Fishing

Pepys game in which players compete to land the greatest weight of fish.

The game board represents a stretch of English countryside divided into a grid of 26 x 37 squares. Winding along the bottom end of the board is a river into which the 34 fish counters (of quarter, half and one pound varieties) are placed. The players start the game from the Fisherman's Arms inn and take turns rolling a standard die to move their pawn across the fields to reach the river. Once at the riverbank, a player can announce he is casting for any fish which is in a direct line (including diagonally) from his pawn. If his die roll is equal to the number of squares between his pawn and the fish, the catch is made and the counter is removed from the board and placed in front of him. Many fish, particular the half pound and one pound types, can only be caught by wading in the river, a process much slower than walking.

Any time a six is thrown on the die, a Hazard card is drawn and the instructions followed. These range from missing turns in order to light your pipe or chat with a farmer, to moving your pawn to Parson's Field so you can 'meet a friend'. When the last Hazard card has been drawn, no more fishing is allowed and the players instead make their way back to the inn as quickly as possible. Players score one point for each quarter pound of fish they caught and the first three players back to the inn score an additional three, two and one points respectively.

Although a terribly simple game with little skill involved, the board has a certain charm, evoking images of lazy, summer days in the country.