Fishing tips for the Rhine

The most interesting places are where the current, the depth or the bottom structure changes. That means groyne tips, current seams, harbour entrances, rip-rap banks and deeper channels.

For zander, for example, the transition between the strong main flow and the calmer water of a groyne bay is well worth fishing. Barbel are more often found over gravelly bottoms with a good flow of water.

So a good swim isn't necessarily the deepest area. More often it's the place where several different features come together.

Start with satellite images and river charts. Look for groynes, harbour entrances, outside bends and changes in the line of the bank.

Once you're on the bank, watch out for three things:

• Where can you see current seams or eddies forming?
• Where does the depth change?
• Where are the small fish gathering?

When lure fishing, you can map the bottom with a jig head. If your lure suddenly takes noticeably longer to sink after you lift it, that can point to a hole or drop-off. Frequent bottom contact or snags can indicate stones or other obstacles.

That depends on the species you're after and on the conditions.

Zander often sit on the transitions between slack and fast-flowing water. Barbel tend to prefer stretches with more flow and a firm bottom. Asp regularly hunt in the current close to the surface.

So at a groyne you shouldn't only cast into the slack water. The outer edge and the transition into the main flow can be very productive too.

Bigger zander often use deeper areas, rip-rap, slacks behind obstructions and drop-offs close to baitfish.

During the day they may hold in deeper or more structured areas. At dusk and after dark some of them move into shallower water to hunt.

A particularly good spot is a stretch of rip-rap that runs right next to a deeper channel. There, zander can move between their resting area and their feeding ground without using much energy.

A good spot offers the fish as many advantages as possible: food, shelter from strong current and access to different depths.

Look, for example, for a current seam right next to a deeper zone, or for a harbour entrance with a clear change in the flow.

Small fish being around is a good sign as well. However, a visible shoal of fry doesn't automatically mean predators are feeding there at that moment.

Yes, especially if you can easily reach a drop-off into the shipping channel from the bank.

Zander, barbel and other species can patrol there. The challenge is the strong current and the boat traffic.

For bottom fishing you need heavy rigs that hold in the current. When lure fishing, work your lure so that you stay in contact with it despite the pressure of the flow.

The shipping channel itself isn't automatically better than a feature close to the bank, though.

In a flood, many fish move to areas where they have to spend less energy fighting the current.

These include flooded margins, harbour entrances, slacks behind obstructions and calmer water along the edges.

A typical mistake is to cast extra far when the river is high. The fish are often much closer to the bank than at normal levels.

It's important to fish only spots you can reach safely and to respect any closures by the authorities.

At low water, fish sometimes concentrate in the deeper areas that remain.

Good places to try are deep groyne tips, scoured-out channels, harbour entrances and outside bends.

At the same time, features that are normally out of reach can become visible. Use the opportunity to learn the course of rip-rap, drop-offs and holes.

But don't assume that every deep area will automatically hold fish.

Harbour entrances can be excellent spots, because different flow conditions meet there.

Small fish often gather where the harbour water meets the main flow, and zander and perch follow them.

Sheltered harbour areas can be particularly interesting when the river is up.

However, many harbours are completely or partly closed to anglers. So always check whether your fishing permit allows you to fish that particular area.

Current seams are among the most important features on the Rhine.

Along these transitions, fish can pick up food close to the current without having to hold in the strongest flow all the time.

When zander fishing, it pays to work your shad along the seam rather than only casting across it at right angles.

For asp, the seams near the surface are especially interesting, as that's where small fish get swept along.

Deep scour holes often form where the current acts particularly hard on the riverbed.

Typical places are the areas around groyne tips, outside bends and certain transitions between a reinforced bed and a natural one.

You can look for such spots using sonar charts, approved depth data or by systematically working the bottom with a jig head.

A longer drop of the lure can indicate greater depth. Bear in mind, though, that the current and the bow in your line also affect how long it takes to sink.

Yes. The gaps between the stones give gobies and other small fish shelter. That can make rip-rap banks attractive for zander, perch and sometimes wels catfish.

The transition between the rip-rap and the more open riverbed is especially worth fishing.

Work your lure over the stones in a controlled way and keep the drops fairly short. That reduces the risk of your jig head wedging itself between the stones.

Look for places with a more even gravel or sand bottom, and avoid very coarse rip-rap, sunken obstacles and heavily broken ground.

When lure fishing, offset hooks with suitable soft plastics help, as do retrieves that don't need constant contact with the bottom.

The direction you cast in also matters: if the current pushes your lure deep into the rip-rap, the risk of snagging goes up considerably.

Completely snag-free spots are rare on the Rhine, though.

Bridges can be interesting, because the piers create slack water, eddies and scour holes.

Both predators and coarse fish can be found there.

The transitions from fast water into the slack behind the piers are particularly good places to fish.

However, not every bridge is accessible or open to fishing. The current and the boat traffic can also be especially tricky there.

Look out for small fish, hunting predators, movement on the surface and the occasional touch from a fish.

When feeder fishing, regular bites from small fish can show that your swim is being taken.

When lure fishing, work through a spot systematically from different angles and with different retrieves.

If you don't get any contact, that doesn't prove there are no fish there. It can just as well be down to the time of day, your presentation or the fish simply not feeding.

A shad of 10 to 14 cm is a versatile starting point for zander fishing on the Rhine.

Slim paddle-tail shads are easy to work along the bottom and push out pressure waves even on a slow retrieve.

When the zander are biting very cautiously, smaller lures of 7 to 10 cm can make sense. At night in shallow margins, slim shallow-diving plugs can be especially effective.

What matters isn't just the lure model, but that you present it at the right depth and speed.

For many situations on the Rhine, shads of 10 to 12 cm are a good choice.

When the baitfish are small or conditions are difficult, you can drop down to 7 to 9 cm. If you're targeting bigger zander or there are bigger baitfish about, 13 to 16 cm can make sense.

Big lures don't guarantee big zander, though. Even specimen fish eat small gobies and other little baitfish.

When the water is heavily coloured, bright colours such as Chartreuse, Firetiger or UV-active yellows and greens are worth a try.

In moderately coloured water, natural patterns such as silver baitfish, brown or Motoroil often work well.

Colour alone rarely decides whether you catch. Where the lure is, its silhouette, its action and how you work it are at least as important.

A sensible approach is to start with a highly visible lure and switch to a natural pattern if you're not getting any hits.

The weight of the jig head depends on the depth, the current, your line diameter, the size of the lure and the direction you cast in.

These weights are guidelines, not fixed rules.

The key point: after each lift, your lure should get back down to the bottom under control. If it just keeps travelling in the current without sinking, the head is probably too light. If it slams straight onto the bottom and stays there, it may be too heavy.

During the day, zander often use deeper areas, rip-rap, drop-offs and zones sheltered from the current.

When the water is coloured, they can also be active in fairly shallow areas.

Spots where deeper water runs right up to rip-rap or a current seam are especially interesting.

Rather than only fishing as deep as possible, search the transitions between the different features.

Dusk and darkness are often very good times for zander.

On shallow rip-rap in particular, zander can come right in to the bank at night to hunt small fish.

But when the water is coloured, the sky is overcast or the flow is favourable, you can catch zander during the day too.

On a new spot, it's worth trying the last hour before sunset and the first two hours after it to begin with.

There are several possible reasons for that.

The "bites" may actually be the lure touching the bottom or knocking against stones. But it may also be that the fish only nips the lure briefly or the hook doesn't take hold properly.

So check how sharp your hooks are and the hook size on your jig head. The hook should suit the shad and not restrict its movement unnecessarily.

If you're getting short touches, changing the drop or the retrieve can help. Adding a stinger treble isn't automatically the better solution, because it can mean more snags and a higher risk of injuring the fish.

A proven method is the "Faulenzer", a lift-and-drop step retrieve where the reel does the work and the rod stays still.

Cast out the shad and let it sink to the bottom on a controlled line. Then give the reel one to three turns and wait until the lure touches down again.

In strong current, smaller movements are often enough, because the water is already working on the lure.

It's important to watch your line while the lure is dropping. That's very often exactly the moment the zander takes.

On shallow rip-rap, plugs can have a clear advantage at night.

Zander sometimes hunt there in less than two metres of water. A shallow-diving Minnow can be worked slowly parallel to the bank without constantly getting caught between the stones.

Shads, on the other hand, are often the better choice when the fish are lying deeper or when you specifically need contact with the bottom.

For night fishing, slim plugs of roughly 9 to 14 cm are a good starting point.

A good river level and suitable weather don't automatically mean the zander are feeding in your swim.

The fish may be on a different current seam, may just not be active at the moment or may not be reacting to the way you're working your lure.

So check three factors systematically: the spot, the depth of your lure and your presentation.

If you've fished a promising spot thoroughly without getting any hits, moving on can make more sense than changing colour for the tenth time.

Not every zander bite is a hard thump in the rod.

Sometimes all you notice is a brief twitch in the line, an unexpected resistance or the lure stopping earlier than you expected.

Stay especially alert while the lure is dropping.

If you notice a suspicious touch, tighten up to the lure straight away. If you can feel a fish, set the hook firmly but in a controlled way.

Often 10 to 30 metres is enough if there's interesting rip-rap or a current seam close to the bank.

At night, zander sometimes hunt right at your feet.

If the drop-off into the shipping channel is a long way out, you may need longer casts.

So what counts isn't your maximum casting distance, but whether you can work the lure under control through the area where the fish are.

Yes, in principle it is.

Passing ships briefly change the water level, the current and the colour of the water. These changes can get small fish moving and so affect the predators too.

You can't conclude from this, however, that there's a reliable link between passing ships and zander bites.

When fishing from rip-rap, it's important to keep a safe distance from the water. The draw and the wash from big ships can be dangerous.

Water temperature affects the metabolism and activity level of zander.

In warm water the fish can be very active, especially if there's enough oxygen. In winter they often move less and are more likely to respond to lures presented slowly.

But there's no single temperature at which zander always bite best.

Oxygen levels, current, the amount of baitfish and the time of day also play an important part.

A common mistake is fishing the same spot over and over in the same way.

Other typical problems are the wrong jig head weight, no contact with the bottom and a retrieve that doesn't suit the current.

The direction you cast in is also especially important. If the current keeps pushing your lure into the rip-rap, you don't just lose lures, you can hardly present them under control either.

Successful zander fishing means reading the conditions on the water correctly and adapting your technique to match.

That may be because the zander are hunting along the rip-rap. At dusk and at night in particular, they use shallow margins where gobies and other small fish live.

Another reason may be that your lure only makes a particularly attractive movement just before it reaches the bank, for example when it rises over the edge of the rip-rap.

Practical tip: Don't finish your retrieve too early. Work the lure under control right into the water close to the bank and pay special attention to the last few metres. Lift it over the stones in good time so that it doesn't get stuck.

Fish are often lost when the line goes slack during the fight or the hook has only just caught the edge of the mouth.

Playing the fish too hard on a very stiff rod can also cause the hook to tear out.

With bigger zander, powerful head shakes just before the bank can be especially critical.

Practical tip: Keep the line under constant tension and don't try to haul the fish over the rip-rap by force. Use a big enough landing net on a long handle.

Sometimes a particular lure colour just suits the current light and visibility especially well.

In coloured water, a bright colour can make the lure easier to see. In clear water, natural patterns often work.

But it can also be coincidence if you catch several zander on the same colour on one day.

Practical tip: Start by testing two clearly different colours, for example a natural baitfish pattern and Chartreuse. Don't change lure size, weight and retrieve at the same time, or you won't know what made the difference.

An extra hook can make sense on bigger shads if zander keep hitting the back end of the lure.

On small shads of around 7–10 centimetres, a stinger often isn't necessary.

However, extra hooks also increase the risk of snags and of the fish being hooked in an awkward place.

Practical tip: Only use a stinger when you really need one. Make sure the hook arrangement suits the size of the lure, and check whether extra hooks are allowed on the water you're fishing.

With the Faulenzer retrieve, the shad is moved mainly with the reel. With classic jigging, you lift it more with the rod.

The Faulenzer can work especially well on a fairly even bottom, because you can hop the lure along the bottom in short jumps.

Jigging, on the other hand, gives you more precise control over how high the lure jumps.

Practical tip: On steep rip-rap, short, controlled lifts can help to cut down on snags. On flatter gravel areas you can compare both methods.

Zander often attack shads just as they sink back down after a movement.

At this moment, the lure can look like a weakened or fleeing baitfish.

So the drop is an important part of the retrieve.

Practical tip: Watch your line while the lure is sinking. If it stops unusually early, moves sideways or suddenly tightens, that may be a bite.

Touching a stone often feels like a short, hard knock. A zander bite can feel similar, but sometimes it only shows as a sudden weight or an unusual movement of the line.

It isn't always possible to tell the two apart with complete certainty.

Practical tip: First get to know what normal bottom contact feels like in your swim. If a touch feels clearly different or the line behaves unusually, strike promptly but in a controlled way.

Yes. Drop shot can work especially well in calmer areas, harbour basins and along sheet piling.

The advantage is that you can present the soft plastic in a limited area for a fairly long time.

In the strong main flow, however, the rig often gets pushed away by the current, which makes a clean presentation difficult.

Practical tip: Use the drop shot mainly in areas sheltered from the current. A slim soft plastic of around 7–12 centimetres and a weight to suit the current are a sensible starting point.

At night, zander can move into shallow margins to hunt small fish.

A shallow-diving plug can be worked slowly and steadily there without constantly touching the bottom.

A shad on a jig head, on the other hand, often sinks faster and can get snagged more easily in shallow, stony water.

Practical tip: At night, try a floating shallow-diving plug along suitable rip-rap. Work it slowly and as parallel to the edge of the bank as you can.

Changing lure size makes sense if you keep getting touches but aren't hooking any fish, or if you can see that the baitfish around are clearly smaller or bigger.

When bites are cautious, a smaller lure can help. A bigger lure, on the other hand, can give a different silhouette and movement.

Practical tip: Start with a 10-centimetre shad, for example. If the bites don't come, first try a different retrieve and then 7–8 or 12–14 centimetres.

Big wels use deep channels, scoured-out areas, slacks behind obstructions and margins with plenty of structure.

Transitions between deep water and shallower areas holding baitfish are particularly interesting.

In the warmer months, wels can also hunt in fairly shallow water.

So a deep spot isn't automatically a good catfish spot. What matters is food, cover and favourable flow conditions.

Lobworms are a versatile natural bait for wels. A bunch of several lobworms on the hook gives off scent and movement.

Dead baitfish can be effective too, provided they are allowed on the water you're fishing.

For active catfishing, big shads, spoons or other robust lures are an option.

The size of the bait should suit the method. Wels don't only eat big prey.

For targeting wels from the banks of the Rhine you need a powerful rod with plenty of backbone.

For static fishing, for example, catfish rods of 2.70 to 3.30 m with a casting weight rating of around 200 to 400 g (depending on the manufacturer) are common.

More important than the figure printed on the blank is how much load the rod can really take and how well the reel, line and drag are matched to it.

With big wels and strong current, unsuitable tackle isn't just ineffective, it can also lead to unnecessarily long fights.

Yes. Wels are by no means only active at night.

Especially in coloured water or in deeper areas, they can feed during the day too.

In summer, the evening and night hours can be particularly good. In spring and autumn, though, daytime can also produce good catches.

When choosing a spot, the presence of baitfish is often more important than the time of day alone.

The current affects where wels can save energy and where food is carried past.

Big wels can cope with strong current, but they often use calmer areas right next to faster water.

Slacks behind obstructions and deep drop-offs alongside fast-flowing stretches are therefore particularly interesting.

Your rig must be set up so that the bait stays reliably where you want it.

A common method is a ledger rig with a heavy enough lead and a strong hooklink.

Another option is a subfloat rig. Here a subfloat lifts the bait off the bottom and can stop it lying right in among the stones.

Which rig makes sense depends on the depth, current, bottom and bait.

Use rigs that are as safe as possible, so that if your line breaks, a fish can't end up permanently tethered to a heavy weight or a fixed anchor line.

A catfish bite can show as a powerful pull, line clearly running off the spool or a strong movement of the rod tip.

But there are also cautious bites, where the fish at first only takes line slowly.

Reliable bite indication and a secure rod set-up are essential.

On the Rhine in particular, current pressure, floating debris and boat traffic can also cause strong movements.

When targeting wels from the bank, around 150 to 250 metres of strong main line on the reel is a sensible starting point.

Depending on the spot, the method and the size of fish you expect, you may need more.

Strong braids are often used, for example in diameters of around 0.45 to 0.60 mm. As manufacturers' figures for breaking strain and diameter vary considerably, you shouldn't rely on the millimetre figure alone.

What counts is how well the whole set-up is matched.

Both are possible.

Deep areas can serve wels as resting places. But to feed, they also move into shallow margins.

Especially at night and when the water is warm, shallow areas close to deeper channels can be interesting.

So a good catfish spot doesn't have to be especially deep. Often the link between the resting area and the feeding zone is what matters.

The warmer months from late spring into early autumn often offer good conditions.

As the water warms up, wels often become more active. However, extreme heat and low oxygen levels can change their behaviour.

Good catches are possible in autumn too. You can also catch wels in winter, but they are often less active then.

Check for any protective regulations on the stretch of the Rhine you're fishing.

On the Rhine you want a fairly heavy groundbait that binds well and isn't washed out of the feeder straight away.

In strong current you can add weight to a river mix with suitable leam and adjust how well it holds together through the amount of water you add when mixing.

For bream, sweet or cereal-based mixes can work. When targeting barbel, ingredients such as pellets, cheese or fishmeal are worth considering.

The groundbait should work on the bottom rather than being completely washed out on the way down.

The weight you need depends very much on the swim.

These figures are for the feeder without groundbait.

Choose a feeder that stays put as firmly as possible once it has settled. Keep in mind the actual total casting weight of feeder and groundbait, and how much your rod can handle.

Use a feeder designed to hold in the current, with a flat shape or suitable grippers.

How your line runs is important too. The more line is lying directly in the strong flow, the greater the force acting on the feeder.

Positioning the rod tip higher can reduce the amount of line in the water.

If the feeder still keeps moving, a different casting angle or a swim with less current often helps.

Bream often prefer areas with moderate to little current.

Good places to try are deeper groyne bays, calmer margins and slack areas close to the shipping channel.

Bigger bream often move around in shoals looking for food.

Once you've found a suitable swim, it can be worth sticking with it and fishing it consistently for several hours.

Barbel often prefer gravel or stony bottoms with a good flow.

Look for channels, gravel bars and drop-offs with plenty of current. On the feeder, maggots, worms, cheese or suitable pellets can work.

A stable rig is important, because barbel baits should be presented in the current as much under control as possible.

Barbel are powerful fighters. Set your drag so that you can absorb their runs without playing the fish for longer than necessary.

For maggots and smaller silver fish, sizes 14 to 18 are often a good choice.

When targeting bream with bigger baits, sizes 10 to 14 can make sense.

For barbel on cheese, worms or pellets, sizes 6 to 12, for example, are an option depending on the bait and the hook pattern.

As hook sizes vary between manufacturers, wire gauge, hook shape and bait size matter more than the number alone.

That depends on which species you want to catch.

Maggots are particularly good for roach, bream and other silver fish. They are small, easy to present on the hook and work even when bites are shy.

Worms are interesting for bigger bream, perch and barbel. Lobworms or bigger bunches of worm in particular can be more selective, although gobies will take them too.

My tip: If you're feeder fishing on the Rhine, start with two or three maggots on the hook. If you keep catching small fish or gobies, try a bigger bait such as a worm, or a small piece of cheese for barbel.

At the start, it makes sense to cast a bit more often to build up a swim.

In moderate current, for example, you can cast a filled feeder every three to five minutes. After this initial phase, you can stretch the intervals to around five to ten minutes.

In very cold water with little fish activity, it can make sense to wait considerably longer and put in less feed.

The important thing is to hit the same spot every time if you can. A consistent baited area is often more successful on the feeder than constantly changing your casting distance.

Gobies are common on the Rhine, especially over stony ground, and can strip a bait within a few seconds.

You can't avoid them completely, but you can cut down on goby bites:

• Look for sandy or gravelly spots rather than coarse rip-rap.
• Use bigger, firmer hook baits such as cubes of cheese or suitable pellets.
• Try a slightly longer hooklink or a slightly buoyant bait presented just off the bottom.
• Avoid casting right into margins that are particularly full of gobies.

If you keep catching gobies, moving to a different stretch of the river can be much more effective than changing bait for the tenth time.

Barbel bites can be very savage. Often the feeder tip suddenly pulls right round.

However, floating debris, ships and changes in the current also cause movements of the tip.

A genuine bite often shows as a much stronger, sustained movement or several quick pulls.

Set up your feeder rod so that you can watch the tip easily. Positioning the rod a little more upright can also help you keep less line in the water and so reduce the pressure from the current.

For zander fishing with shads, a spinning rod between 2.40 and 2.70 metres is often a good choice.

A casting weight of around 20–60 grams is a good starting point. In spots with strong current, 30–80 grams can also make sense.

For feeder fishing, on the other hand, you usually need a much more powerful rod. On the Rhine, feeder rods rated at 120–200 grams are common.

What matters is the lure or feeder weights you actually have to cast. Never exceed the rod's stated casting weight.

For classic zander fishing from the bank, fixed-spool reels in size 3000 or 4000 are often a good fit.

Look for a reliable drag, neat line lay and solid construction.

Depending on the model, a 4000 reel offers a bit more line capacity and a faster retrieve, which can be handy for longer casts and stronger current.

More important than a particularly big reel, though, is that the reel and rod are well balanced.

For active zander fishing, braid is usually the better choice.

It has very little stretch and so gives you more direct contact with your shad. Especially when jigging at longer range, you can feel bottom contact and bites better.

Mono, on the other hand, has more stretch and can have advantages for bottom fishing, for example when a fish makes powerful runs.

For lure fishing on the Rhine, I would normally combine a braided main line with a suitable abrasion-resistant leader.

For zander fishing, a braid with a breaking strain of roughly 8–12 kilograms is a good guide.

For heavier lure fishing, for example for bigger asp or in snaggy areas, a stronger line can make sense.

Pay less attention to the diameter printed on the spool, as with braids it isn't always comparable between brands.

What's important is breaking strain, abrasion resistance, casting performance and how well the line matches the rod and the target species.

A fluorocarbon leader makes sense for zander fishing because it protects the more delicate braided main line from direct contact with stones.

A diameter of around 0.35–0.45 millimetres is a common starting point.

On very sharp rip-rap, a heavier leader may be necessary.

Important: if there's a chance of pike, fluorocarbon in these diameters is not bite-proof. In that case you should use a suitable pike-proof leader.

Many snags happen because the jig head lies on the bottom for too long or is pushed between the stones by the current.

So only use as much weight as you need to keep the lure under control.

Hold the rod a little higher, cut down on long pauses on the bottom and try different casting angles.

Another option is a shad on an offset hook with a suitable weight. That lets you fish some stony areas with fewer snags.

In strong current, compact lures with relatively low water resistance are often easier to control.

Slim shads of around 8 to 12 centimetres, for example, work well for zander.

Narrow metal lures can also be effective for asp.

With shads, matching the lure shape to the jig head weight is crucial. A big paddle tail creates more drag than a slim lure with a small tail action.

You don't generally need to cast especially far.

Many zander, perch and other fish spend time right on the rip-rap or in slack water close to the bank.

In some spots, casts of 10–25 metres are enough, while on other stretches much longer distances may be needed.

The key thing is to reach the feature that matters. An accurate cast to a drop-off is often worth more than an uncontrolled long cast into the middle of the current.

If you want to start zander fishing, a fairly modest set of tackle is enough to begin with:

• Spinning rod, around 2.70 metres with a casting weight of 20–60 grams
• Fixed-spool reel in size 3000 or 4000
• Braided main line
• Suitable leader material and snaps
• Shads between 8 and 12 centimetres
• Jig heads in several weights
• Pliers, tape measure, landing net and the equipment you need to dispatch fish humanely

On top of that, of course, you need the required fishing licence and permits. You don't need a huge tackle box to start with.

Besides your rod, reel and lures, there are a few important things you should always have with you.

Especially useful are a big enough landing net on a long handle, sturdy unhooking pliers, spare leaders, a head torch and weatherproof clothing.

A tape measure and the kit you need to dispatch fish humanely belong in there too.

On the Rhine, sturdy footwear is particularly important, because rip-rap can get extremely slippery from moisture, algae and mud.

The most important factor is keeping your lure under control.

If you can no longer clearly feel the bottom when jigging, change your retrieve, the weight or your casting angle.

Fish particularly snaggy areas first with lighter or more snag-resistant rigs.

Also check your leader regularly. After several contacts with sharp stones, small nicks can develop that will cause the line to break on the next snag or fish.

Classic round jig heads basically work on the Rhine too, but they can easily get wedged between stones.

Depending on the situation, Football-Jigs or other head shapes with a wider base can reduce the risk of snagging. They're no guarantee, though.

For a typical Rhine groyne, you could start with 10, 14 and 18 grams, for example.

