Firstly, the proper description of this fish is certainly dog-fish, with old sea-dog properly being a polite term for someone who was close to being a pirate. Someone who has sailed the seven seas for many years and who sometimes sailed a bit close to the wind, to the wind of the law that is. A species of lovable rogue.
Secondly, we do not describe fishing for dog-fish as hunting. Hunting is a term reserved for the respectable businesses of chasing down foxes or shooting down grouse and pheasant and is certainly not used for grubbing around in coastal waters for dog-fish.
Thirdly, I have never heard of anyone going fishing for dog-fish, although there are some people who claim a preference for same when visiting fish and chip shops, where it is known as rock-salmon, or as a spot of rock for short.
There are further complications around the other name for dog-fish, 'roussette', which doubles as the name for the larger fruit bats of the tropics. And then why do the French take it into their heads to call bats in general bald mice? And why is the word for mice so confusingly close to that for a smile?
With thanks to the Atlantic Fish Bar of Weston-super-Mare for the illustration.
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