Petri Heil

Fishing – There is probably no hobby that could polarize people more: for some, the pursuit of fish is the ultimate thrill, while for others, it epitomizes boredom. For dedicated anglers, mockery, scorn, and misunderstanding have been brushed off for millennia, as they seek tranquility by the water. But is the age-old stereotype of the eccentric loner, who sits by the lake in pouring rain at dawn, really true? We provide the cultural background knowledge on the subject of fishing! This book invites you on an angling journey through time, starting in the Stone and Bronze Ages and ending in the present day. The reader will not only learn medieval incantations for good fishing luck and meet the inventors of legendary fishing gear, but will also encounter ancient Egyptian fish cults, fishing maidens in castles, men who risked their lives battling swordfish, writers for whom fishing was an escape from reality, and notorious fish whose capture could mean spiritual and earthly doom, along with many other people, fish, and creatures that modern anglers often know little about. The first cultural history of fishing – a must-read!.