“Fishing in the Dark” - Its Meaning, Origin & Usage

You may recognize the phrase “Fishing in the dark” from a popular 1980s song that was in the US charts for some time.

Besides a song title, the expression “Fishing in the dark” also has a much more personal meaning.

In this article, we explore what “Fishing in the dark” means, its origins and how you can use it to spend some nice times with your partner.

The Meaning of “Fishing in the Dark”

Just like many proverbs and expressions, “fishing in the dark” isn’t actually about what it seems to be. It isn’t about fishing.

Instead, “fishing in the dark” refers to having sex or making love in the moonlight. As it is impossible to see anything in the dark, you wouldn’t take your fishing gear out.

But you would take a cozy blanket and a nice bottle of wine with you to get romantic with your loved one.

The term originates from a popular song that talk about fishing as an analogy to get out into the dark and make love.

If your partner invites you to go “fishing in the dark” with you, then you can expect that they take you to a park or a lake to make love, not to go fishing.

It’s a round-the-back way of saying that your partner want’s to spend some intimate moments alone with you and enjoy your body and company.

“Fishing in the dark” can refer to any type of intimacy between partners in the moonlight, including sex and masturbation.

Examples of “Fishing in the Dark”

As “fishing in the dark” is a lovely way to ask your partner for more intimacy, there are some great examples.

“Do you have some time tomorrow to go fishing in the dark? We could head out to the lakes for a nice quiet time.”

If your partner doesn’t understand the reference to “fishing in the dark” for love making, then you can also describe it as in the example below.

“I would love to go fishing in the dark tonight. It has nothing to do with boats, angling or fishing, so no need to bring any gear.”

The expression “fishing in the dark” is also often used when someone doesn’t specifically want to say that they had sex with someone.

“I really enjoyed fishing in the dark with this girl last night. Great fun fishing in the bedroom.”

However, the term can also be confusing for anyone who doesn’t know the original song lyrics or the expression “fishing in the dark”.

“My girlfriend told me yesterday that she wants us to go fishing in the dark this weekend. Not sure what that means but sounds fun anyway.”

Other Ways to Say “Fishing in the Dark”

If you don’t want to use the expression “fishing in the dark”, then you can use a variety of other terms, such as “making love under the moonlight” or “having sex under the stars”.

As the term refers to a late-night intimate encounter with your lover, you can even express it with the actual song.

Just play the song “Fishing in the dark” from Garth Brooks. The story of the song is very romantic, so your partner will understand quickly that this is the situation you would like to recreate.

Talking about “fishing in the dark” is also a good way to avoid explicitly mentioning sex or making love.

You can also use other phrases such as “fun under the stars” or “playing in the dark”.

Origins of “Fishing in the Dark”

The expression “fishing in the dark” originally comes from a song with the same name created by Californian songwriters Wendy Waldman and Jim Photoglo.

The song “Fishing in the Dark” was featured on the duo’s studio album “Hold On” that came out in 1987.

While the song was unknown for a long time, country singer Garth Brooks picked it up in 2005 and he covered it.

From then on, “Fishing in the Dark” was more popular than before, and the phrase also became a famous reference to lovers meeting under the disguise of darkness.

The song itself is about a couple going for a true late-night fishing adventure in late spring. However, instead of fishing, they end up making love.

The full moon is out and the quiet, unknown river is a great location for the two lovers to enjoy each other.