Successful imitation of a fish's natural food source is the start of good fishing. It is easy enough to identify a food source by observing which small fish and invertebrates are in the areas you fish, but if you're only looking for what lives in the water you could be missing valuable clues.

Many fish feed on terrestrial prey. Insects are a common food source for many species, and some of the bigger fish species will also devour frogs, lizards, rats and even small birds!

The use of terrestrial creatures as live baits isn't as socially acceptable as it once was, but that's easily avoided by the use of the myriad flies and lures that imitate all manner of airborne insects, plus ants, beetles, grasshoppers, worms, amphibians, reptiles and all sorts of funny looking creatures. So how do you know when the time is right to try terrestrial tactics?

Availability is the key to any bait or lure choice. Next time you're out on the water, observe what other creatures also live adjacent to the water's edge and in the overhanging trees and you might just discover a few ideas your next big fish will find irresistible.