Fishing started approximately 42,000 years ago. This was once a survival technique, but now we fish for enjoyment.
Now we have fishing stores where we can go to purchase fishing supplies, as well as fancy rods and reels. But when humans first started fishing, they didn’t have any of that.
According to nbcnews.com, there were deep-sea fishermen who would catch tuna, sharks, and barracudas. Since they didn’t have fishing stores, they used spears and nets to catch them. They didn’t need to use bait with those tools.
Now, we use high-carbon steel for hooks. But the first fishermen used natural materials like wood, bone, and shell. They could shape them and make them sharp to pierce through the fish’s skin.
The earliest fishermen did have boats, but they could still fish from shore if they wanted. They used a dugout tree trunk to make a canoe. They could have different lengths depending on how many trees they dug out.
Brandon Polan, a student at Oakmont, has his own thoughts on fishing from a boat. “I’d rather fish on a boat because there are more areas you can go to get more fish.”
The wealthy also fished in ancient times, but only if they were wealthy enough. Flopindusturies.com states, “One of the earliest recorded instances of recreational fishing dates back to ancient Rome, where it was a popular leisure activity among the wealthy.”
They used to mainly fish for survival, but now many people fish just for fun. People find it a good way to find peace and get outside.
“I feel at peace, and I like the thrill of actually catching the fish,” Polan said.
So, besides the peace of the environment, temperature, sky, and the quietude, there’s nothing like feeling the bite of a fish and setting the hook.
“Usually I like to fish in a group of 2 to 4 people, because it can give me someone to talk to and compete with,” he said.
It’s fun to go and fish with your friends because you can make it a competition. You can try to catch more fish than the other people.
There are also fishing tournaments now. The winners of the tournaments are usually found by how much all of your fish weigh in total. Most of the time, the fishermen are only allowed to have a maximum number of fish. So they can keep the best fish they catch, but not all of them. According to mystery tacklebox.com, the first fishing tournament was in 1967. This turned fishing into a competitive sport instead of just a relaxing hobby.
Polan said, “I would recommend people try fishing because it calms you, relieves stress, and gets you outside.”
