What is fishing?
Fishing is the act of catching fish from rivers, lakes, or seas for food, sport, or business. It’s been essential for survival for thousands of years and is still a popular hobby and industry. Some use rods and bait, while others rely on nets or traps. Whether relaxing by the water or on a deep-sea adventure, fishing takes patience, skill, and a bit of luck.
Fishing idioms list
Here’s a list of common fishing idioms and their meanings. These phrases come from fishing but are now used in everyday conversations to describe different situations.
drop someone a line
meaning – contact someone by phone or writing
example – Alex said drop him a line if you want to do something this weekend.
fish for compliments
meaning – try and elicit compliments from someone
example – Kirsty always fishes for compliments; she is so annoying.
off the hook
meaning – safe from trouble, blame, difficulty etc.
example – Jenny has offered to sit in on the meeting, so I’m off the hook.
open a can of worms
meaning – do/say something that will cause more trouble than it’s worth
example – If the owner’s unqualified daughter gets the promotion, it will open a can of worms.
plenty more fish in the sea
meaning – when a relationship fails, there are more people to have relationships with
example – Everyone is telling me there’s plenty more fish in the sea, but I only want Hugh.
reel in
meaning – catch a fish and pull it to land
example – Let’s go to a club and reel in the ladies.
You can download a table of fishing idioms and expressions below.
If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more sports idioms by clicking on the links below.