an area fishes well (flood, ebb or high tide) where the rocks are, deep water is and try to anticipate the weather and how it will affect your day

Good Luck !