Fishing For Survival

Hook, Line and Survival – Learning the Skill of Fishing

Enjoy this 4 part series of articles.

Part 1: Getting Started

If you were born of the Baby Boomer generation or earlier, chances are good that you have some familiarity with hunting, fishing or both.

Less so for current generations. In 1980, the percentage of Americans who hunted or fished was as low as 8 percent. It’s projected to be as low as 3% in 2025. A recent U.S fish and Wildlife Service study showed that hunting and fishing did not show up in the top ten reasons millennials go outdoors.

In these volatile times, it’s mind-boggling to me that there isn’t more interest in either. I won’t bother trying to figure out why.

This series will focus on fishing, but both have the same general benefits.

First and most obvious, procuring fish or game is a supreme act of self-reliance. Just like gardening for self-reliance, you put food on your plate without spending money at the supermarket.

Second, in a crisis, all means of getting food will be highly valuable. Your food stores will only last so long. Supplementing with fresh-caught fish or seafood can help stretch your food stores (and make them extra delicious). When you put fishing and hunting together with agriculture after a long-term crisis, you’ve essentially rebuilt the food demands of civilization.