Fishing arose long before farming as a form of supplying food. One of the easiest and simplest ways to fish was to use a ‘gorge’ a piece of tapered bone tied to the end of a stick with a hole drilled through it for a line to run through.
Bait was put on the end of the gorge, the fish would eat the bait and get the bone stuck in the back of their throats, allowing the fisherman to reel in the fish with the line attached to the end of the spear.
The advent of the fishing hook showed a great improvement on the previous methods. Hooks developed widely from strong twigs in convenient forms with thorns lashed to them to bone and tortoise shell carved hooks which were much stronger.
Metal hooks were not used until the rise of metalwork and greater understanding of industry and how to mould the metals into useful shapes.
In the early 19th century the Beaw Trawl was invented. With the introduction of steam and motor power great changes were brought about in the fishing industry.
The rise of railway networks among other much greater land based transport systems and the invention of refrigeration capabilities made it possible for fishermen to distribute their catch in fresh condition to a larger population.
This in turn led to greater profits for the fishermen themselves and their industry as a whole, meaning more investment in improving the vessels used on the water and greater quality equipment for the workers to use.
There are three main methods used for fishing in the modern day: by net
hook lines
trap
This is on the whole the most important method of fishing used today, and varies considerably depending on the type of net used. â—Ś Seine nets: nets fishing with a net that encircles the fish. â—Ś BagBag-nets: nets trawling a bag-net along the seabed and dragging up anything caught. This is one of the oldest methods of net fishing.
â—Ś Drift, grill and trammel nets: nets use for catching surface dwelling fish by entangling them in the meshes of the nets.
1. Drift netsnets are usually set out at sunset, then retracted the next morning. 2.Grill Grill netsnets used in sheltered bays. They catch in the same was as drift nets but are anchored to a fixed point at either end of the net to ensure it stays vertical.
3.Trammel netsnets three vertical curtains of netting used on beaches where there is a significant tidal change, and dependant on tidal levels.
4.Dip netsnets also known as small or hoop nets. Used to scoop up fish or catch large crustaceans
5.Last netsnets- circular nets weighted around their margins with a drawstring of sorts. Usually used on beach heads to catch all grazing fish within reach.
6.Fyke netsnets- a series of net funnels, with mouths kept open by hoops. Used specifically to catch eels.
Stake nets or fishing wiers are often used as small fish traps. There are numerous varieties of fish traps which all consist of the same fundamental constituent parts. Frames made of strong resistant wood, lashed with netting and held together with strong knots. They are set at low tide or in shallow waters and then left for a length of time before being retrieved in shallow waters (tide dependant) and emptied of their catch.
Fishing with lines strung along with many hooks is still a common form of fishing, specifically used in the Cod, Halibut and Tuna industries. Depending on the size of the fishing vessel the lines can be up to a few miles long and be armed with hundreds if not thousands of hooks. The vessel finds a rich fishing area and allows their vessel to drift along with the current, trailing their lines behind them through the fishes feeding grounds. Reeling in their catch after a length of time.
These are the main methods of fishing used today, however there are many others used in other parts of the world, varying depending on the type of fish being hunted.
Here I will list some vocabulary and photos of equipment used in the fishing industry in the past in Galicia. Some of the tools used in the Galician fishing industry are difficult to translate into English, as they existed soley in this region.
LINE HAULER (ALADOR)
HOOKS (ANZUELOS)
ARCH NET (ARCO)
NETS (BADAXEIRA)
GAFF (BICHEIRO)
BUOYS (BOYAS)
BAIT BOX (CAIXÓN)
BILGE PUMP (CHIQUEIRO)
HAMMOCK NET (COL)
KNOT FRAME (CADRO DE NUDOS)
LINE CLEARING SPOOL (DEVANADOURAS)
MAIN LINES (FLUXA)
CATCH NET (GANAPÁN)
CONGER FISHING LINES (LÍNEAS PARA A PESCA DO CONGRÍO)
CIRCULAR NET (MEDIO MUNDO)
LONGLINE BASKET (PATELAS DEL PALANGRE)
EEL TRAP (NASA DE ANGUILA)
BOTTOM CRAB NET (PATARROXEIRA)
STONE ANCHOR (POUTADA)
CONGER GAFF (PEIXOTEIRO)
PACKING BASKETS (PATELAS DE EMBASAR)
REEL (ROSEJA)
BOTTOM DRAG NET (RASCAS)
OPTOPUS HOOKS (RAÑEIRAS)