Definitely no (official) fishing from a U-boat.
Standing orders from BdU:
U-boats were to maintain a proper watch at all times and this was not to be distracted.
I can think of one U-boat that was lost after ignoring these orders, to fish out floating boxes (from a long-sunken ship) that contained a strange kind of wool inside.
The watch-crew observed this instead of the seas and skies. Then they were unexpectedly attacked by unnoticed carrier-aircraft firing guns. The 'wool' burst into flames all over the boat - it was gun-cotton. While the crew dealt with the fires, other aircraft bombed the U-boat into a state where it had to be abandoned.
Doubtless there were other occurrences of such unauthorised distractions resulting in the loss of the boat. U-boat refuelling operations at sea were exceptionally perilous, for the same reason.
Stiebler.
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