On Sept. 17, 2018, People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) called on
the Boy Scouts of America to eliminate its
Fishing and Fly Fishing merit badges in
favor of more “eco- and animal-friendly
accomplishments.”
Both merit badges outline requirements
for Boy Scouts to learn the importance of
catch-and-release fishing, Leave No Trace
fundamentals and good sportsmanship.
The organization has taken no action fol-
lowing PETA’s demand.
Boy Scouts of America isn’t PETA’s
first foray into attempting to curb the sport
of fishing. The organization created Fish
Amnesty Day in 1997 to “remind people
that animals should be respected, not
killed for fun.”
SPRING 2019 I FLWFISHING.COM
PETA Calls for End
To Boy Scouts Merit
Badges
Despite having 34 rookies on the FLW
Tour this season, the 2019 field is the old-
est by average age in the history of the
Tour at just under 44 years. Gary
Yamamoto (75) is the oldest angler on
Tour, while Bailey Boutries (19 at the start
of the season) represents the other end of
the spectrum. The average number of pros
under the age of 30 on Tour in its 24-year
existence is 24.5, while the 2019 field
boasts 26 pros under the age of 30.
Tour Breakdown
Living the Dream
The Bass Federation Living the Dream winner and 2019 FLW Tour pro Austin Wilson has
enough money banked – including entry fees paid for as part of the Living the Dream
package – to live in hotels most of the season, but he’s thinking big. So big, in fact, that
in order to save for his dream of fishing the FLW Tour again next year, he’s living small,
out of his truck and sleeping in his boat all season long. It’s a matter of thriftiness and
not necessity, and he has a few tips for making it all work.
1. “Make sure you have a nice warm sleeping bag for those cold nights,” he says. A
sleeping pad and an extra sleeping bag for additional padding never hurt either.
2. Find a good place to do some laundry. Wilson found a campground near Lake Toho
where he could set up camp for a couple days to do wash and dry the many clothes he
packed for the season-long camping trip.
3. Make your money count. Wilson has multiple coolers he keeps filled with ice and gro-
ceries so he’s not spending a lot of money on individual meals. He does most of his cook-
ing on a propane heater, which doubles as a heat source for those cool nights.
17