Recreational fishing licence sales rose by 13 per cent in between 2008 and 2017 — jumping from about 169,000 licences to 195,000, according to data from Manitoba Sustainable Development.
The department expects the final tally on licence sales for 2018 will break the 190,000 mark for the fourth year in a row.
There are a variety of explanations for why more people are getting lured in.
The growing popularity of ice fishing, the promotion and accessibility of urban angling, targeted marketing, and the growing appetite for niche regional fishing content online have all been important factors since a slump in licence sales in the 1990s, says a Winnipeg-based national fishing pro.
"Fishing is cool again," said Don Lamont, the editor of Hooked Magazine and a fishing columnist with the Winnipeg Free Press. |
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