Abstract: A fish catcher effective for automatically lifting a hooked fish, or a readily visible portion thereof, out of water has a fishing line attached at one end to a weight, the fishing line extending upwardly from the weight, along a horizontal fishing line guide, and then downwardly to a fishhook termination. The weight is slidably movable from its mounting by action of a hooked fish, and the size of the weight is such that at least a visible portion of a hooked fish is lifted above the surface of the water as the weight falls. The preferred embodiment integrates mounting bracket elements enabling removable attachment of the catcher to an upstanding support, and the weight is preferably a heavy metal spool about which fishing line may be wound and fastened.