Gone Fishing – Do You Actually Fish?  What’s Bedford Thinking?

The Bedford Citizen is closing down for two weeks this summer: the week of Monday, July 10 through Sunday, July 16 and the week of Monday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 20.  We wrote a recent story with the headline “‘Gone Fishing’ The Bedford Citizen’s Annual Hiatus Dates Set,” explaining that we’re not going to be available. The term “Gone Fishing” is a throwback from a bygone era. It’s an expression that comes from a time when shopkeepers would take a break in their day and close the store, to actually, go fish. The term has become a phrase that means, “we’re unavailable.” 

It got me thinking though, how many people actually fish? According to Statista, “Fishing is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United States.” In 2020, approximately 55 million Americans flocked to the nation’s waterways to engage in freshwater, saltwater, and fly-fishing activities, marking the highest fishing participation rate in over a decade. 

In Bedford, there are many fishing spots, The Old Res, Concord River, Fawn Lake, and others.  

Public Service Announcement: One thing we have noticed is there are a lot of abandoned fishing lines at all these places. Fishing line is very dangerous for wildlife, both aquatic and land-based animals. Here’s a good article on why it’s so dangerous: “Dangers of improperly discarded fishing line, Westlake Bay Village Observer – October 2021.” So please be careful with fishing line, and if you find some, even if it isn’t yours, please pick it up.

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