The Number Of People Who Fish Outnumbers All The Country’s Golf And Tennis Players Combined

National Go Fishing Day on June 18th each year encourages us to drop a line – in the nearest stream, pond, lake, or river. Taking a break from our daily routine to bait a hook and catch some fish can be a relaxing endeavor.

• 500,000 Years Ago – The discovery of fish fossils suggests that Homo habilis and then Homo erectus were the first fishermen.
• 3500 BC – The First Use of Fishing Equipment
• 200 AD – Fly fishing, a method of fishing, was invented around 200 CE.
• 11th Century – Fish farming begins with the development of fish ponds.
• 1496 – The earliest known English essay on recreational fishing was published in 1496.
• 16th Century – During the 16th and 17th centuries, recreational fishing began to gain popularity.
• 1653 – Izaak Walton published a book titled, The Compleat Angler or Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Walton’s book is the definitive work championing the position of the angler who loves fishing just for the sake of it.
• 1770 – Rods and reels are produced from heavy wood and metal ring spools
• 19th Century – Steam power replaces ship sails two centuries after the first fish trawlers appeared in Great Britain.
• 1880 – Linseed-oil-treated silk replaces horsehair as fishing line.
• 1853 – It was not until 1853 in London, UK, when aeration and filtration of water were understood, that people were able to keep fish as indoor pets.
• 1920 – Fishing increases in popularity because it is a leisurely way to get food on the table.
• 1939 – Cast nets evolve from cotton fiber to nylon.
• 1959 – an Australian named Alfred Dean caught a great white shark that weighed 2,664 pounds. It’s the largest fish caught and recorded by the International Game Fish Association. He caught two other great whites that broke the one-ton mark during his fishing career.
• 2003 – The oldest known age for a fish was an Australian lungfish. In 2003, it was still alive and well at 65 years old
• 2009 – 2016 – Fishing is the most popular outdoor activities in the U.S. from 2009 to 2016
• 2011 – Anglers spent 15.5 billion dollars on fishing in 2011.
• The practice of catching (or attempting to catch) fish with a hook is known as angling.
• Catch and release (returning the fish to the water to continue its life) is often the expectation or requirement by law. For others, this is a preferred form of fishing.
• One million Americans spend an average of 17 days fishing.
• An average angler spends $1,261 on fishing each year.
• Anglers spend almost $300 million a year just on ice to preserve fish longer.
• Anglers spend more than $1 billion a year on bait alone.
• American anglers spend $7.4 billion a year on fishing gear.
• There are 27,000 living species of fish worldwide, out of which 6,000 species are found in Australian waters alone.
• China has the world’s largest fishing industry.
• The world’s fishing industry spends $124 billion every year to produce $70 billion worth of fish.
• The world’s biggest consumers of fish are in Japan and the United States.
• The word “halibut” means “holy flatfish” (hali=holy + butte=flatfish) because it was only eaten on holy days.
• Starfish are not fish. Neither are jellyfish
• Electric eels and electric rays have enough electricity to kill a horse.
• Sharks are the only fish that have eyelids.
• The oldest fishhook ever found dates back to about 42,000 years ago.
• Most brands of lipstick contain fish scales
• On average, flying fish can glide 160 feet (50m), but have been known to glide as far as 660 feet (200 m). And they can reach heights up to 19 feet (6m)
• The fish in the middle of a school controls the school. The fish on the outside are guided by those in the middle. Only bony fish can swim in highly coordinated groups
• The biggest fish in the world is the giant whale shark, which can grow to nearly 60 feet, or the length of two school buses. It weighs over 25 tons and eats mainly plankton. It has over 4,000 teeth, though they are only 3 mm long.
• The fastest fish is the sailfish. It can swim as fast as a car travels on the highway.
• Hammerhead sharks can live in schools of more than 500 sharks. The strongest female swims in the middle. When she is ready to mate, she shakes her head from side to side to signal the other female sharks to move away so she is the center of attention.
• Scientists have explored only 1% of the ocean depths. They believe millions of new kinds of animals and fish are down there, waiting to be discovered.
• Hagfish are some of the slimiest animals on earth. An Atlantic hagfish can make enough slime in one minute to fill a bucket.
• The number of people who fish for sport in America—about 40 million—outnumbers all the country’s golf and tennis players combined.
• Did you know, that American Lobsters have longer life spans than both cats and dogs, living over 20 years?
• What is the loudest fish? The answer is the croaker.
• A seahorse can move each of its eyes separately. One eye can look forward while the other looks backward. Seahorses can also change their color to match their surroundings

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Fact Retriever

The Fish Site

National Today

Hells Canyon Tour