BLOG: So just what is "real" fishing?

I sometimes ask myself the question what constitutes real fishing? Is fishing a pursuit categorised by line fishing or is it simply the activity of catching fish - regardless of the method?

One of the areas closely related to our pastime that inspires this thought is spearfishing. Americans have a close association between angling and spearfishing, which is highlighted in a majority of their TV fishing programs. Hosts of these shows free dive on a patch of yellowtail (kingfish to us southerners), spear a few for the table and deploy some live baits after they have finished diving. The demarcation of fish caught by line or by spear is blurred and all that remains is the concept of catching fish.

I for one find it difficult to relate the two sports. While the outcome of harvesting of fish is the same, spearfishing, which is a challenge within itself, seems like cheating to me. Maybe I have a romantic notion of fishing as embedded in Hemingway’s Old Man & the Sea epic. Man versus beast, battled out in the traditional way with hand to hand combat. Yet, my spearfishing pals will tell me spears have been around far longer than nylon fishing line. So this was one argument I was never going to win!

The fact is fishing encompasses many methods including hand gathering, spearing, netting, trapping and angling. For the diehard fishermen amongst us, perhaps we need to get into the routine of calling ourselves anglers. This better explains what we do and how we go about it. Basically, the word "angle" is derived from the shape of a hook, which does much to explain our preferred method to catch our quarry.

Either way, fishing is meant to drag us away from our mundane realities and bring us back to our primeval past. It doesn’t really matter how you go about catching your fish, just as long as you show moderation and treat the environment with respect.

However, I will say there's nothing more fulfilling than the anticipation of identifying a hooked fish during a fight or the skill to tempt a fish on an artificial presentation. For this reason, angling is without doubt the number one choice for gathering fish worldwide…and millions of people can’t be wrong!