A steelheader spent the night in our guest cabin last week. It had been two or three years since we’d last seen him. Prior to that, we’d seen him at least once—and likely two or three times—every fishing season for about 15 years. He was happy to be back and not sure why he’d missed a couple of springs.
A steelheader spent the night in our guest cabin last week. It had been two or three years since we’d last seen him. Prior to that, we’d seen him at least once—and likely two or three times—every fishing season for about 15 years. He was happy to be back and not sure why he’d missed a couple of springs.
“Just being on the river reminds me of why I miss it so much,” he told me.
I asked if he’d become too busy to go fishing—he’s a successful industrial salesman. No, he replied, he wasn’t too busy. The reason why he wasn’t going fishing was summed up with one word.
“Golf,” he said. “I play four or five times a week.”
His penchant for golf was by no means new. In the past, though, he golfed and went fishing. I’ve known this fellow most of my life, and his passion for fishing is undisputed. He’s fished around in the north country and caught some big fish—walleyes, northern pike, steelhead, and more.
So why wasn’t he fishing?
“It’s a lot of work,” he told me. “You have a lot of things to prepare before you go and it takes effort to reach the best places to fish.”
It was after the supper hour, so we talked about his prospects for catching fish the following morning. With migratory steelhead, there is no assurance that you will find fish in the same place or even the same river from one day to the next. Such is not the case, my friend pointed out, when he goes golfing.
“I always know the golf course will be there,” said my friend. “Those 18 holes never move.”
I don’t think my friend will ever give up fishing entirely. And he still enjoys hunting for pheasants and deer. But it was pretty clear that his outdoor interests had changed somewhat. Though he talked wistfully of fishing more often once he retired, I doubt he ever return to the diehard angler he used to be.
Perhaps losing interest in fishing is a natural part of aging, but statisticians tell us my friend represents a broad trend among anglers. As the Baby Boom generation grows gray, their participation in out door activities such as fishing declines. This isn’t necessarily surprising, because an easy chair grows more comfortable as folks get older. Also, there is an ever-longer list of interests and responsibilities that compete for our discretionary time and money.
This trend would hardly be noticed, much less be a matter of concern, if younger anglers replenished our sport-fishing ranks. Sadly, this isn’t the case, at least not at a rate that that will sustain or increase current levels of license sales or angling participation. It is no secret that fewer young people are going fishing.
This isn’t necessarily because Minnesota fishing has diminished. By and large, there are still plenty of waters across the state providing exceptional fishing opportunities. However, these waters are not always easily accessible or affordable to fish. Many of our best fishing waters are large lakes some distance from the metropolitan area. For many Minnesotans, fishing such places requires at the minimum a weekend away from home. More importantly, many assume they also need a modern fishing boat, which cost $20,000 or more (in some cases, much more).
We have no shortage of smaller waters, but many are crowded with other recreational users, surrounded by homes, or ecologically compromised. These waters still support fish, but angling there is unlikely to be a contemplative, back-to-nature experience. And someone who has spent weekly commuter time stalled in traffic may understandably be less than enthusiastic about waiting in line to launch a boat.
For many folks, complicated angling methods and fishing rules spoil the fun. If your sole desire is to catch a mess of fish for the pan, you may not feel compelled to keep up with the latest tackle and techniques, much less attempt to figure out bag and size limits that change from lake to lake. Though increased sophistication was a natural outgrowth of the angling boom that occurred in the 1970s and 80s, (just as more regulation was necessary to control the subsequent improvement of the average angler’s fishing ability), it creates a barrier to fishing newcomers and anglers who enjoy simple, uncomplicated fishing. Like my friend says, going fishing today takes some effort. Not everyone is up to the task.
As long as there are fish in the water, I’m pretty sure someone will try to catch them. Average folks who have reasonable access to affordable fishing opportunities are likely to be anglers. After all, lots of people regardless of the experience or ability, think fishing is pretty fun.
But I worry that the great heydays of Minnesota fishing are behind us. As was recently pointed out in this column, we longer have a statewide fishing organization—a telling indicator of waning enthusiasm. This means no one is really paying attention to issues that affect the health and well being of our fisheries and professional fish management. Issues of the day, from aquatic plant management to the resurgence of commercial netting, are passing through the State Legislature with minimal participation by Minnesota’s angling community.
In two weeks, hordes of anglers will hit the highway to celebrate the fishing opener. The media will duly report on their success or lack thereof, with commentators waxing eloquently about Minnesota’s fishing tradition. And some folks who stayed home will watch the news and think about the fun they used to have going fishing. Ah, those were the days….