Fish & Fishing Proverbs

Sayings about Fish & Fishing

Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day; Give him a religion, and he’ll starve to death while praying for a fish. Teach a man fishing and you feed him for a lifetime. ~ Chinese Proverbs

A fish wouldn’t get into trouble if it kept its mouth shut. ~ Korean Proverbs

When the big fish fight the shrimps must lie low. ~ Creole Proverb (Southern U.S.)

In the morning be first up, and in the evening last to go to bed, for they that sleep catch no fish. ~ English Proverbs

In still waters are the largest fish. ~ Danish Proverbs

It is no good going to the river just wanting to catch a fish; you have to take a net as well. ~ Chinese Proverb

Women and fishes are best in the middle. ~ German Proverbs

There is one fish in the pond, and ten anglers on the bank. ~ Vietnamese Proverb

Fish don’t get caught in deep water. ~ Malawian Proverb

Eat your fish while it is still fresh and marry the girl while she is still young. ~ German Proverb

A cat likes to eat fresh fish but it will not go into the water. ~ Mongolian Proverb

The fish caught in the net starts to think. ~ Zanzibar Proverb

Don’t sell the fish that is still swimming in the ocean. ~ Turkish Proverb

If you find no fish, you have to eat bread. ~ Ghanaian Proverb

No matter how hard you throw a dead fish in the water, it still won’t swim. ~ Traditional Proverb

Never offer to teach a fish to swim. ~ Traditional Proverb

If you are not a fish, how can you know if the fish are happy? ~ Chinese Proverb

The best way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly. ~ Saying

Don’t bargain for fish which are still in the water. ~ Indian Proverb

The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing. ~ Babylonian Proverb

Nothing is so clean as a fish. ~ Welsh Proverb

Like a fish, one should look for a hole in the net. ~ Samoan Proverb

A child without a mother is like a fish in shallow water. ~ Myanmar Proverb

The pool has dried up, and the fish is in trouble. ~ South African Proverb

The bait tastes first the fish. ~ German Proverb

Fish or cut bait. ~ American Proverb

There is no need for fish in an empty pond. ~ Iranian Proverb

To climb a tree to catch a fish is talking much and doing nothing. ~ Chinese Proverb

A rotten fish pollutes the whole kitchen. ~ Senegalese Proverb

When asked, “What news from the sea?” The fish replied “I have a lot to say, but my mouth is full of water.” ~ Armenian Proverb

Big fish eat little fish. ~ Traditional Proverb

The fish sees the bait not the hook; a man sees not the danger — only the profit. ~ Mongolian Proverb

In large rivers one finds big fish but one may also be drowned. ~ Spanish Proverb

A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle. ~ Gloria Steinem

There is a time to fish and a time to dry the nets. ~ Chinese Proverb

Throw a lucky man in the sea, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth. ~ Arabian Proverb

Look and keep silent, and if you are eating meat, tell the world it’s fish. ~ Arabian Proverb

He fishes well who uses a golden hook. ~ Latin Proverb

Where there is fish, there is water. ~ Japanese Proverb

There is never a fish without a bone, and no man without faults. ~ Norwegian Proverb

Who owns the bank owns the fish. ~ Russian Proverb

At high tide fish eat ants; at low tide ants eat fish. ~ Thai Proverb

The fish you cannot catch is always a big one. ~ Chinese Proverb

To lie and eat fish demand a lot of skill. ~ Spanish Proverb

If you cannot catch a fish, do not blame the sea. ~ Greek Proverb

A rotting fish begins to stink at the head. ~ Italian Proverb

A fisherman never says his fish stink. ~ Creole Proverb (Southern U.S.)

May the holes in your net be no larger than the fish in it. ~ Irish Blessing

It is not a fish until it is on the bank. ~ Irish Proverb

Weaving a net is better than praying for fish at the edge of the water. ~ Chinese Proverb

A fisherman’s walk: three steps and overboard. ~ English Proverb

There are people that fish and those who just disturb the water. ~ Chinese Proverb

Make not the sauce till you have caught the fish. ~ English Proverb

If the seawater were hotter we could catch boiled fish. ~ French Proverbs

Water can do without fish, fish cannot do without water. ~ Chinese Proverb

Different seas, different fish. ~ Indonesian Proverb

No one with a good catch of fish goes home by the back alley. ~ Traditional Proverb

Fishing without a net is just bathing. ~ Nigerien Proverb

Fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths. ~ Saying

It is the sauce that makes the fish edible. ~ French Proverb

Big fish jump out of the kettle. ~ Saying

A big fish is caught with big bait. ~ Sierra Leonean Proverb

Seeking fish? Don’t dive in the pond; go home and get a net. ~ Chinese Proverb

If fishes could hear as well as see. ~ Saying

He who wants to go fishing must not be afraid of the water. ~ Hungarian Proverb

Govern a family as you would cook a small fish — very gently. ~ Chinese Proverb

Fishermen recognize each other from far away. ~ Russian Proverb

From all the fish in the pot you can only make one soup. ~ Malagasy Proverb

Venture a small fish to catch a much greater one. ~ English Proverb

A fish gets bigger when it gets away. ~ Japanese Proverbs

There are finer fish in the sea than have ever been caught. ~ Irish Proverb

The bigger the river the bigger the fish. ~ Portuguese Proverbs

Good things come to those who bait. ~ Saying

All rotten fish taste the same. ~ Chinese Proverb

It is ill fishing before the net. ~ English Proverb

Tasty fish have to swim three times: once in the water, then in butter, and finally in wine. ~ Polish Proverb

Fishing is the sport of drowning worms. ~ Saying

Little fish are sweet. ~ Dutch Proverbs

Fish and guests stink after three days. ~ Danish Proverb

He who digs too deep for a fish, may come out with a snake. ~ Ethiopian Proverb

There are two types of fisherman – those who fish for sport and those who fish for fish. ~ Saying

A cat loves fish, but won’t risk its claws. ~ Yiddish Proverb

Related proverbs & Sayings : Cooking | Eating | Hunting

Fish, Fishing and the Meaning of Life. ~ Book preview