It wasn't exactly a cold day in Hell, but it was a cold and snowy day in Washington, D.C., last week when, for the first time ever, both commercial and recreational fishermen joined forces as they rallied on the steps of the nation's Capitol.
"An incredible success," said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and one of the key organizers of the rally.
Those on hand estimated last Wednesday's crowd at between 3,000 and 5,000 with fishermen standing elbow-to-elbow at Upper Senate Park. Over 20 federal lawmakers joined several thousand fishermen from around the country next to the U.S. Capitol in a three-hour rally supporting national fisheries reform. The rally was historic in that it was the first time that members of both the recreational and commercial sector found common ground in a cause for reform.