Recent surveys have shown that in Oklahoma, and as a national trend, anglers are on the decline. One survey, that should be considered recent, showed a 12 percent decrease in the number of anglers nationwide. This survey showed the main reasons for such a decline in fishing are the aging of current anglers, urbanization, and young people taking interest in other things made readily available to them by technology.
With our wildlife department fishing programs almost totally dependent on the sale of fishing licenses they find themselves with strained budgets. When wildlife department fishing program budgets become strained then there are fewer enhancements and opportunities available that will ensure the future of fishing. As anglers, we all need to try and reverse this trend.
So, what can we do?
Get Involved Locally
Most likely in the area you live there is a fishing club or organization that you already belong to or can join. Through these organizations, we as anglers can promote local fishing clinics, fishing rodeos, or a simple jam-packed fun-filled day of kids catching perch! That very simple act of that kid catching his or her first fish can possibly create an angler for life. If your area doesn’t have a fishing club then consider creating one. Your church and its youth program is another golden opportunity to introduce young people to the sport and art of fishing. We can also work with other organizations such as 4-H, Boy and Girl Scouts and community youth programs. On a local basis a handful of dedicated anglers can each set a goal of introducing one new child a year to fishing.
Get Involved Statewide
Our wildlife departments have in place aquatic resource education programs such as Oklahoma’s AREP. They are fishing clinics designed to teach new anglers the simple basics of fishing, a sense of conservation, and conduct of being a good outdoors person.
Quite usually these programs are always looking for someone willing to help put on a program in the area they live and at the same time volunteer their time and service.
Get involved politically or on a legislative sense. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife has a committee chair at the state capitol. That elected and appointed official cannot do his or her job effectively if they never hear from us on issues about the future of fishing. So, keep abreast of the issues and then email, write, or call and express your opinion.
Get Involved Nationally
There are some wonderful organizations out there dedicated to introducing young people to fishing. The list includes anglerslegacy.org and takemefishing.org and then there is futurefisherman.org. These organizations simply offer another opportunity or avenue for us to walk down in preserving the future of fishing. We have already involved ourselves on a local and state basis and now this national effort gives us the chance to add our voices, participation, and involvement on a national effort.
With anglerslegacy.org it is not exactly their mission statement but rather a pledge they ask you to take if you join. The pledge quite simply asks you to introduce one new child each year to fishing. Not exactly a daunting task for anyone to ask is it?
And on a national level we can support the effort of our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our National Fish Hatchery Service such as the one found at Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery. Each year the TNFH holds a free fishing day where hundreds of kids come to learn how to wet a line. Over the years this event has become more and more popular and there is always a need for volunteers to get lines untangled and ready to catch another fish. It is a fun wonderful event and has very well created a good number of future anglers.
And How About The Ladies
The majority of today’s anglers are men – that’s indisputable. However, this fact doesn’t always have to remain so. Look at how the ladies, women, have influenced the outcome of elections and the structure of the modern day work force. Can they do the same for the future of fishing? Yes!
So, how do we as men get the ladies to fish with us? The answer may be as simple as asking your wife, significant other, or good lady friend to go a-fishing. She may very well say, “No thanks”, and then that is when the man can perhaps strain out the words…”Pretty-please”. Personally, I’m not beyond getting on my knees, begging, looking at my hopeful female fishing companion with sorrowful hound dog eyes. My point is fishing needs the ladies to become involved. Get women involved and we improve our chances of getting the kiddies involved in the fun and rewards of fishing.
Leave Your Own Legacy
As an angler what will your fishing legacy be? Will you be remembered as that angler who always lived quite simply, working hard, struggling to put his children through college, but always found a way to come up with an annual contribution to his states wildlife department. Very few of us can afford to be a philanthropist and that’s not even important. A legacy is a legacy. It’s not how much, it’s the fact we tried and did what we could do. At home, I can put a quart size fruit jar in my bedroom and each night during a calendar year take out thirty cents of pocket change and toss it in the jar. At the end of year I will have one hundred and ten dollars, which I can and most assuredly will donate to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife. In doing so, I also have the knowledge the meager donation I made will qualify for federal matching funds and that one hundred dollars will actually turn into several hundred.
As an angler what will your fishing legacy be? Will you be remembered as that angler from Smalltown, Somewhere that was always bringing a new kid to the riffling water of Blue River? Again, a legacy is a legacy. Your legacy may very well be you were always trying to teach a new child to fish. Whether he or she had a banner day catching fish will not be significant to your legacy, because your legacy will be that you always tried and never gave up in your attempt of creating an artisan of angling.
If we think about it there was someone in our life that introduced us to fishing and now it is our time to return that wonderful favor. For me it was my grandfather and oh how he loved to fish. My grandfather gave me a wonderful lifelong gift in teaching me to fish.
I have a seven-year-old granddaughter that has never donned a pair of waders or cast a fly rod. I know exactly what she will be getting this Christmas from me.
