Some common fishing methods were used thousands of years ago and some of those are still used today. Picture it: a father and son sitting on a dock on a lake, their bare legs dangling over the water, each of them holding a fishing rod. It’s a scene bound to endear children and excite families. Simply because fishing has long been used by humans for both relaxation and industry.
Let's dive right in.
Common
Fishing Methods in Use Today
The act of fishing
covers all activities involved in hunting and catching fish and other
aquatic animals such as octopus, turtles, shellfish, and squid.
Fishing first began about ten thousand years ago. Fishing was
considered a game for the lower classes in ancient Greece.
But the Chinese regarded
the skill as a gift from the gods. The ancient Egyptians were known
for their fishing implements and improvised fishing methods, most of
which are captured in illustrations in the pyramids, and in papyrus
documents.
Common fishing methods take on many forms
today, from the simple boat on the lake, and occasional conversation
among friends or relatives; to the larger, industrial boat in the
middle of the sea, with its gigantic net.
The
following are a few types of Common Fishing Methods:
Catching
Fish by Hand
With the proper skill, and with only a few pieces of equipment, some fishermen can catch fish by hand – without the fish even slipping away!
Hand fishing remains as
one of the most common fishing methods. It is practiced in
some villages around the world, where shallow waters near rivers, or
by the sea, can be a source of fish for the evening’s meal.
The
common fishing methods of Spear and Bow Fishing
Using a spear, a bow, and a keen eye, some fishermen can engage in spear and bow fishing. This requires great strength and dexterity, and it has been practiced for centuries.
In fact, with the proper
equipment, fishermen can use only a bow and arrow to catch fish!
Net
Fishing
Other fishermen use one of the common fishing methods of casting nets out in their water body of choice. Such a method, sometimes known as cast net fishing, can allow farmers a larger catch. This, however, can also lead to them catching unwanted (or unintended) animals or even objects.
These include dolphins,
seals, or even trash.
Trawling
Among the common
fishing methods are larger fishing vessels engaged in trawling.
Or dragging a large net through the sea, allowing the net to catch
whatever it can gather. Like cast net fishing, trawling can catch
other animals, like sharks or baby whales.
Dredging
A more damaging version of
trawling is dredging, where the seabed is disrupted in the hopes of
getting more fish to swim nearer to the surface and into the net.
Using a Fishing Line
Another of the common fishing methods is catching fish by using a fishing line, with bait attached at the end. This is done usually for recreational purposes, and involves some skill and “getting the fish to bite.”
A variation of this method
is fly fishing, in which colorful, feathery objects serve as the
lure, and where a fishing line is cast at a certain angle onto the
surface of a body of water. The fly fishing enthusiast often stands
knee-deep in the water while this is done.
Ice Fishing
Common fishing methods
include ice fishing which is a variation of line fishing, this time
done through a hole on the surface of an iced over body of water. Ice
fishers cut out a hole in the ice to expose the still liquefied
water, and the fish swimming below.
Fish Traps
Trapping fish is also
among the most common fishing methods. This involves fishermen
laying out fish traps, which are contraptions meant to lure fish in
and trap them, so that fishermen may take them out at a later time.
Common Fishing Methods of Using Toxins and
Explosives
Not all fishing methods are subtle. Some fishermen, in their wish to catch more fish, use toxins such as cyanide to poison whole populations of fish, which they can then gather by hand.
This method, however,
poisons even juvenile fish, leaving no more fish for the next
generation, and no harvest for the next catch.
Another
dangerous method involves the use of dynamite. This is common in the
waters of Southeast Asia, where fish often hide in
corals.
Electrofishing
Electrofishing has become one of the new common fishing methods. It is considered a non-invasive method of catching fish. It involves passing electric currents through water, prompting a fish to be lured to the source of the current, then disabling it for the moment so that it may be harvested.
Electrofishing, though relatively simple, needs skill to assure that no unintended animals will be harmed.
Fishing
can lead to a Delicious Dinner
Fishing is always an
exciting and relaxing activity – and it can lead to a delicious
dinner too! If it is done with minimal damage to the environment,
then there will surely be enough fish left for fishing to endure for
generations to come.
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