Fishing is one of the most popular pastimes.
This relaxing and satisfying challenge can be enjoyed by young and old, handicapped, privileged and underprivileged alike. The abundance was universal - Atlantic salmon throughout New England, lake trout in the upper Great Lakes, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the Pacific Northwest, and sturgeon and catfish in the vast inland river systems. As early as the late 18th century, the decline of fish was noticed. Less than a century later, with the spread of the Industrial Revolution, that decline had become the norm for most of our Nation's major rivers. Blame later was ascribed to a myriad of causes - overharvesting, deforestation, poor agricultural practices that promoted erosion and siltation, and increasing industrial pollution.