by Editor Miro Susta 
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 19th of August 2022

Our fast-paced times are taking their toll. Many people are again drawn to nature to find balance from the stress and tension of everyday life.
More and more individuals seek real relaxation in or around water, and many of them have become occasional fishermen. Fishing is in vogue.

'A cat fisher on the beach' by Iryna Kuznetsova (Iridi)

'Fishing' by Magdalena Fifi

This article is intended to show the reader the beautiful fishing moments in the picture and accompany them with a short explanatory note.

'best companion' by Uschi Hermann

There are many methods of fishing, some of which are shown here in the pictures.

FISHING WITH A FISHING ROD
This is the most popular method. Fishing rod is suitable for still and flowing water as well as for sea fishing from both shoreline and cliffs.

Gone Fishin' by Yvette Depaepe

'Fishing at the golden sea' by Shenshen Dou

Another popular fishing method is FISHING FROM A BOAT, which opens many possibilities.
It is no wonder that boat fishing is becoming more and more popular and allows fishing in a different and more effective way than from the shore.

'Hold the Hook' by Izabela Laszewska-Mitrega/Darek Mitrega

'Morning Mist' by Angela Muliani Hartojo

FISHING IN THE WINTER is something very special. For one thing, many species of fish, especially predators, bite very well in winter.
Winter, ice fishing, is very popular in northern countries, it is an exciting thing to fish a fish through the ice hole.

'Safety First' by Niyazi Gürgen

'Fisherman' by Nese Ari

And we should not forget traditional fishing methods like the STILT FISHING and CATCHING FISH WITH CHINESE FISHING NETS.
In Stilt Fishing, the fisher uses a long wooden stilt and stamp it into the seabed. Another horizontal pole is attached to the stilt for the fishermen to sit on. It is popular in south-western Sri Lanka.

'The Stilt Fisherman' by Giacomo Bruno

The Chinese Fishing Nets are a distinctive feature of Kochi in the State of Kerala in south-western India and can only be found here outside of China.
The weight of a man walking on the main beam is enough to let the net sink into the sea. When the net is full of fish, the fishermen pull it back into the boat. After catching the fish, people can choose which ones they want and then have them cooked at one of the stalls. These fishing nets were set up on the shores of Kochi between 1350 and 1450 AD.

'Sunset over Chinese Fishing Nets' by Miro Susta

But not only humans catch fish, also many species of birds and animals’ prey on them and consume them at least as occasional food.

'Lunch over Mississippi' by John Fan

In the following illustrations selected photos depicting some fish hunters from the wild nature.

Bald Eagle
Bald Eagles catch some of the biggest fish out of any bird of prey. They live near open bodies of water located between Alaska and Mexico.
As the national bird of the USA, the bald eagle is one of the most recognizable birds in the world.

'Every day is sushi day' by Øystein Rye Eriksen

'The Show Time' by David Hua

Common Tern
Common Terns are eager callers, elegant and graceful birds that fly very smoothly and with great swing. With impressive dive flights, they dive into the water to prey on small fish.

'My meat too!' by James

Osprey
The Osprey lives near shallow freshwater lakes or coastal brackish waters.
The Osprey's menu consists exclusively of fish. It has perfected its hunting technique, so it can still catch them in water up to one metre deep.

'Aiming One' by Tao Huang

'Osprey catching fish' by Vladimir Kogan

Kingfisher
The Kingfisher lives near natural, slow-flowing and fish-rich rivers and streams or also at quarry lakes and ponds.
Every day it needs at least 15 - 30 grams, i.e., five to ten 4 - 7 cm large pieces of fish.

'Catching' by Marco Redaelli

Pelican
Pelicans eat 10 % of their body weight in the form of fish every day. That is about 1.2 kg.
The pelican uses its beak like a landing net or scoop to catch fish. To do this, it opens its beak and "floods" the skin bag with water. Then it opens its beak slightly to let the water flow out again. The tasty fish remain and land in the hungry stomach.

'Fishing scene' by Xavier Ortega

'Food chain' by Pedro Jarque Krebs

Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron live in a variety of wetland habitats, including lakes, marshes, and streams.
Great blue herons typically hunt fish by standing very still near the edge of or in the water. However, they can also catch fish while walking or flying.
Unlike some birds that eat fish in groups, great blue herons are solitary, and primarily hunt alone.

'The Heron and the Perch' by Mircea Costina

'Look what I found' by Christopher Schlaf

Great Cormorant
Cormorants most often hunt in shallow coastal waters, where they can dive almost to the bottom in search of prey. The cormorant feeds on various species of fish and is therefore perfectly equipped for fishing. They dive either from the water's surface or from a rock or branch where they sit. It plunges into the water with a small leap and dives quite noiselessly without the water surface becoming noticeably clear.
When the cormorant is near suitable prey, it pounces on the fish and grabs it in its beak. It usually brings its prey to the surface, flattens it in its beak and swallows it in one go. Great Cormorant catches all kinds of fish, such as herring, plaice, cod or eels, which it discovers at depths of up to ten metres.

'Catching a fish' by Hong Chen

'Too Big for You' by Makoto Hamasaki

River Otter
Like the rest of their family, River Otters are predators. They generally get their food from the water; it consists predominantly of fish.
The River Otter requires to catch about one hundred grams of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt three to five hours a day, lactating females up to eight hours.

'The fish eater' by Marco Pozzi

California Sea Lion
The California Sea Lion looks for its food in the water. It is an agile hunter and eats mainly fish, preferably salmon, and can dive up to one hundred metres deep and stay underwater for 15 minutes.

'Splash Baitball' by Jennifer Lu

Kodiak Brown Bear
Next to the polar bear, the Kodiak Bear is the largest land predator on earth!
For most of the year, grasses and roots are the Kodiak bear's main meal. In spring, when the huge swarms of salmon migrate upriver in Alaska, Kodiaks gather in hordes at the big rivers, throw themselves into the floods and catch the fat salmon bites without any great trouble.

'Alaska. The Catch' by Roman Golubenko

'Unlucky Jump' by Peter Stahl

I hope you have enjoyed this trip into the world of fishing, the world of thoughtful patience, but also the world of escape from the daily stress.
To end this article, two quotes about fishing...

"When you feel neglected, think of the salmon that lays 3 million eggs but not one congratulates for Mother's Day:" Sam Ewing
"The most interesting creature in zoology is the fish. It still grows when it has long since been eaten. At least in the eyes of the angler." Ernest Hemingway.

'The traditional Fishermen on Inle Lake, Myanmar' by Mahendra Bakle

'Fisher Women Catching Fishes' by Saurabh Sirohiya

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