"You're telling me. Some overgrown rat with a big, fluffy tail hit me with something when I tried to sneak up on it. Knocked me right out." Probably not in any danger of a fish doing anything like that, not without biting or poking with a spine, or something of that nature.

Ranged hunting would be the way to go.

"Don't suppose you've got any weapons stocked away in here, too?"