In deeper spots or ones with more flow, 21–30 grams or more may be needed.

Choose the weight according to how the bottom contact actually feels and how hard the current is pushing, not just according to the depth.

When your shad reaches the bottom, the line may go slack for a moment or the rod tip may spring back slightly.

On hard gravel or stony ground, you can sometimes feel a clear tap.

On a soft bottom, the contact is often much fainter.

So watch your line as well. Especially in a crosswind or strong current, seeing what the line is doing can be more helpful than what you feel through the rod.

For lure fishing from the open banks of the Rhine, 2.40–2.70 metres is a good range.

A longer rod often makes it easier to keep the line clear of stones near the bank and to control the lure at distance.

In tight spots with trees or railings, a shorter rod can be more comfortable.

If you mainly fish for zander from open banks, a rod of around 2.70 metres would be a sensible starting point.

Start by consciously using the current as part of your retrieve.

For example, cast slightly upstream or across the flow and watch how your lure drifts as it sinks.

Work the shad with controlled lifts and stay in contact with the line.

Too much bow in the line makes it harder to spot bites. So keep taking in line and adjusting your rod position.

The aim isn't to control the lure against every movement of the current, but to present it as naturally as possible while still being able to feel it.

A soft rod tip bends further under load. When jigging on the Rhine, it's not just the weight of the lure that acts on the line and rig, but also the pressure of the current.

If the current is already bending the tip a lot, it can be harder to lift the lure precisely and feel bottom contact.

Also, some of the movement of the rod can be absorbed by the tip bending before the lure moves noticeably.

However, an extremely stiff rod isn't automatically better either, because it can be less forgiving.

Practical tip: For classic zander jigging on the Rhine, a fast-action rod with a strong enough backbone is often a good choice. If possible, test it with the jig head weights you actually use.

Small plugs often have fairly small trebles. With a very stiff rod, sudden loads during the fight are cushioned less.

Especially with short runs and violent head shakes, this can lead to hooks tearing out.

Light plugs can also be harder to cast with a rod that is too stiff, because the blank doesn't load up enough during the cast.

For small plugs, a rod with a little more give is therefore often a sensible choice.

Practical tip: If you're targeting perch with small plugs, a light to medium spinning rod with a moderate or moderate-fast action can be an advantage. Make sure the rod suits the actual weight of your lures.

The drag on the reel is there to stop the line, leader or hook being overloaded under heavy strain.

If the drag is locked up completely, powerful runs can hit the whole rig directly.

With big barbel or wels catfish in particular, this can lead to the line breaking or hooks tearing out.

However, a drag that is set too loose is also a problem, because you may not be able to control the fish well enough.

Practical tip: Before you start fishing, set the drag to suit the breaking strain of your weakest link and what the rod can handle. Check it by pulling line off in a controlled way. At snaggy spots you need enough drag pressure to keep the fish away from dangerous features.

There's no single ideal Rhine level.

A gauge reading of, say, 250 centimetres means something completely different at different gauging stations. What matters is the gauge datum, the stretch of river and the local features.

Many spots fish well when the level is stable or changing only slowly.

A slight rise can make additional margins interesting. A big flood, on the other hand, can mean that familiar spots can no longer be fished sensibly or safely.

So always compare your fishing days using the same gauge, and keep an eye on how the level has developed over the last 24–72 hours.

Both can produce good catches, but the fish change where they're holding.

When the water rises slowly, new margins are flooded. Small fish and the predators that follow them can move into these areas.

When the water falls, many fish pull back out of the areas that were flooded and stick to deeper channels or drop-offs.

A rapid change in level can make fishing harder, because the current, the colour of the water and where the fish are lying all change within a short time.

Yes, as long as the level allows you to fish safely and legally.

When the river is up, sheltered margins can be particularly interesting.

For zander, for example, you should check out calm margins, harbour entrances and slacks behind obstructions.

For coarse fish, flooded areas with little current can become attractive.

In a big flood, with dangerous current, floating debris or closed bankside paths, you should give fishing a miss, though.

At low water, certain shallow areas are no longer available, so the fish have to use other holding spots.

Deeper channels, scoured-out groyne tips and areas that always hold water can become more important.

In summer, low water combined with high temperatures can also lead to oxygen problems.

Then areas with more flow and more oxygen can be more interesting. In extreme heat, you should also bear in mind that being caught and played puts extra stress on the fish.

Rain on its own doesn't decide whether zander bite.

Light rain can change the light conditions and ruffle the surface of the water.

After heavy rainfall, the river can rise and become more coloured. That can create new hunting areas, but it can also make familiar spots unfishable.

So the river level, colour, temperature and how active the baitfish are matter more than the rain itself.

There's no wind direction that always brings the best catches along the whole Rhine.

It's more interesting to look at how the wind affects your particular spot.

Wind can push small fish and food into certain margins. At the same time, a strong crosswind can put a big bow in your line when lure fishing.

For jigging, a spot with the wind at your back or little crosswind is often more comfortable, because you can keep better control of the bottom contact.

Water temperature affects the metabolism, activity and food requirements of the fish.

Barbel and other coarse fish that like flowing water are often more active when it's warmer than in the depths of winter.

Zander, on the other hand, can be caught through much of the year, as long as there's no closed season or other restriction in the way.

In very cold water, slower retrieves can make sense. At high temperatures, oxygen levels and current play an increasingly important part.

In winter, zander, perch, roach and bream, for example, can be good target species, as far as local rules allow fishing.

For coarse fishing it often pays to feed sparingly, because the fish eat less at low temperatures.

For lure fishing, slowly worked shads in deeper areas or areas sheltered from the current can work.

It's important to know that fish in winter aren't necessarily always in the deepest water. Food and flow conditions also influence where they choose to be.

A change in the weather can alter several factors at once: light, wind, water temperature and possibly the river level.

The fish may respond by changing how active they are or where they're lying.

However, it's wrong to put every missing bite down to air pressure alone.

If nothing is happening after a change in the weather, start by trying different depths, retrieve speeds and areas of current.

You can be successful in both conditions.

In coloured water, zander can be active in fairly shallow areas even during the day. Lures with a clearly noticeable action or a strong silhouette can help.

In clear water, more natural colours and a subtler presentation can give you an edge.

Very heavy colour can, however, make it harder for the fish to find their way and hunt for food.

So what matters isn't just whether the water is coloured, but also how quickly the visibility has changed.

The Rhine is one of the most species-rich large river systems in Germany. Besides well-known angling species such as zander, wels catfish, barbel and asp, it is also home to rare migratory fish, small fish species and various invasive species.

It's important to distinguish between species that occur in the Rhine, species you can target and species you're not allowed to take.

The following overview covers the German Rhine, including the harbours and side waters typically connected to it. Not every species occurs on every stretch.

Important for the legal position: "protected" doesn't mean the same thing for every species. There are species with a year-round closed season, specially or strictly protected species, and fish with a seasonal closed season, a minimum size or a regional ban on taking them. An endangered species isn't automatically protected by a year-round closed season everywhere, either.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, salmon, sea trout, sturgeon, allis shad, twait shad, burbot, bitterling and spined loach are expressly protected all year round (§ 1 of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Fisheries Ordinance). Rhineland-Palatinate has its own regulations.

So the table is an overview of species, not a binding list of fish you're allowed to take. The rules differ considerably, particularly for eel, asp, nase, burbot, salmon, sea trout and the rare small fish species.

Practical tip: If you catch a fish you don't know, identify the species carefully. If you're unsure, return it as gently as possible, as far as this is legally allowed and required. The current regulations of the federal state concerned and of your permit are what count.

Gobies have spread massively along many stretches of the Rhine. You find them especially often on rip-rap, because they get plenty of hiding places and food there.

Many of the goby species found in the Rhine aren't native and were spread by shipping, among other things.

They mostly stay close to the bottom and eat worms, small invertebrates and whatever other food is available.

For coarse anglers they can be a nuisance, because they strip hook baits quickly. At the same time, gobies are now an important food source for zander, perch and wels catfish.

Practical tip: If you keep catching gobies when bottom fishing, try a sandier bottom or a bait presented a little off the bottom.

Bigger perch often hang around features where they can hunt small fish.

Good places to try are harbour entrances, sheet piling, rip-rap, groyne tips and calmer water right next to the current.

In autumn, perch often gather close to concentrations of small fish.

For bigger perch, shads of around 7 to 12 centimetres are a sensible starting point. Slim plugs and other lures can work too.

Practical tip: Find the small fish first. If you keep catching small perch, it's worth searching the deeper water nearby with a slightly bigger lure.

Asp are active predators that often hunt close to the surface.

On the Rhine you'll find them especially at groyne tips, current seams and places where the current herds small fish together.

On warm days you can sometimes watch asp hunting with powerful swirls and splashes at the surface.

Slim plugs, stickbaits and compact metal lures are good for targeting these fish.

Practical tip: Don't cast right into the middle of an asp attack you can see. Put your lure a little beyond it and work it briskly through the area where the fish are hunting.

Yes, although pike aren't equally common on every stretch of the Rhine.

Harbour basins with little current, backwaters, side waters and sheltered areas with suitable cover are particularly interesting.

In the strong main flow, pike are often less typical than zander or asp.

For targeting pike, bigger shads, plugs and spinnerbaits, for example, are a good choice.

Practical tip: If you're specifically after pike, concentrate on areas with little current, cover and plenty of baitfish. Always use a pike-proof leader.

Right by the bank, fish often find food, shelter and areas with less pressure from the current.

Rip-rap in particular is home to lots of small invertebrates and gobies. As a result, even bigger predators can come very close in.

At night, zander sometimes move into shallow margins to hunt.

When the river is up, additional calm zones can also form right along the edge of the bank.

Practical tip: When lure fishing, work the water close to the bank first before you cast a long way out. Especially at night, the first few metres in front of your feet can be well worth fishing.

Passing ships create pressure waves, draw and changes in the current.

This can stir up sediment and push small invertebrates or small fish out of where they are lying.

Sometimes this creates short feeding opportunities for predators. However, there's no reliable rule that fish bite better after every passing ship.

Heavy boat traffic can make it harder to control your lure and can shift your rigs.

Practical tip: Watch whether you notice fish activity in your swim again and again shortly after a ship has passed. Keep a safe distance from the water's edge while fishing, as the draw and the wash can be dangerous.

In strong current, many predators use areas where they have to spend less energy.

These include the slack behind groynes and bigger stones, holes and the transitions between fast and slow water.

Zander often stay close to the bottom, while asp also hunt right in the faster flowing water.

What matters is that the fish can get at food without having to swim against the strongest current all the time.

Practical tip: Cast your shad slightly upstream of a current seam and work it under control through the transition zone. That's where zander may be waiting for baitfish passing by.

On the Rhine, zander, wels catfish and eels in particular are known for being active at night.

Zander often hunt at dusk and after dark, including in shallower areas. Wels can go looking for food at night, but are just as active during the day.

Eels prefer to feed after dark and, in the right conditions, can be caught on natural baits.

Other species can be active at night too.

Practical tip: When fishing for zander at night, shallow-diving plugs worked along rip-rap can be effective. A slow, steady retrieve is often a good starting point.

Predators that are actively hunting can give themselves away through fleeing small fish, splashes or strong movement on the surface.

Asp in particular sometimes cause eye-catching swirls at the surface.

Perch can drive shoals of small fish up to the surface. Zander, on the other hand, often hunt much less conspicuously.

Not every movement on the surface comes from a predator. Coarse fish can also jump or show at the surface.

Practical tip: If you keep seeing small fish fleeing on the same current seam, fish that area deliberately. If necessary, switch between surface lures and shads.

The difference often has less to do with the lure than with choosing the right spot and presenting the lure well.

Experienced Rhine anglers know particular current seams, holes and holding spots. They also know when these spots are worth fishing at different river levels.

Another factor is lure control. If you're constantly dragging your shad along the bottom or losing contact with the bottom, you may be fishing less effectively.

Practical tip: To begin with, concentrate on a few spots and get to know them at different river levels. Note down the level, time of day, lure and any fish contact. That way you'll gradually build up your own pattern.

For active zander fishing, around 15–30 minutes is a sensible first period to systematically fish through a manageable spot.

During that time, try different casting angles, depths and retrieves.

If you're fishing a big groyne area with several interesting features, staying longer can make sense.

Feeder fishing is different. There you may need to build up a swim over a longer period.

Practical tip: Don't move on straight away after five casts without a touch. But if you've fished a spot thoroughly and seen no activity at all, moving can make more sense than repeating the same casts for hours.

First check whether your lure is actually being presented in the area where you think the fish are.

When zander fishing, it can help to slow down your retrieve, adjust your jig head weights or fish a different depth.

Switching between a natural and a bright lure colour can also be worth a try.

If the bites still don't come, rethink your choice of spot. A new spot with different current and depth can bring far more than the next change of lure.

Practical tip: Try to change only one thing at a time. That way you can tell more easily whether it was the lure, the retrieve or the location that made the difference.

Bigger lures can help to sort out some of the small fish. However, big zander do occasionally take small lures, and small zander take fairly big shads.

When targeting bigger zander, you could try shads of 12 to 16 centimetres, for example.

Choosing the right spot is at least as important. Bigger fish often use the best holding spots, with plenty of food and shelter from strong current.

The time you fish can also play a part.

Practical tip: Search out deeper drop-offs, bigger slacks and areas with plenty of baitfish. Try different lure sizes there, rather than relying only on the biggest shads you can find.

One of the most common mistakes is choosing the wrong jig head weight.

If the jig head is too light, you may lose contact with the bottom. If it's too heavy, the lure can look unnatural or wedge itself between stones more often.

Other typical mistakes are:

• Only ever casting as far as possible.
• Ignoring current seams and features close to the bank.
• Staying too long in a spot that's obviously not producing.
• Constantly changing lures without improving the presentation.
• Carrying on fishing with a damaged leader.

Practical tip: First learn to keep your lure properly under control in different current conditions. Good lure control is often more important than a big selection of lures.

A successful day's fishing doesn't start with the first cast. On the Rhine especially, preparation, the river level and your choice of spot often decide whether you find fish.

1. Decide on your target species.

If you want to catch zander, you need a different strategy than when fishing for barbel or asp. Choose your tackle, lures and spots to suit the species you're after.

2. Check the current Rhine level.

Compare the current gauge reading with the last few days. A slowly rising level, for example, can lead zander to move into new areas close to the bank. At low water, deeper channels can become more interesting.

3. Pick out at least two or three different spots.

For a zander session, these could be a groyne bay, a stretch of rip-rap with a drop-off into deeper water and a harbour entrance where fishing is allowed.

That way you can react if one spot isn't working because of the current or the river level.

4. Take a range of lure weights.

For zander fishing, shads of 8 to 12 centimetres are a sensible starting point. To go with them, you could pack jig heads of 10, 14, 18 and 21 grams, for example. In particularly strong current, heavier weights may be needed.

5. Plan your fishing time carefully.

For zander, dusk and darkness are often good times. Asp, on the other hand, can also be targeted during the day.

6. Fish your spots systematically.

Start with short casts, then move on to medium and longer distances. Vary your casting angle and work different depths.

7. Learn from your experience.

Note down productive spots, river levels, times of day, lures and fish contacts.

Practical tip: A spot where you regularly catch fish at a particular river level is worth more in the long run than ten unknown swims. Records like these teach you when your Rhine spots really work.

Looking back, many experienced Rhine anglers wouldn't necessarily spend more money on tackle. Above all, they would approach finding fish and working their lures differently.

1. Buy fewer lures and master the ones you have

Beginners often believe that a certain shad colour or a particularly expensive lure makes all the difference.

Experienced anglers know that choice of spot, lure control and bottom contact are often more important.

For zander fishing, a few proven shads in natural and bright colours, plus suitable jig head weights, are enough to begin with.

2. Keep a much closer eye on the Rhine level

An experienced Rhine angler knows that a spot can fish brilliantly at one river level and look completely different a few days later.

So they would record right from the start at which levels their spots fish well.

It's not just the actual level that matters, but also whether the water is rising, falling or staying steady.

3. Put more time into finding spots

Many beginners stay in one place for hours, even though they see no signs of fish activity.

An experienced lure angler would first check out different features and try to locate active fish.

Current seams, changes in depth and areas holding small fish are particularly interesting.

That doesn't mean frantically changing swims all the time, though. The key is to fish a spot thoroughly and systematically first.

4. Adapt the retrieve more closely to the current

On the Rhine, it isn't enough just to cast out a shad and jig it along the bottom.

The current affects how quickly the lure sinks, how far it drifts and whether you still have contact with the bottom at all.

An experienced angler would therefore pay more attention to casting angle, the bow in the line, rod position and jig head weight.

They would also learn when a lighter weight allows a more natural presentation and when a heavier jig head is needed for enough control.

5. Don't always cast as far as possible

A classic beginner's mistake is assuming that big fish are always lying a long way out.

On the Rhine in particular, zander can hunt right along the rip-rap at night.

Perch and other predators regularly use features close to the bank too.

So an experienced angler would check the nearer water first and then search further out systematically.

With a side-arm rig, the weight is attached to a separate dropper, while the lure is presented on a different hooklink.

This lets you present the lure a little more independently of the weight.

Rigs like this can be interesting in certain current areas when a classic jig head causes too many snags.

Practical tip: Make sure the dropper for the weight isn't longer than necessary. Otherwise the rig can tangle more easily when you cast or as it sinks.

Yes. On a Cheburashka rig, the weight is connected to the hook so that it can move freely.

This allows the soft plastic to move more freely than on a rigid jig head.

That can be especially interesting in moderate current and when you're working the lure close to the bottom.

Practical tip: In stony areas, use an offset hook if necessary. That can reduce the risk of snagging without you having to give up working the lure close to the bottom altogether.

On a Carolina rig, the weight and the lure are set a certain distance apart.

After the weight has been moved, the lure can sink more slowly and freely.

This is especially interesting when perch are not very active and prefer a slower presentation.

Practical tip: Fish the Carolina rig mainly over gravel or sand in moderate current. On coarse rip-rap, the weight and the longer rig are more likely to get snagged.

A Texas rig can have advantages when you're fishing in areas with lots of obstacles.

With an offset hook, you can hide the hook point in the soft plastic, so the rig is less likely to get snagged.

However, if the lure is rigged incorrectly, you may hook fewer of your bites.

Practical tip: Make sure the soft plastic sits straight on the hook and that the hook point can come free easily enough when a fish bites.

Slim shads often create less water resistance.

As a result, they can sometimes be controlled better in stronger current and need less weight in comparable conditions.

Wide shads with big paddle tails, on the other hand, often have a more powerful action.

Practical tip: In strong current, start with a slim shad. In calmer areas you can also try models with a pronounced tail action.

Yes, as long as local regulations allow the type of bait and the method concerned.

You can fish for zander with dead baitfish or suitable fish strips, for example.

A ledger rig with a well-presented natural bait can work especially well in areas sheltered from the current.

Practical tip: Only use baitfish that are legally permitted, and observe the rules on where they come from and on the water you're fishing. Live vertebrate baitfish are not allowed in Germany for animal welfare reasons.

A round feeder is more likely to roll or drift in strong current.

Flat feeders or ones designed specifically for current often grip the bottom better.

Where the weight sits also affects how firmly the feeder stays put on the bottom.

Practical tip: If your feeder keeps rolling away, first try a feeder shape that holds better in the current, rather than simply using more and more weight.

A longer hooklink can make sense when fish are biting very cautiously or you want to present the bait a little more naturally in the current.

A short hooklink, on the other hand, often shows bites more directly.

Practical tip: Start with a hooklink of 60 centimetres, for example. If you're getting lots of cautious plucks but no bites you can hook, you can try 80–100 centimetres. If you're getting tangles, a shorter hooklink may make more sense.

A sharp hook point is crucial if the hook is to penetrate reliably.

Especially when jigging over rip-rap, hooks can quickly go blunt from contact with the bottom.

A blunt hook can mean that you hook fewer fish securely, even though you can clearly feel the bites.

Practical tip: Check your hook point after it has touched stones or been snagged several times. Replace damaged hooks.

Tangles often happen when the hooklink, the weight and the main line come together uncontrolled in flight.

Suitable anti-tangle booms, stiffer sections of hooklink or well-balanced rigs can help.

A controlled cast is important too.

Practical tip: Feather the line slightly just before the rig hits the water. This lets the rig straighten out and land more cleanly.

Chub often hang around current seams, under overhanging branches and in areas with plenty of varied features.

You can catch them on natural baits and on lures.

In summer, small surface lures, plugs or suitable insect imitations can be interesting.

Practical tip: Look for places where the current carries food past the fish. A natural presentation is often more important there than long casts.

Asp often respond to lures worked quickly.

Slim plugs, stickbaits and compact metal lures are particularly good for imitating fleeing small fish.

The size of the lure should match the baitfish that are around as closely as possible.

Practical tip: If asp are hunting at the surface, try a slim lure of around 7 to 12 centimetres on a brisk retrieve. Vary the speed rather than only ever winding in as fast as you can.

Yes, but because its stocks are critically endangered, the European eel is subject to extensive protection and fishing regulations.

Depending on the stretch of the Rhine, there may be bans on taking eels, closed seasons or other restrictions.

Where eel fishing is allowed, lobworms or other permitted natural baits are often used.

Eels often search for food close to the bottom at dusk and at night.

Practical tip: Always check the current eel regulations before you go fishing. Don't rely on older information about minimum sizes or closed seasons.

Bigger bream can be found in deeper areas with a moderate flow and on the transitions between different types of bottom.

Sheltered harbour areas or wider, calmer stretches of the river can be interesting too.

Bream often look for their food on the bottom and can move around in groups.

Practical tip: Look for areas with a fairly even bottom where your feeder stays put firmly. Building up a swim precisely can make all the difference there.

Yes. Carp live in the Rhine too, but on some stretches they're much harder to locate than in still waters.

Good places to try are areas sheltered from the current, harbours, oxbows and certain bankside features.

Carp can travel long distances and change where they hold depending on temperature, food and the river level.

Practical tip: First look for signs such as fish feeding on the bottom or bubbles coming up. Only put in as much feed as makes sense in the conditions on the day.

Nase are specialised coarse fish that use their underslung mouths to graze algae and other growth off stones and other hard surfaces.

They often prefer areas with plenty of current and a firm bottom.

Targeting nase is not legally allowed everywhere, as special protection rules apply in some regions.

Practical tip: Find out about their protection status before you set out to target them. Nase shouldn't simply be treated like ordinary roach.

Barbel have long, muscular bodies and are adapted to life in rivers with plenty of current.

During the fight they often use the current and stay close to the bottom.

This means even medium-sized barbel can put up considerable resistance.

Practical tip: Set your drag so that the fish can take line on powerful runs. Don't try to force a big barbel up against the main flow.

At low temperatures, roach are often less active and sometimes feed less.

So it can make sense to go easy on the feed.

Small hook baits such as a single maggot can work when the fish are feeding cautiously.

Practical tip: Start with a small amount of feed and watch how often you get bites. If there are fish in the swim, you can gradually adjust how much you put in.

Mussel beds can be interesting features, because small invertebrates and organic material can collect there.

Some fish species use these areas to look for food.

However, mussel shells can be very sharp and damage your hooklinks.

Practical tip: If you're fishing over mussel beds, check your hooklink regularly for wear. If necessary, use a more abrasion-resistant hooklink material.

Many fish species change where they hold over the course of the year. The main reasons are water temperature, food supply, spawning behaviour and flow conditions.

In spring, some species move into shallower or sheltered areas to spawn. In summer, areas with plenty of current and oxygen can become especially interesting. In autumn, predators often follow the shoals of small fish, while in winter some species prefer calmer, deeper areas.

For example, perch can gather close to bigger concentrations of small fish in autumn. Barbel, on the other hand, often use stretches with plenty of current and a firm bottom, but they also move around.

Practical tip: Don't just note where you catch fish, but also at what time of year. A spot that fishes brilliantly in summer won't necessarily be as productive in winter.

At first glance, silver bream and bream look very similar. Both have a deep body that is flattened from side to side.

There are, however, a few differences.

The silver bream is often more silvery in colour and has noticeably reddish bases to its pectoral and pelvic fins. Its eyes are also usually larger in relation to its head than those of a bream.

The bream, on the other hand, often has a more strongly arched back, and larger specimens take on a bronze colour.

Another distinguishing feature is the number of scales along the lateral line. The bream normally has more lateral line scales than the silver bream.

Practical tip: Don't rely on colour alone. Compare the shape of the eye, the fin bases and the body proportions. With young fish in particular, a reliable identification can sometimes be difficult.

Ide and chub both belong to the carp family and can look alike, especially as young fish.

The chub has a comparatively broad head and a large, terminal mouth. Its anal fin is typically convex, curving outwards.

The ide, on the other hand, has a somewhat smaller head and an anal fin that is usually straight or slightly concave.

In larger ide the fins can be a striking orange to reddish colour.

Practical tip: Pay particular attention to the shape of the anal fin and the size of the mouth. These features are often more reliable than body colour.

The blue bream is a member of the carp family found in certain larger river systems.

