The rule: avoid the tackle box
Rods, reels, rigs and bait are personal. Most anglers have tried a dozen versions and settled on one, so unless they've named the exact item, buy something else. A carp angler, a fly angler and a sea angler use almost nothing in common.
That still leaves plenty of good ideas. Here they are. Most used first. Each one works whether they fish a canal, a carp lake or a beach.
1. A print of their own catch
Every angler has a photo of a fish they're proud of. It's on their phone, shared once and then lost under a thousand others. Put it on the wall instead. You can print the photo as it is, or see it in a house style with a free preview first.
No photo? Scroll back through what they've posted, or ask a fishing mate for the original file. Our catch photo guide explains what makes a photo print well. If you only have a screenshot, upload it anyway: the tool tells you which sizes it can manage.
2. A plate of the fish they love
If you can't get the photo, choose the species. There are carp prints, pike prints and plates for coarse, game and sea anglers too. Pick the fish they talk about most. If they fish for more than one species, choose the one in the photo they show most, because that's the fish they think about.
Listen for clues. Angling Times notes that carp anglers call a big fish a lump, and that bream anglers call a good one a slab. Take the hint.
3. Warm kit that always gets used
Cold hands end more sessions than bad weather. Gloves that leave the fingertips free, thick socks, a warm hat and a neck warmer all get worn. None needs you to know their setup. A pair of gloves that lets them tie a knot without taking them off will be worn every session until they fall apart.
Choose plain, dark colours rather than bright ones. Check sizes against something they already wear. Pick wool or fleece over cotton for anything that might get wet.
4. Light for the dark hours
Long sessions start and end in the dark. A good head torch with a red light setting is less likely to annoy the angler in the next swim. Most anglers own one. Most would like a better one.
A spare set of batteries, or a rechargeable torch with a spare cable for the van, is a cheaper version of the same idea.
5. A flask and a decent brew kit
Long sessions run on tea. A flask that keeps it hot all night, or a small stove kit for the bank, will be used every trip. A sturdy mug goes with it. At 4am, in any weather, a flask that's still hot earns its place in the bivvy.
Put their catch photo on that mug and it becomes a personal present: see fishing mugs. Check the water's rules before you buy a stove kit. Not every fishery allows them.
6. A day on a water they've always wanted to fish
Many waters sell day tickets. Book ahead. Find out where they've talked about fishing and book a day, or give them a card saying you will. Check the water's own rules on booking first.
They'll also need a rod licence to fish in England and Wales, unless they're under 13. Under the GOV.UK licence rules that applies on private lakes and club waters too. Junior licences for 13 to 16 year olds are free.
7. A guided day or a lesson
A day with a guide on a new water, or a casting lesson for a fly angler, is something most won't book for themselves. The Angling Trust runs a licensed coach scheme and lists licensed coaches on its Get Fishing map. It also has a Check a Coach page.
Coaches also suit a partner or child who wants to join in. A shared first session often turns into a regular one. Worth it.
8. A catch log
A waterproof notebook for fish, weights, weather and baits, which many anglers keep for years and like looking back through. Choose one that copes with wet hands and a pencil that writes in the rain.
A catch log pairs well with a print: the notebook records every fish, and the print keeps the best one. Leave the first page blank. They'll want to write it themselves. Over a few seasons it becomes a record of every water and every fish, which is something no shop sells.
9. A mug with their fish on it
For a smaller present, put their catch photo on a mug. It costs less than a print, it gets used every day and it fits a stocking. A wide photo works best, because a mug is wide and short.
No photo? Every fish plate in the collection comes on a mug too, and our fishing mugs page explains the details, including how the crop works.
10. A book about their species
Carp, pike, barbel and trout all have shelves of books written about them. Ask a bookseller for the classics on the fish they love. Secondhand angling books are a good hunting ground. Worth a look.
Old fish books can be beautiful objects too. William Houghton's British Fresh-Water Fishes of 1879 carried 41 chromolithographic plates, as the PBFA describes. Our field plate style borrows that look.
If they've got everything already
Go for ideas 1, 2 or 6. Nobody else owns a print of that fish, and the day out they keep putting off is still unbooked. Our fishing gifts page sorts the prints by budget, and Christmas fishing gifts covers when to order.
Don't overthink it. A good photo of a fish they're proud of, printed and framed, beats any gadget.
What to avoid
Skip novelty signs and anything that jokes about harming fish. Most anglers put their fish back. The Angling Trust reports that around 80% of fish caught by UK sea anglers were released.
Skip bait and terminal tackle too. No exceptions. The wrong hook size is worse than no hooks at all. And skip anything with a slogan about the one that got away. They've heard it.