the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
"After a long week at work, he spent his Saturday morning fishing just to relax and enjoy the quiet by the lake."
the occupation of catching fish for a living
"After years of working as an accountant, he finally returned to his hometown to take up fishing again."
The act of catching fish.
"After a long morning of fishing, we finally caught our first trout from the riverbank."
In plain English: Fishing is the activity of catching fish using a line, rod, or net.
"His favorite hobby is fishing in the lake during the summer."
Usage: Fishing refers to the recreational or commercial activity of catching fish, not the specific act of trying to catch one particular fish. Use this term when describing the general hobby or profession rather than a single attempt at capture.
present participle of fish
"The angler was fishing all morning before finally catching a trout."
In plain English: To fish means to try to catch fish by using a line with bait or a net in water.
"The children are fishing by the river with colorful rods."
Usage: Use "fishing" to describe the act of searching for or catching fish with bait or a net. Do not use it when referring to looking for other information, as that requires different verbs like "searching" or "inquiring."
The word fishing comes from Middle English fischynge, which was formed by combining the word fish with the suffix -ing. It entered modern usage as a direct way of describing the act or process of catching fish.