It has a body that is flattened from side to side and a clearly underslung mouth. Its anal fin is comparatively long.

At first glance it can therefore be mistaken for other deep-bodied coarse fish.

Blue bream feed on small invertebrates, among other things, and often search for food close to the bottom.

Practical tip: If you catch an unfamiliar, bream-like fish with a noticeably underslung mouth, check the identification carefully. Observe the regional rules on protection and taking fish.

The round goby is one of the most common invasive goby species in the Rhine.

An important identifying feature is the dark spot at the upper rear of the first dorsal fin.

Males can turn almost black during the breeding season.

Other goby species differ in features such as head proportions, body markings and characteristics of the fins.

Practical tip: When identifying a goby, pay particular attention to the first dorsal fin. The characteristic dark spot is an important sign of a round goby. If you're not sure, use other identifying features as well.

Young asp can look like other silvery members of the carp family.

A particularly important feature of the asp is its large, upturned mouth with a clearly protruding lower jaw.

The ide, on the other hand, has a smaller, terminal mouth and a head that looks less predatory overall.

The body shape is different too: asp are often more elongated and more clearly built for fast swimming.

Practical tip: Check the position of the mouth first. A clearly protruding lower jaw and a wide gape point to an asp.

Both species often prefer stretches of water with plenty of current, but they differ clearly around the head.

The nase has a characteristic projecting snout and an underslung mouth with a sharp-edged lower lip, which it uses to scrape algae and other growth off hard surfaces.

The barbel, on the other hand, has four barbels around its mouth. Among other things, these help it search for food on the riverbed.

Their body shape differs too. Barbel are often more elongated and more powerfully built.

Practical tip: Look for the barbels first. Four clearly visible barbels point to a barbel. Nase don't have barbels like these.

Groynes change the natural course of the current. The water is diverted around the groyne tip, which can create eddies and back currents in the area behind it.

Depending on the river level and the shape of the groyne, the water in a groyne bay can even partly flow against the main current.

Areas like this can be interesting, because food and small fish are brought together there from time to time.

Practical tip: Watch the surface of the water before your first cast. Drifting leaves or foam can show you which way the water is moving inside the groyne bay.

On the Rhine, boat traffic, changes in level and varying amounts of flow can all affect the current.

In groyne bays in particular, passing ships can briefly cause strong movements of water.

Even small changes in the river level can mean that a groyne is covered by more water or that a current seam shifts.

Practical tip: If the jig head weight that has suited you so far suddenly stops working, check the current first. You may only need to adjust your casting angle or the weight.

Sandbanks can give themselves away through shallower water, changes in the current and visible ripple patterns on the surface.

When the river is low, some sandbanks are partly visible.

When you feel your way along the bottom with a jig head, you can detect changes in depth. A fairly even, soft bottom contact can point to sand, but it isn't clear proof.

Practical tip: Use low water to get to know the structure of the riverbed. Note where sandbanks begin and where they drop away into deeper channels.

Different types of bottom provide suitable habitats for different small invertebrates and fish species.

Gobies and other small fish find hiding places between stones. Sandy areas, on the other hand, can be used by bottom-feeding fish to look for food.

On the boundary between the two, predators can find prey.

Practical tip: Work your shad along the transition between rip-rap and sandy bottom where you can. That lets you cover different areas with just a few casts.

At the groyne tip, the current is diverted around the structure and partly speeded up.

As a result, the riverbed can erode more strongly. Over time, scour holes form, that is, local hollows in the riverbed.

These can give fish shelter from the strongest current.

Practical tip: Don't only fish right into the deepest part. The transition from the scour hole to the shallower bottom can be interesting too, because fish move between different depths there.

Floating debris follows the current and can collect in back eddies, behind obstacles or in calm margins.

Especially after rain and when the river is rising, branches, plant remains and other material are carried downstream.

Smaller accumulations can sometimes give fish food and shelter. Larger amounts of debris, on the other hand, make fishing considerably harder.

Practical tip: If branches or plant remains keep catching on your line, change your casting angle or your spot. Don't try to pull heavy clumps of debris free by force with your rod.

Friction against the riverbed slows down the water immediately above the bottom.

So the current is often slower close to the bottom than higher up in the water column.

Stones, drop-offs and hollows also create small slacks.

Barbel and zander, for example, use this effect to stay in areas with plenty of current without being permanently exposed to the full force of the water.

Practical tip: A strong current at the surface doesn't automatically mean your lure will be pushed just as hard on the bottom. What matters is how much pressure from the current is actually acting on your lure and line.

There can be various reasons for the water becoming more coloured.

Heavy rain can wash sediment into the Rhine through its tributaries. A rising river can stir up material from the riverbed and the margins.

Boat traffic can also stir up sediment locally.

If the water becomes noticeably more coloured, visibility and the behaviour of the baitfish can change.

Practical tip: If the water suddenly turns coloured, try lures with a clearly visible silhouette or a stronger action. Keep working your lure under control, though.

Whirlpools form when currents of different speeds or directions meet.

That can happen at groyne tips, bridge piers or other obstacles, for example.

This can create complex eddies, some of which reach down into deeper layers of water.

Areas like this can carry food and so be interesting for fish. At the same time, they can be dangerous for anglers and especially for anyone in the water.

Practical tip: Fish the edges of these current features rather than the middle, where you can still control your lure. Don't walk out onto dangerous groyne tips or ones that are under water.

When the Rhine is in flood, it carries large amounts of sand, gravel and other sediment.

The stronger current can scour out some areas, while material is deposited in other places.

This can create new hollows, sandbanks or drop-offs.

Obstacles such as bigger branches can also end up in new places after a flood.

Practical tip: After a big flood, don't rely completely on your previous experience. Carefully feel your way over familiar spots again before you fish them with expensive lures.

Reduced casting distance can have various causes.

Often the reason is poor line lay, line that's too thick, a strong headwind or a lure with a lot of air resistance.

Damaged rod rings or a spool that's overfilled or underfilled can also affect your casting.

Practical tip: First check your line, how full the spool is and your rod rings. If your tackle is in order, compare different lure shapes and concentrate on a clean, smooth cast.

Line twist happens when the line or the lure twists while you're fishing.

This can be caused, for example, by spinning lures, swivels that aren't working properly or certain situations when playing a fish or winding in.

Spooling up with new line can also cause twist if the line doesn't come off the bulk spool correctly.

Practical tip: Use a suitable swivel with lures that spin a lot. Also make sure the line is wound on neatly and isn't constantly lying loose on the reel spool.

Braid is especially likely to form loops when it's lying loosely on the reel spool.

This happens, for example, after casting very light lures or when you wind in a lot of slack line.

On the next cast these loops can come off and cause tangles.

Practical tip: After casting, close the bail arm by hand if you can, and make sure the line goes back on the spool under light tension. Check regularly for loose loops on the spool.

A knot is a potential weak point in the line connection.

If it's tied wrongly, not moistened enough or pulled tight too quickly, its breaking strain can drop considerably.

Damaged leader material or unsuitable knot combinations can also lead to the line breaking.

Practical tip: Use proven knots that suit the line materials you're using. Pull every knot down neatly and test it with a controlled pull before your first cast.

If you're regularly getting clear plucks without hooking any fish, the hook size, the bait or the rig may be to blame.

Sometimes small fish only grab part of the bait without taking the hook properly.

An unsuitable hooklink length or a blunt hook can also mean you hook fewer of your bites.

Practical tip: First check that your hook is sharp and that the bait isn't masking the hook point. Then try a different hook size or hooklink length.

The current acts on the float, the line and the bait.

Especially when a lot of line is lying on the surface of the water, the current has a strong effect on the rig.

Wind can also make the float drift even more.

Practical tip: Use a float that suits the current and is shotted correctly. Control the rig as it runs through and try to avoid an unnecessary bow in the line. In very strong current, a ledger rig can be more practical.

If the groundbait is mixed too dry or too loose, it can fall out of the feeder as soon as it hits the water or while it's sinking.

In strong Rhine current, this can mean much of your groundbait is washed away before the feeder reaches the bottom.

Practical tip: Add water to your groundbait gradually and give it enough time to soak in. For strong current, a slightly stickier mix can make sense. Check on the bank how easily the groundbait comes out of the feeder.

If the groundbait is too wet or packed in too tightly, it may only come out of the feeder slowly.

As a result, you may not get the trail of feed on the bottom that you want.

Very sticky ingredients can also be to blame.

Practical tip: Test the mix in shallow water before you start fishing, as far as it's safe to do so in your swim. The groundbait should survive the cast and then come out of the feeder in a time that suits the current.

There are several possible explanations for that.

A shoal of fish may have moved on. A change in the current can also mean your groundbait no longer lands where you expect it to.

Sometimes the fish have had enough to eat or are reacting to a disturbance.

Practical tip: First check whether your feeder is still landing in the right place. If the current hasn't changed, reduce the amount of feed if necessary or try a different hook bait. Don't move swims straight away if the fish have been biting regularly up to then.

Conditions in the Rhine can vary considerably even over short distances.

Depth, current, bottom structure and food supply can change a great deal within a few hundred metres.

For example, one spot may have a deep scour hole with a slack, while the next stretch is evenly shallow and has a strong flow.

On top of that, fish don't always use their holding spots in the same way. Some areas serve more as resting places, others as hunting grounds or routes they travel along.

Practical tip: Compare the two spots as closely as you can. Pay attention to depth, current seams, the type of bottom and small fish activity. That way you can work out what makes your productive spot special.

Zander have particularly light-sensitive eyes. A reflective layer behind the retina, known as the tapetum lucidum, helps them make better use of the light that is available.

Zander also sense water movements and differences in pressure through their lateral line. This allows them to detect the movements of baitfish even when visibility is very poor.

In total darkness, their vision is severely limited. Their other senses then become more important.

Practical tip: When fishing for zander at night, try a shallow-running plug with a clearly noticeable action, for example. Start by working it slowly and steadily along a suitable feature on the bank. Strong vibrations are not necessarily better than subtle movements.

Zander have a relatively large mouth and can open their jaws wide. This lets them take prey fish that are surprisingly large in relation to their own body size.

However, the size of prey they can manage is limited by the width of their mouth and, above all, by the body depth of the prey fish.

A slim fish is therefore easier to swallow than a deep-bodied fish of the same length.

Practical tip: When zander fishing, you can also use larger, slim shads. A 14 centimetre lure isn't automatically too big. What matters is the shape of the lure, the size of the fish and how actively they are feeding.

The lateral line is made up of sensory cells that register water movements and local changes in pressure.

This allows predators to sense the movements of other animals, even when these are hard to see.

A shad with a large paddle tail, for example, creates different water movements from a slim lure with a subtle action.

That doesn't mean, though, that a lure giving off particularly strong pressure waves will always be more successful.

Practical tip: If you aren't getting any bites in coloured water, try lures with different actions. Sometimes a hard-working paddle tail works much better, sometimes a subtle lure does.

Warm water can hold less dissolved oxygen than cold water. At the same time, in many fish species the metabolism, and with it the need for oxygen, rises with the temperature.

During the fight a fish needs extra energy. A long, exhausting fight can therefore put it under particularly heavy strain when the water is warm.

How you handle and release the fish afterwards also plays an important part.

Practical tip: Use tackle that is strong enough to land fish under control and without unnecessarily long fights. Avoid long photo sessions and keep fish out of the water for as short a time as possible. In extreme heat it can make sense not to target sensitive species at all.

Many fish species adapt their feeding to the light, the water temperature and the behaviour of their prey.

Zander, for example, can have an advantage when hunting at dusk because their eyes are well adapted to low light.

Other species such as asp can also hunt actively in bright daylight.

Activity also depends on the season, the weather and how much food is available.

Practical tip: On a zander spot you don't know yet, plan your first sessions around sunset and sunrise. Note down when you actually get bites, so you can find out whether there are recurring feeding periods at that spot.

How long digestion takes depends mainly on the water temperature, the size of the prey and the amount of food eaten.

In warmer water, many metabolic processes run faster than at low temperatures.

So under favourable conditions a small prey fish can be digested much more quickly than a large meal in cold water.

It isn't possible to give a reliable fixed digestion time for zander, for example twelve or 24 hours.

Practical tip: Don't assume that zander have to feed at the same time every day. Recurring feeding times can also be the result of baitfish movements and local conditions.

No. How fish perceive colour differs from species to species and depends on the cells in their eyes.

Water also changes the light. Certain wavelengths are filtered out faster than others.

Turbidity, depth and daylight also affect which colours can still be seen clearly underwater at all.

So a red shad doesn't necessarily look as red in deeper water as it does just below the surface.

Practical tip: Don't judge lure colours only by how they look in your hand. Also think about contrast, silhouette and visibility at your fishing spot.

Shoaling can give fish several advantages.

In a group, individual fish can reduce the risk of being caught by a predator. Shoals can also help with finding their way and searching for food.

Roach, bream and bleak often occur in groups.

Predators may deliberately seek out these concentrations of fish.

Practical tip: If you catch several roach or bream in quick succession when feeder fishing, a shoal may have moved into your swim. Keep casting as accurately as possible so that you continue to fish the same area.

Not every attack on a lure has to be purely about feeding.

Fish can react to fast movements, objects suddenly appearing or other stimuli.

However, you can't normally tell for sure from a single take whether a fish attacked out of hunger, competition or some other motive.

With lures in particular, movement and presentation play a big part.

Practical tip: If slow retrieves aren't working, you can try short bursts of speed or changes of direction. But don't assume that an aggressive retrieve will always produce more bites.

Fish are able to learn. Studies show that various species can link stimuli with positive or negative experiences.

This can include avoiding certain situations or conspicuous stimuli.

However, it doesn't follow as a general rule that an individual zander will permanently recognise a particular shad after someone has tried to catch it.

On heavily fished spots a cautious presentation can still make sense.

Practical tip: If a spot that gets a lot of angling pressure hardly produces any bites any more, try different lure sizes, a calmer retrieve or less usual casting angles, rather than just switching to brighter colours.

The running depth of a plug depends on several things, including its diving lip, the retrieve speed, the line diameter and the angle of pull.

Holding the rod tip high can make the lure run shallower. With the rod tip lower, a plug can run deeper under suitable conditions.

On the Rhine, the current also affects how much pressure the water puts on the lure.

Practical tip: Test your plug in daylight with different rod positions. That way you can judge better at night whether it's running over the rip-rap or diving too deep.

A suspender is balanced so that it stays at roughly the same depth when you pause the retrieve.

In practice, depending on the water temperature, the leader and the fittings, it may slowly rise or sink.

These lures are particularly interesting when predators respond to prey that moves slowly.

Practical tip: Try suspenders in sheltered harbour areas or groyne bays where the current is slack. In strong current the lure can still drift a long way during a pause.

Snaps differ in weight, shape and freedom of movement.

With small plugs, a heavy snap can upset the balance. This can make the lure more nose-heavy, for example, or change how it reacts when you pull it.

How freely the snap can move in the eye of the lure also plays a part.

Practical tip: Use snaps that are as small as possible but strong enough and suited to the size of the lure. After changing a snap, check that your plug still swims cleanly.

Very often the jig head isn't sitting straight in the shad.

If the hook comes out at the side or the body of the lure is badly bent, the water flows over it unevenly.

A damaged tail or a poor match between lure and jig head can also change how it swims.

Practical tip: Before threading it on, hold the jig head against the side of the shad and make a mental note of where the hook should come out. Then check in shallow water that the lure runs straight.

During a short pause, the lure briefly changes how it moves. Depending on the type of lure, it sinks, rises or hovers.

With longer pauses, a lure can spend more time right where a predator is lying.

On the Rhine, however, the current can keep the lure moving even when you aren't winding.

Practical tip: Start by trying short pauses of one to two seconds. Only make them longer if the type of lure and the local current allow you to keep the presentation under control.

When a predator attacks a lure, it has to judge the lure's movement correctly and get it into its mouth.

At high speed an attack can miss. That said, fast lures are often very successful, especially for asp.

Missed takes can also be caused by poorly positioned hooks or brief contact with the lure.

Practical tip: If you keep seeing fish attack without being hooked, try slowing down or building in short changes of pace. At the same time, check that the hooks are sharp enough and correctly positioned.

A thicker line usually gives the flowing water more surface to push against.

This can make the bow in the line bigger and cause the lure to drift more.

A thinner braid can help reduce water resistance and improve bottom contact.

However, the line mustn't be so light that abrasion, snags or the size of fish you expect become a problem.

Practical tip: Choose the thinnest line that is strong enough for your method and the conditions. A suitable leader is especially important on sharp-edged rip-rap.

A small paddle tail often creates less water resistance and a more restrained action.

In strong current this can help you work the lure with more control.

Subtle movements can also be interesting when fish don't respond to hard-working lures.

Practical tip: At the same spot, compare two shads of similar size with different tail actions. Keep the weight and retrieve as similar as possible so you can judge the difference.

Floating or very buoyant soft plastics can give an interesting presentation on certain rigs.

On a suitable offset hook or a bottom rig, for example, the back end of the lure can rise up off the bottom.

This can make it easier to see or reduce direct contact with obstacles.

Practical tip: Try these lures in calm to moderately flowing areas. Check in shallow water beforehand how the lure actually sits on your hook.

If you cast upstream, the lure often moves partly with the current as you retrieve it.

If you cast across, on the other hand, there is often a stronger sideways pull. The lure can then swing through the current in an arc.

With a lure fished downstream of you, the current works more strongly against the direction of the retrieve.

These differences affect running depth, speed and bottom contact.

Practical tip: Fish an interesting current seam from several angles. Sometimes the casting angle decides whether your lure passes the fish under control or gets pushed out of the area too quickly.

Where a larger river flows into the Rhine, bodies of water meet that may differ in temperature, colour and speed of flow.

This can create distinct transition zones. These can be interesting for fish because food is carried along there or the flow conditions are more favourable.

After rain in particular, tributaries can carry much more water than usual. This can change the flow at the confluence considerably.

Practical tip: Don't just fish the confluence itself, but also the transition zones further downstream. Current seams can continue there over quite long distances. Watch out for local fishing bans and dangerous currents.

Fish are cold-blooded animals. Their body temperature is largely determined by the temperature around them.

If the Rhine cools down significantly within a short time, their metabolism, activity and feeding can change.

Different species react differently. So a drop in temperature doesn't automatically mean poorer catches.

The speed of the change matters too. Gradual cooling can have different effects from a sudden change in temperature.

Practical tip: When fishing is difficult, compare the water temperature over several days. If it has fallen sharply, start by trying a slower retrieve and different depths.

Historical gauge data help you spot links between the river level and your past catches.

If you regularly fish a particular groyne, for example, you can record at which levels the current there was good to fish.

Over several months this builds up a useful picture of your spot.

It's important always to use the same gauging station, because readings from different stations can't be compared directly.

Practical tip: Keep a simple catch log with the date, gauging station, river level, level trend, spot, time and catch. You can find historical data through the official river level information services of the German waterways administration (Wasserstraßenverwaltung), for example.

Harbour basins often have less current than the Rhine itself.

Under certain conditions they can therefore warm up or cool down faster than the main river.

These temperature differences can influence where small fish gather and which areas predators move into.

In winter, sheltered parts of a harbour can at times have different temperatures from the main flow. But they are not always warmer as a rule.

Practical tip: If you have access to a harbour spot where fishing is allowed, compare the temperature in sheltered areas with the temperature at the harbour entrance. Even small differences can be a clue that you can weigh up together with small-fish activity and the current.

High sheet piling is one of the more difficult places to fish, because the surface of the water is sometimes several metres below where you're standing.

A big fish shouldn't simply be hauled up on the line. Your line, leader or hook can give way. On top of that, the fish can be injured.

For spots like these there are special drop nets that you lower into the water from above.

Practical tip: Before your first cast, check whether you can land a hooked fish safely. If you have neither a suitable drop net nor safe access to the water, you shouldn't fish there.

When you lift a fish, its entire weight hangs on the line, leader and hook.

With bigger zander, barbel or wels catfish in particular, this can create very high loads.

The hook can also tear out or injure the fish.

A rod isn't designed to lift heavy fish vertically out of the water either.

Practical tip: Use a big enough landing net. Never lift a fish using only the rod tip, and don't try to drag it over high rip-rap.

First, keep the fish as calm as possible and avoid pulling on the hook unnecessarily.

If the hook is easy to reach, you can carefully remove it with suitable unhooking pliers.

If it's very deep, trying to force it out can cause serious injuries.

With a fish that has to be released, it can sometimes be gentler to cut the hooklink as close to the hook as possible rather than removing the hook by force. However, this doesn't guarantee that the fish will survive.

Practical tip: When fishing with natural baits, use suitable bite indication and strike in good time. This reduces the risk of fish swallowing the bait particularly deeply. With badly injured fish, follow the requirements of animal welfare and fisheries law.

Fish have a layer of slime on their skin which, among other things, protects them against pathogens and physical damage.

Dry hands can damage this layer of slime more than wet hands.

Scales and sensitive areas of skin can also be damaged.

Gentle handling is particularly important with fish that have to be released.

Practical tip: Wet your hands before touching a fish. If possible, use a rubberised landing net that has been wetted, and don't lay fish on dry, hot stones.

A fish that has to be released should be handled as calmly and gently as possible.

Signs that it is recovering better can be a stable posture, coordinated movements and swimming on its own.

A fish that tips over on its side or can't stay upright may be in a bad way.

However, you can't judge reliably from its behaviour alone whether it will survive in the long term.

Practical tip: Where necessary and safely possible, hold an exhausted fish upright in the water so that water flows over its gills. Don't keep moving it vigorously back and forth. As soon as it can swim away on its own in a coordinated way, let it go.

Depth charts show the contours of the bottom and can give clues to channels, drop-offs and holes.

Areas where the depth changes significantly over a short distance are particularly interesting.

Scoured areas at groyne tips or deeper sections on outside bends can also stand out.

However, not all available depth data are up to date. The Rhine changes its bottom structure through current, sediment transport and floods.

Practical tip: Use depth charts to draw up a shortlist of spots. Check on site whether the features shown are still there and whether you can actually reach them sensibly from the bank.

Foam lines can form when floating particles collect in certain parts of the current.

Lines like these can point to current boundaries, eddies or surface currents converging.

They're interesting for anglers because drifting food or small fish can sometimes concentrate there too.

However, a visible foam line doesn't necessarily run exactly above a deep drop-off or a spot where fish are holding.

Practical tip: Watch whether the foam line stays in the same place for a longer time. Then fish both along the line and along its edges to explore different parts of the current.

When two rivers or streams of different temperatures meet, their water doesn't always mix completely straight away.

The speed of the current, the volume of water and turbulence all affect how quickly the temperatures even out.

This means that areas with different temperatures can form for a while near a confluence.

This can be interesting for fish, because temperature differences can affect their metabolism and where they choose to be.

Practical tip: When the Rhine is extremely warm or cold in particular, it's worth keeping an eye on larger tributaries. A cooler inflow can be interesting in summer, as long as the oxygen content and other conditions are favourable.

A resting area often gives fish shelter from strong current and plenty of cover.

A feeding ground, on the other hand, is marked by a good supply of food or conditions that make it easy to catch prey fish.

On the Rhine, for example, deep slacks can serve as holding areas, while neighbouring shallower drop-offs are used at times for feeding.

However, the same spots can serve different purposes depending on the time of day and the river level.

Practical tip: Watch whether you regularly catch fish at a spot without any visible hunting activity, or whether the bites come mainly during short active periods. Combine these observations with information on depth, current and the baitfish present.

Fish use different layers of the water depending on food, temperature, oxygen and shelter.

Bleak and other small fish often stay close to the surface to feed there. Asp may follow these shoals.

On warm days some fish may also hold in areas with favourable current and oxygen levels.

Practical tip: If you regularly see small fish at the surface, watch whether they're swimming calmly or suddenly scattering. If you can see fish hunting, you can try surface or near-surface lures.

Fish need dissolved oxygen to breathe. How much they need depends on factors such as the species, the temperature and how active they are.

In warm water the oxygen content can fall while the fish's need for oxygen rises.

Under certain conditions, areas with a good flow through them can offer a better oxygen supply than still, heavily warmed side waters.

Practical tip: In high summer, look for areas with water exchange and suitable temperatures. If you see signs of oxygen shortage or dead fish, stop fishing and inform the responsible authority.

Artificial light can affect where tiny organisms and insects gather. This can lead to small fish collecting at some lit spots.

Predators can take advantage of these concentrations of food too.

This can create an interesting situation, especially around harbour facilities and lit stretches of bank.

However, a street lamp by the water doesn't automatically mean zander will regularly be holding there.

Practical tip: Watch the boundary between lit and dark water. If small fish are moving about there, you can target the transition zone with a plug or shad, provided fishing is allowed in that area.

Fish are cold-blooded. Their body temperature and many of their metabolic processes are therefore influenced by the temperature around them.

A change in water temperature can affect their activity, digestion and need for oxygen.

How strongly a fish reacts depends on the species, the temperature it was used to and how fast the change happens.

Practical tip: Don't just look at the absolute water temperature, but also at how it's developing. A slow rise in temperature can have different effects from a sudden cold snap.

