Crossword Genius

Fish, angler's first to be caught in lake (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

loach

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'fish angler's' is the definition.
'loach' can be an answer for 'fish' (I've seen this before). I am unsure of the 'angler's' bit.

'first to be caught in lake' is the wordplay.
'first' becomes 'a'.
'to be caught in' is an insertion indicator.
'lake' becomes 'loch' (loch is a kind of lake).
'a' put into 'loch' is 'LOACH'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for loach that I've seen before include "River fish - film director" , "Fish with barbels around mouth" , "Fish - British film director" , "Film-maker" , "Freshwater fish; rhymes with freshwater fish" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app