Can I catch fish in Valheim with a bow, spear, or by hand?

Please, no spoilers. My friend and I are very much enjoying the "explore & discover" aspects of this game and I don't want to ruin that. I accidentally spoiled myself already by trying to answer this by google search - so please, no (more) spoilers.

We already know that somewhere (near the world's edge, we think) there is a Trader. We have not found him (although last night we went on a trip to the edge of the world and promptly fell off, complete with our boat and all of our best gear). My earlier google search indicated that the Trader sells fishing rods.

So, my question... is there any other way to hunt fish? They don't seem to be susceptible to spears (thrown or stabbing) or to arrows (at least, not wooden or flint ones).

Again, please minimize spoilers - "yes" and "no" are perfect, although if I'm missing something with spear/bow fishing and it is possible, some guidance would be nice.

*: I don't consider "looking for fish that washed up on shore" to be "hunting".


No, there is no way to "hunt" fish.

As per the Wiki: "Fish can be caught by hand or using a Fishing Rod and Fishing Bait, which are acquired via the trader. You can obtain Raw Fish by grabbing the fish with [E]. When catching fish by hand, stand still in shallow water and they will slowly approach."

I don't know if this is what you mean by "washed up", but these are the only two ways.