If you have a fisherman in your life, you know that the trade or hobby is rife with strange and seemingly illogical superstitions. Many of the superstitions involve avoiding certain words while on the boat, such as the word pig. A few others are for improving one’s luck with the rod using spit or bribing the sea gods with trinkets. There is so much that can go wrong on a catch that it is little wonder that fishermen are always looking for a reason for the bad luck or a way to turn the bad luck around.
Suicides Scare Off Herring
In Scotland it is believed that herring will leave any section of the coast where a suicide has happened. The story supposedly goes back to a time when two men had committed suicide by drowning themselves along a coast. No herring could be caught in the area afterwards. This went on for several years until the local fisherman decided to appease the herring. They lit sacrificial bonfires in the places where the men’s bodies had been found. Within the year, the herring returned to that section of the coast and the fishermen were out making their livelihood once more. [SOURCE 1]
Spit
Spit has been a magical cure all and fix all throughout human history. It undoes the negative effects of the evil eye. It protects brides and children from evil wishers. Spitting brings good luck, ensures the safety of one going on a journey, and it was even believed to help cure the worst of diseases, such as leprosy.
In the fishing world, spitting is just as wonderful as it is among the magically inclined. In New England, fishermen spit on the fish bait to assure good luck and a good catch. Another general superstition tells fishermen to spit on the hook to charm it with good fortune. Spitting on the boat or in the water is also good luck and attracts a good catch. [SOURCES 4,5,6]
Catching The Boot
We can all picture it. A fisherman goes out for a day’s catch and, instead of catching a fish, he captures a boot. It has been shown in old comic strips and is a popular scene in numerous cartoons. However, it must have been a real problem because there are superstitions about catching boots or shoes.
In Scotland, catching a boot for the left foot was extremely unlucky. The only way to get rid of the misfortune was to spit on the boot and throw it back into the water.
A boot from the right foot was a different story. If a fisherman was fortunate to catch a right boot, he would nail it to the boat’s mast to bring the best of good luck to the boat and all who were on it. [SOURCE 7]
A Jinxed Good Morning
Normally, saying “good morning” to someone is considered good manners, but not to the fishermen of the Scottish lowlands. In fact, a stranger wishing a Scottish fisherman a good morning is bad luck and can cause the most stubborn fisherman to turn around and head back home because he now believes that he will catch no fish.
This may be why so many fishermen today head out to the docks with their heads down, avoiding eye contact with everyone they pass. The wrong phrase or the wrong look from a stranger could bring down a cloud of bad luck and make the fish avoid his hook. [SOURCE 1]
A Good Argument
Among the Pennsylvania German, it is always assumed that if a man is out ice fishing, he is in an argument with his wife. Oddly enough, this is similar to another superstition: if a fisherman and his wife get into an argument before he goes fishing, he will catch a lot of fish. Of course, the argument has to happen all on its own and it cannot be forced or faked. The “rules” say nothing about pushing the wife’s buttons, though, so it is easy to imagine the fisherman waking up, leaving the toilet seat up, spilling his coffee on the table, and dragging mud into the house just to tick off his wife before he heads out to the waters. [SOURCE 2]
Toss A Fellow In
If fishing is going really bad, you may need to show the sea what it is you are trying to do. Among the fishermen of Scotland, a last ditch effort to get the fish biting was to throw a fellow fisherman into the water and fish him out again. It was a form of sympathetic magic meant to give the fish an idea of what was supposed to happen.
On the other hand, sailors and fishermen were fearful of letting any of their blood enter the water. Doing so would give the sea or lake spirits a taste of the person and they would inevitably grow hungry for the whole man. [SOURCE 7]
Seagulls
Seagulls and fishermen are tied together through ancient beliefs. Seagulls, according to old sea beliefs, are the souls of sailors who drowned at sea. Killing a seagull is extremely unlucky and no one who has killed a seagull will ever be a good fisherman.
Fishermen also pay attention to where the seagulls are hanging out. There is often a shoal of fish where there is a large gathering of seagulls. If the seagulls suddenly start heading to shore, there is a chance of storm and superstitious fishermen tend to follow suit. [SOURCE 8]
No Counting
Among fishermen across the United States and in many places throughout Europe, counting how many fish you have caught is super bad luck. In fact, if you count the fish you have caught while you are still fishing, you won’t catch anymore fish that day or for the next few days.
The reason for this superstition is not fully known, although it may be linked to greed, one of the seven sins. By counting the fish, the fisherman is showing that what he has already caught is not enough. It reduces the fish’s sacrifice to a number and shows the greater spirit that yhe is not satisfied with what he already has. [SOURCE 1]
The Dollar Bill
A more recent fishing superstition was reported in a boating magazine in 2003. Using the age old belief in making sacrifices, it was suggested that sports fishermen crank a single dollar right into the fishing reel. On casting out, the dollar bill is offered up to the sea in the hopes that the big fish will bite. This is similar to fishermen tossing pennies or silver into the sea for good luck and for the blessings of the sea spirits.
Safely returning the first fish you catch is also a great way to ensure bigger and better fish, according to a much older superstition. [SOURCE 2, 3]
Eat From The Tail Up
The superstitious rituals don’t stop at the water. After the fisherman has caught his fish and takes them home for dinner, he has to eat them a certain way. General superstition states that if the fisherman eats his fish from tail to head, he will surely catch more fish in the future. Maybe this is because he is symbolically eating his way “up,” but no solid reason is given for this belief.
Interestingly enough, even though eating fish a certain way will boost your fishing luck, fishing every day of the week is unlucky. It shows that you are greedy and the gods have a long history of punishing those who exhibit greediness. [SOURCE 2]
Sources:
4. http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/s/spittle.html
5. http://newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com/2012/04/magic-power-of-spit.html
