A diverse assortment of anglers in a wide array of shapes, sizes, and skill levels head to streams, rivers, lakes and ponds with a variety of fishing gear.
You’ll see them with smallmouth bass on the Fever River, catfish and largemouths on the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, panfish at local lakes, and trout at countless other waterways.
But what are they really fishing for nowadays?
If COVID-19 and its variants have taught us anything other than how to meet virtually and how much the human spirit values social interaction, it may be that we now recognize and re-affirm the healing nature of nature itself.
Natural resources are mental health resources.
The pandemic reminded or taught us, including more than 50 million Americans who went fishing last year, that time spent outdoors is good for mind, body, and soul.
It doesn’t matter which species is at the other end of the line. People are getting hooked on the sights and sounds of their surroundings when they visit outdoor destinations.
“Many of them discovered something surprising: standing in a river casting a fly rod might beat any therapy money can buy,” said Trout Unlimited’s Dave Kinney.
Karrie Steinhart will tell you that it does not need to be a fly rod. Youth spin-casting combos work, too, and every type of fishing rod and reel. A teacher at St. Rose elementary school in Grant County, Wisconsin, she organizes an annual youth fishing trip to local dentist Matt Andrews’ stocked Lafayette County pond for students and their dads, grandpas, or other adult chaperones. The idea is to help them discover the many spiritual, mental, and physical health benefits of spending time together outdoors in the natural world.
TU and Simms, maker of fishing apparel and accessories, recently teamed up to highlight how fishing improves mental health.
Kinney said, “It’s an under-appreciated aspect of fishing, one of the country’s most popular sports.”
John Frazier of Simms added, “At a time when the sports and outdoors worlds are becoming more aware of the mental health benefits—and the mental health pressures—of their pursuits, doctors and wellness experts are prescribing outdoor recreation for its healing powers.”
You’ve heard of Casual Fridays?
Employers in your neck of the woods might want to follow Simms’ lead as they expand the concept.
“During the pandemic, Simms brought in a wellness coach for staff and encouraged employees to take advantage of its Fishing Fridays to get out on the water and decompress,” Frazier said.
His boss agrees.
“Many of us are coming to realize that fishing is becoming less about catching, and more about the mental and emotional benefits fishing provides,” says Simms CEO Casey Sheahan. “Things that have nothing to do with bent rods, screaming drags, and grip-and-grin photos for your social feed.”
By Mark LaBarbera | Photos: Mark LaBarbera