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Show DEiy Pooplo Fiolj Today's scientists and managers are constantly attempting to classify and codify every activity and motivation of human involvement. involve-ment. There are complex "this's" and "that's" for almost everything we do. However, in a bulletin recently released by the Sport Fishing Institute, it was revealed that research has identified the primary reason most people go fishing fish-ing is because they like to catch fish. Too simple? No, it's true. The fact was backed back-ed up by several independent studies in various parts of the country. Those studies did show that other considerations were also important to the overall fishing experience. Any number of incentives motivate fishermen to go fishing. Fishing offers a therapeutic experience, offering relief from the nerve-racking technical society of America. Anglers may seek to isolate themselves them-selves in a shady cove, or they may seek the sociality of being with a group of friends. The sport also provides pro-vides a combination of recreation rec-reation and economic value. Many fishermen in the previously pre-viously mentioned surveys indicated that the quality of the table fare was an important consideration in their fishing activities. And, of course, there is the ever-present ever-present challenge of landing the elusive brown trout, the aged bucketmouth or a trophy-sized salt water game fish. The reasons why fishing is so popular in America (surveys conducted in 1960-61 1960-61 showed that 35 percent of Americans over 12 years old fished at least once during dur-ing the year and that fishing was the preferred activity of 33 percent of the population) popula-tion) remain ambiguous. It has been a part of living, however, for a long time. Sir Henry Wooten, mid-17th mid-17th -century Provost of Eton College, said of angling: "Tis an employment for my idle time which is then notx idly spent." Izaak Walton described fishing as "The Contemplative Contempla-tive Man's Recreation." Herbert Hoover asserted that, "The reason for it all is that fishing is fun and good for the soul of man." William D. Ruckelshaus, keynoting the recent National Bass Symposium, asserted that, "People fish to catch fish, not necessarily to keep them, but to catch them." Further studies indicate that increased restrictive regulations on fishing techniques tech-niques and creel limits influence in-fluence the number of parti-c parti-c ipants. After all is said and done, whether fish are frying in the skillet or not, one fact remains people like to fish. |