75th Celebration - Catch Fishing Fever

Once upon a time, growing up in Idaho meant learning to fish as soon as you could hold a fishing pole. It was what everyone did for fun, recreation and food. But over time, fewer families lived this kind of outdoor life and fewer youngsters experienced fishing and exploring the wonders of Idaho's rivers and lakes. Alarmed by this trend, Idaho Fish and Game kicked off its first Free Fishing Day event in 1985, which continues to this day. The first Free Fishing Day on July 27, 1985 had the overwhelming support of state legislators, Governor John V. Evans and the Fish and Game Commission. The authorizing bill, which allowed anyone to fish without a license on any of Idaho's waters open to fishing, sailed through both the Senate (39-0) and House (78-5) earlier that same year. In the words of then Fish and Game Director, Jerry Conley, Fish and Game "proposed the event to give the people who don't normally fish the pleasure of angling and a heightened awareness of the state's tremendous fisheries resource." Free Fishing Day is one of many Fish and Game programs aimed at connecting youth with Idaho's wildlife resources and outdoor traditions. To learn more about this and other 75th Celebration stories, go to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/75th.