The History of Fishing 101
Posted by admin on 26 Jun 2008 | Tagged as: General
One of these days while you’re out on the water for a good day of fishing, take a moment between bites to reflect a bit on how much we’ve got it made today. The modern fisherman has all kinds of fishing electronics including GPS and sonar, as well as that cooler full of iced down beer and sodas, and a nice cushy seat to kick back in and prop up your feet while you’re waiting for that big ol’ fish to give you a few announcement tugs. A little history of fishing might make you realize how much you’ve got it made in the shade now.
Early Man Documented His Fishing
Man has been fishing probably since near the beginning of time, but it’s not always been about a pleasure trip. Archaeologists have found ancient dumps of shell and bone, cave paintings depicting fishing and even hooks made from bone. Some think that we might be more closely related to the fish we try and catch than we think. The ‘Aquatic Ape Hypothesis’ proposes that man has spent a period of time living by and catching their food from lakes and oceans, and that caused us to look different than apes. If nothing else, it probably made us better fishermen.
Fishing The Nile River
In the days of yore, the ancient river Nile was a fisherman’s paradise. Egyptians relied on fresh and dried fish as a staple in their diets, and the diverse techniques they employed have been well laid out in a lot of ancient histrionicses of their lives. While they had a few tools like nets, baskets and even hooks and lines, the fish landed were frequently bludgeoned to death. Perch, catfish and eels were amongst the most significant hauls in the Egyptian era.
On the other hand, Greece, didn’t partake in Egypt’s adoration of fishing. Yet, there is a characterization on a wine cup from 500 BC that depicts a lad bending over a stream with a net in the water under him. It’s ill-defined why he was ‘fishing’ though, because the device is clearly for live capture. There is also evidence the Romans fished with nets and tridents off the sides of boats. One of their most famous Gods, Neptune, is portrayed usually with a fishing trident. There are acknowledgments of fishing in the Bible, as well.
Man Invents The Fishing Hook
Maybe the most identifiable instrument for angling is the hook. Nobody knows for sure, but it’s very likely early man was employing some variant of a hook over 40,000 years ago. Authorities have had a few challenges narrowing down precise dates as they know almost all the materials used back then were probably wood and not real long-lasting. British Isle fishermen catch fish with hooks created from the hawthorn bush, even today. Though Stone Age man had the tools essential for devising bone hooks, it is difficult for scientists to get accurate dates since bone doesn’t reveal its age well. The earliest recognized hooks have surfaced in Czechoslovakia, but others have showed up in Egypt and Palestine. The Palestinian hooks are thought to be great than 9,000 years old, demonstrating that fishing has been around for a really long time.
Indians on Easter Island formed their hooks from a grisly material. Because human sacrifices were extensive in the region for some time, the natives constructed their fish hooks from the amplest stuff around – human bone. Fish hooks formed of human bone were commonplace there until missionaries came at the turn of the last century. As well as hooks made of stone, bone or wood, ancient man often blended material to make composite hooks with barbs that held the bait on.
Modern Man Fishes In Style
So, the next time you get frustrated because you’re fishing electronics have gone out, or your baitcaster has tangled up, just remember how hard it used to be when the stakes were much higher and fishermen depended on catching fish for food. It may not be much consolation when you’re aggravated at your gear, but you’ll think about it later and laugh. Maybe.
