Fishing isn’t work, but conservation certainly is.
Fishing is the summation of time and travel, preparation, and everything else that puts you in the spot where you get the opportunity to connect with a fish and the outdoor world.
Conservation work to me is the investment that I feel compelled to do that gives me the opportunity to fish. Groundwork baby, groundwork.
I remember standing in my favorite steelhead river a few years back and it hit me hard. I cannot keep taking without giving back, and that day set a course of action that excites me to be a part of restoration and protection of our resources.
There are so many roles to fill and ways to help; all you have to do is find the organization or project that makes your heart sing. Every river, every lake, every trickle of water that holds fish is facing some sort of issue where your labor and or brains can be part of the solution .
The Wild Steelhead Coalition has become my group to champion as I have had no other creature stir the wild in my soul like steelhead have. It’s imperative that my two young boys someday have the opportunity to join me on the river and see what makes daddy happily get up at 330am and drive into the morning for the shot at something so very wild.
donors to scientists and the list go on and on.
But a word of advice; once you dip your toes into these waters be prepared for your soul resonate even more when a fish grabs your fly. The connection rings more true aligning you with the wildness of the world for a hell of a ride.
In my case, the Wild Steelhead Coalition has become my group to champion as I have had no other creature stir the wild in my soul like steelhead have. It’s imperative that my two young boys someday have the opportunity to join me on the river and see what makes daddy happily get up at 330am and drive into the morning for the shot at something so very wild.
Beyond that, involvement in the conservation realm has brought me deep and long lasting relationships with people that I am honored to call friends. Board members to volunteers, donors to scientists and the list go on and on.
But a word of advice; once you dip your toes into these waters be prepared for your soul resonate even more when a fish grabs your fly. The connection rings more true aligning you with the wildness of the world for a hell of a ride.
Conservation Corner
A perspective piece by:
Josh Mills