Fishing is usually lots of fun in most video games and it's even better when you know there's a Pokemon ready to battle you on the other end of the rod. Fishing has always been a mechanic in Pokemon, it's been tweaked here and there throughout the years but it's still a simple matter that you can get the hang of in no time, especially in Pokemon Sword & Shield.
Casting your fishing rod and waiting for a Pokemon to bite is just half the fun, then a Pokemon battle will take place and you'll be able to either defeat them or catch them for your Pokedex and so you can earn some experience points to level up.
In Pokemon Sword & Shield there is only one fishing rod and it's given to you right at the start of the game as one of your Key Items. This means that when you first enter the wild area you'll want to start catching as many different Pokemon as you can.
How To Fish
You can't just fish anywhere where there's water in Pokemon Sword & Shield - you'll have to find a proper fishing spot. If you're near a body of water, check its surface. In certain places, you'll notice that there are fishing holes, which appear as darker areas in the water with a sparkle effect.
Approach a fishing spot and press A on your controller. Then, your character will cast the fishing rod onto the proper location. And, just like in real-life fishing, now you have to play the waiting game and be patient for something to nibble. If you get a bite, you will see an exclamation mark inside a speech bubble on top of your character's head. All you have to do is press A again as soon as you see this bubble pop up so you don't lose your catch.
Don't forget that you're not actually trying to catch fish, you're catching Pokemon - so, after doing this, a Pokemon battle will start and you can proceed as you please, either defeating or catching the Pokemon. You're bound to catch lots of Water-Type Pokemon this way. If you'd like to know what to expect, here's our list of every Water-Type Pokemon available in Pokemon Sword & Shield.