fishing: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 22, 2026

News •

Beat-up boat served generations of Point Defiance fishermen. Time for a change • Oct. 16, 2026, 7:15 PM ET (The Spokane Spokesman-Review)

Facts

Also Known As	sport fishing • angling • sportfishing

Photos and Videos

Bass fishing in Charles county, Md.

Six fly fishing lures, known as nymph flies, are arranged against a white background, each featuring various colors and feather patterns to imitate aquatic insects.

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Experience game fishing off the coast of Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Learn about the contrasting ideas of size-selective fishing and balanced harvesting of fish to ensure adequate supply for future generations

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

fishhook fishing reel fishing rod gaff line lure ice fishing big-game fishing tackle casting commercial fishing horsemanship snowboarding skiing hunting mountaineering swimming tourism surfing cycling

Key People

Izaak Walton, detail of an oil painting by Jacob Huysmans, c. 1675; in the National Portrait Gallery, London

Izaak Walton

English biographer

Purported portrait of Dame Juliana Berners

Dame Juliana Berners

Englishwoman of letters