Day length changes over the course of the year and is a biological signal for many fish species.

Together with the water temperature, it can influence spawning, migrations and seasonal activity.

This means that fish don't react only to the current temperature.

For example, certain kinds of behaviour can already change before the water gets noticeably colder.

Practical tip: Don't compare your catches on the basis of temperature alone. Also take into account the time of year and the change in day length.

The Rhine has a large catchment area with numerous tributaries.

Heavy rainfall in distant regions can change the river level and water colour at your spot, even though no rain has fallen there.

Depending on the distance and how the water drains away, the change may only arrive hours or days later.

Practical tip: As well as the local gauge, also check its forecast and how important tributaries are developing. That way you can judge better whether conditions might change during your fishing trip.

An identical gauge reading doesn't automatically mean identical conditions.

The level may be rising or falling at the time, for example. Current, water colour and temperature can also be different.

Changes in the riverbed or in the food supply can also influence where fish hold.

Practical tip: Don't compare successful fishing days on the basis of the gauge reading alone. Also note whether the level was rising or falling and, if possible, the water temperature.

As the water becomes more coloured, visibility underwater usually decreases.

This can mean that predators only see a lure when it is closer to them.

Other senses, such as the lateral line, can still register movement.

Practical tip: In very coloured water it can make sense to cover interesting features with several well-aimed casts. Don't rely on a predator spotting your lure from a long way off.

Not every species reacts to cooling in the same way.

Some species become much less active, while others keep feeding regularly even at low temperatures.

Oxygen content, current and the availability of food also affect their behaviour.

Practical tip: Adapt your method to the species you're targeting. When coarse fishing in winter, it can make sense to feed sparingly, while for predators, finding the right holding areas remains the key.

Fish activity is the result of several factors working together.

Even when the weather stays the same, baitfish can move, the food supply can change or certain fish can switch into an active feeding phase.

So not every good day's fishing can be explained by a visible change in the weather.

Practical tip: If you watch a spot over a longer period, also note down days with settled conditions. This lets you see whether certain active periods occur independently of any obvious change in the weather.

With a free rig, a special weight runs freely on the main line or leader, while the lure is attached to a separate hook.

This means that once the weight has sunk, the lure can for a while fall more slowly and more independently.

This can be particularly interesting with wary perch.

Practical tip: Try the free rig over fairly even gravel in moderate current. In strong current or over coarse rip-rap, the free movement of the rig can be harder to control.

With a jika rig, the weight is attached directly to the eye of the hook or to a small connecting piece.

The lure is often mounted on an offset hook.

This keeps the rig compact and makes it well suited to certain presentations close to the bottom.

Practical tip: Use a jika rig with a suitable soft plastic rigged on an offset hook when you want to fish areas with lots of features under control. This rig isn't completely snag-proof either.

A Ned rig typically consists of a small, often buoyant soft plastic and a special jig head with a flat base.

It is usually fished slowly and close to the bottom.

It can be particularly interesting for perch in calm to moderately flowing areas.

Practical tip: Start with a lure of around 5 to 8 centimetres. Try short movements and longer pauses. On coarse rip-rap, though, there's a higher risk of snagging.

Tungsten (wolfram) is denser than lead.

So for the same weight, a tungsten weight can be smaller.

With certain finesse rigs this can allow a more compact presentation.

On a hard bottom, the feedback you get from bottom contact can also feel different.

Practical tip: Tungsten weights can be particularly interesting on Texas, Carolina and free rigs. But bear in mind that material and shape alone don't guarantee better bite detection.

A snap is mainly there so you can change lures quickly.

A swivel, on the other hand, is meant to reduce line twist when the lure or rig rotates.

With many shads and plugs a simple snap is enough.

With lures that spin a lot, a suitable swivel can make sense.

Practical tip: Don't automatically put big swivel and snap combinations on small lures. Extra components can change the weight and the way the lure swims.

A large hook can stiffen the body of a shad.

If the shank of the hook reaches a long way into the flexible rear part of the lure, it can't move as naturally.

This can be particularly noticeable with slim shads.

Practical tip: Choose a hook that holds the lure securely but leaves the rear part of the body flexible enough. Check how the lure swims after rigging it.

A shad has to sit securely on the jig head, but it shouldn't be unnaturally squashed or bent.

If the lure is pushed on too far, its shape can change.

A badly placed bait-holder collar can also damage soft lures.

Practical tip: Make sure the shad sits straight after rigging and keeps its natural body shape. With very soft lures, a small drop of suitable soft-bait glue can help, as long as you use it sparingly.

A shorter leader adds less extra length to the connection and can make handling easier.

A longer leader, on the other hand, gives you more material in reserve against abrasion and can protect the braided main line from direct contact with stones for longer.

The best length depends on the bottom, the casting distance and the technique.

Practical tip: For zander fishing, for example, start with a leader of around 60–100 centimetres. Adjust the length to the amount of abrasion and the knot or connection you use between main line and leader.

Hooks differ in features such as the width of the gape, the length of the shank and the angle of the point.

These features influence how a hook fits into a lure and how well it can take hold when a fish bites.

A hook that is too small can be a problem with bulky soft plastics. A hook that is too big can restrict the lure's action.

Practical tip: Match the hook shape to the body of the lure and to your target species. Check that there is enough room between the hook point and the body of the lure.

A light jig head can slow down the rate at which the lure sinks and allow a slower presentation.

This is particularly interesting in shallow areas or areas with little current.

In strong current, on the other hand, a jig head that is too light can drift out of control.

Practical tip: In a calm groyne bay, try 5–10 grams, as long as the depth, lure size and current allow it. What matters is that you can still control the lure.

In groyne bays the current is often slowed down considerably. This allows sand, mud and other sediments to settle.

Over time the bottom can change. Some areas become shallower, while others are scoured out by eddies.

Signs that a bay is silting up include new sandbanks appearing at low water, or your jig head taking less time to reach the bottom under comparable conditions.

Practical tip: Compare your groyne bays regularly at similar river levels. Photograph the waterline from a fixed point. That way you can spot changes over several months or years more easily.

Different types of bottom provide suitable habitats for different small creatures.

On a hard bottom you'll find mussels and other bottom-dwelling organisms, for example. Soft sediment can be home to worms and insect larvae.

This can make the transitions between the two types of bottom interesting for coarse fish.

Predators can use these areas too if baitfish are holding there.

Practical tip: When feeder fishing, you can carefully explore the bottom with a suitable weight. A change between a hard knocking and a dull, cushioned feel can point to different bottom structures.

Rising bubbles can have different causes.

Fish that root around on the bottom, such as carp or bream, can release gas bubbles as they search through the sediment. But bubbles can also be produced by natural processes in the sediment that have nothing to do with fish.

So individual bubbles aren't a reliable sign of feeding fish.

Practical tip: Watch how the patches of bubbles move. If small bubbles keep coming up in different places and clouds of silt appear at the same time, that can point to fish feeding on the bottom.

Water plants tend to grow where the light, current and bottom provide suitable conditions.

In calmer parts of the Rhine, beds of weed can form that end abruptly at their edges.

When retrieving a lure you can sometimes feel it touching weed. In clear water, weed beds are sometimes directly visible.

Practical tip: Fish along the outer edge of the weed rather than constantly pulling your lure right through dense plants. Perch and pike in particular can use these transitions as hunting grounds.

As well as groynes and rip-rap, the Rhine has various technical structures and bank reinforcements.

These can change the current, create obstacles or produce local differences in depth.

Some structures offer fish shelter and a place to live. Others can be less attractive because of strong turbulence or a lack of cover.

Practical tip: Look for accessible areas where fishing is allowed and where you can see changes in how the water moves. But always check whether fishing is banned there because of shipping, nature conservation or technical installations.

Local water movements aren't always linked to a change in level over a wider area.

Passing ships can briefly change the water level at the bank considerably through drawdown and wash.

Wind, current and local structures can also affect how the water moves.

Changes like these sometimes last only a few seconds or minutes.

Practical tip: Don't put your tackle right at the water's edge. On shallow banks in particular, the water can first draw back as a ship passes and then surge back in strongly.

Even within a harbour basin, temperature, oxygen content, light and the food supply can vary.

Sheet piling, ships, inflows and underwater structures also influence where fish choose to be.

Small fish may stay close to the surface, for example, while larger predators hold in deeper areas.

Practical tip: If you're allowed to fish the harbour, don't just fish the bottom. Use suitable lures to try different depths and note at which level you make contact with fish.

Bread can be an attractive bait for various coarse fish, especially chub and carp.

At spots where bread or other plant-based food regularly ends up in the water, fish can get used to these food sources.

Floating pieces of bread can be particularly interesting in calmer areas.

In strong current, however, presentation is more difficult because the bait is quickly carried away.

Practical tip: Use a big enough piece of bread crust that stays on the hook and floats on the surface. First watch whether fish are taking food from the surface at all. Feed sparingly and follow the local rules.

Cheese is a traditional hook bait for barbel fishing.

Firm cheeses can be cut into small cubes and presented on the hook or on a suitable hair rig.

This bait can be particularly interesting where barbel regularly search for food on the riverbed.

However, cheese isn't necessarily more successful than maggots, worms or other suitable baits.

Practical tip: Cut a firm cheese into cubes of about 8–12 millimetres. Use a hook whose size suits the bait. If the cheese is too soft and comes off quickly, try a firmer variety.

In principle yes, as long as the rig is permitted under the local rules.

With the method feeder, the groundbait is moulded around a special feeder. The hook bait sits right next to the groundbait.

This method works particularly well when the feeder stays firmly in place on the bottom.

In strong Rhine current, however, the groundbait can be washed out quickly and the rig can drift.

Practical tip: Try the method feeder in sheltered harbour areas or calm groyne bays rather than in the main flow. Use a safe rig that lets the fish shed the feeder if the line breaks, and check that your groundbait has the right consistency.

A large baited area isn't automatically more attractive than a small, concentrated one.

Some fish deliberately seek out areas where food is regularly available.

A small amount of feed can be enough to get fish feeding without filling them up quickly.

Overfeeding can be a disadvantage, particularly when the water temperature is low.

Practical tip: When feeder fishing, start with a moderate amount of groundbait. If you get regular bites, you can gradually adjust the amount. If the bites don't come, don't automatically keep putting in more and more feed.

Fish can sense sound and water movement. How sensitive they are, however, differs from species to species.

Certain plugs contain rattle balls that make a noise when the lure moves.

Noises like these can change how noticeable a lure is. Whether they attract fish or put them off depends on the circumstances.

So a noisy plug isn't necessarily better than a silent one.

Practical tip: If you aren't getting bites at a spot with rattling plugs, try a similar lure without rattles. Make sure the running depth and lure size are as similar as possible.

Steep drop-offs along the bank allow fish to move quickly between different depths.

This lets them use different areas depending on the light, the current and the food supply.

Drop-offs that also have stones, obstacles or differences in current are particularly interesting.

For predators, transitions like these can offer good opportunities to hunt.

Practical tip: Don't just fish a steep drop-off from top to bottom. Try to work your lure along the edge as much as possible. That way it stays in the interesting zone for longer.

Floating plants can provide shade and cover.

Insects and other small creatures can also gather among the plant debris.

Small fish sometimes use these areas for shelter, while predators stay close to potential prey.

On the Rhine, rafts like these form mainly in areas where the current is slack.

Practical tip: Watch the edges of a raft of weed. Lures can often be presented better there than right in the middle of the plant material. Take care not to cause unnecessary snags or lose line.

Water plants can provide fish with shelter, food and suitable places to stay.

At the same time, dense weed growth makes it harder to work a lure.

Perch and pike in particular can use weed edges as hunting grounds.

Plant growth changes over the course of the year and depends on factors such as light, temperature and current.

Practical tip: Fish mainly along the weed edge or through any clear gaps. Use more snag-resistant rigs if necessary, rather than constantly pulling an exposed hook through dense weed.

When a change in river level or a new obstacle creates a slack behind it, you get an area with less current pressure.

Fish can use areas like these to save energy.

If food is being carried past by the current at the same time, the new area can become even more interesting.

However, that doesn't mean every newly formed slack will immediately be taken up by fish.

Practical tip: After the river level changes, watch whether new calm zones are forming along features on the bank. The transition into the stronger current in particular can be worth a try.

Fish aren't equally active all the time.

A shoal of baitfish can move through an area, predators can start hunting at short notice, or coarse fish can arrive in your swim.

Changes caused by boat traffic, current or light can also affect the situation.

That's why a spot can seem quiet for a long time and then produce several bites in quick succession.

Practical tip: If you make contact with a fish at a spot, keep fishing that area carefully for a few more minutes. There may be more fish active nearby. But don't assume that every single bite automatically means there's a bigger shoal of fish.

Small black spots on the skin or fins can be caused by certain parasites. A well-known example is black spot disease, in which the larvae of flukes become encapsulated in the tissue.

The fish sometimes reacts by depositing dark pigment around them. This produces the visible black spots.

Changes like these occur in various freshwater fish, roach and perch for example. However, not every black spot is automatically a parasite.

Practical tip: Check whether the spots lie flat in the skin or whether there are other unusual signs such as open wounds, severe weight loss or abnormal behaviour. If there are unclear or conspicuous signs of disease, don't eat the fish.

Worm-like organisms on fish can have various causes.

They include certain parasitic worms, but also other creatures that only look similar from the outside. Some fish parasites live on the skin, others in the gills or inside the body.

It's usually not possible to identify them reliably from their colour and size alone.

Practical tip: Don't forcibly remove unknown organisms from a live fish if this could injure it. If necessary, take a photo of anything unusual, and if you suspect a notifiable fish disease, contact the responsible fisheries authority.

Reddish patches can have various causes.

These include physical injuries from stones, nets or other obstacles. Parasites, bacterial infections or old injuries can also cause visible changes to the skin.

Superficial injuries are particularly common in fish that move around in shallow or stony areas during the spawning season.

Practical tip: A single small graze isn't automatically a sign of serious disease. If you see extensive bleeding, open ulcers or unusual behaviour, record what you've found and inform the responsible authority.

A severely emaciated fish may be suffering from a lack of food, a parasite infestation or a disease.

However, age, spawning and natural differences in build can also play a part.

In some species the body shape also changes considerably over the course of the year.

Practical tip: Don't just judge how thick the body is, but also the proportions of the head, the condition of the skin and the fish's behaviour. If several fish of the same species are noticeably emaciated, this may point to a bigger problem.

Cloudy eyes can be caused by injuries, infections, parasites or other changes.

Sometimes only one eye is affected, for example after physical damage.

If both eyes are very cloudy, there are various possible causes. A clear diagnosis isn't possible without an examination.

Practical tip: Avoid jumping to conclusions and putting unusual changes to the eyes down to a particular disease. If you see an unusually large number of affected fish, report what you've seen to the responsible fisheries authority.

Individual dead fish can have various causes, such as natural mortality, injuries or disease.

If you find several dead fish along a short stretch, this may point to a bigger problem.

Possible causes include oxygen shortage, pollution, disease or extreme environmental conditions.

Practical tip: Try not to touch the fish. Note the location, the approximate number, the species affected and any unusual changes in the water. Inform the responsible water or fisheries authority, or, in the case of an acute, larger fish kill, the responsible emergency reporting centre.

That depends on the type of parasite, the state of health of the fish and how you plan to prepare it.

Not every fish parasite is dangerous to humans. However, the risk can't be judged reliably from the fish's outward appearance.

Bacterial diseases and other changes can also play a part.

Practical tip: Don't eat fish that are obviously diseased or badly affected. Fish should be prepared hygienically and cooked thoroughly. With unknown parasites or unusual changes, it makes sense to get an expert opinion.

Fin damage can be caused by physical wear and tear, fights over territory, attacks by predators or disease.

Living among sharp-edged stones can also cause minor injuries.

So frayed fins aren't automatically a sign of bacterial fin rot.

Practical tip: Check whether the fins are just split or whether there are also inflamed areas, discolouration or tissue loss. Features like these can help you assess the fish.

Yes. Certain pathogens can be carried from one water to another on damp objects, in leftover water or on contaminated equipment.

Examples include landing nets, unhooking mats, boots and containers.

The risk is particularly relevant if you use your equipment on different waters in quick succession.

Practical tip: Clean your tackle thoroughly after fishing and let it dry out as completely as possible. Follow any special disinfection rules if a fish disease has been found on a water.

A long stay in a keepnet can mean stress and a risk of injury for fish.

Conditions can become problematic, particularly when the water is warm, the current is strong or there isn't enough room.

Keepnets are also not allowed everywhere, and their use may be subject to certain conditions.

Practical tip: Check the local rules. If you want to keep a fish, dispatch it humanely and without delay in line with the requirements of animal welfare and fisheries law. Don't use a keepnet as a substitute for dispatching fish properly.

You can't reliably tell a zander's age from its length alone.

Zander grow at different rates depending on the food supply, temperature, habitat and individual factors.

In fisheries biology, scales or certain bony structures, for example, are examined to determine age.

Particularly accurate results can come from examining the ear stones, known as otoliths.

Practical tip: If you catch a 70 centimetre zander, don't automatically claim that it's, say, seven years old. Without a proper examination, that's only a rough estimate.

Growth depends on factors such as water temperature, the food supply and the density of the stock.

If there are enough suitable prey fish, zander can find good conditions for growth.

How long the warm season lasts also affects how fast the fish grow.

Practical tip: Big zander at a particular spot don't automatically prove that all the zander there grow especially fast. To say anything reliable, you would need data on age, length and the structure of the stock.

Outside the spawning season, it's often hard to tell male and female zander apart reliably from the outside.

During the spawning season, females may have a fuller belly. However, this feature isn't conclusive.

Male zander guard the nest and may show particular behaviour during this time.

Practical tip: Don't try to sex a zander by pressing on its belly or by any other stressful examination. During the closed season and the spawning period, always stick strictly to the protection rules in force.

Zander lay their eggs on suitable surfaces, such as firm structures or plant material.

Once the eggs have been laid, the male guards the nest.

He can drive off intruders and, by moving, help keep water flowing over the eggs.

This behaviour improves the chances of some of the eggs getting through their development.

Practical tip: Zander guarding a nest shouldn't be deliberately targeted or disturbed. One of the purposes of the legal closed seasons and local protection rules is to protect spawning.

Male barbel can develop what are known as spawning tubercles during the spawning season.

These are small, hardened bumps on certain parts of the body.

These changes are caused by hormones and are part of spawning behaviour.

They aren't automatically a sign of parasites or disease.

Practical tip: If you find small, evenly arranged rough bumps on a fish, take the species and the time of year into account. Don't be too quick to mistake natural spawning tubercles for a disease.

Some species need particular current and bottom conditions to reproduce.

Gravelly areas with a good flow, for example, can provide suitable conditions for the eggs to develop.

Salmon and other migratory fish therefore use suitable tributaries and side waters as spawning grounds.

Certain native river fish also make shorter migrations within a river system.

Practical tip: On tributaries and migration corridors in particular, look out for protected areas and seasonal fishing restrictions. Not every attractive concentration of fish may be deliberately targeted.

Between pebbles there are small gaps through which water can flow.

This allows eggs that have been laid there to get oxygen.

The gaps can also give some protection from the current and from predators.

Species such as barbel and nase use gravelly spawning habitats when conditions are suitable.

Practical tip: During the spawning season, avoid walking on shallow gravel areas unnecessarily. Eggs and newly hatched fry can be damaged by trampling and by stirred-up sediment.

Sexual maturity depends on the species, its growth and environmental conditions.

A fish has to build up enough energy and physical development to be able to reproduce successfully.

In some species this happens relatively early, while others need several years.

Even within one species, temperature and the food supply can influence the age at which fish mature.

Practical tip: Minimum sizes and closed seasons shouldn't be judged on body size alone. They are based on a range of biological and fisheries considerations and can vary from region to region.

A large number of young fish doesn't automatically mean that there will be lots of adult fish later on.

Young fish face many dangers, including predators, disease, lack of food and unfavourable environmental conditions.

The loss of suitable habitats can also reduce their chances of survival.

Practical tip: If you see lots of small zander or perch at a spot, that initially tells you that young fish are present. To say anything about how the stock will develop in the long term, though, you need studies over several years.

Big, older fish can make an important contribution to reproduction.

In some species, larger females produce particularly large numbers of eggs. In some cases the quality and survival chances of the offspring also differ.

How strong this effect is depends on the species.

Practical tip: Observe harvest slots, maximum sizes and other local protection rules. A particularly big fish isn't automatically the most sensible fish to take from a biological point of view.

Wels catfish have a well-developed lateral line, which lets them sense water movements and differences in pressure.

They also have sensitive senses of taste and smell. Among other things, their barbels help them find their way and search for food.

This allows wels to hunt successfully even when visibility is very poor.

Practical tip: When actively fishing for wels, baits with clearly noticeable movement can be interesting. However, a particularly strong action isn't always necessary. What matters is the right presentation and where the fish are holding.

Young wels initially feed on small invertebrates and other suitable prey, among other things.

As they grow, they can take larger prey fish and other available food.

Adult wels are opportunistic predators. What they eat depends heavily on which prey animals are present and within reach in the water concerned.

Practical tip: Don't automatically use the biggest possible bait when fishing for wels. A bait that matches the prey fish that are actually present can be interesting for big wels too.

Wels are often described as purely nocturnal hunters. In fact, they can be active both by day and by night.

Their activity depends on factors such as water temperature, food supply, light and individual patterns of behaviour.

In coloured water or in sheltered spots, wels can find good hunting conditions during the day too.

Practical tip: Don't limit your wels fishing to the night as a matter of principle. At spots with deep water and plenty of features in particular, it can be worth trying during the day as well.

Big wels have powerful bodies and can put up considerable resistance.

During the fight they sometimes stay close to the bottom and use their strength and the current.

On the Rhine, the pressure of the current puts even more strain on the rod and line.

Practical tip: Use tackle that is strong enough and designed for wels. Don't try to wrench a big fish off the bottom with jerky movements. Keep up steady pressure under control and watch out for possible snags.

A subfloat provides buoyancy and can hold a suitable bait at a set distance above the bottom.

This can stop the bait lying right among stones or in soft sediment.

In the current, the rig can also give a different presentation from a simple ledger rig.

Practical tip: Match the buoyancy, hooklink length and weight to the current. Make sure the rig is safe and only use baits and methods of attaching them that are legally permitted.

Barbel search for most of their food close to the bottom and use various senses to do so.

Chemical signals can help them recognise suitable food.

That's why cheese, certain pellets or other strong-smelling hook baits can work, for example.

However, a strong smell doesn't automatically make a bait more attractive.

Practical tip: Try different baits, but don't keep changing your baited spot. If barbel are regularly feeding in your swim, reliable bait presentation is often more important than a particularly strong smell.

Wels catfish can repeatedly use certain areas as resting or holding places.

These include deep scour holes, larger obstacles and zones where the current is slack.

Features like these offer shelter and can at the same time give good access to food.

However, that doesn't mean a wels never leaves its spot. Many wels regularly move between resting and hunting areas.

Practical tip: If you've found a possible wels holding spot, also explore the neighbouring current seams and shallower areas. The fish won't necessarily look for food right where it rests.

Wels have several barbels on their heads, which serve important sensory functions.

They use them to explore their immediate surroundings and detect chemical signals.

Wels also have a highly developed sense of smell and taste, as well as a lateral line.

This allows them to find food successfully even when visibility is poor.

Practical tip: When fishing for wels, how visible the bait is isn't the only thing that matters. Smell, movement and the right presentation where the fish is holding can be important too.

Wels are cold-blooded fish. Within their suitable temperature range, rising water temperatures can increase their metabolism and activity.

That's why warm spells in summer can provide good conditions for feeding.

However, oxygen content, river level and the availability of food also play a part.

Extremely high temperatures can put a strain on wels too.

Practical tip: In summer, pay particular attention to the transitions between deeper holding areas and shallower hunting zones. Make sure your tackle is strong enough to land big fish without unnecessarily long fights.

Although barbel often give powerful bites, they can also pick up baits cautiously.

This can happen, for example, when they aren't very active or when the bait isn't presented well.

A rig under heavy tension, an unsuitable hook or an unusually heavy bait can affect how they take it.

Practical tip: If you keep getting cautious plucks, start by checking your hook bait and the length of your hooklink. Then try a smaller bait or a different presentation.

During the fight, a barbel often uses the current to create extra resistance.

If it gets into the strongest current, it can be much harder to bring it to the bank.

With a suitable rod position you can try to build up sideways pressure and steer the fish under control into calmer water.

While doing this, you mustn't exceed what your tackle can handle.

Practical tip: Don't keep the rod pointing straight up all the time. Try to guide the fish with controlled sideways pressure. Use the drag and avoid frantic movements.

Barbel are adaptable omnivores that make use of various food sources.

Cheese has a characteristic smell and can be offered on the hook in a compact form.

At some spots this bait can work well, while at others maggots, worms or other baits are more successful.

The fact that cheese works at one spot doesn't automatically mean the fish prefer it in general.

Practical tip: Compare cheese with a second hook bait under conditions that are as similar as possible. If you keep getting better bites on cheese, it can be a sensible choice for that spot.

