Fishing from the earliest times - Blog

CHAPTER XXXIFISHING METHODSThe relevance to fish and fishing of all the preceding matter,except the last two sentences, may be challenged : a moment'sconsideration, however, shows that it is apposite.The object of introducing these historical facts is to demonstrate(i) the existence of an intercourse between Assyria andEgypt for certainly fourteen hundred, possibly three thousand,years, (2) to show cause for our astonishment at the absenceof the Rod from all Mesopotamian representation or records,and at the non-adoption of a weapon which for centuriesfound favour with the Egyptians.In my Jewish chapter I comment at length on the absenceof any mention of or allusion to the Rod in Israelitish literatureand on the unconvincing reasons advanced for this absence.Angling may have been unsuited to the Semitic temperament,because it yielded less lucrative returns than the Net.Even if we grant that the ruling or only passion of thistemperament was for fishing " in plenty," why, we are drivento ask, did both nations condescend to fishing with hand-lines,which are not much more productive than the Rod ? If handliningwas prompted by some instinct of sport, why wasAngling, the higher development of this instinct, not alsoreached ?Of the four implements of Fishing, the Spear, the Rod,the Line and Hook, and the Net, the Assyrians seem to have* " Fishing, fishing everywhere " is the key-note of the picture ; thecrab in the top left-hand corner is also well into his fish. The picture facingp. 349 comes from the Assyrian sculptures in British Museum : in Mansell's collection.No. 430.355