What is fishing?

[Paul Bullinger]

Today I called into a National Trust property where they have a second hand bookshop, manned by volunteers.
I asked if they had any fishing books:
"They're under Sports", said a lady volunteer
"No, they're not" said another, "they're under Hobbies"
"I always put them under Pastimes" said another volunteer.
Sure enough, I found fishing books under all 3 headings
So, what IS fishing? A sport, hobby or pastime?

 

[David Craine]

Certainly not a sport imo. I always equate a sport as being a physical thing, how the international olympic committee ever thought that chess fit that criteria is beyond me.

So , for me at least I am happy for angling to be a hobby or pastime.

No doubt others will disagree.

Dave

 

[Josh Porteous-Webster]

Can't it be all three, not really mutually exclusive of each other are they?

The need to neatly categorize things has always amused me.

Angling in its many forms is quite simply too unique and full of nuance to simplify as a sport/hobbie.

It's a way of life

 

[Simon Archer]

It's a Fieldsport, like Hunting and Shooting. I tend to think of others as games. A game of Football, a game of Tennis - Cricket - Darts, so on.

 

[Derek Funcks]

It's a Fieldsport, like Hunting and Shooting. I tend to think of others as games. A game of Football, a game of Tennis - Cricket - Darts, so on.

To me, but not to others, who fish to eat, its not a fieldsport. I class Hunting and Shooting as killing a creature. ( maybe for food ), I fish for pleasure, and return anything, and EVERYTHING i catch. To me, its a pastime.

 

[Haydn Clarke]

I remember being told that If you can smoke and drink while don’t it, it’s not a sport.

It’s a pastime for me too.

 

[Ben Marr]

Snooker and Darts?....in the old days☹

It's a sport for me.

Hobbies are things like building models, pastimes are crosswords.....

 

[Terry Simner]

Today I called into a National Trust property where they have a second hand bookshop, manned by volunteers.
I asked if they had any fishing books:
"They're under Sports", said a lady volunteer
"No, they're not" said another, "they're under Hobbies"
"I always put them under Pastimes" said another volunteer.
Sure enough, I found fishing books under all 3 headings
So, what IS fishing? A sport, hobby or pastime?

It's a neurotic distraction from the existential angst engendered by the realisation, and acceptance (on some level), of our own mortality.
Maybe
(with apologies to 'believers'...and hopers).

 

[Neil Smart]

It's a right of passage for all men and some women (if you insist). I believe it satisfies our primevil need to hunt for food. I am depressed that so many parents now consider Angling not suitable, and yet encourage their kids to learn martial arts, and yet if they only understood the magic of fishing, the hidden wonderful creatures that live in our rivers and lakes, that we briefly encounter and return back, and to leave us completely in awe of their beauty.
What more excitement can a child feel than a float bob under and tighten into a roach, perch or chub? I tell you there is nothing to compare, nothing, I just feel sorry for those kids and dads who have never experienced that.
So for me Fishing deserves a whole section of its own in any Library, it is not a sport, a hobby, pastime, field sport, it's all of that and much more.

 

[Joe Winstanley]

It's a neurotic distraction from the existential angst engendered by the realisation, and acceptance (on some level), of our own mortality.
Maybe
(with apologies to 'believers'...and hopers).

Isn't that the definition of a hobby/ pastime?

 

[Joe Winstanley]

I think Terry has nailed it tbh. But I would add that certain aspects of angling when practiced by someone at the top of their field could be considered an artform.

Long-trotting for roach, floater fishing for big carp, upstream dry fly for brownies etc.

 

[Damian Kimmins]

It's engaging with nature whilst on the riverbank wetting a line. Nothing else necessary.

 

[Stephen Crowhurst]

I seem to recall that the original meaning of the word sport, means to distract or amuse yourself. To define from work. Hence why the word follows the activity, eg “hunting for sport”. So sport is the action, usually prefixed by the location or type. Eg, field, bar, track sports

Sport as we now think of it, as a active thing and a category, is a modern concept. I suppose because the vast amounts of money involved in so many sporting activities mean that the participants do not wish to be accused of simply engaging in a distraction.

I often say to non anglers, fishing is like drinking. It’s broad, not liking whiskey doesn’t mean you don’t like a drink.

 

[Cliff Turner]

its a passion ...

 

[Richard Isaacs]

It’s sticking your fingers into natures plug socket

 

[Derek Funcks]

Fieldsports, in a lot of cases, is killing creatures for the so called fun of it ( because they can ), mostly by the wealthy, sometimes for the table (but not always ), if so, thats fair enough. Hobbies, something you can enjoy on a regular basis. Pastimes, things you get to enjoy now and then, but wish you could do more often. Just my honest opinion.

 

[Terry Harman]

It's a neurotic distraction from the existential angst engendered by the realisation, and acceptance (on some level), of our own mortality.
Maybe
(with apologies to 'believers'...and hopers).

Have you been hanging around with damian?

 

[Bill Walford]

Certainly not a sport imo. I always equate a sport as being a physical thing, how the international olympic committee ever thought that chess fit that criteria is beyond me.

So , for me at least I am happy for angling to be a hobby or pastime.

No doubt others will disagree.

Dave

When I’m pushing my barrow along the banks of the Trent or round a Tench lake for a multi day session David it’s very physical if not ruddy knackering

 

[Tony Rocca]

A religion.

 

[John Care]

A pastime, but potentially a religion for me at least. I'd certainly be lost without it, especially recently.