Big wels don't depend on deep water all the time.

They can move into shallower zones if there is suitable food there.

Areas close to the bank can become interesting, particularly after dark or when the river is up.

The connection between deep resting places and shallower hunting grounds also plays a part.

Practical tip: When fishing for wels, don't concentrate only on the deepest scour holes. Also explore shallower slacks and transitions into deeper water, as long as fishing there is allowed and can be done safely.

The pH value describes how acidic or alkaline water is. It influences various chemical processes and therefore also the living conditions of fish.

The Rhine is normally in the neutral to slightly alkaline range. Short-term or large changes in pH can put stress on fish and other aquatic organisms.

It's particularly important that pH also affects the toxicity of certain substances. For example, at a higher pH the proportion of the more toxic, un-ionised ammonia increases.

Practical tip: For normal fishing you don't need to keep measuring the pH. But if you notice unusual fish behaviour, strange discolouration of the water or several dead fish, inform the responsible authority instead of guessing at the cause yourself.

The salt content of the Rhine is influenced by natural minerals, tributaries and discharges from human activity.

These can include industrial discharges, treated waste water and salty water from certain catchment areas, for example.

Near the mouth of the river there is also the influence of seawater.

Changes in salt content can affect aquatic organisms, particularly if they aren't adapted to such conditions.

Practical tip: For the usual choice of bait on the inland Rhine in Germany, salt content usually plays only a minor role. Current, river level, temperature and the baitfish present are much more important.

Put simply, electrical conductivity indicates how many dissolved substances that conduct electricity are present in the water.

These include various mineral salts, for example.

Conductivity is used in water monitoring because changes can point to a different composition of the water or to certain inputs.

However, a high conductivity reading doesn't automatically mean that the water is polluted or unsuitable for fish.

Practical tip: When you analyse water data, always look at conductivity together with other readings. On its own it isn't a reliable indicator of whether zander or barbel are feeding at the moment.

Algae need light and suitable nutrient conditions. Some species grow on stones or other hard surfaces, so they aren't simply washed away by the current.

Other algae float freely in the water.

How strongly they grow depends on factors such as light, temperature, the supply of nutrients and the flow of water.

Algae growing on surfaces are an important food source for certain small creatures and fish species.

Practical tip: Stones covered in algae can be a sign of a productive habitat. However, stones like these are often very slippery. Don't step on them if you can't stand securely.

Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus compounds are important components of aquatic ecosystems.

Among other things, they influence the growth of algae and other primary producers, which in turn form the basis of various food chains.

Excessive nutrient inputs, however, can cause ecological problems, such as increased algal growth and oxygen shortage as organic material breaks down.

So a water that is richer in nutrients doesn't automatically have a better fish stock.

Practical tip: Don't judge the quality of a fishing water just by its colour or visible algae. What matters is how water quality, habitat and fish stock work together.

Many pollutants can't be seen with the naked eye.

These include certain heavy metals and organic pollutants, for example, which can occur in the water, in sediments or in living organisms.

Some of these substances can accumulate in the food chain.

That's why clear water doesn't automatically mean that the fish you catch are fine to eat without restriction.

Practical tip: Before regularly eating fish you've caught in the Rhine, find out about current consumption advice and possible pollution of the stretch of the Rhine concerned. Accumulation of pollutants can be particularly relevant in long-lived predators.

Certain pollutants bind to fine suspended particles or organic material.

When these particles sink in areas where the current is slack, the substances bound to them can build up in the sediment.

During floods, dredging or major changes in the current, some of this material can be stirred up again.

Whether this creates an actual hazard depends on the substances and concentrations involved.

Practical tip: A muddy fishing spot isn't automatically polluted. If you're looking for specific information on sediment quality, use official water monitoring data rather than guessing from appearances.

When water is strongly churned up, the exchange of gases between the water and the atmosphere can increase.

This can allow oxygen from the air to get into the water, provided the concentrations make this possible.

The actual oxygen supply, however, also depends on temperature, biological processes and water quality.

So strong current doesn't necessarily mean that the oxygen content is always highest there.

Practical tip: In summer heat, areas with a good flow through them can be interesting. But also take into account the water temperature, the species and the actual structure of the spot.

Harbour basins often have less water exchange than the main river.

This means that temperature, oxygen content and water colour can develop differently.

In some parts of a harbour, fine sediments or organic material can also settle more heavily.

How marked these differences are depends on how the harbour is built and how it is connected to the Rhine.

Practical tip: Especially in summer, watch whether a harbour basin has warmed up a lot or whether the water looks unusual. A sheltered area isn't automatically better for every species than the main river.

Visibility depth describes how far down light, or objects, can still be seen in the water.

It can give clues to turbidity and to the conditions for fish that hunt by sight.

Low visibility means that lures may be harder to see from a distance.

However, visibility depth isn't the same as the maximum distance a fish can see.

Practical tip: Compare the visibility at your spots regularly. A simple light-coloured object held carefully in the water can give you a rough comparison. Don't use anything that could get lost or pollute the water.

Ships' propellers create strong, directed water movements.

In shallower areas or during slow manoeuvres in particular, these currents can reach all the way down to the bottom.

This can stir up sediment and carry away smaller organisms.

How strong the effects are depends on the type of ship, the propeller power, the water depth and the distance from the bank.

Practical tip: Avoid fishing areas where ships regularly manoeuvre close to the bank. The currents this creates can be dangerous and can move your rig about uncontrollably.

A moving ship displaces water and changes the local pressure and flow conditions.

This can make the water level at the bank drop at first and then rise sharply again as the waves come in.

This effect is particularly marked on narrow or shallow stretches.

On rip-rap, water movements like these can become dangerous.

Practical tip: Don't put your tackle right at the water's edge. When a large ship goes past, keep a safe distance and watch how the water moves before going back to the bank.

Dredging can change the depth and structure of the bottom in places.

Drop-offs that were there before can disappear, or new holes can form.

While the work is going on, sediment can also be stirred up and fish disturbed for a while.

In the long term, new current and bottom conditions can develop that fish use differently.

Practical tip: If dredging has taken place at a spot you know well, check the bottom structure again. Don't rely on your old productive spots having stayed the same.

Ships create noise and vibrations underwater.

Depending on the species, fish can perceive different frequency ranges. Some species are more sensitive to sound, others react more to water movements.

Underwater noise can affect the behaviour and communication of certain fish species.

However, it doesn't follow as a general rule that a single passing ship will improve or worsen your chances.

Practical tip: Watch for recurring patterns at your spot. If you can hardly fish under control when boat traffic is particularly heavy, a quieter stretch may be the better option.

Rip-rap, sheet piling and other bank reinforcements change the shape of the river's cross-section.

They therefore influence how water flows along the bank and where eddies or slacks form.

They can also change where sediment is deposited and where it is washed away.

Practical tip: Look out for transitions between different types of bank reinforcement. Small-scale differences in current can arise there that are interesting for fish.

Along vertical bank reinforcements, the current can scour out the bottom under certain conditions.

This can create deeper areas right in front of the wall.

The way it was built, boat traffic and the original structure of the river also affect the depth.

However, not every stretch of sheet piling has a deep scour hole.

Practical tip: If fishing is allowed, you can carefully explore the depth in front of the sheet piling with a suitable rig. Check beforehand whether you can land a hooked fish safely there.

In harbour areas that are used less, there is sometimes less ship movement and less short-term disturbance of the current.

There may also be features such as sheet piling, dumped stone and deeper areas.

Conditions like these can give different fish species suitable places to stay.

However, a disused harbour isn't automatically open to the public or to fishing.

Practical tip: Check your fishing rights and whether you're allowed to enter the area. Pay particular attention to the transitions between deep parts of the harbour and shallower edges.

Groynes deflect the current and often reduce the flow speed in certain areas along the bank.

This can allow sediment to settle there.

At groyne tips or at transitions with a strong flow, on the other hand, material can be washed away.

This creates different bottom structures over a comparatively short distance.

Practical tip: Don't think of a groyne bay as a uniform area. Look specifically for places where sand, gravel and stones merge into one another.

When a shipping channel is deepened, the shape of the river changes.

This can change how the current is distributed, the water depth and the way sediment is carried.

Neighbouring areas can also be affected, although the specific effects depend on the particular project.

Practical tip: If you've been fishing a stretch of the Rhine for years, it's worth keeping track of major river engineering works. You may need to reassess what you've learned about the depth there afterwards.

Underwater structures can create additional features that are different from the surrounding riverbed.

These include larger areas of dumped stone or certain river engineering features, for example.

Features like these can offer slacks and habitats for small creatures.

As a result, they can also attract fish under suitable conditions.

Practical tip: Look for prominent structures on the river charts available to you. But respect shipping areas, safety distances and any fishing bans.

Yes. With a suitable temperature gauge you can compare the water temperature at different depths.

In the main river, where the flow is strong, the water is often fairly well mixed.

In deep harbour basins with little current or in connected stillwater areas, on the other hand, there can be bigger temperature differences.

Whether distinct temperature layers actually form depends on the depth, the weather and the exchange of water.

Practical tip: Always try to measure the temperature at comparable places and depths. A single measurement at the surface doesn't necessarily tell you what the temperature is on the bottom.

The flow speed affects how much strain your rig is under and how a lure moves.

It also affects which areas are favourable in terms of energy for certain species.

However, a high flow speed at the surface doesn't mean that the water right on the bottom is flowing just as fast.

Practical tip: Watch floating leaves or other natural drifting objects to get a rough idea of the surface current. When it comes to choosing your jig head weight, what then matters is how your lure actually behaves in the water.

Yes. Satellite images can help you spot larger changes in the river and along the banks.

New sandbanks, changes in the line of the bank and larger river engineering projects are particularly interesting.

Images taken at low water can show features that are completely under water at normal levels.

However, many satellite images aren't up to date. Shadows, water colour and differing river levels can also make them harder to interpret.

Practical tip: Compare satellite images from different years and note when each one was taken. Use the images to prepare, but always check the actual conditions on site.

A catch log helps you see links between the conditions and your success.

Note down, for example:

• Date and time
• Target species and contacts with fish
• Rhine level and level trend
• Water temperature, if known
• Spot and features of the water
• Lure or bait, rig and retrieve

After several months you can compare the conditions under which certain spots were particularly productive.

It's important to record blank days as well. Otherwise you get a distorted picture.

Practical tip: Also note roughly how long you fished at each spot. Ten fish in ten hours need to be judged differently from ten fish in one hour.

Yes, a castable fish finder can give you information on water depth and underwater features.

Depending on the device, it can show changes in depth, areas of hard bottom and in some cases fish.

On the Rhine, however, there are particular challenges. Strong current can make the device drift, and boat traffic can make using it dangerous.

The wireless connection and the actual range can also be limited.

Practical tip: Use a castable fish finder preferably in calmer, accessible areas. Secure the device with a suitable line and check beforehand whether you're allowed to use it at that spot.

A fish finder measures reflected sound signals. From these, it calculates information about objects and structures in the water.

A fish symbol doesn't automatically mean that there really is a particular fish there.

Other objects or signal interference can sometimes be interpreted as fish too.

A fish finder also normally can't reliably tell whether a fish it shows is a zander, a perch or another species.

Practical tip: Pay more attention to recurring signals, changes in depth and the bottom structure than to individual fish symbols. Then check interesting areas with your fishing method.

First check when the depth data were recorded.

On the Rhine, sandbanks, channels and scoured areas can change through floods and sediment transport.

After major floods in particular, older charts can differ from the actual conditions.

Dredging and other river engineering works can also cause changes.

Practical tip: Compare different versions of the data that are available, and check prominent features on site. Don't rely on depth charts alone to judge whether areas along the bank are safe to walk on.

In principle yes, but using one in practice on the Rhine is often difficult.

Visibility can be severely limited by turbidity. Current and boat traffic can also move or damage the camera.

Conditions are often better in calm harbour basins or clearer side waters.

A camera can show you, for example, how fish react to a bait or what bottom structures are there.

Practical tip: Only use an underwater camera at safe spots where it's allowed. Avoid laying out cables or other equipment in areas where they could endanger ships or other water users.

A single good day's fishing isn't enough to prove that one lure is better in general.

If you want to compare two lures, try to keep the conditions as similar as possible.

For example, fish both lures alternately at the same spot and use comparable fishing times.

Don't just note the fish you catch, but also bites, missed contacts and lost lures.

Practical tip: Compare two lures over several fishing days. Change the order regularly, so that it isn't always the same lure being used during what may be the better feeding period.

A bite doesn't automatically mean the fish gets hooked and landed.

If you only record fish that you land, important information is lost.

A large number of bites with only a few fish landed can point to problems with your choice of hook, bait presentation or playing technique, for example.

However, not every contact can be clearly identified as a bite from a fish.

Practical tip: Keep separate records in your catch log for clear bites, fish hooked and fish landed. This lets you judge your hook-up rate better over a longer period.

A predator can notice a lure without immediately taking it as prey.

Possible reasons include not being in a feeding mood, an unsuitable lure movement or the lure approaching from an unfavourable angle.

The distance and position of the lure relative to the fish can also play a part.

Without being able to watch directly, however, you can't tell for sure whether a zander has actually noticed the lure.

Practical tip: If you repeatedly see fish activity on an underwater camera or a suitable fish finder but get no bites, try a different retrieve speed or a smaller lure. Avoid changing all the factors at once all the time.

After a catch, the conditions at the spot may have changed.

There may be more fish there that respond to a different lure movement.

Changing lures can therefore open up extra possibilities.

However, there's no reason to swap out a lure that has just worked as a matter of principle.

Practical tip: After a catch, start by making a few more casts with the same lure. If you don't get any more contacts, you can try a lure of a different size or with a different action.

The direction you cast in affects how your lure travels through the current.

A shad, for example, may drift faster when cast across the current than when cast upstream.

This changes the speed at which the lure passes a spot where fish might be holding.

The angle from which the lure approaches can also play a part.

Practical tip: If you've found an interesting feature, fish it from several suitable positions. Make sure you don't get in the way of other anglers or shipping.

A missed take doesn't necessarily mean that a predator loses interest in its prey.

If the lure is still within reach, it may attack again.

This depends on factors such as the species, how active the fish is and how the lure is moving.

With perch and other predators you can occasionally see several attacks within a short time.

Practical tip: If you miss a take, keep working the lure under control at first. A short pause or a slight change of speed can give the fish the chance to attack again.

Fish can learn to react less strongly to certain stimuli if these occur frequently and don't pose any immediate danger.

This behaviour is known as habituation.

Fish in heavily used areas, for example, may respond differently to recurring noises or movements from fish in very quiet areas.

However, that doesn't mean they become insensitive to all disturbances.

Practical tip: Don't automatically write off busy spots as unsuitable. Watch whether fish are feeding there despite regular boat traffic or other activities.

A big fish can be a sign that the spot offers suitable conditions.

These can include enough food, favourable current and suitable places to stay.

However, a single catch can also be down to chance, for example if a migrating fish happens to be passing through.

Practical tip: If you make an exceptional catch, record the exact conditions. Try the spot again at comparable river levels and times of year to find out whether bigger fish use it regularly.

Improvement doesn't only show in the number of fish you catch. Being able to find suitable spots faster, work lures more precisely and convert bites more reliably are part of it too.

A good benchmark is the number of definite contacts with fish per hour of fishing. When comparing, set similar methods and conditions that are as comparable as possible side by side.

Practical tip: In your catch log, note the hours fished, definite bites, fish hooked and landed, and lures lost. That way you can track over several months where you're really making progress.

Not every short knock on the rod is a full attack on the lure.

A zander may only touch the shad briefly with its mouth, for example, or grab it awkwardly. A stone or another object can also produce a similar contact.

In strong current it's even harder to tell the difference.

Practical tip: If you keep getting brief contacts at the same spot, make the shad hop less high and try longer, controlled sinking phases. Also check that your hook suits the size of the lure.

This happens especially when a fish takes the lure while swimming towards you.

The line can go slack for a moment without any clearly noticeable knock.

A strong crosswind or a big bow in the line can also make bites harder to feel.

Practical tip: Don't just watch the rod tip, watch the line as well. If it suddenly goes slack unusually quickly or moves sideways, carefully take up contact and strike if you can tell it's a bite.

After it hits the water, the lure first sinks. As soon as you start winding, its movement changes.

This sudden change can trigger a predator into attacking.

It's also possible that a fish took the lure while it was sinking and you only notice the contact when you start winding.

Practical tip: Keep in contact with the line right from the moment the lure hits the water. Watch whether the lure sinks normally before you start the actual retrieve.

A hook on the outside of the mouth can happen when a zander attacks the lure from the side or doesn't take it fully.

The position of the hook and the movement of the lure can also contribute.

However, a fish hooked on the outside doesn't prove that it struck at the lure on purpose.

Practical tip: If you keep hooking zander on the outside of the mouth, check the lure size, hook position and retrieve speed. Avoid causing unnecessary injuries by striking particularly hard.

Compared with some other predators, perch have a smaller mouth.

If the lure is very big or the hook is badly positioned, they may not be able to take it fully.

Several small perch may also be trying to attack the same lure at once.

Practical tip: If you get lots of short plucks, try a smaller shad of around 5 to 7 centimetres. Make sure the hook suits the body of the lure.

In strong current the line is often already under considerable tension.

If a fish takes the lure and stays put at first, the contact can feel like a lure that has suddenly got stuck.

Sometimes you only notice movement after a few seconds.

Practical tip: If you feel unusual resistance, first keep the line tight under control and watch for movement. If you can tell it's a bite, react quickly, but without immediately yanking the rod with full force.

Small fish can repeatedly touch or tug at the hook bait without taking it properly.

This sometimes produces short, repeated taps on the feeder tip.

However, similar movements can also be caused by the current, floating debris or small changes in line tension.

Practical tip: Watch whether the movements follow a recurring pattern or suddenly get stronger. Check the bait after a while if you're not sure whether fish are really working on it.

When you move the rod, the position of the hook bait often changes too.

The bait can move a little way across the bottom or be pulled out of a small hollow.

This movement can catch a fish's interest. But it can also be that you only notice a bite that was already there because of the movement.

Practical tip: If you go a long time without a bite, you can occasionally move the rig a short distance carefully. Make sure the feeder doesn't drift uncontrollably out of your baited area when you do this.

A very powerful feeder rod often has a correspondingly stiff tip.

If small fish put only a little pull on the line, their bites can be harder to see as a result.

The pressure of the current and a tip already under heavy tension can also mask fine movements.

Practical tip: Use the softest feeder tip that still works properly in the current conditions. However, a tip that is too soft can stay bent right over by the current all the time.

Soft plastics without a pronounced paddle tail, such as pintails, often create less water resistance and have a more subtle action.

This can make them easier to control in certain current situations.

They are also suitable for various finesse rigs.

Practical tip: Try a slim pintail if hard-working shads aren't producing any bites. Work it with small movements and controlled pauses.

Compact metal lures are heavy for their size.

This means that when cast they often meet less air resistance than bulky plastic lures of a similar weight.

That allows longer casts, as long as the rod, line and casting technique are matched to it.

Practical tip: For asp hunting a long way out, use a compact metal lure in a weight that suits your rod. As you retrieve it, check that the lure runs steadily in the current.

The rotating spinner blade creates water resistance and lift.

In strong current this effect can increase, so that the lure runs higher than intended.

Particularly wide spinner blades often create more resistance.

Practical tip: In stronger current, try a spinner with a narrower blade or a heavier body. Work it so that the blade turns reliably without the lure rising uncontrollably to the surface.

Spoons are often compact, robust and can be cast a long way if they have the right weight.

They can be particularly interesting when you want to search larger areas of water.

Plugs, on the other hand, depending on the model, give you more precise control over certain running depths and patterns of movement.

Practical tip: If you want to search distant current seams for asp, a slim spoon can be a good choice. Make sure it doesn't spin uncontrollably at the speed you've chosen.

Visible hunting activity doesn't mean that predators will attack any lure on the surface.

The fish may be chasing very small baitfish, for example, or making their attacks just below the surface.

The speed and silhouette of the lure can also be decisive.

Practical tip: If a surface lure isn't getting any bites, try a shallow-running plug or a small lure worked just below the surface.

Thanks to the special shape of its head, a popper creates swirls and splashing noises when you pull it.

This lets it create eye-catching stimuli at the surface.

When fishing for asp, this can be interesting if the fish are active close to the surface.

However, asp don't always prefer noisy surface lures.

Practical tip: Try short, controlled flicks of the rod tip and short pauses. If the fish don't react, switch to a more steadily retrieved surface or shallow-running presentation.

A chatterbait has a metal blade that vibrates as the lure is retrieved.

This creates clear water movements that predators can sense.

In coloured water, this extra stimulus can be helpful.

In strongly flowing parts of the Rhine, however, a chatterbait can be harder to control.

Practical tip: Use it mainly in calmer areas, such as suitable harbour basins or sheltered side waters. Make sure the lure isn't pushed uncontrollably up to the surface.

Spinnerbaits have a wire frame with one or more rotating blades.

Thanks to their design, they can get past some obstacles better than lures with exposed trebles.

They are particularly suitable for areas with weed, wood or other features.

Practical tip: Try spinnerbaits in areas with little current and suitable cover. They aren't always the most practical choice for deep Rhine channels with a strong flow.

Big predators don't feed exclusively on large prey.

If small fish are especially plentiful, they can make up an important part of their diet.

A small lure can therefore be interesting for a big zander or asp too.

However, the tackle you use has to suit the size of fish you expect.

Practical tip: If you're targeting big predators with small lures, use hooks, leaders and lines that are strong enough. A light lure doesn't automatically mean you should use extremely light tackle.

Even a damaged shad can still give off movement and visual signals.

Some lures have a much weaker action once damaged, but can still be interesting, for example when jigging.

However, a lure that runs crooked or out of control can also have drawbacks.

Practical tip: Check damaged shads before using them again. If they still run straight, you can keep using them. Badly damaged lures should be replaced and disposed of properly.

Moonlight changes how bright it is at the surface and therefore how well fish can see underwater.

With a clear sky and a bright moon, zander may be able to see their prey better than on a very dark night.

However, cloud cover, water colour, depth and artificial lighting all affect how much light there actually is.

There is no reliable rule that a full moon is always better or worse for zander.

Practical tip: On your night sessions, record the cloud cover and water colour as well as the phase of the moon. Then compare whether you actually see any differences in bite times at your spots.

Small fish and other aquatic organisms can gather in areas of water that are lit up.

Right next to these areas there are often much darker zones.

Predators can use transitions like these to get closer to baitfish. However, you can't say as a general rule that they always hold on the dark side.

Practical tip: Where night fishing is allowed, fish both sides of a light edge. A shallow-running plug can be a good choice there if the depth and current are right.

Zander activity can be concentrated in fairly short spells.

Possible triggers include movements of baitfish, changes in the light or zander temporarily moving into certain hunting areas.

So a zander doesn't have to be active in the same place all night.

Practical tip: If you repeatedly get bites at a spot between, say, 22:00 and 22:30, note these times. Check over several nights whether the pattern repeats itself, rather than treating it as a fixed feeding time after a single session.

Footsteps on stones, putting down heavy objects or other impacts can create vibrations, some of which are transmitted into the water.

Fish can pick up certain sounds and movements.

How strongly they react depends on factors such as the species, the distance and whether they're used to it.

Not every noise on the bank automatically makes fish flee.

Practical tip: Move as carefully as possible at shallow, quiet spots. Avoid unnecessary clattering about on the rip-rap and set up your tackle so that you don't have to keep moving it around at night.

A powerful head torch briefly changes the light conditions at the surface.

In shallow, clear areas in particular, the light can reach down into the water column.

Fish can react to sudden changes in light. Whether it actually drives them away depends on the circumstances.

Practical tip: Use your head torch for moving about safely, tying knots and dealing with fish. While you're actually fishing, try not to shine it unnecessarily on shallow hunting areas. Safety always comes first, though.

A floating plug rises towards the surface when you pause the retrieve.

This can be particularly helpful over shallow rip-rap, because the lure moves away from possible snags.

The rising also creates an extra movement that can trigger a predator into attacking.

How fast it rises varies depending on the model and the leader set-up you use.

Practical tip: Test in daylight how fast your plug rises. That way you can avoid it getting stuck on shallow rip-rap when you pause at night.

Zander don't only hunt close to the bottom.

If baitfish are in shallow water or just below the surface, zander can follow them.

At night in particular, they can therefore hunt in layers of the water that seem less typical during the day.

A plug then doesn't necessarily have to reach the bottom.

Practical tip: If you're fishing shallow rip-rap at night, start with a shallow-running plug. Work it in the layer of water where you think the baitfish are.

After dark, zander sometimes move into shallow areas near the bank to look for baitfish.

A shallow-running plug can be interesting in situations like these, because you can work it above the rip-rap without it constantly touching the bottom.

Floating models with a shallow diving depth in particular allow a controlled presentation in shallow water.

Practical tip: Use a plug with a running depth of, for example, 0.3–1 metre if the margin is that shallow. Work it slowly and as parallel to the rip-rap as possible. Check beforehand that the spot is safe to walk on at night.

