Fishing: “In the News” in Fall 2020

While much of the current news is focused on the election and the coronavirus, it’s nice to see recent articles on a lighter, happier subject: Recreational Fishing!

As we did our first “EXTRA, EXTRA!” post in August 2020, here’s our second installment of second installment of “Fishing in the News.”

Here are 4 recent stories that caught our attention, that we think are worth reading by all who love to fish:

Wall Street Journal

The Fly-Fishing Boom Is Finally Here

This October 6 2020 article by NYC-based travel writer Darrell Hartman describes how a ‘new generation of fly-fishing fans’ is turning toward the sport. Darrell’s piece touches on what’s driving more and more millennials and women to head to a stream with a fly rod.

Filled with insights from #fishinggear vendors, guides, and outfitters, the article quotes Joe Fox (34-year old owner of Dette Flies, the oldest family run fly fishing shop in the world) on what changes he’s seen on the waterways of New York’s Catskill Mountains: “There are a lot of new anglers, and not as many old white guys out there on the river as there used to be.”

Digital Journal

Guidesly Delivers First Mobile App Solution to Help Fishing Guides

The WSJ isn’t the only Journal covering what’s going on in the world of recreational fishing!

On September 21, 2020, The Digital Journal covered news of Guidesly’s announcement of the first mobile app to “help fishing guides promote, manage and grow their business.” Designed expressly to improve how Fishing Guides and Charter Captains book “fishing trips and reach a larger pool of anglers,” the Guidesly Pro app is a free download for both Android and iPhone devices. Fulfilling its mission to connect trusted guides with those who love to fish, Guidesly makes it easy to “Become a Guide” and get found by clients via its online match-making marketplace.

Boating Industry

Things are looking up for saltwater fishing

In an October 1, 2020 article, David Gee (Editor in Chief of Boating Industry, the leading trade magazine and website serving the $42 billion U.S. boating market) turned his attention to the increasing popularity of saltwater fishing, noting that in 2019 participants went on 172 million outings, and that Americans spend “more than twice as much on saltwater fishing than they spend on services for their pets such as grooming, boarding, walking and training.”

That amounts to a lot of dollars! In fact, saltwater fishing’s contribution to the U.S. GDP is $18.3 billion – which Boating Industry notes is “more than double the revenue of all Major League Baseball teams combined.” With a contentious 2020 election upcoming, Gee amusingly ends his article with a classic quote from humorist Will Rogers: “If all politicians fished instead of spoke publicly, we would be at peace with the world.” Sounds good to us!

RBFF/MSR News Online:

More and more of us are goin’ fishin’

Last but not least -- a September 22, 2020 article published by MSR News Online details that “Recreational fishing has reached new diversity milestones.” Citing the “2020 Special Report on Fishing” (10th annual report jointly produced by the Outdoor Foundation and the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation) the article notes that “Women and people of color increasingly cast their stress away,” (with research showing significant upticks in fishing activity by women, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans).

The article also observes increased interest in fishing by all Americans “as a remedy for COVID-19-related stress and anxiety,” referencing a separate study projecting “one in five Americans are more likely now to try fishing than they were prior to the pandemic.”

What other recent “Fishing in the News” stories caught your eye that Guidesly should write about?