Getting down to providing food – fish (8)
I believe the answer is:
tackling
'getting down to' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are present participle verbs, I cannot see how they can define each other.
'food fish' is the wordplay.
'food' becomes 'tack' (I've seen this before**).
'fish' becomes 'ling' (ling is a kind of fish).
'tack'+'ling'='TACKLING'
'providing' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for tackling that I've seen before include "Taking on the challenge" , "Undertaking, dealing with" , "Dealing with (a problem)" , "Taking the bull by the horns" .)