Fishing as an integral part of American daily life evolved gradually to become the most recreational and beneficial pastime in the last decade.
Great historical popularity of fishing in America
First of all, fishing in America has a great history. Long before America got its title as the USA, fishing provided residents of the country with food and jobs. It helped to develop the economy of the country and then became an American recreation activity that people became very proud of.
It’s even hard to imagine the country without fishing because it affected everything and everyone throughout history. Owing to fishing, a lot of places and districts got their names, and people managed to get by with fishing much easier. It became a sport and tradition for the whole country.
Country’s evolution with fishing
It should be pointed out that the whole thing with fishing started even earlier before the first colonists came across America. And of course, the researchers found a lot of evidence of different usage of fish. Among other demands apart from food, fish was utilized in many other different ways using various techniques. Commercial fishing took place in the Southern Atlantic coastline in the 1700s, and fishing became one of the major colonial industries. It’s quite obvious that without such an industry, it would have been impossible for so many families to survive during harsh times and adversities. And America wouldn’t exist in the way it is today. Our ancestors fished in lakes, rivers, and ponds, wherever it was possible, they sustained their families with fish supply and moved inland.
Presidents and fishing
Many American presidents start their careers with fishing. Being devoted fishermen they successfully ran a commercial fishing business which helped to overcome difficult times and frustrations that happened along the way of their administration. Thus, according to history, George Washington managed to break free from the deadness and desolation of the Continental Convention with the help of fishing.
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Fishing as a recreation
Diving into old times fishery evolution, it becomes clear that only after World War 2 fishing started slightly resembling a recreation activity. More and more angling clubs came to life, but only affluent people could afford to attend them. Very small but not notorious clubs existed in the early 1870s with a limited number of people who could come and spend their free time. Such modern places provided people with access to fishing sites. They also tried to support the fishing industry by protecting it from worsening catches. Local people used to stumble upon many difficulties and problems at that time including poaching, pollution, building new bridges and dams that resulted in declining catches. Therefore, government regulation of recreational fishing took an act of protection and support. A Catch-and-release program was implemented.
Most popular fish at that time
A big variety of fish was caught before a catch-and-release program took place. People already tried fish for different purposes and discovered the best tastes. Trout was fish number one for its delicate taste, that’s why fishermen were really fond of it and caught it in large quantities. One of the most popular fish in 1900 was bass. It was considered to be a sportfish for it was easily lured by any kind of bait and flies. Sport fishermen were really fond of catching it at that time. There were even bass fishing tournaments shown on TV in the 1960s. The members of society in the tournament club multiplied since then reaching the number 600 000 people by today. Modern recreational fishing is becoming more and more challenging and complicated but it only adds excitement and thrill to participants. People started to really enjoy the activity and can’t imagine their life without such a pastime.
Fishing devices
Sportfishing is all about pleasure. Competition can also be the main reason people tend to enjoy it so much. The most common devices which are usually used for fishing are hooks, reels, rods, and lines. It’s very important to choose a good lure that can produce different colors, have various shapes and use vibrations with movement to attract fish’s attention. There are soft plastic baits and artificial flies. Unbelievably, how many things people designed to make the process of catching fish the most pleasant and enjoyable activity. The most common and widespread technique is to use the hook or fishing tackle and do angling. It’s not a big deal to make a tackle by yourself, a lot of hobbyists practice this in their fishing activity.
Opposition to fishing
Opposition to fishing started in the second half of the 20th century since a lot of animal rights movements appeared and took control of the situation in the country. Activists who belong to the group of the protectors’ community strongly objected to fishing and treated fishermen as exploiters of living species. They didn’t approve the activity even in such cases when the fish was released right after it had been caught. Even today we can witness a lot of confrontations between fishermen and animal rights activists. Some cases go through the Wildlife Conservation Commission to investigate the cases due to interference and attempts to threaten each other. People get fined for the actions they do and it doesn’t only relate to fishermen. Some activists’ aggressive attitudes can also be considered as a violation.
Fishing in American literature
Any of us who studied at school got acquainted with several stories devoted to fishing in American literature. And it’s necessary to mention here that even conversations can touch the topic of fishing and such classic stories or movies like “A river runs through it” are likely to be mentioned. This story isn’t only about fly-fishing or bamboo cane poles, or how to get a grasshopper as bait. It covers one of the most subtle topics ever, the relationship between brothers.
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Many people love a good fishing story. Because it’s not only about fishing, it involves people’s lives as well as relationships. Probably, it’s another reason why people are so fond of fishing in America today.
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Benefits of fishing
There are so many benefits derived from fishing. People in America are familiar with the fact that this activity is not only for fun but also can have a positive effect on the human body and health. Keeping practicing this activity will bring so much relaxation into your mental and physical state. Even without realizing it, people tend to choose this pastime more often for their hobbies.
Fishing strengthens your body and supplies it with vitamin D which is so crucial for our everyday life. Vitamin D plays an important role especially in terms of protecting us from many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
Fishing as a process helps to reduce blood pressure. There is a great connection between being in nature and health improvements. That’s why people who are not really into fishing can’t resist the urge to go and just participate in the process. They gain a lot as a result.
It shouldn’t go unnoticed that the fresh air we breathe when fishing does the best for our lungs. It improves the condition of the immune system and brain health.
Stress relief can’t be unmentioned here. We live a very hectic life today full of stress and anxiety. “Burnouts” is a typical problem people face more and more often now. As a consequence, hospital institutions get overloaded with people, not every treatment is helpful and effective. The only thing that can solve the problem and turn you into a normal life is spending time in nature. Fishing is a good option to occupy yourself with some activities and spend more time in a quiet solitary place. What can be better for health recovery and rehabilitation in general!
Only great things can happen from getting out on the water. That’s why Americans are so proud and happy to have such a pastime. Adults try to instill in their kids the love of fishing. This activity can foster intergenerational relationships, thus grandchildren tend to spend more time in company with their grandparents and enjoy it so much.
And finally, one of the best parts of fishing is cooking! The most popular fish that people use for grilling and baking are salmon, swordfish, and tuna. Maybe not surprisingly, during quarantine people were more prone to cook fish than any other kind of food. And the reason is obvious, fishing for cooking as well as fishing as a pastime is an essential part of many Americans that has a lot of advantages.