What Is Fishing

So what exactly is fishing?

Fishing is the activity of hunting for and trying to catch fish. Fishing is and ancient and worldwide practice with various techniques and traditions. To some degree fishing has even become a sport. Tournament anglers that make a living fishing would obviously argue that it is a sport.

Where did fishing originate?

Fishing can be dated back to the Mesolithic period which began about 10,000 years ago. We know from archaeological features, discarded fish bones and cave paintings that sea foods were important for survival and consumed in significant quantities. Fishing may even pre-date the development of modern humans, although there's no way to know for sure. The ancient river Nile was full of fish. Many early fishing methods for fishing were clearly illustrated in tomb scenes and drawings found within Eqyptian tombs. By the 12th dynasty, metal hooks with bards were being used. Nile perch, eels, and catfish were among the most important fish in the region. There are even some representations that hint towards fishing being persued as a pastime.

Fishing scenes are rarely represented in ancient Greek culture, which shows the low social status of fishing during that time. There is pictoral evidence of Roman fishing from mosaics which show fishing from boats with rods and line as well as nets. And the Greco-Roman sea God Neptune is depicted as carrying a fishing trident. Some have said that Neptune is the God of fishing.

There are numerous references to fishing in ancient literature; fishing was even described in the Bible. An example would be Job 41:7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? Or his head with fish spears?

Oppian of Corycus, a Greek author wrote the Halieulica, on sea fishing between 177 and 180. It has survived to this day and in it Oppian describes various means of fishing. His description of fishing with a "motionless" net is very interesting:

The fishers set up very light nets of buoyant flax and wheel in a circle roundabout while they violently strike the surface of the sea with their oars and make a din with sweeping blow of poles. At the flashing of the swift oars and the noise the fish bound in terror and rush into the bosom of the net which stands at rest, thinking it to be a shelter: foolish fishes which, frightened by a noise, enter the gates of doom. Then the fishers on either side hasten with the ropes to draw the net ashore.

A very nice approach that I assume most anglers can relate to. That's what fishing is and where it originated. I would say it's time that you get out there and wet a line and see if you can continue the tradition.