Avalon has three distinct types of fishing: fly fishing in the rivers and lakes using a fishing rod and line; pot fishing around the coastal locations with a crabpot for catching shellfish; and sea fishing with large nets using seaworthy vessels, attaching the net and - if all is well - gathering in the assorted catch a while later.
FLYFISHING
Flyfishing is carried out on the rivers of Avalon. It is an age old pastime, performed both out of necessity and for the sheer art of it. You must first get hold of a fishing rod - without a line. It is a crafted item and looks like "A long thin rod lies here, some twelve feet in length" and when examined: "This is a fishing-rod minus the all-important line. It is a series of long slender wooden strips held together by thin bronze hoops. The spool is iron-wrought and the extra flexibility at the tip is balsa. The entire fishing-rod has been waxed wonderfully smooth, its spindle well-oiled and - if you were of a mind - the attachment of a suitably strong line would allow you to go a-fishing tout de suite."
Once in possession of the rod you need to make the fly using bird feathers and typing MAKE FLY; then LOAD LINE IN ROD then ATTACH FLY TO FISHING ROD to use some twine and the fly and the fihing rod, putting all three together so you are ready to go fly-fishing. Find a peaceful spot on a nice river and settle down to cast your line. The true skill begins here: reading the river, knowing when you have a bite and becoming adept at reeling in your catch...
POTFISHING
Syntax: CASTOUT POT.
Go to the sea-shore with a crab-pot in your hands and cast it into the sea that it may sink down beneath the surface and lure a roving sea creature. The pot should be left a while, though.
NOTE: the crabpot is a crafted item and can be made by anyone with sufficiently high "Labours" skill. It looks like: "A large wire pot lies here, a single entrance in its side" and when examined: "The pot is an ancient method of catching crustaceans which dwell on the bottom of rivers and lakes, after entering the creatures become trapped and are unable to leave, when hauled from the bottom, they release their catch."
Syntax: DREDGE POT.
If you believe your pot to be filled, or simply wish to examine it, you can dredge it out from the sea. If you are lucky and your patience has been sufficient you will find it full of ocean bounty.
SEAFISHING
Syntax: ARRANGE NET.
Once you have in your possession a well-woven fishing net, and are sitting in your boat upon a lake or ocean blue you can arrange your net at the rear of the boat ready to be unfurled into the waters for effective fish catching.
Syntax: UNFURL NET.
In your boat once you have arranged your fishing net, you may unfurl it at will, slowly draping it out behind your boat in the waters to make a broad sweep of the available fish therein.
Syntax: HAUL NET.
When you feel you have left your fishing net in the waters for a sufficient length of time, haul it back into your boat and examine the contents; if Lady Luck shines upon you, your net will be filled with a bounty of fish.
NOTE: after having caught fish you should take your vessel and your catch to land where you will be able to use CLUB FISH to quickly dispose of the fish in preparation for use in bundling for commodity creation or cookery or stocking a shop.
See also HELP FISH, HELP NETS and HELP MARKETS for an overview of fish, net usage and trading in fish; and HELP FOOD, HELP COOKERY and HELP WELLBEING for insight into fish as food, preparing cooked fish and meals for health and well-being.
