Why are people so hooked on fishing? Mark Kurlansky's 'To Catch a Fish' explores sportfishing's allure

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published April 14, 2026 at 12:02 PM EDT

The cover of "To Catch a Fish" and author Mark Kurlansky. (Courtesy of Bri Dostie and Mark Kurlansky)

Why do people fish? Many fishermen keep and cook their catch, of course, but few people these days are fishing for sustenance. No, fishermen and women are hooked by something other than hunger.

Mark Kurlansky has been fishing for as long as he can remember, and writing about it almost as long. His new book is called “To Catch a Fish: Essays on the Joy, Frustration, Curiosity, and Allure of Fishing,” and he joined Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd to talk about it.

Book excerpt: ‘To Catch a Fish’

By Mark Kurlansky

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.