Some Notes on Sea Fishing - Whaling

By H. W. Gore-Booth

This fascinating book contains a detailed treatise on the practice of whaling. Whaling is the hunting of whales primarily for their meat and oils, with the earliest forms dating at least as far back as 3000 BC. This book was originally published during the explosion of competitive national whaling industries, and details the contemporary methodology and technique used in the industry. Some Notes On Sea Fishing - Whaling is an interesting and insightful book that will greatly appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of modern whaling and constitutes a great addition to any collection of antiquarian maritime literature. This book has been elected for modern republication due to its educational and historical value, and is proudly republished here complete with a new introduction to the subject.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: May 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781473394711

Book preview

Introduction to Sea Fishing

Fishing is an incredibly ancient practice that dates back to at least the beginning of the Paleolithinc period, about 40,000 years ago. Isotopic analysis of the skeletal remains of Tianyuan man, a 40,000-year old modern human from eastern Asia, has shown that he regularly consumed freshwater fish. Archaeological features such as shell middens, discarded fish bones and cave paintings show that sea foods were important for survival and consumed in significant quantities. During this period, most people lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and were, of necessity, constantly on the move. However, where there are early examples of permanent settlements (though not necessarily permanently occupied) such as those at Lepenski Vir (an important Mesolithic archaeological site located in Serbia in the central Balkan peninsula), they are almost always associated with fishing as a major source of food.

Perhaps the earliest wide scale evidence of our employment of sea fishing in particular, comes from the ancient Greeks. Seafood played a central role in the food culture of Greeks, though fishing scenes are rarely represented in their art, a reflection of the low social status of the occupation. Oppian of Corycus, a well-known Greek author, wrote a major treatise on sea fishing; the Halieulica or Halieutika, composed between 177 and 180. This is the earliest such work to have survived to the modern day. The Romans were also frequent sea-fishers, and the main evidence of this practice in their society comes from surviving mosaics. The Roman god of the sea, Neptune, is a figure which lives on in fishing folklore even today. Fish was an integral part of early civilisations’ protein sources, and the Moche people of ancient Peru showed this importance by frequently depicting sea-fishermen on their beautiful ceramics.

When fishing from a boat, or fishing vessel, almost any fishing technique can be used, from nets to fish traps, but some form of angling is by far the most common. Compared to fishing from the land, fishing from a boat allows more access to different fishing grounds and different species of fish. Offshore game fish, like marlin and tuna, can be very large and heavy tackle is needed. Such fishing is usually done with sea rods, such as downtide rods, with lines of 30 to 50 pounds and multiplier reels. Baits are the same as for inshore fishing and include squid and whole mackerel as well as artificial lures such as perks. Fishing takes place over reefs and wrecks for very large cod, ling and congers. ‘Inshore boat fishing’ is fishing from a boat in easy sight of land and in water less than about 30 metres deep, whereas, predictably, ‘offshore boat fishing’, sometimes called ‘deep sea’ or ‘open water’ fishing, is fishing in deep water and at some distance from land. Sea fishing is incredibly dangerous when compared to its shallow water counterpart, as much more in-depth knowledge is needed about weather patterns, navigation and safety precautions. It is generally not seen as an activity for beginners.

Offshore boats are generally much larger than inshore boats, and may need to be moored in a marina. They are sturdily constructed so they can brave the weather and water conditions encountered in