Fishing to me means family. Plain and simple.

[BYRD]

Fishing to me means family. Plain and simple. My family owns a business tied to the fishing industry, my family has a deep tradition of fishing that can be traced back to the days of the revolutionary war, and it means bonding time for me and my daughters.

My family owns a small rod making business called Back River Rods, without fishing the business folds. Without fishing I cannot pass the skills of rod building to my daughters. I won't mention the monetary effects it would have on my family, but they would be severe.

My family has fished in this country for centuries. I have a relative in my direct line of ancestry that fished the bay during the time of the revolutionary war. The passion for fishing has been passed from generation to generation ever since. My grand dad and dad helped my develop my love of fishing and I plan to pass my passion to my daughters and grand kids.

Without fishing I cannot give my family a love of the water and its creatures. Heck, sometimes we go fishing as a family and never wet a line, we just look at herons, and egrets, and other water fowl. We talk about what the birds are doing and why they are there instead of another location. We look at the colors and the beauty of there plumage. The memories made of these fishing trips are etched into the brains of my young ones.

With out fishing several items occur. Here in Virginia, schools have a theme called "A Meaningful Chesapeake Bay Experience." Basically, they look at the Bay as an ecosystem and watershed and how everything effects the bay and life that resides there. Take away the fishing aspect and you take away a real life learning opportunity from our students. If there is not fishing why should I care if I fertilize my lawn, or pour oil down the drain? Think of the environmental aspects of that last question!

Without fishing, a great number of people would be without their family businesses, heritage, and quality educational opportunities. For me, the loss of fishing would mean the loss of a business, the loss of my ancestral heritage, and the loss of quality time with my wife and kids. Nether of which I can stand the thought of losing.

[HOLWACHAGOT]

BYRD.....your a champ.....Thanks for getting the ball rolling.
Holwachagot