Program Feature: FISHING

Fishing Information Troop Meetings Main Event

Catch Me If You Can

Fishing is a delightful way to get outdoors, to match wits with nature, to spend time with your friends, and even to keep yourself fed. That doesn’t mean fishing is always easy. You have to find the fish first and then know how to catch them, and that can vary due to the weather, the time of day, the time of year, and other factors. But when you outsmart the fish and reel in a champion, you will be hooked—no pun intended!—and you will want to keep coming back for more.

Scouting’s founder, Robert Baden-Powell, was an avid fly-fisherman and a pioneer of “catch and release” fishing. He said, “When you catch your fish, do as I do—only keep those you specially want for food; put back the others the moment you have landed them.” He also said, “Every Scout ought to be able to fish in order to get food for himself.”

Fishing has been part of the Scouting program from the beginning. The Angling merit badge (now Fishing) was one of the very first merit badges, and more than 2 million Scouts have earned it since 1911. Today, Scouts can choose two different fishing-related badges: Fishing and Fly-Fishing.

Fishing Information Troop Meetings Main Event