Lit bridges can create interesting transitions between lighter and darker areas of water.

Small fish can gather at spots like these, which in turn attract predators.

Zander can use the darker areas to get closer to potential prey.

However, not every lit bridge is automatically a good zander spot.

Practical tip: Watch whether small fish really are moving about in the lit area. Then fish the transitions into the darker water, provided the area is accessible and fishing is allowed.

In the dark there are no visual reference points.

This makes it harder to judge the direction of your cast, where your line is running and how far you are from the bank.

This can be a particular problem when jigging over rip-rap, because you can't always clearly feel bottom contact.

Wind and current can also make it even harder to control your lure.

Practical tip: Explore your spot in daylight. Remember where the snags are, where to cast and how the rip-rap runs. At night, stick to lures and rigs you know well as far as possible.

Red light can help to disturb your own night vision less than bright white light.

This often makes it easier to look back into the darkness after a quick glance at your tackle.

However, red light isn't automatically invisible to fish. Whether they notice it depends on the species, the light intensity and the water conditions.

Practical tip: Use a head torch with adjustable brightness. Use a low setting for simple jobs and light that is bright enough for tricky tasks, so that you can handle hooks and knives safely.

Thick fog reduces visibility considerably.

This makes it harder for anglers to see approaching ships, changes on the surface of the water and obstacles.

This can become dangerous, especially on stretches of bank where it's hard to see what's going on.

Finding your way can also be difficult in darkness and fog.

Practical tip: In thick fog, avoid exposed groyne tips and rip-rap that is hard to get to. Stay on safe paths along the bank and give fishing a miss if you can no longer reliably keep track of the situation.

The colour of the groundbait affects how much your baited area stands out visually from the bottom.

On light sand, dark groundbait can be very noticeable, while on a dark bottom it creates less contrast.

Some coarse fish can be more cautious over conspicuous patches of groundbait, especially if they would be easier for predators to see there.

However, you can't say as a general rule that dark groundbait always works better on the Rhine.

Practical tip: With cautious roach or bream, try a groundbait whose colour roughly matches the bottom. When the fish are feeding actively, a more eye-catching mix can work too.

Maggots, worms and other live baits can attract fish and get them feeding.

But if you put in very large amounts, the fish can fill up on the loose feed alone.

Live bait can also spread out in the current and lead the fish away from your actual hook bait.

Practical tip: Start with small amounts of live bait in the feeder. Only increase the amount once you're getting regular bites and can see that the fish are feeding actively.

A feeder with large holes often releases the groundbait faster.

In strong current, some of the groundbait can be washed out while the feeder is still sinking.

Your actual baited area can then end up further downstream than intended.

Practical tip: In stronger current, use a suitable feeder with smaller holes or adjust how well your groundbait mix binds. Check that enough groundbait is getting to where you want it.

The current acts on the feeder, the line and the groundbait that is released.

If you cast across the current, the feeder can drift downstream as it sinks.

Even after it lands, it can keep moving until it settles firmly.

This means your actual baited area can be somewhere different from where your feeder hit the surface.

Practical tip: Watch how the line runs after casting. If your feeder regularly drifts, adjust the casting angle, weight or shape of feeder. Try to reach the same actual spot on the bottom each time.

Small particles of feed often spread out faster and can draw smaller coarse fish into your swim.

Larger particles, depending on the current and what they're made of, stay put for longer and can be interesting for bigger fish.

However, the effect also depends on what food the fish are used to.

Practical tip: If you want to target bigger bream or barbel, you can add some coarser ingredients. Make sure they don't immediately get carried a long way in the current conditions you're facing.

If the main line is under a lot of tension because of the current and the position of the rod, the rod tip may already be bent right round.

This can make small extra movements caused by bites harder to see.

High current pressure can also help shift the feeder out of place.

Practical tip: Set up the rod so that as little unnecessary line as possible is in the water. Choose a suitable feeder tip and make sure the feeder stays firmly on the bottom.

In principle, various small fish species are an option for predator fishing, provided their use as baitfish is allowed on the stretch of the Rhine concerned.

These can include roach or other silver fish that are legally permitted, for example. Gobies are also used as baitfish under certain conditions.

It's important that you don't use any protected species and that you follow the rules on where baitfish come from and how they may be used.

For zander, slim baitfish are often practical because they are easy to present on suitable rigs.

Practical tip: Check the baitfish rules of your fishing permit and of the federal state. Only use dead baitfish and choose a rig that suits your target species and the current.

Fish strips release scent into the water, which predators can pick up.

They can also move slightly in the current.

Zander may take baits like these if they are presented in a suitable holding or hunting area.

However, fish strips are also taken by other species such as wels catfish or eels.

Practical tip: Use a piece of a permitted baitfish that isn't too big. Make sure the hook point stays exposed and that the bait doesn't keep spinning round the rig in the current.

Various species of crayfish and crab live in the Rhine, including the invasive Chinese mitten crab.

These creatures can take or damage natural baits on the bottom.

Soft baits in particular can disappear quickly as a result, without you noticing a typical bite from a fish.

Practical tip: Check your bait regularly. If it keeps getting eaten, try a tougher hook bait or a presentation slightly off the bottom. Moving to a spot with fewer features can also help.

A buoyant natural bait is presented a little above the bottom.

This can be an advantage if the bottom is very silty or lots of small creatures go for the bait right on the bottom.

In certain situations, the bait can also be easier to see or reach.

In strong current, however, a buoyant rig can drift more.

Practical tip: Only use enough buoyancy to present the bait at the height you want. If possible, test the rig in shallow water before you start fishing.

A single hook can be a good choice with smaller baitfish and certain rigs.

It is often easier to remove than a rig with several trebles.

What matters is that the hook size, the baitfish and the target species are well matched.

A hook that is too small can reduce your hook-up rate, while one that is too big can spoil the presentation.

Practical tip: With small baitfish, use a strong enough single hook with an exposed point. Check that the bait stays on securely and moves naturally in the current.

Fish flesh goes off relatively quickly at high temperatures.

Microorganisms can multiply and change the texture of the bait.

A baitfish that has gone very soft often stays on the hook less well.

Unpleasant smells and hygiene problems can also arise.

Practical tip: Keep dead baitfish cool in transport if possible, and separate from food. Use clean containers and dispose of spoiled bait properly.

When fish are frozen, ice crystals form in the tissue.

These can damage cell structures. As a result, some liquid escapes when the fish thaws, and the flesh loses its firmness.

How strong this effect is depends on factors such as the species, how fast it was frozen and how long it was stored.

Practical tip: Freeze baitfish as fresh as possible and in portions. Only thaw the amount you actually need. Thawing and refreezing repeatedly often reduces the quality.

If the current hits a baitfish or fish strip unevenly, it can spin.

This can twist the hooklink or wrap it round the main line.

Wide baits or baits that are attached off-centre are particularly prone to this.

Practical tip: Check how the bait is attached. Use a suitable swivel if necessary and make sure the bait doesn't spin out of control.

A bunch of worms gives off scent and movement and can be interesting for wels.

Several lobworms are presented on a hook that is strong enough.

The rig has to suit the size of fish you expect and the current.

However, a bunch of worms isn't a bait that only appeals to wels. Other species may take it too.

Practical tip: Use a strong hook that suits the rig and check regularly whether the worms are still there. Make sure the hook isn't completely covered.

If a baitfish lies right on a soft or silty bottom, it can partly sink in.

This makes its silhouette less distinct and it can be harder to get at.

Presenting it slightly higher can make it more visible and change the way its scent spreads in the current.

However, many predators deliberately look for food on the bottom.

Practical tip: On a soft bottom, try presenting the bait a few centimetres above it. On firm gravel or sand, a bait lying right on the bottom can make just as much sense.

With a running lead rig, the main line can run through a suitable lead slider or bead.

Under certain conditions this allows a fish to take line without having to move the whole weight of the lead straight away.

How freely the line actually runs, however, depends on the rig, the pressure of the current and the bottom.

Practical tip: Use a suitable running lead rig that is as tangle-free as possible. Make sure that a fish isn't left permanently attached to a heavy lead if the line breaks.

With a fixed lead rig, or a suitably balanced self-hooking rig, the weight can help the hook take hold when the fish picks up the bait.

However, this requires a suitable combination of hook, hooklink, weight and bait.

In strong current, a rig like this can behave differently from one in still water.

Practical tip: Only use safe rigs that allow the weight to come free if the line breaks. Also check whether the rig is permitted under the local rules for that water.

A long hooklink gives the bait more freedom of movement.

In strong current, however, this can also make it drift more or wrap itself round obstacles.

It can also change how bites are transmitted.

A very short hooklink, on the other hand, can restrict the natural movement of the bait.

Practical tip: Adjust the hooklink length to the current and type of bait. If your rig often tangles, try a shorter hooklink first before changing the whole rig.

A heavy lead may be necessary to hold the rig in place in strong current.

But if it's much heavier than needed, it puts unnecessary strain on the rod and line and is more likely to get wedged between obstacles.

Casting also becomes more demanding.

Practical tip: Use the lightest weight that reliably holds your rig where you want it under the current conditions. Always take into account the casting weight your rod is rated for.

Grip leads have wire arms that can grip the bottom.

They are used mainly where normal lead shapes are easily moved by the current.

However, they can get firmly stuck on stones and other obstacles.

Practical tip: Only use grip leads where you can use them safely and sensibly. On coarse rip-rap, other weights that hold well in the current may be the better choice.

Flat leads often have a larger contact area and are less inclined to roll than round weights.

This means they can stay put more firmly in certain current conditions.

However, how well a lead actually holds also depends on its weight, the bottom and the angle of the line.

Practical tip: If your round lead keeps rolling, try a flatter shape first. Only increase the weight if the rig still doesn't stay put.

Mussel shells can have sharp edges that damage the line and leader.

Braided line in particular can be vulnerable when it comes into direct contact with structures like these.

An abrasion-resistant leader can protect the main line, but it isn't indestructible either.

Practical tip: After every snag or noticeable bottom contact, check the first few metres of your line and the leader. Replace damaged sections before you carry on fishing.

Casting heavy rigs puts high loads on the line for a moment.

A shock leader that is strong enough can help absorb these forces and protect the main line.

However, it has to suit the rod, the casting weight and the main line you're using.

A badly tied connecting knot can itself become a weak point.

Practical tip: Use a suitable shock leader for heavy bottom fishing if your rig and casting technique call for it. Check the connecting knot and the condition of your line regularly.

Braided line often has a relatively small diameter and hardly any stretch.

Casting heavy rigs can create strong pulling forces.

If the line slips across your finger, it can cut the skin.

This is particularly dangerous with very heavy leads and powerful casts.

Practical tip: Use a suitable finger guard for heavy bottom fishing or wels fishing. Before every cast, check that the drag and the line lay are set correctly.

If a rod is bent back extremely far under heavy load, very high forces can build up, especially in the upper part of the blank.

This increases the risk of the rod breaking. That applies in particular when trying to free a snagged bait or a heavy lead by force.

When playing big fish, too, the rod shouldn't be held at an extremely steep angle all the time.

Practical tip: Avoid what's known as high-sticking when heavy bottom fishing. Don't free snags by bending the rod right over, but use a controlled pulling technique that takes as much load off the rod as possible.

Even if a stretch of rip-rap looks uniform from above, there can be clear differences underwater.

Some areas have bigger stones, deeper gaps or small scoured-out hollows. Other sections run straight into sand or gravel.

Changes like these affect the current and give fish different places to hold.

Practical tip: Fish a long stretch of rip-rap section by section. Pay attention to changes in how the bottom feels and to whether you repeatedly make contact with fish at certain spots.

A large stone changes the current immediately around it.

Behind the stone, an area with less current pressure can form. Fish can use it to save energy.

At the same time, food can be carried past by the current flowing by.

Barbel, chub and various predators in particular can make use of features like these.

Practical tip: If you can make out a large stone underwater, don't only fish the downstream side. The transitions between fast and slow current along its sides can be interesting too.

In river bends, the flow speed and the bottom often differ.

On outside bends, the current can act more strongly on the bank and form deeper areas.

On inside bends, on the other hand, sand and gravel can settle under certain conditions.

This creates different habitats.

Practical tip: On outside bends, look for deep drop-offs and slacks. On inside bends, transitions between shallow sandy areas and deeper channels can be interesting.

A sunken tree trunk provides cover and changes the current.

Small fish and invertebrates can live around it.

Predators can use features like these to find prey or to shelter from stronger current.

However, sunken tree trunks often cause snags.

Practical tip: Start by fishing the outer edges of the feature. Use a more snag-resistant rig if necessary and avoid casting heavy leads right into dense branches.

Technical structures can change the current and the bottom structure.

If this creates small hollows, slacks or extra hard surfaces, small creatures and fish can gather there.

However, not every underwater pipeline has this effect.

Technical installations can also be specially protected or hard to get to.

Practical tip: Only fish areas where fishing is expressly permitted. Avoid getting your rig stuck on technical installations or damaging them.

Even a small hollow can be enough to change the current close to the bottom.

This lets a fish hold there using less energy.

Certain food particles can also collect in hollows.

Features like these are particularly interesting when the surrounding area is otherwise fairly uniform.

Practical tip: When feeling your way across the bottom, watch for brief changes in how long your lure takes to sink. A small hollow can be interesting even if it is only a few tens of centimetres deeper than the surrounding bottom.

When a groyne is completely or partly under water, the flow conditions change.

The water can then flow over the body of the groyne and create additional eddies or slacks.

As a result, existing holding spots can disappear and new ones form.

Practical tip: Don't treat a submerged groyne as the same spot as at low water. Watch the new current lines from a safe place on the bank. Never walk out onto submerged groynes.

When two currents meet, the water movements and the routes along which food is carried can change.

Small fish or food particles can be concentrated in areas like these at times.

Predators can take advantage of these situations.

However, the water there can also be very turbulent, making it difficult to work a lure under control.

Practical tip: Try to fish the edges of the converging currents. A lure is often easier to control there than right in the strongest swirl.

The width of a stretch of river, together with its depth and the volume of water, influences the flow conditions.

In narrower areas the water can flow faster under certain conditions.

Wider stretches often offer more varied current zones and shallower margins.

This means that suitable holding areas and feeding areas can differ.

Practical tip: Adapt your method to the shape of the river. On narrow stretches with strong current, compact lures and controlled casting angles can be more important than maximum casting distance.

The food supply changes over the course of the year.

In summer there can be large numbers of small fry. By autumn, many of these fish have grown and some have moved to different areas.

Zander can adapt their choice of prey to the sizes and species of fish available at the time.

However, that doesn't mean zander only eat large prey fish in autumn.

Practical tip: Watch the size of the small fish that are around. Match the size of your shad to them, rather than automatically using only particularly big lures in autumn.

Perch are social fish that often occur in groups, especially as smaller and medium-sized specimens.

In autumn the most suitable feeding areas can change, so perch become more concentrated at certain spots.

The movements of shoals of small fish also play a part.

Big perch, on the other hand, are sometimes on their own or in smaller groups.

Practical tip: If you catch several perch in quick succession in autumn, keep fishing the area systematically. Also try neighbouring depths in case the shoal moves.

When the water temperature is low, some coarse fish species become less active.

They can gather in areas that offer favourable current and temperature conditions.

These winter concentrations can sometimes include large numbers of fish.

However, not every deep or calm area is automatically a winter holding spot.

Practical tip: If you catch several roach or bream at one spot in winter, try to keep fishing as accurately as possible. Feed sparingly at first, as the fish often eat less.

In spring the water temperature rises and the days get longer.

As a result, the activity, spawning behaviour and food requirements of many species change.

Some species seek out suitable spawning grounds, while others feed more intensively.

Rising river levels can also open up new areas.

Practical tip: In spring, don't rely only on the spots that produced fish the week before. Take into account how the temperature is developing, the river level and the closed seasons in force.

Spawning takes energy and can strongly influence the behaviour of fish for a while.

After spawning, some fish may concentrate more on feeding again.

How quickly this happens depends on the species, the temperature and the condition of the individual fish.

Practical tip: Observe the relevant closed seasons. Once targeted fishing is allowed again, don't automatically expect a particularly strong feeding spell, but watch the actual conditions.

In high summer temperatures, light and temperature can influence when fish are active.

Some species make more use of the cooler night hours to feed.

Zander and wels catfish may also move into shallower areas to do so.

Other species, however, stay active during the day.

Practical tip: If you hardly make any contact with fish during the day in summer, it can be worth trying at dusk or at night, as long as this is allowed and safe.

When feeding, bigger fish can have an advantage over smaller ones because of their size or behaviour.

This can lead to smaller fish moving away from the immediate feeding area.

However, this isn't equally marked in every species or situation.

Practical tip: If you catch small coarse fish at first and then suddenly bigger ones start biting, the mix of fish in your swim may have changed. Stick with your rig for the time being before making any major changes.

Fish activity isn't always even.

Predators, for example, may rest for a while and then hunt for a short time.

Shoals of coarse fish can also leave a baited area and come back later.

Changes like these can happen independently of any clearly visible change in the weather or the river level.

Practical tip: If you're fishing a spot that has proved to be good, it can make sense to wait for certain active periods. Decide on the basis of your experience so far whether waiting or moving is more likely to pay off.

In heavily fished areas, fish come across lures, rigs and other disturbances more often.

Individual fish can learn from experience and avoid certain stimuli.

Fishing pressure and the removal of fish can also affect the make-up of the fish stock.

However, it's difficult to put cautious feeding behaviour down to heavy angling pressure alone with any certainty.

Practical tip: At heavily fished spots, try a less conspicuous presentation, different casting angles or less commonly used types of lure. Keep paying attention to the right lure size and retrieve.

Even if the river level, temperature, current and choice of bait all seem favourable, there don't necessarily have to be active fish at your spot.

Fish move around, change where they hold and don't feed all the time.

There may also be factors at work that you can't see from the bank.

That's why a successful day's fishing can never be completely guaranteed.

Practical tip: Distinguish between a well-chosen spot and a fish stock that is actually active. If you've fished systematically and haven't had any contacts, moving to a different feature can make sense.

You can watch how fast floating objects that are naturally present, such as leaves or foam, travel along a known distance.

If a leaf covers ten metres in five seconds, for example, that's a surface speed of about two metres per second.

However, this measurement only describes the current near the surface. On the bottom, conditions can be quite different.

Practical tip: Compare the movement at the surface in the main flow with that in a neighbouring groyne bay. That way you can spot differences in current without having to throw anything into the water yourself.

A slack is an area where the current is weakened by an obstacle.

A back eddy forms when water in an area partly flows back against the direction of the main current.

Both can occur behind groynes, larger stones or other obstacles. But they aren't the same thing.

Practical tip: Watch which way drifting leaves or foam lines are moving. If the water really is moving upstream, it's a back eddy or reverse current.

The surface doesn't show all the movements within the water column.

Different depths, obstacles and local eddies can create complex current patterns.

So a smooth surface doesn't automatically mean that the water underneath is flowing slowly everywhere.

Conversely, a choppy surface can also be caused by wind or small waves.

Practical tip: Don't judge the current only by the surface. Also watch how far your rig drifts and how much of a bow forms in your line.

Normally a heavier jig head sinks faster under comparable conditions.

However, in certain situations a lighter, compact lure with less water resistance can be easier to control than a heavy, bulky one.

Line diameter, casting angle and lure shape also affect how it sinks.

Practical tip: Don't just compare jig head weights. When the current pressure is strong, try a slimmer shad with a smaller paddle tail before you keep increasing the weight.

When a lure moves into an area with stronger current, the water resistance often increases.

Plugs with a large diving lip or hard-working shads in particular can then pull much harder on the rod.

Bits of weed or other objects on the hook can also be the cause.

Practical tip: If the resistance suddenly changes, check the lure once you've reeled it in. Remove any bits of weed and check that it's still swimming cleanly.

A drifting rig can show itself through repeated movements of the rod tip or line tension that slowly increases.

When feeder fishing, the angle of the line can change even though you aren't winding.

Regular short jerks can also occur when the feeder rolls across the bottom.

Practical tip: After casting, watch whether the line tension settles down. If the rig keeps moving, try a different shape of feeder, a different weight or a better casting angle.

Differences in current don't only occur at the surface.

Underwater obstacles, changes in depth and different bottom structures can change the current within the water column.

This can create areas with different flow speeds that are hardly visible from above.

Practical tip: When feeling your way across the bottom with a jig head, watch for changes in the pull on the line and in how fast the lure sinks. Observations like these can give you clues, but on their own they don't prove that there's a particular current underwater.

The gauge reading describes the height of the water at a gauging station, not directly the flow speed at your spot.

At the same level, there can be different discharge volumes, local differences in the water-surface gradient or changes in the structure of the riverbed.

Wind and boat traffic can also affect how strong the current feels.

Practical tip: As well as the gauge reading, also compare the published discharge data if possible. Note how heavy your rig needed to be under particular conditions.

When water flows past an obstacle, eddies can form alternately and move downstream.

In fluid mechanics this is known as vortex shedding.

Exactly how it develops depends on the shape and size of the obstacle and on the speed of the current.

These changing water movements can also affect how a lure swims.

Practical tip: If your lure suddenly runs erratically behind a large stone, local eddies may be the reason. Try casting from a different direction to fish the feature with more control.

Fish can use small slacks right on the bottom.

Your line, on the other hand, often runs through several layers of water and is therefore exposed to greater current pressure.

That's why a fish can sit fairly calmly on the bottom while you struggle to keep your lure there.

Practical tip: Reduce any unnecessary bow in your line and adjust the position of your rod. Sometimes changing where you stand helps more than a much heavier jig head.

In the inland Rhine, the salt content is normally much lower than in the sea.

Even so, dissolved salts, dirt and other residues can be left behind on the reel when water evaporates.

Road salt on paths along the bank or on vehicles can also play a part in winter.

However, white deposits aren't automatically common salt.

Practical tip: Remove dirt and deposits with a slightly damp cloth. Avoid spraying a strong jet of water directly onto bearings and seals. Follow the reel manufacturer's care instructions.

Braided line is made up of several fibres woven together.

Contact with stones, mussels, rod rings or other rough surfaces can damage individual fibres.

Frequent heavy loads can also contribute to wear.

Practical tip: Regularly check the first few metres of your main line. Cut off clearly damaged sections and check the rod rings for sharp edges.

A damaged rod ring may have a rough spot, a crack or a broken-out insert.

Damage like this can chafe the line every time you cast and retrieve.

Sometimes the damage is hard to see with the naked eye.

Practical tip: Check the rings in good light. You can carefully run a cotton bud round the insert. If fibres get caught, that can point to sharp damage.

Retrieving heavy rigs or hard-working lures puts high forces on the reel's gearbox.

If the reel isn't designed for this or is already worn, winding can become harder.

Dirt, damaged bearings or a lack of lubrication can also play a part.

Practical tip: Use a reel that suits your method. Don't just wind heavy fish in against a heavily bent rod, but use a controlled pumping technique, as long as the situation allows it.

A drag works with friction surfaces that are meant to allow line to be released in a controlled way.

Dirt, wear or unsuitable lubrication can make the drag jerky when it starts to give line.

Depending on the design, storing the reel for long periods with the drag screwed down tight can also be bad for it.

Practical tip: Check the drag regularly by pulling line off steadily. If it's noticeably jerky, have it serviced according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Rod joints can work loose through repeated casting, vibrations or a rod that hasn't been fitted together fully.

Dirt or wear on the joint surfaces can also affect the fit.

A loose joint can damage the rod or cause a section to fly off during the cast.

Practical tip: Fit the rod sections together properly before fishing and check the joints from time to time. Don't use unsuitable glues or lubricants on the joints.

The stated casting weight doesn't cover all the loads a rod can be subjected to.

Earlier damage, knocks against hard objects or unfavourable angles of load can weaken it.

A badly executed cast can also create high forces for a moment.

Practical tip: Check the blank regularly for visible damage. Avoid hard knocks against stones and railings. Don't keep using a damaged rod under heavy load.

A snap can open out if its breaking strain is exceeded or if it isn't fully closed.

Metal fatigue and frequent opening can also weaken it.

High pulling forces can build up, particularly with snags or hard fights.

Practical tip: Use snaps that are strong enough and check their shape regularly. Replace any that are bent or no longer close reliably straight away.

The stated breaking strain of a swivel only applies under certain test conditions.

In practice, sideways loads, material defects, corrosion or damaged connections can make it weaker.

Attaching it incorrectly can also create a weak point.

Practical tip: Use swivels of suitable quality and check them for deformation or rust. Make sure their breaking strain matches the weakest component of your rig that it sensibly should.

Moisture can encourage corrosion, unpleasant smells and damage to materials.

Metal parts, reel bearings and certain joints in particular can be affected.

Rod sleeves and bags can also go mouldy if they stay damp for long.

Practical tip: Let rods, reels and bags dry properly after fishing. Remove any heavy dirt and store your tackle somewhere as dry and well ventilated as possible.

Zander have a backbone and rib structure that are comparatively easy to make out.

