September 16, 2024 — Fishing Back When: Story and photos by William McCloskey Jr. from the 1983 Yearbook of National Fisherman.
Why would anyone who has a choice want to fish for a living, given the cold, wet, uncertainty, danger, muck, dependence on weather for make or break, and general ass-busting hardship?
For a skipper of any sized boat, add the government regulations, ruinous cost of fuel and pressure to earn enough to buy (and make payments on) the latest equipment to stay competitive. The romance of it is all very well when contemplated in front of a warm fire, but it’s different when you have to go out every morning.
For many, the answer is simple: They do it to make a living in the way best available to them; they’re more or less stuck with it. For a male growing up in a small coastal community with limited options, fishing is often what his dad, brothers, and uncles do.
As a kid, he probably even dreams of the day he’ll follow the men to sea and walk big himself. He’s lucky if the idea appeals: It may be his only choice, although this has become less so in America than in many other parts of the world.