A Boyd's Eye View: I think fishing is infected.

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, an infection is "the invasion of an organism's body tissues by disease-causing agents, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to these organisms and the toxins they produce."A long winded way of saying the host organism is sick. I've been working in the fishing industry for a very long time, and I honestly feel it is among many such industries these days suffering from sickness. I don't know exactly when the infection was introduced, or how long it has actually been festering, but the results are as noticeable as a massive cold-sore.

I have my opinions as to what the cause and effect of this infection is, and I have been warned by numerous friends and colleagues to keep those thoughts to myself or risk being ostracized. But as it turns out, I am not very good at that, and because I feel so deeply that there is still hope, I am driven to bring attention to the ailments I am witnessing.

The short-sighted view of profit before all-else is exactly what brought disaster to the housing market, and ultimately our nation's overall economy in 2008. Even today, while things are certainly on the rebound, many of us would have to say things are still not back to where they were before that crash happened. People and companies are still a bit gun-shy and I for one can't blame them completely. But the time of holding one's cards close to the vest is over now. I'm not saying its time to go "all in" - I've never been that kind of gambler and I don't think that's a good business practice for

long-term success. But I do think it is time for the sporting and recreational industries - the fishing industry in particular - to lighten the purse strings and get back to making the sport of fishing as popular as it once was.

Rampant is the business mind-set that profits must come before everything else. Now I'm not naive enough to think that completely ignoring profits is a good idea either - that would just be down-right ignorant. But there is a process that is being ignored and it will ultimately bring doom to many in the fishing business and that is cultivation. Just like a farmer's crop, a company's market needs to be cultivated. A business needs to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc. - in this case a sport) by labor and attention. If there is less fishing going on in the world, there will be less business for fishing companies. It seems elementary, but its a principle that many agree is being neglected in favor of "current numbers", "this quarter's profits", and the "latest return on investment".

I recently attended one of fishing's largest national events. I saw hundreds of fishing companies spending thousands and thousands of dollars to reach a market of consumers that were already a part of their consumer base. But reaching out to those same companies to reach new markets, new anglers, a new and grow-able market, and the purses are zipped tight and we are met with the immortal words, "its just not in the budget this year," or "I don't see how that is going to help me increase my sales numbers next quarter." Again ... short-sighted vision in my opinion.

I don't mean to say that there are no companies doing their part to help the sport of fishing because there are. But consider this - Most programs designed to build on the sport of fishing (or hunting or any other outdoor activity) are run by nonprofit organizations and while a good amount of the support for these nonprofits comes from membership dollars, a large portion of their funding comes from corporate partnerships. Now, among the top 12 hunting 501c3 non-profit organizations, they raised over $412.5 million in the 2014-2015 accounting period (the last such accounting published). In that same period, the major fishing 501c3 non-profits raised much less; Trout Unlimited ($45 million), IGFA ($4 million), Issac Walton League ($2 million - half of which was designated to hunting programs), and American Sportfishing Association (which by the way is not rated on Charity Navigator) raised $5 million, for a total of around $55 million dollars. Considering that there are 13.7 million hunters in the country, compared to the number of freshwater anglers estimated near 28.8 million (according to the U.S. Department of Interior), that equates to about $2.78 raised per angler compared to $30 raised per hunter in support of their respective sports. I think a plan going forward needs to bring more designated corporate dollars to fishing nonprofits, along with a plan to educate the angling public that more support is needed in the way of membership support. Together we can make a huge difference for the future of fishing.

Those of us that grew up with a fishing pole in our hand know what joy, peace and serenity can come from time spent fishing. It's time to share that experience with those that have not had that experience. And its more than just a one-time thing. It's time for anglers, as well as companies to take on a mentoring role. A love of fishing does not just happen with one fishing trip. It happens over time, it happens as one accumulates a bucket-full of experiences on the water. It happens because companies that rely on fishing also invest in fishing, in fisheries and in organizations that bring the sport to masses of new-comers. It happens because state and federal agencies work with people trying to make fishing more accessible to more people, and not see them as a thorn in their side, out to make them look bad. That's not the case at all ... we just want to help and do what we can to make everyone's fishing experience more enjoyable.

I know I sound like the old hippie that I am - preaching the gospel of social compatibility ... peace, love and fishing will make the world a better place to live. Naive perhaps ... but I stand by it. The bottom line is, if the fishing industry does not begin to really put it's money where it's market is, someday it's going to find out it had the cure for an ailing industry and failed to treat it. That's my Boyd's Eye View at least. Carry on.