Interesting Facts about Fishing - Fisherman Superstitions

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) statistics say that there are around 38 million fishermen and fish farmers in the world. Some 500 million people are, directly or indirectly employed, thanks to Fisheries and aquaculture.
Most fish cannot swim backwards.
Statistics from 2005, say that fish captured from wild fisheries and harvested from fish farms per year is enough for 21.8 kilograms of fish per every living human on Earth.
Catfish have no scales like other fish. They also have chemoreceptors across their entire bodies meaning they can taste and smell with their skin.

Some statistics say that anglers are more commonly hit by lightings that any other sportsmen because the extra time required to seek shelter and because of general carelessness.
There are 32,000 species of fish which is more than any other group of vertebrates.
Lungfish can survive, buried underground, for years without water because they have both gills and lungs. That helps them survive dry spells.
There is estimation that there are over 15,000 fish species that are still not yet identified. Oceans are vast and who knows what waits for us there.

Not all fish spend all their time in water. Some fish can fly short distances.
There is archeological evidence that human race eats fish for 40,000 years now.
The first fishing reels were invented in 4th century China.
Philippine goby is the smallest fish in the world. It can “reach” 8mm when fully grown.
Oldest fish hook that we found until now is made of shell and is between 16,000 and 23,000 years old.
When the angling (fishing with a fish hook) became popular in 15th century, line for fishing was made by hand from horsehair.
If water that fish lives in doesn’t have enough oxygen - a fish can “drown” (suffocate).
Most fish have an air bladder (or swim bladder) which helps them to rise to surface or sink (when the bladder is empty).
Before angling that we know today, people used spears for fishing. Some places still use spears to catch fish.
The lateral line is a sense organ found mainly in fish. It allows them for instance to follow the vortices produced by fleeing prey, for orientation and to produce spatial awareness.

Fisherman Superstitions

Fishermen can be very superstitious. Here are some of their beliefs:

You will not catch any fish if you take your fishing rods into the house before you go fishing.
It is a bad luck if you let a dog (any dog) stand near the fishing equipment that you intend to use. On the other hand, black cats bring good luck if they are seen on the way to the fishing ground.
If you go fishing by boat, don’t look back once you cast off - it also brings bad luck.
One superstition that fishermen inherited from sailors is that a one who wear earrings or have tattoos won't drown in case of a shipwreck or falling overboard.