As is the case each July, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation has released it’s Special Report on Fishing. The 2019 Report will be part of the “State of the Industry” presentation at this week’s ICAST in Orlando, Florida. It contains results from a comprehensive survey which targets angler participation in the previous year (i.e., the 2019 report covers 2018 participation) in the United States.
RBFF works with the Outdoor Foundation and a variety of market research and consulting firms in compiling the survey. The survey contains detailed information and trends on fishing participation by gender, age, ethnicity, geographic region and more.
The report also breaks down the participation by types of fishing, including fly fishing. And here, there’s good news! Continuing a trend that began in 2010, fly fishing remains on the rise in America.
“Fly fishing has the fewest participants, but the number and percentage of participants has been increasing the most. Since 2016, the participation rate has increased by an average of 3.7 percent, and the number of fly fishing participants has jumped by an average of 4.5 percent.”
“Also encouraging for fly fishing, the category had the highest rate of first-time participants. In 2018, 17.4 percent of participants were new to the category. In 2018, the number of fly fishing participants increased to 6.9 million participants, which was an all-time high for the activity.”
By region, the highest number of fly anglers was in the South Atlantic (Maryland to Florida). Roughly 18.5 percent were from this region. Other top regions were Pacific (WA, OR, CA – 18.2 percent), Middle Atlantic (PA, NY, NJ – 15.2 percent), East North Central (WI, MI, IL, IN, OH – 12.5 percent) and West South Central (TX, LA, OK, AR – 11.4 percent).
Other continuing trends of fly fishing participation of the last decade continued in 2018. Greater female participation, growing Hispanic participation, and a growing youth movement. In fact, the age group 25-34 now accounts for 19.1 percent of fly anglers in the U.S., with age group 35-44 second with 15.7 percent.
More evidence that fly fishing is strong among younger anglers – less than 25 percent of current fly fishers are 55 years or older. This is the lowest percentage of senior fly anglers in a decade.
Another interesting statistic from the survey was the level of participation among fly anglers. Over 98 percent identified themselves as either “avid anglers” or “would like to fish more”. This indicates that the interest among participants is very strong and not likely to lose interest in the foreseeable future.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries reminds all sportsmen that all 2017-2018 recreational fishing licenses will expire on June 30, 2019. Licenses for the 2019-2020 seasons are now available for purchase and are valid from the date of purchase until June 30, 2020.
Yesterday, Fly Fishers International (FFI) announced that Patrick H. Berry has been named as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. The announcement ended a months-long effort to select an individual that can bring world-class leadership and organizational experience to FFI.
This coming weekend kicks off National Fishing and Boating Week, a celebration of the importance of recreational boating and fishing in America. Most states have designated “free fishing days” either the first weekend or second weekend in June.
On Saturday, the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board approved changes to size and creel limits on spotted seatrout (speckled trout) and flounder. Previously the daily bag limit for trout was 10 with a minimum size of 14 inches. Under the new regulations, the daily bag limit has been reduced to 6 fish with a slot limit of 15 to 22 inches, with an allowance of one fish over the maximum slot limit.
If there’s any question about whether fly fishing tournaments are gaining in popularity, look no further than this past weekend’s 3rd annual “Fly Fishing for the Mission” event held at Pointe-aux-Chenes south of Houma, Louisiana. Once again, a strong turnout with the vast majority of participants under 40 years of age.
Teaching children a lifelong hobby, instilling appreciation for our marine environment and providing fun, family outings are the objectives for a Kids’ Fishing Clinic in Pensacola on Saturday, April 13. Hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the clinic is for kids ages 5 to 15 and will be held from 9:00am to 12 noon at Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park, 301 W. Main St.
