THE MEXICAN FISHERMAN'S WORD FOR CATCHING FISH

June 11, 2004, Jorge Bergin, East Cape, Mexico Fishing:

A little puzzle about fishing and language:

Catching a fish is easier done than said. We don't actually "Catch" a fish. In any language the activity (with hook and line) is complete after 3 things happen. First we must "Hook" the fish, then reel it in (or pull it in with a handline) to the shore or boat, bring it onto the shore, into the boat or release it back into the water. Since no one word will suffice for 3 separate actions and since we are lazy when it comes to language we settle for a word to almost describe part of the process.

I find it ironic that Spanish speaking people go about vocalizing the activity in the exact same, incorrect way. Most Mexican fishermen I meet use the term Trampa, "trap". They will not use the Spanish words for "hook", "catch", "capture", "kill", "take or take out" or "grab".

Our misuse of either language only costs us more verbiage because, when pressed, we must tell the whole story: "I caught 4 nice fish, lost 2 more, let one go at the boat."