Fishing really is a great sport / hobby / past-time. Whether you're going to take the fish home and eat them, or just out there to catch and release, it's a good, clean, outdoor activity that anyone can get into. Many fishermen are very conscientious about how to properly handle a fish if they intend to release it so that it goes on to grow even bigger and provide others with a chance to catch a great fish. They are also concerned with the health of the waters they fish, as well as staying informed on policies and laws that may adversely affect either the sport, the fish, or both.
However .....
There are some out there who behave in a way that gives fishermen a bad name, and can very possibly lead to the rest of us losing the privilege to fish in these areas.
Let's see an example, shall we?
How often have we seen this?
So you're walkin along the bank, doing some shore fishing, having a nice time when you nearly step in something that looks like someone puked in a 30 year old tackle box, stirred it around, and dumped it on the bank of the lake. A perfect little fisherman's hairball sitting there on what is otherwise a nicely kept, well groomed city lake.
Hey you! Mr. I-can't-pick-up-after-myself!!! What are you thinking? Don't you get it? They don't have to let us fish there. It really wouldn't take many of these kinds of situations to get the local people pissed off, bringing it up at city council meetings and suggesting that they stop allowing fishing because the fishermen are creating too much of a mess. Every one of these lakes has trash cans every few yards or so. It doesn't take that much effort to take that mess of line and lure over and drop it in the trash.
Or maybe you have the stupid idea that "fishing line is almost invisible", so no one will see the big bird's nest of it you just left sprawled all over the ground.
Or how about, "Well I pay to fish here, so I can just toss my trash on the ground. They'll clean it up." Ok, Mr. Lazy! What about the rest of us who end up stepping in your mess, or worse, the kids who may end up hurting themselves because you're too lazy to pick up after yourself. And chances are, the couple dollars you paid aren't going towards picking up that trash anyway.
Most of the places where you're going to fish are beautiful, scenic lakes, streams, and ponds. They are simply nice places to be while you're doing what you love to do.
Let's make sure we're taking care of these areas. No one wants to fish in a dump. No one wants to see new signs being put up that read, "No Fishing." And most of all, we don't want anyone getting hurt from getting tangled up in a mess of mono, or stepping on a disgarded hook.
Don't give fishermen, or the sport of fishing a bad name.
Let's keep it clean, folks.
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