Start with a cut behind the gill cover and then run the knife as close along the backbone as possible.

Work carefully around the ribs to keep as much of the fillet as possible.

A sharp, suitable filleting knife makes clean cuts much easier.

Practical tip: Work with calm, controlled knife movements. Don't try to free the whole fillet with a single forceful cut. Afterwards, check the fillet carefully for any bones left in it.

As well as the backbone and ribs, many members of the carp family have numerous fine intermuscular bones.

Some of these lie deep in the flesh and are hard to remove completely when filleting normally.

This is particularly relevant with bream, roach and other silver fish.

Practical tip: When preparing them, scoring can help, which means making closely spaced cuts through the fine bones. However, this doesn't replace careful checking and proper cooking. Take particular care with children because of the bones.

The gall bladder contains bile, which has a very bitter taste.

If it is damaged during gutting, the bile can get onto the flesh.

This can spoil the taste of the affected areas.

Practical tip: Open the body cavity carefully and remove the innards without pressing unnecessarily. If bile leaks out, remove any residue and assess the flesh carefully. Work with clean tools.

Freshwater fish can contain parasites and pathogens that can be passed on by eating raw or undercooked fish.

That's why even very fresh fish isn't automatically suitable for eating raw.

Freezing can kill certain parasites under precisely defined conditions, but it doesn't eliminate all microbiological risks.

Practical tip: Always cook Rhine fish you've caught yourself thoroughly. Don't rely on lemon juice, marinating or smoking at a low temperature to reliably make all pathogens harmless.

After death, muscles and nerve cells can still react to certain stimuli for a limited time.

This can cause individual twitches or muscle movements.

Movements like these don't necessarily mean that the fish is still conscious. However, they aren't a suitable sole indicator of whether the fish was killed in line with animal welfare requirements either.

Practical tip: Use the prescribed methods of stunning and killing that are suitable for the species. Check that they have worked using appropriate signs, and don't rely solely on whether the fish is still moving.

After a fish dies, natural breakdown processes begin. Enzymes and microorganisms can increasingly impair the quality of the flesh.

When it's warm outside, many of these processes run faster.

The internal organs and digestive tract in particular can carry a high bacterial load. That's why gutting the fish properly and then cooling it can help it keep longer.

Practical tip: First, dispatch a fish you intend to keep humanely and without delay. Then keep it cool as continuously as possible, ideally at 0–4 °C. Gut it hygienically as soon as circumstances and the applicable rules allow. A cool box with ice packs is particularly useful in summer.

In a freshly killed and properly cooled fish, the eyes are often clear, the gills reddish and the flesh firm.

The longer it is kept, the more these features can change.

However, individual features aren't reliable enough to judge food safety. The eyes, for example, can become cloudy as a result of physical damage or storage conditions.

A normal smell doesn't guarantee that a fish is free of bacteria that are relevant to health either.

Practical tip: Don't rely on appearance or smell alone. What matters is hygienic preparation and keeping the fish cool without interruption as far as possible. If there are clear signs of spoilage, don't eat the fish.

An earthy or muddy taste can be caused by certain naturally occurring odour compounds, such as geosmin or 2-methylisoborneol.

These substances are produced by certain microorganisms, among others, and can be taken up by fish.

Fish from nutrient-rich areas or areas with little flow are particularly likely to be affected.

A muddy taste doesn't automatically mean the fish has gone off or is contaminated with pollutants.

Practical tip: Bear in mind where the fish comes from and prepare it as fresh as possible. Removing the skin and fatty tissue can change the taste to some extent. However, measures like these can't reliably remove pollutants.

Excess water on the surface can form extra ice crystals during freezing.

This can impair the quality and texture of the flesh.

Poorly sealed packaging can also encourage freezer burn.

Practical tip: Carefully pat the fillets dry with clean kitchen paper. Pack them with as little air as possible and freeze them quickly at around −18 °C or colder. Label the packaging with the species and the date of freezing.

During freezing, ice crystals form that can damage cell structures.

As a result, liquid escapes from the tissue when it thaws.

How strong this effect is depends on factors such as the freezing speed, storage temperature and storage time.

Thawing and refreezing repeatedly can also reduce the quality.

Practical tip: Freeze fish as fresh as possible and in portions. Then thaw it slowly in the fridge and avoid unnecessary changes in temperature.

That depends on the pollutant.

Certain fat-soluble substances can build up particularly in fatty tissue. Removing fatty parts can partly reduce the amount.

Other pollutants, such as mercury in muscle tissue, can't be reliably removed by normal boiling or frying.

So heat doesn't automatically make a chemically contaminated fish safe.

Practical tip: Find out about official consumption advice for your stretch of the Rhine. Especially if you regularly eat fish you've caught yourself, you should take possible contamination into account.

Fish species differ considerably in body shape, bone arrangement and flesh structure.

A zander, for example, has a different body shape and bone structure from a bream.

Silver fish can have numerous fine intermuscular bones that make filleting harder.

How firm the flesh is also affects how you prepare it.

Practical tip: Use a sharp, suitable filleting knife and adapt your cuts to the species. With bony silver fish, scoring the bones properly can be an additional way of preparing them.

The Rhine has strong currents in places, steep banks and dangerous suction caused by ships.

If an angler falls in, heavy clothing, cold and current can make it much harder to get out without help.

A suitable life jacket can help keep your head above water and reduce the risk of drowning.

Automatic models inflate on contact with water. However, they have to be worn correctly and serviced regularly.

Practical tip: On exposed groynes, steep banks or when fishing from a boat, wear a suitable life jacket that is fitted correctly. Check that it has enough buoyancy, that it has been serviced and that you follow the manufacturer's instructions. A life jacket is no substitute for a safe place to stand.

The Rhine level can change during a longer fishing trip.

Particularly when the river is in flood or after heavy rain, areas along the bank can be flooded and access paths can become impassable.

The current can change as a result too.

A spot that seems safe when you arrive may no longer be safely accessible a few hours later.

Practical tip: Before fishing, check how the level is developing and, if available, the forecast. While fishing, watch for changes at the water's edge and leave areas at risk in good time.

Groynes can be narrow, uneven and slippery.

In the dark or with a rising river, the way back can be more difficult than the way out.

Individual sections can also be washed over by the wash from ships or a sudden change in the current.

It's particularly dangerous when anglers are standing on the groyne tip and their safe route back to the bank is cut off.

Practical tip: Before stepping onto a groyne, check the whole way back. Don't go onto groynes that are under water or closed off, and give the spot a miss if conditions are unsafe.

Many banks on the Rhine consist of high rip-rap, sheet piling or steep embankments.

If you can only reach a fish with a short landing net, you may have to lean dangerously far out over the water's edge.

A longer handle lets you reach the fish safely from further away.

However, the handle has to be strong enough to take the strain when landing the fish.

Practical tip: Choose the length of your landing net to suit the height of the bank. A net with a handle of around 3–4 metres can be helpful on a lot of rip-rap. On high sheet piling, a suitable drop net may be necessary.

If your only head torch fails, finding your way along the Rhine bank can become difficult.

The risk of an accident increases as a result, particularly on rip-rap or steep banks.

Safely removing hooks and dealing with a fish can also become a problem without light.

Practical tip: Take a second small torch and suitable spare batteries or a charged spare battery pack. Keep the spare light somewhere you can find it quickly in the dark.

Fishing line, hooks and other bits of tackle left behind can injure animals.

Water birds in particular can get tangled up in lost bits of line.

Shads, packaging and other plastic items shouldn't be left lying around in the countryside either.

Hooks and line lying around can also be dangerous for other people.

Practical tip: Before leaving, check the ground around where you were standing. Pick up bits of line, bait packaging and damaged small parts. That's why a small rubbish bag is part of any sensible basic kit.

The quagga mussel is a non-native mussel species that has spread through European waters and is also found in the Rhine system.

It filters suspended particles and plankton out of the water. At high densities this can change how much food is available for other organisms.

It can also colonise hard surfaces and create new structures for small creatures.

What effect this has on individual fish species depends heavily on local conditions.

Practical tip: If you find a lot of mussels at a spot, check your hooklinks and leaders particularly carefully for abrasion. A large bed of mussels doesn't automatically mean there are lots of fish holding there.

Invasive gobies partly use similar food and habitats to native bottom-dwelling fish species.

This can lead to competition.

Some goby species can also eat fish spawn and fry.

At the same time, they have now become an important food source for various predators themselves.

The effects are therefore complex and differ depending on the fish species and the stretch of river.

Practical tip: If you want to use gobies as bait, check the legal requirements. Never move invasive species to other waters on your own initiative.

The Chinese mitten crab is an invasive species found in the Rhine.

It can take or damage hook baits and can therefore be a nuisance, particularly when bottom fishing.

It can also get caught up in fishing lines and rigs.

The crabs have powerful claws and should be handled carefully.

Practical tip: If you regularly have mitten crabs at your bait, check it more often. If necessary, use tougher baits or present them slightly off the bottom. Follow the rules on dealing with invasive species.

Many mussel species filter suspended particles and tiny organisms out of the water.

If there are large numbers of filtering mussels, this can reduce the amount of certain suspended particles.

Under suitable conditions this can change how clear the water is.

However, sediments, algae and the flow of water also affect how coloured the Rhine is.

Practical tip: If you notice clearer water at a spot over a long period, take this into account in how you present your lure or bait. But a change in visibility can't be put down to mussels alone.

Yes. When a new prey species is widely available, predators can make increasing use of it.

Studies from various waters show that gobies can turn up in the diet of zander and perch.

How large a share they make up depends on the water, the season and the range of prey available.

Practical tip: If you see lots of gobies on a stretch of rip-rap, try a goby-like soft plastic. Pay attention to a suitable silhouette and a controlled retrieve close to the bottom.

Ships can carry organisms unintentionally.

This happens, for example, through ballast water, on ships' hulls or through other water residues and materials carried on board.

As a result, species can reach new waters that they would find hard to colonise naturally.

Interconnected waterways also make it easier for species to spread.

Practical tip: Clean and dry your fishing tackle before moving from one water to another. Don't carry live baitfish, crayfish or mussels to other waters.

A food web describes which organisms feed on which other organisms.

When a new species spreads widely, it can use up extra food, compete with native species or become prey itself.

This can change several relationships within the ecosystem.

The consequences aren't always immediately visible and can differ from one stretch of river to another.

Practical tip: Don't judge invasive species only by whether they are useful as baitfish or as food for predators. Their ecological impact can be much broader.

The quagga mussel and the zebra mussel are both invasive freshwater mussels.

Both can have a striped pattern on the shell.

Quagga mussels often have a more rounded shell that is less clearly angular.

The zebra mussel typically has a more distinctly angular shape and a flatter underside.

Telling them apart reliably can be difficult with individual specimens.

Practical tip: Don't rely only on the stripe pattern. Compare the shape of the shell and the underside using a suitable identification key.

Because of its size, its connections with other waterways and its heavy boat traffic, the Rhine offers various routes for species to spread.

Some invasive species also reproduce at a high rate or can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions.

If natural enemies are missing or only have a limited effect, the population can grow quickly.

Practical tip: If you come across a fish, crayfish or mussel species you don't recognise, record it as precisely as you can. For some species there are regional reporting and monitoring schemes.

Moving invasive species can establish new populations.

These can displace native species, transmit diseases or change habitats.

Even individual animals or eggs can contribute to further spread under suitable conditions.

Special legal bans also apply to certain invasive species.

Practical tip: Don't move any animals you've caught to other waters on your own initiative. Follow the rules in force on removing, handling and, where required, killing invasive species.

In stronger current, floats with a stable shape and enough carrying capacity can make sense.

For controlled trotting, special river floats are often used.

Flat-bodied floats can have advantages with certain techniques, because they react to the pressure of the current differently from classic round-bodied floats.

The right shape depends on whether you let the rig run through freely or deliberately hold it back.

Practical tip: Choose your float according to the strength of the current, the weight of the bait and your technique. A very big float isn't automatically better if you want to see delicate bites.

When holding back, you check the float rig slightly from time to time.

This makes the hook bait move more slowly than the surrounding current or rise a little because of the pull.

This technique can help you present the bait precisely at particular spots.

It can be particularly interesting when fishing for chub, roach or other coarse fish.

Practical tip: Only hold the float back enough to keep the rig under control. Holding back too hard can lift the bait unnaturally or pull the float out of the water.

The shotting determines how deep the float sits in the water and how the bait behaves.

If the rig is under-shotted, the float may not sit properly and the bait may drift too much.

If the weight is badly distributed, the rig can also sink unnaturally or tangle.

Practical tip: Set the float so that it remains easy to see but doesn't stick up out of the water more than necessary. Distribute the shot to suit the way you want to present the bait.

A sliding float is particularly suitable when the depth you want to fish is greater than you can practically manage with a fixed float rig.

The float can slide along the line and is stopped at the depth you want by a stop knot.

This lets you fish deeper areas with a comparatively short rod.

Practical tip: Use a stop knot that works reliably and a suitable bead. Before fishing, check that the stop knot holds the depth you want and passes through the rod rings without any problem.

A big float often carries more weight and needs correspondingly more shot.

If the rig is unnecessarily heavy for small, cautiously biting fish, the presentation can be less delicate.

A big float can also be affected more by wind and surface currents.

Practical tip: Use the smallest float you can still fish reliably with under the current conditions. In strong current, however, a heavier rig may still be necessary.

Barbel often look for food close to the bottom.

If your hook bait is drifting well above the bottom, it can pass the fish by.

A rig set too deep, on the other hand, can keep snagging or drag along the bottom out of control.

Practical tip: To start with, set the depth so that the bait is presented just above the bottom or occasionally touching it lightly. Adjust the setting to the bottom structure and the current.

With a longer rod you can keep the line off the water more easily.

This lets you guide and hold back the float rig more precisely in some situations.

You can also control the angle of the line better, especially when fishing a few metres out from the bank.

Practical tip: For dedicated float fishing in the current, longer match rods, Bolognese rods or special river rods can make sense. Choose the length to suit the spot and the technique.

A Bolognese rod is usually longer and designed for controlled float fishing in flowing water.

It has rings and is fished with a reel.

A match rod is often shorter and is frequently used for more delicate float rigs, for example on still or moderately flowing waters.

Depending on the model, both types of rod can be used on the Rhine.

Practical tip: If you often want to fish longer float runs under control, a Bolognese rod can have advantages. For shorter distances and more delicate rigs, a match rod may be enough.

If a lot of line is lying uncontrolled on the surface, the current can form a big bow in it.

This makes the float harder to guide and can delay the strike reaching the hook.

This effect can be worse in a crosswind.

Practical tip: Hold the rod tip in a way that suits your technique and mend the bow in the line regularly. Avoid moving the float unnaturally by pulling too hard.

When float fishing, the hook bait moves with the current through a larger area.

This lets you reach fish that aren't holding right on a fixed baited spot.

With the feeder, on the other hand, the bait is mostly presented in one place. This method makes particular sense when you want to draw fish together in a particular area.

Which method is more successful depends on the species, the current and how active the fish are.

Practical tip: If you've gone a long time without a bite on the feeder, try a float rig trotted through under control. That way you can search different areas along a current seam.

Sheet piling forms vertical structures where small creatures can settle.

Uneven surfaces, fixings and neighbouring structures also create small differences in current.

Perch can use areas like these to hunt small fish.

Sheet piling that also has changes in depth or other underwater features is particularly interesting.

Practical tip: Don't just fish right along the wall. Also explore the transition between the sheet piling and the bottom. Perch can hold at different depths there.

In vertical fishing, the lure is presented as directly below the rod tip as possible.

For example, you let a shad sink under control and work it with small movements at the depth you want.

Along sheet piling this technique can make sense, because it lets you explore different depths specifically.

Perch and zander in particular can respond to a presentation like this.

Practical tip: Use a jig head that suits the current and keep in as direct contact with the lure as possible. Make sure you can land a hooked fish safely with a suitable net.

Ladders, braces and other fittings break up the otherwise uniform structure of sheet piling.

This can create small slacks and extra hiding places.

Small fish can use areas like these too.

Perch can hold there to look for food or find cover.

Practical tip: Fish features like these carefully with a small shad or a drop shot rig. Keep enough distance from the fittings so that you don't get your lure stuck unnecessarily.

In harbour corners the current is often weaker than in the open Rhine.

This allows suspended particles, small creatures and sometimes small fish to collect there.

The depth can also change over a short distance.

Areas like these can be interesting for perch, zander and various coarse fish.

Practical tip: Start by exploring the outer parts of the harbour corner and then the neighbouring depths. Be sure to check whether fishing is allowed in that part of the harbour.

Floating jetties create shade and provide extra underwater structure.

Small creatures can settle on the floats and fixings.

Small fish can also make use of the shade and cover.

This can make installations like these interesting for predators.

Practical tip: Only fish areas where fishing is expressly allowed. Don't cast between boats or into their mooring lines. An accurate cast along a clear edge of the jetty can be the better option.

Larger ships that are moored permanently can create shade and areas where the current is slack.

Under certain conditions, small fish can use these areas.

Predators can also hold near structures like these.

However, ship movements, mooring lines and other obstacles can make fishing difficult.

Practical tip: Never cast under other people's boats if this could cause damage or conflict. Instead, look for features with similar conditions that are freely accessible and where fishing is allowed.

At transitions like these, the structure of the bank changes markedly.

A vertical wall, for example, turns into a sloping, stony area.

This can create different depths and flow conditions.

The stones also provide hiding places for gobies and other small fish.

Practical tip: Fish the transition from different angles. The area where the rip-rap runs into deeper water in particular can be interesting for zander and perch.

Harbour entrances often link a calmer harbour area with the main river, where the flow is stronger.

This creates transitions between different current and depth conditions.

Depending on how active they are, fish can move between sheltered areas and zones with stronger flow.

Predators in particular can use transitions like these to feed.

Practical tip: Explore the different depths systematically. Start on the calmer side and work your way out to the current seam, provided the spot is safe and open to fishing.

Harbour walls often reach down through several layers of water.

Light, temperature and current can be different at each depth.

The distribution of small creatures and baitfish can also change with depth.

That's why perch and other fish don't always have to be right on the bottom.

Practical tip: If you're fishing vertically along a harbour wall where it's allowed, try several depths. Don't automatically let the lure sink all the way to the bottom, but also check the middle layers.

Harbour basins often have sheltered areas with little current.

Under certain conditions, this can make them suitable winter holding areas.

However, how suitable they actually are also depends on depth, temperature, oxygen content and water exchange.

So a harbour basin isn't automatically warmer or richer in fish than the main river.

Practical tip: In winter, look for areas that are deep enough and have a steady exchange of water. If you make contact with fish there, it can be worth investigating the spot more closely over several sessions.

Many fish species aren't permanently tied to a single place. They move between feeding areas, resting places, wintering habitats and spawning grounds.

Migratory fish such as salmon and eel in particular travel long distances. But barbel, asp and zander can also move considerable distances within the Rhine system.

How far a fish actually travels depends on the species, the season, environmental conditions and individual behaviour.

Practical tip: If you suddenly can't find any fish at a well-known spot, it doesn't have to be your bait. The fish may be using other parts of the river. So also explore neighbouring features and different depths.

Barrages and weirs can interrupt the natural continuity of a river.

Migrating fish then come up against obstacles they can't get past without suitable fish passes.

Fish passes are meant to help make such obstacles passable. How well they work, however, depends on their design, the flow of water and the species.

On the Rhine, this mainly affects the Upper Rhine with its barrages. Other stretches of the Rhine differ considerably in their structure.

Practical tip: Find out about protection zones and no-fishing zones at weirs and fish passes. Areas like these can be important for migrating fish and are often subject to special legal restrictions.

Oxbows and connected side waters often have different current and temperature conditions from the main river.

They can provide sheltered areas for young fish, spawning habitats or places to retreat to when the current is strong.

Pike, carp, tench and various silver fish species in particular can use habitats like these.

Whether fish can reach an oxbow, however, depends on its connection to the Rhine and on the current river level.

Practical tip: With connected oxbows, check whether there is an exchange of water with the Rhine. An oxbow that is permanently connected can allow different fish movements from one that is only connected during floods.

Fish passes allow certain species to get past obstacles to migration such as weirs or barrages.

This is particularly important for species that have to migrate between different habitats.

These include salmon and other migratory fish, for example.

However, a fish pass doesn't work equally well for every species and under all conditions.

Practical tip: Don't treat fish passes as ordinary fishing spots. Special protection distances and fishing bans may apply around them. Find out about the rules in force on site.

When the river floods, areas of the floodplain that were previously dry can become connected to the Rhine.

For a time this creates shallow areas of water with little current.

These can give fish food, shelter and, in some cases, suitable conditions for spawning.

Young fish and certain coarse fish species in particular can use these areas.

Practical tip: After a flood, watch which parts of the floodplain are connected to the Rhine again. But respect nature reserves, access bans and the danger of water levels rising or falling quickly.

When the Rhine bursts its banks, fish can get into flooded hollows and side waters.

When the level then falls, some of these areas are cut off from the main river again.

As a result, fish can be left behind in isolated pools, temporarily or permanently.

This can become a problem, especially at high temperatures when the oxygen content falls.

Practical tip: If you find a lot of trapped fish in a pool that is drying out, inform the responsible fisheries authority or whoever manages the water. Don't move fish to other waters on your own initiative, as this can spread diseases or invasive species.

Natural banks with shallow transitions, plants and varied structures provide important habitats for many fish species.

Young fish can find shelter there, and various small creatures live there as food.

Heavily reinforced banks, on the other hand, often offer fewer different types of habitat.

Rip-rap can also provide a habitat for fish and small creatures, but it doesn't replace all the functions of natural banks.

Practical tip: When exploring new stretches, look out for natural bays, shallow margins and transitions to reinforced sections. Changes in structure like these can create interesting holding areas for different species.

One important method is known as telemetry.

Selected fish are fitted with small transmitters, whose signals are picked up by suitable receiving stations.

This makes it possible to study which stretches of river the fish use and which routes they take.

Depending on the study, acoustic or radio transmitters are used, for example.

Practical tip: If you catch a fish with a scientific transmitter or a tag, follow the reporting instructions. Information like this can be valuable for research projects.

Some fish are tagged as part of scientific studies.

Tags like these can be small plastic tags or other markings, for example.

They allow researchers to identify individual fish if they are caught again later.

This provides information on growth, migrations and survival rates.

Practical tip: Don't remove a tag unnecessarily. As far as possible, note the ID number, species, length, date and place of capture. Report the find to the organisation named on the tag or to the responsible fisheries authority.

Yes, some fish species show a certain loyalty to particular sites.

This means that they can use certain areas again and again.

Other fish, on the other hand, move over greater distances.

How strong this site loyalty is depends on the species, the season and the habitat.

Practical tip: If you repeatedly catch fish of the same species and similar size at one spot, that can point to a habitat that is used regularly. However, it doesn't prove that they are always the same individuals.

Light conditions can influence the behaviour and movement of various fish species.

Some fish prefer to use certain areas after dark, while they are distributed differently during the day.

The behaviour of their prey also plays a part.

Scientific telemetry studies can reveal daily movement patterns like these.

Practical tip: Compare your catches at the same spot at different times of day. This lets you find out whether certain species regularly turn up there only during particular time windows.

Migrations can be influenced by the structure of the river, current, temperature and other environmental signals.

If certain routes offer favourable conditions, they can be used again and again.

With some migratory fish, orientation mechanisms that help them reach suitable spawning areas also play a part.

Practical tip: Watch out for narrow points, transitions between deep and shallow areas and connections to side waters. Features like these can be important corridors for movement. Bear in mind that there may be protected areas there.

In various migratory species, several orientation systems work together.

Salmon, for example, can use the chemical characteristics of the water to find their way back to their home waters.

Large-scale navigation with the help of other environmental signals is also being studied scientifically.

The exact mechanisms differ from species to species.

Practical tip: Migratory fish such as salmon and sea trout are subject to special protection rules on the Rhine. Find out about the current rules and treat any protected fish you catch by chance in line with the legal requirements.

Current affects how much energy it takes to swim.

That's why many fish use areas where they can make progress as efficiently as possible.

These might be margins with less current or certain depths, for example.

The preferred route, however, depends on the species, body size and destination.

Practical tip: On longer stretches of the Rhine, look out for continuous current zones. They can give clues as to which routes fish might use. However, identifying migration routes reliably requires additional observations or studies.

Water temperature influences metabolism, activity and various biological processes.

In some species, certain migrations only begin once suitable temperatures have been reached.

Other species react more strongly to the river level, day length or a combination of different factors.

Practical tip: If you want to understand seasonal fish movements, note the water temperature as well as the date. However, individual temperature readings aren't enough to predict migrations reliably.

Migratory fish don't always move without a break.

They can stay in suitable areas for a while, for example to save energy or to wait for more favourable conditions.

Obstacles to migration can also cause delays.

Resting areas like these can be important for protecting fish stocks.

Practical tip: Respect protected areas and fishing bans along known migration corridors. Deliberately targeting protected migratory fish is not allowed where corresponding bans on catching them apply.

Migrations explain why certain species aren't always found in the same places.

