|
|
|
The future of fishing will rely on youth hitting the water.
|
“I gotta Wii” my twelve-year-old cousin typed over MSN messenger.
“Well, it’s your house, you know where the bathroom is,” I responded.
“LOL, very funny, I mean the Nintendo Wii” he texted back.
”Just make sure you don’t waste your summer in the basement in front of it,” I replied.
“k I wont, g2g l8r” he concluded.
Knowing the draw electronics have on young people, I hoped he would still find the time to head to Watford City’s fishing pond this summer, line up some tin cans in the back yard and plink away with his air rifle, play baseball and bike down the scoria road that ran into the hills by his house, a few miles from the badlands. My unease came from my own personal experiences and hours wasted on the couch as a kid watching pixels light up and fade on the TV, a growing trend for young people in Generations X, Y and Z.
Of greater concern to many anglers is the lack of interest in the outdoors by today’s youth. This is reflected by the declining numbers of fishing licenses purchased by or for anglers age 16-25 over the past decade or so. With less and less youth taking to the sport, many questions arise. Who will stand up for clean water? Who will address access to lakes and rivers? Who will carry on the future of fishing in America? While these are all valid issues, perhaps the most important one is “how will not fishing impact a single individual.”
For many, angling is an every-now-and-then event, for some, it is an once-in-a-lifetime event, and for a few, it is an every-day event. The casual angler develops a relationship with the land and the water from a few trips to the shore to stare down a bobber. The one-timer may have tried the sport and not liked it, or just only had that one trip to uncle Joe’s lake cabin. It is the die-hards that hold the future of the sport in their hands; they know the important role angling plays in their life. But it is up to everyone to pass this tradition on.
Fishing benefits a young person on many levels, the foremost being conservation. Learning about the natural world, food webs, man’s interaction with nature, and the various plants and animals come from the simple experience of baiting a hook and being on the water. This begins the introduction to both the sport and the factors that influence it. For some it becomes a life-long learning process, provoking questions about our world and stimulating interests in biology, botany, meteorology, and a dozen other disciplines.
Beyond that, fishing strengthens a person’s character through the most basic of all tests - man versus the elements. There is a primal need to search and capture that has not been deleted from the psyche of man by computers or television. To catch a fish of any size is a small victory; to catch a large fish is a bigger one. When a fish is lost, more questions arise, along with a certain feeling of defeat, awe and shock. What was it - a walleye, a bass? Why did it get away, my knot, my drag? Will it bite again? The basic element of a small defeat (which at that time, and even in adult angling experiences can seem immense) usually provokes the desire to succeed next time, strengthening resolve and moral fiber.
Furthermore, fishing provides a positive outlet for today’s youth. While it isn’t exactly sprinting up and down a basketball court, or running the basepaths in little league, there are elements of exercise in fishing. Walking to the park or biking to a nearby pond gets kids off the couch and hooks them on fun, healthy experiences. Being outside connects them with the fresh air, sights and sounds of actual reality, as opposed to those of virtual reality. Fishing makes kids care about the world around them and enjoy the opportunities to be outside. All of these parts result in a sum greater than their total – a well-rounded individual.
Most states in the U.S. recognize the importance of angling on these levels and others, and foster involvement in the activity by the creation of “free fishing days,” when anglers are not required to have a license. North Dakota’s free fishing days are this weekend, June 2 and 3. Many wildlife clubs host youth fishing events, and many individuals use the weekend’s amnesty to hit the water with those who don’t normally fish. Contact local groups in your area, to see if this weekend or sometime down the road this summer, such an event is occurring near you. While the payback you receive might just be the good feeling of helping out, the advantages gained by a young person from just a few hours of angling could be much greater.
Take a kid fishing sometime this summer; for bluegills, bass or whatever’s biting. It will be a good experience for you, a great experience for them, but an even bigger benefit…to our outdoors.
