State celebrates fishing tradition with free fishing day

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him to love fishing, feed the state’s wildlife coffers for a lifetime.

On Saturday, the state of Vermont opened up its abundant waterways to anyone with a line, a hook and some bait. Unlicensed residents, and even out-of-state visitors, were free to go fishing without risk of sanction in what wildlife officials here say is the best fishery in New England.

“The whole concept is designed to give folks an opportunity to get out and enjoy fishing at least once during the year to discover how much fun it is, how relaxing it is and how great it is,” says John Hall with the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife.

The promotion, which is part of this weekend’s Vermont Days, isn’t without ulterior motives. Hall says his department hopes that many of those first-timers will take a liking to the pastime and purchase a $20 resident license (the cost is $41 for nonresidents).

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department derives the lion’s share of its annual operating budget from license sales and federal taxes on fishing and hunting equipment. That revenue had until recently been on a steady decline. In 1987, Hall said, the state sold about 160,000 fishing licenses. In 2005, the figure hit an all-time low of 118,000. Since then, Hall says, sales have risen modestly, up to about 122,000 in 2008.

He says promotions like free-fishing day, which included special events in parts of the state, are intended to further the recovery.

“It’s lower than it used to be. People do have less time today, generally speaking, and often both parents are working,” Hall says. “But we’re up almost 4 percent since 2005, and we’re hoping to see that continue to move upward.”

The health of Vermont’s fishery depends in large part on license sales. Hall says license revenue funds habitat management and hatchery operations that keep the rivers, streams, ponds and lakes teeming with arguably the most diverse fish populations in New England.

“Vermont has the greatest variety of high-quality fresh water fishing in the Northeast,” Hall says.

Fishing also feeds a network of commercial enterprises in the state. Hall says that, according to the latest federal data, fishermen add more than $60 million annually to the Vermont economy, much of it going to general stores, gas stations, hotels and restaurants located in some of the more rural areas of the state.

“Angling does contribute significantly to Vermont’s economy,” Hall says. “That money is spent throughout state, including some of its smallest towns and most rural areas, and it’s spent throughout the year.”