Let’s Go Fishing!
Catching fish is an ancient tradition. Among our hunting and fishing ancestors, fishing was certainly more popular than hunting, since it was a far less dangerous way of obtaining food and the chances of success were much greater. What exactly is the difference between fishing and angling? Our latest selection will make it clear.
The Fish Motif
In European culture, the fish is a symbol of abundance and fertility. But above all, the fish motif is a powerful Christian symbol—once even a secret emblem of Christians. In Greek, the word for fish is ichthys, an acronym for Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Later it also gained figurative meaning, as the body of the Savior could serve as "spiritual nourishment." Both the Old and New Testament contain numerous references to fish, and the fish may also allude to the apostles, many of whom were fishermen by trade.
Fishing vs. Angling
There is a vast difference between fishing and angling. The distinction lies mainly in the goals and methods. While angling is a form of active recreation, fishing is also considered a branch of agriculture—in fact, a profession.
According to the Hungarian Ethnographic Lexicon, fishing was already an important occupation of the Hungarians before the conquest of the Carpathian Basin. During their coexistence with the Voguls and Ostyaks, our people were already familiar with nets and primitive hooks, and through contact with Turkic peoples they began using the two-pronged spear. Research into the history of Hungarian fishing shows that by the 16th–17th century, large nets were already in use along the Bodrog River. Interestingly, the peasants were not allowed to keep their entire catch, as part of the fish had to be delivered to the owner of the fishing waters.
The importance of fishing began to decline with the regulation of rivers and the draining of marshes. Traditional fishing was increasingly confined to small bodies of water.
Angling, on the other hand, is a hobby—or rather, a passion—practiced for the experience itself rather than for food. An essential tool of angling is the hook, usually made of metal. Up until the early 1900s, Hungarian fishermen commissioned village blacksmiths to make hooks. Angling is typically practiced with shore hooks and terminal tackle. As for sport fishing, in Hungary it only became a mass movement after World War II.
Associations
The first known organizations related to fishing and angling in Hungary already appeared in the second half of the 19th century, though at that time they still functioned as fishing societies, since angling and fishing were not yet distinct. The first “true” angling association was founded in 1908: the Budapest Anglers’ Sports Association, which still exists today. Later, in 1946, the Hungarian National Anglers’ Association (MOHOSZ) was established and has operated continuously ever since. By the end of its first year, it already had 17,000 members. To promote their activities, MOHOSZ launched the journal Magyar Horgász (“Hungarian Angler”) in January 1947. The popularity of angling is reflected in the fact that today the renewed Magyar Horgász Magazine is one of the largest leisure publications in Hungary, published monthly in print.
Although research shows that fish consumption in Hungary is no longer high—despite the fact that old cookbooks list over 200 different fish dishes—the popularity of angling remains unbroken. Today, the number of registered anglers in Hungary, according to MOHOSZ, exceeds 750,000.
TÉ
translated by LG
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