A spot can be used regularly at a certain time of year and then produce hardly any contact with fish a few weeks later.

River level, temperature and spawning behaviour also influence these changes.

If you understand these connections, you can adapt your fishing strategy better.

Practical tip: Record over several years when certain species turn up at your spots. Compare these observations with temperature and river level. That way you can spot recurring patterns without relying on supposedly universal rules for catching fish.

The diving depth given by the manufacturer is normally a guide figure that was measured under particular conditions.

Lure shape, diving lip, buoyancy and built-in action all affect how the plug actually runs.

Line diameter, casting distance and current play a part too.

Two plugs with the same stated diving depth can therefore run at different depths in practice.

Practical tip: Test new plugs at a spot you know well first. Watch how deep they actually run with your line, rod and retrieve speed.

Breadcrumb is often used as the base for coarse fishing groundbait.

It can absorb water and affects how well the mix binds and its consistency.

Depending on what else is in it, it can also help the groundbait break down gradually in the water.

For feeder fishing on the Rhine, the mix has to be tuned so that it survives the cast and is released in a controlled way on the bottom.

Practical tip: Don't just use as much breadcrumb as possible. Mix your groundbait step by step and check whether it stays in the feeder long enough in the current you're facing.

Clay and suitable groundbait soils can change the properties of a groundbait mix.

They add weight without bringing in large amounts of high-energy food at the same time.

Depending on the type and how damp they are, they can also affect how well the mix binds and how it breaks down.

That's particularly useful in strong current or when you want to feed sparingly in cold water.

Practical tip: Only use suitable, uncontaminated groundbait soil or angling clay. Start with around 10–20 per cent, for example, and test the mix. In stronger current a different mix may be needed.

Grains of sweetcorn are fairly firm, highly visible hook baits.

They're used for bream, carp and other coarse fish, among others.

Because of their size, they can help weed out some of the very small fish.

However, gobies and other unwanted fish may still take sweetcorn.

Practical tip: Try one or two grains of sweetcorn on a hook that suits the size of the bait. If you're targeting bigger bream, you can also add a small amount of sweetcorn to your groundbait.

Hemp is often used as an ingredient in groundbait for coarse fishing.

The small seeds can be particularly attractive to roach.

Cooked hemp has a different consistency from dry seed and works well in certain groundbait mixes.

How well it actually works, though, depends on the fish stock, the amount of feed and the conditions on the water.

Practical tip: Only use hemp that has been properly prepared for fishing. Start with small amounts and watch whether the fish settle on your swim. Overfeeding doesn't make sense with hemp either.

Flavoured groundbait mixes can attract fish, but a particularly strong sweetness is no guarantee of better catches.

How well it works depends on the species, the water temperature and the other ingredients, among other things.

What's more, the way a mix smells to us isn't a reliable measure of how a fish perceives it.

Practical tip: If your catches stay poor, compare a heavily flavoured mix with a more subtle one. Keep the amount of feed and your fishing technique as similar as possible so you can judge the differences better.

Fine particles of feed can spread quickly and be picked up by small coarse fish.

Depending on the mix and the current, they can sometimes create a visible cloud of feed.

This can draw fish's attention to the area you're feeding.

In strong Rhine current, however, very light particles can be carried a long way downstream.

Practical tip: If you're targeting bigger bream or barbel, make sure enough feed stays on the bottom. A mix of sticky and coarser ingredients can make sense.

Constantly topping up can lead to too much food building up on the bottom.

As a result, the fish may fill up more quickly or spread out over a larger area.

Frequent casting can also disturb wary fish for a while.

How much feed makes sense depends on the current, the fish stock and how active the fish are.

Practical tip: Adjust how often you feed to the bites you're actually getting. If fish are biting regularly, you can keep the amount of feed under control instead of automatically putting in more and more.

An empty feeder can act as a weight when you don't want to put any more feed in for a while.

That can make sense if there's already enough feed in the swim.

However, an empty feeder may sink and behave in the current differently from a full one.

Practical tip: If you've already built up a swim and don't want to add more food, you can carry on fishing with an empty feeder. Check that the rig still holds steady on the bottom.

A slightly buoyant hook bait can stand out from the rest of the feed.

This can make it easier for fish to get at, especially on a soft bottom.

The rig can also be set up so that the bait partly offsets the weight of the hook.

Too much buoyancy, however, can lead to an unnatural presentation.

Practical tip: Test the rig in a bucket of water or in shallow water before you start fishing. The bait should behave the way you want to present it on the bottom.

The hook size doesn't have to match the body size of the target fish directly.

What matters includes the size of the hook bait, the shape of the fish's mouth and how strong the hook is.

A small, strong hook can, for example, hold a bigger coarse fish securely.

With hooks that are too light or unsuitable, however, there's a greater risk that they open out or tear free.

Practical tip: Choose the hook size to suit the bait first. For powerful barbel, make sure the hook pattern is strong enough, even if you're using small hook baits.

The colour of the line mainly affects how well you yourself can see it.

In lure fishing, bright colours can help you follow where the line runs and spot cautious bites more easily.

Under water, how visible it is depends on light, turbidity, line diameter and other factors.

A highly visible main line therefore doesn't automatically mean you'll catch fewer fish.

Practical tip: When jigging, use a highly visible braided main line if it helps your bite detection. Combine it with a suitable leader.

4-strand and 8-strand braids differ in the number of fibre strands and often in their surface texture as well.

8-strand braids are often smoother and can therefore run more quietly through the rod rings.

Depending on how they're made, 4-strand braids can have a rougher surface.

Abrasion resistance and breaking strain, however, don't depend on the number of strands alone.

Practical tip: Don't choose your line purely on the "4-strand" or "8-strand" label. Look at the real breaking strain, diameter, abrasion resistance and quality.

If the line reaches right up to the lip of the spool or has been wound on beyond it, too many coils can come off at once during the cast.

This increases the risk of loops and tangles.

An underfilled spool, on the other hand, can reduce casting distance because the line has to drag more over the spool lip.

Practical tip: Go by the manufacturer's recommendations for your reel. On many fixed-spool reels it makes sense to leave a small gap between the line and the lip of the spool.

If the line sits mainly on the upper or lower part of the spool, it can peel off unevenly during the cast.

This can lead to extra resistance or loops forming.

Possible causes include incorrect spool adjustment, the wrong line tension when spooling up, or mechanical problems.

Practical tip: Check the line lay on your reel. On some models you can adjust it with spool washers. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when doing so.

At low temperatures, lubricants can become thicker.

As a result, the gears and bearings can turn less freely.

Moisture can also cause problems in frosty weather, for example when ice forms on the parts that guide the line.

Practical tip: Use a well-maintained reel for winter fishing. Don't force a frozen reel, and let it dry out properly after your session.

At temperatures below freezing, water carried onto the rod rings by the line can freeze.

Over time this can gradually clog the openings of the rings.

This increases resistance when casting and retrieving and can damage the line.

Practical tip: In frosty weather, check your rod rings regularly. Remove ice carefully without damaging the ring inserts. Don't use unsuitable chemicals that could end up in the water.

Braided line can carry water between its fibres.

In frost, this water can freeze and make the line stiffer.

Ice can also form on the rod rings and on the spool.

How strong this effect is depends on how the line is made, its coating and the weather.

Practical tip: When it's below zero, check your line and rod rings regularly. If a lot of ice builds up, a suitable monofilament line may be more practical for certain fishing methods.

When lure fishing, you often hold and move the rod for several hours.

A heavy reel adds to the total weight of your tackle.

However, the balance between rod and reel also affects how tiring the combination feels.

A slightly heavier reel can, in some cases, even balance a tip-heavy rod more comfortably.

Practical tip: Don't judge the weight in isolation. Hold the complete combination in your usual fishing position and check whether it stays comfortable to work over a longer period.

A longer rod handle often lets you use both hands to get more leverage when casting.

This makes it easier to load the rod under the right conditions.

A very short handle can be less suitable for heavy baits and long casts.

On the other hand, a short handle can have advantages for certain techniques or in tight fishing spots.

Practical tip: Choose the handle length to suit your fishing method. For long casts from the open Rhine bank, a two-handed handle of sufficient length can make sense.

A rod and reel combination can feel uncomfortable despite its low total weight if it's very tip-heavy.

Your hand then constantly has to work harder to keep the rod tip in position.

A well-balanced combination can therefore be more comfortable to fish with over a longer period.

This is particularly relevant for active lure fishing.

Practical tip: Always test the rod and reel together. Pay attention to how the combination feels in your usual position for working the lure, not just to what it weighs on the scales.

In many places the Moselle is surrounded by steep vineyards. In heavy rain, water can run off down the slopes and carry soil particles with it.

Erosion can occur especially where there is little vegetation covering the ground. Some of the washed-off sediment reaches the Moselle via ditches and small streams.

As a result, individual tributaries can be much more coloured than the Moselle itself after heavy rain. Changes like these can also affect the behaviour of small fish and predators.

Practical tip: After rain, keep an eye on the mouths of smaller streams. A visible line between coloured and clearer water can be interesting for zander and other predators, provided the flow conditions there are suitable.

On its way through Germany, the Moselle changes its character, both in the landscape around it and in the structure of the river itself.

On the Upper Moselle there are some wider stretches of valley and different bank structures from those on the Middle and Lower Moselle, where the river often runs through a narrower, tightly winding valley.

Barrages, water depth, tributaries and bank reinforcements also influence fishing conditions.

As a result, the holding spots of zander, perch, wels catfish and coarse fish can differ considerably from one stretch to the next.

Practical tip: Assess each stretch of the Moselle on its own. Pay particular attention to the impounded section in question, the flow conditions and the underwater features present.

The Moselle flows into the Rhine at the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz.

There, two large rivers with different water levels, discharge volumes and flow conditions meet.

When the Rhine is running high, it can have a backwater effect on the lowest stretch of the Moselle.

This can change the flow conditions on the lower Moselle, even though the flow further upstream may have changed only a little.

Practical tip: If you fish the lower Moselle, check not only the Moselle gauge but also how the Rhine level at Koblenz is developing. In a flood in particular, both rivers can affect the conditions at your spot.

Many of the Moselle's side valleys have steep slopes and small streams.

In heavy thunderstorms, these streams can swell considerably within a short time.

Mud, rubble and larger volumes of water are sometimes carried towards the Moselle.

What makes this particularly dangerous is that it doesn't necessarily have to be raining at your actual spot. The storm may be several kilometres away.

Practical tip: When thunderstorms are forecast, avoid spots right at stream mouths or in narrow places where runoff is channelled. Also make sure your way back can't be cut off by suddenly rising water.

In narrow stretches of valley, the Moselle sometimes has less room to spread out sideways.

When large volumes of water arrive from the catchment area, the level there can rise considerably.

On top of that, numerous smaller streams and larger tributaries flow into the Moselle.

Rainfall in France can also affect the water level of the German Moselle.

How quickly a particular stretch reacts depends on the volume of inflow, the shape of the valley, how the barrages are regulated and other factors.

Practical tip: Before longer fishing trips, check the current gauge readings and flood forecasts. Especially when levels are rising, avoid low-lying bankside paths and spots that are hard to get to.

A large part of the Moselle's catchment area lies in France.

If heavy rain falls there over a longer period, additional water reaches Germany via the Moselle and its tributaries.

As a result, the level on German stretches of the Moselle can rise even though it has stayed dry locally.

The effects often arrive with a delay. How long that delay is depends on where the rain fell and on the current discharge conditions.

For anglers, this can change the current, the water colour and how easy it is to reach certain spots.

Practical tip: When planning a fishing trip on the Moselle, check not only the local weather forecast but also the official gauge and discharge forecasts. Especially after heavier rainfall in the French part of the catchment, fishing conditions can change significantly within a few days.

During the grape harvest, there are more agricultural vehicles and workers about in many Moselle villages. This can lead to restrictions, especially on narrow bankside paths and on access roads to the vineyards.

The harvest itself doesn't directly change how the fish bite. However, local work, vehicles and access to certain stretches of bank can affect the practical side of planning your fishing.

Practical tip: In autumn, check whether your planned spot can be reached via public paths. Don't block access roads to vineyards and don't park on agricultural land.

When a lock is operated, water is moved between its upstream and downstream sides so that ships can be raised or lowered to a different water level.

This can temporarily create additional currents, particularly near the lock channels and the lock areas.

How noticeable these changes are outside the lock itself depends on its design, how it is operated and the distance.

Practical tip: At permitted spots near locks, watch whether the current changes while the lock is in operation. Keep to the required safety distances and never fish in closed-off lock areas.

Former ferry crossings sometimes still have old bank reinforcements, ramps or other built structures.

These can differ from the surrounding riverbed and cause small changes in depth or current.

Transitions like these can be interesting for various fish species if there is food or suitable places to stay.

Not every former ferry crossing is automatically a good spot, though.

Practical tip: Look for former ferry links on historical maps. Then check on site whether any bank or underwater features can still be made out and whether fishing is allowed there.

Towpaths were used in the past to haul boats upstream from the bank.

Some of these historical paths can still be made out as bankside paths today or have been incorporated into modern paths.

For anglers, they can offer interesting access to longer stretches of bank.

However, not all historical towpaths are open to the public or safe to walk.

Practical tip: Use historical and current maps to find possible ways down to the bank. Check on site whether the path is open to the public and whether fishing is allowed on that stretch.

Old landing stages may still have piles, foundations, dumped stone or other structures in the water.

Obstructions like these sometimes change the current and can provide a habitat for small creatures and small fish.

Predators can use these areas to hunt for food.

However, old structures can also be dangerous obstacles and offer plenty of opportunities for snags.

Practical tip: Fish the outer parts of an old landing stage first. Avoid casting straight into unknown obstructions and check whether the area is open to the public and to fishing.

Hydropower is used to generate electricity at several of the Moselle's barrages.

Water flows through the turbines, which affects how the water moves around the power station.

Depending on the discharge and how the plant is run, local flow conditions can change.

Strong currents can occur particularly in the immediate vicinity of the plants. Special safety restrictions and access bans often apply there.

Practical tip: Before fishing, find out about the safety zones at hydroelectric plants. Only watch for changes in the current from safe, permitted stretches of bank.

During long dry spells, the Moselle's tributaries may carry less water.

Even so, the regulation of the barrages can keep the water level in the impounded sections comparatively stable.

At the same time, flow speed, water temperature and water quality can change.

High temperatures and little exchange of water can become a problem, especially in areas with little current.

Practical tip: During long hot spells, pay particular attention to the actual discharge and the water temperature. In extreme conditions, avoid fights that put unnecessary strain on the fish, and don't deliberately target sensitive species.

On certain stretches, fish are stocked to support populations or to pursue fisheries management goals.

This may involve releasing young fish of certain species, for example.

Whether stocking is successful in the long term depends on habitat, the food supply, natural losses and other factors.

Heavy stocking therefore doesn't automatically lead to a permanently larger fish population.

Practical tip: Ask the relevant holders of the fishing rights or the angling associations about stocking and other measures to support fish populations. Bear in mind that stocked fish are subject to the same closed seasons and rules on taking fish as any other fish.

The barrages maintain a certain water level on many stretches of the Moselle.

This means that greater depths remain even when the discharge is comparatively low.

There are also natural hollows and areas that have been deepened for shipping.

So low discharge doesn't automatically mean the Moselle becomes shallow everywhere.

Practical tip: When planning your fishing, distinguish between water level, discharge and actual water depth. Use suitable depth charts to find the deeper areas within an impounded section.

Bank works can change the existing structure of the river.

For example, old rip-rap may be renewed, banks reinforced or new structures built.

This can alter existing holding spots or disturb them temporarily.

Access to fishing spots may also be restricted while such work is going on.

Practical tip: At spots you know, check whether any major construction work has taken place recently. Afterwards, examine the underwater structure again and respect any barriers around the site.

The Moselle flows into the Rhine at Koblenz. This means there is, in principle, a link between the fish stocks of the two rivers.

Mobile species can move between the Rhine and the Moselle, provided no obstacles to migration prevent them.

The continuity of the river system is particularly important for migratory fish. But other species can also use neighbouring stretches of river to find food or as places to stay.

However, the Moselle's barrages limit the free movement of many fish species.

Practical tip: Compare the mix of species on the lower Moselle with that in impounded sections further upstream. Differences can give clues about obstacles to migration, habitat and the structure of the river.

On many stretches of the Moselle, historical vineyard walls and other retaining walls come down close to the river bank.

Where structures like these join up with older bank reinforcements, unusual transitions between natural and artificial features can form.

However, this doesn't mean that a vineyard wall automatically creates a good holding spot for fish.

What matters is which underwater structure actually lies in front of it.

Practical tip: When exploring, look out for older bank reinforcements below historical walls. Check whether there are piles of stones, changes in depth or other interesting features there.

The Moselle has numerous pronounced meanders.

Within a single bend, water depth, the shape of the bank and the riverbed can differ considerably.

How a stretch faces the sun and how much shade the steep valley sides cast can also vary.

Because the river is regulated by barrages, however, the flow conditions don't always match those of a free-flowing river.

Practical tip: Within a bend of the Moselle, compare the outside with the inside. Pay particular attention to differences in depth, reinforced banks and possible transitions between different types of bottom.

In places the Moselle valley has steep slopes that keep certain stretches of bank in shade for long periods.

Other areas, by contrast, get direct sunshine for many hours.

As a result, shallow areas along the bank with little current in particular can warm up to different degrees.

In the main river, the mixing of the water often evens out such temperature differences.

Practical tip: On hot summer days, pay particular attention to shallow, sheltered areas. Compare the water temperature at sunny and shaded spots instead of assuming from the shade alone that your chances of a catch will be better.

On some stretches of the Moselle there are islands or island-like features along the bank.

They can split the current and create different areas of water.

Depending on the water level and the shape of the island, shallower zones, slack water or transitions with a stronger flow can form.

Natural banks on islands can also provide important habitats for young fish and other aquatic creatures.

Practical tip: Use river charts to work out how the current divides around an island. Respect nature reserves, access bans and the fishing rules for each stretch of bank.

The Sauer flows into the Moselle at Wasserbillig.

It brings additional water from its own catchment area.

Depending on where the rain has fallen, the Sauer and the Moselle can differ in water level, temperature and colour.

After heavier rainfall, the Sauer can therefore noticeably affect conditions below its mouth.

Practical tip: If you fish the Moselle below Wasserbillig, take into account how the discharge of the Sauer is developing too. Especially after heavy rain, it can matter for local conditions.

The Moselle is used not only by cargo vessels but also by passenger and pleasure boats.

During the tourist season in particular, boat traffic can increase at popular Moselle towns and villages.

This causes wash and local water movements that can affect fishing from the bank.

At busy landing stages there are also questions of safety and access.

Practical tip: Avoid fishing right next to busy passenger landing stages. When choosing your spot, make sure you keep enough distance from passing boats and have a safe place to land fish.

Even if the water level within an impounded section of the Moselle stays fairly stable, the tributaries can at times carry considerably more or less water.

This changes the total discharge.

Individual tributaries can swell sharply at short notice, especially after local cloudbursts.

This can affect the current, the water colour and the distribution of sediment.

Practical tip: When conditions are unusual, don't just check the Moselle gauge. Also keep an eye on how the larger tributaries are developing and on local rainfall.

Before the Moselle was regulated and developed for shipping, the river followed a different course in places and had different bank structures.

Former loops of the river or cut-off areas of water can form habitats of their own under suitable conditions.

If they are connected to the Moselle, fish can move between the main river and the side water.

Areas like these can be particularly interesting for species that prefer calmer water.

Practical tip: Compare historical and current maps to find former courses of the river. Then check whether the water in question can be reached at all and whether a separate fishing permit is required.

The Kyll is a tributary of the Moselle and joins it at Trier-Ehrang.

After heavy rainfall in its catchment area, it can carry additional water and sediment into the Moselle.

As a result, the current and the colour of the water can change locally below its mouth.

How strong this effect is depends on the ratio between the discharge of the two rivers.

Practical tip: If you fish around Trier-Ehrang, watch how much water the Kyll is carrying after rain. Compare it with conditions on the Moselle before you choose your spot.

On its way through North Rhine-Westphalia, the Rhine changes its character.

Around Köln, for example, there are longer stretches of reinforced bank, groynes and areas with heavy boat traffic.

Further downstream, extensive series of groyne bays, larger harbour complexes and wider stretches of river are added.

Around Duisburg, the large harbours and the mouth of the Ruhr also shape the local structure of the river.

These differences affect how easy it is to reach fishing spots, the flow conditions and the habitats available to fish.

Practical tip: Don't automatically transfer your experience from Köln to Duisburg or Wesel. Compare the shape of the groynes, the bank reinforcements and the depths in each place.

The Ruhr flows into the Rhine at Duisburg-Ruhrort.

This is where two rivers with different flows and, in some cases, different temperatures meet.

Depending on rainfall and discharge, the Ruhr can carry additional water and suspended particles into the Rhine.

The mouth is also a link between two larger river systems.

As a result, different habitats can be within reach for fish.

Practical tip: Watch how the discharge of the Ruhr and of the Rhine is developing separately. Local conditions can change when one of the two rivers is carrying considerably more water. Respect the harbour and shipping restrictions around the mouth.

The port of Duisburg is one of the most important inland port complexes in Europe.

Its harbour basins, connecting channels and reinforced banks create a range of water depths and structures.

Some areas are more strongly influenced by the main river, while others have less exchange of water.

This can create different living conditions for coarse fish and predators.

However, many harbour areas are working sites or are subject to special fishing bans.

Practical tip: Check the boundaries of the waters covered by your fishing permit very carefully. A permit for the Rhine doesn't automatically include the harbour basins in Duisburg.

On the Lower Rhine there are still various floodplain areas, oxbows and areas that are flooded from time to time.

Habitats like these can give fish places to retreat to when the river is in flood.

Shallow, sheltered areas can also be important for young fish and for certain species when they spawn.

Whether such areas are actually connected to the Rhine depends on the water level and the local shape of the river.

Practical tip: Find out about the nature conservation and fishing rules for the Rhine floodplains. Many ecologically valuable areas are protected, and entering or fishing them is either banned or only allowed with restrictions.

The Lippe flows into the Rhine at Wesel. The Lippe has a catchment area of its own and can therefore have different conditions from the Rhine.

Especially after rain, the two rivers can differ in discharge, temperature and colour.

For fish life, the mouth also matters as a link between two river systems. Fish can use suitable habitats in both rivers, as long as they can move freely between them.

Practical tip: Before a fishing trip around Wesel, compare how the discharge of the Lippe and the Rhine is developing. Also check which parts of the mouth may be fished at all, as special conservation and usage rules can apply there.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the provisions of the Landesfischereigesetz (the state fisheries act) and the Landesfischereiverordnung (the state fisheries ordinance) apply.

On top of that, you must keep to the conditions of your particular fishing permit.

Particularly important are the state's closed seasons, minimum sizes, species protected all year round and possible restrictions on certain fishing methods.

So a fish that may be taken in Rhineland-Palatinate isn't automatically one you're allowed to take in North Rhine-Westphalia too.

Practical tip: Before your fishing trip, check the current Landesfischereiverordnung NRW (the North Rhine-Westphalia state fisheries ordinance) and the terms of your permit. This is particularly important if you regularly fish the Rhine in different federal states.

Between Bonn and Emmerich, the Rhine changes considerably.

Further downstream, the volume of water increases because of additional tributaries. At the same time, the width of the river, the shape of the banks and the distribution of the current change.

On the Lower Rhine there are extensive series of groyne bays, shallower areas along the bank and large floodplain areas.

Around Bonn, by contrast, some stretches have different valley and bank structures.

Practical tip: Adapt your approach to the stretch of river in question. On the Lower Rhine in particular, it pays to tell the individual groyne bays apart by their depth and their connection to the main current.

The Sieg flows into the Rhine north of Bonn.

The area around its mouth is of particular ecological importance and includes protected habitats.

The link between the Sieg and the Rhine matters for migratory species, among others.

The varied structures of the water around the mouth also add to the range of habitats.

Practical tip: Before trying to fish there, find out exactly where the boundaries of the Siegmündung nature reserve lie and which fishing restrictions apply there. Not every spot you can reach may be fished.

The Lower Rhine has numerous oxbows, harbour basins, side waters and other areas of water.

These can be directly connected to the Rhine without the same fishing rights applying.

So a permit for the main river doesn't automatically entitle you to fish every neighbouring water.

On top of that, there are local protected areas and separate fishing rights.

Practical tip: Before fishing, check the boundaries of the waters shown on your fishing permit. With old Rhine arms, gravel pits connected to the Rhine and harbour basins in particular, make sure you know whether an additional permit is required.

Over time, groyne bays change as sediment is deposited and washed out.

Depending on the spacing of the groynes, the current and the local shape of the river, different depths can develop.

One groyne bay may be mostly shallow and sandy, while the next one has larger deep holes.

Earlier floods and river engineering work can also increase such differences.

Practical tip: Don't treat several groyne bays as one single fishing spot. Explore each bay separately and make a note of where the deeper areas are. These differences can be decisive, especially when water levels change.