Until a couple of years ago, the number of ski and golf participants was on a downward trend, and only the number of anglers was increasing. Since then, however, the number of anglers has peaked and subsequently declined, possibly as a result of the depressed state of the economy. The number of female participants is nevertheless increasing, and fishing appears to have established itself as a convenient leisure pursuit for all the family. Popular among young men are fly fishing, lure fishing and trawling, which all enjoy coverage on TV and in the hobby press. Fly fishing involves the use of a fly resembling a water insect attached to the end of a special line called a fly line, which the angler casts utilizing the rod's flexibility and the weight of the line.
Lure fishing is a form of angling which uses a lure made of metal, plastic, wood or rubber, etc.
Using a slender rod with a reel, the angler trails the lure in the water to lure and catch fish that prey on small fish. Trawling is an exciting, sporty, Western style of angling where the angler takes a motor boat out onto a lake or the sea to fish using live bait or a lure, usually with a rod and reel. Some angling stores and makers of fishing tackle are launching angling schools and courses in these types of angling. In conjunction with this trend, sales of fishing tackle are increasing. The market is worth almost 300 billion, and imports of fishing tackle are increasing year by year.