This weekend is a free fishing weekend in Virginia — you won’t need a permit to cast your lines at certain locations. And thanks to a new law, the program is being expanded. But the effort wasn’t without pushback.
The expansion of Free Fishing Days in Virginia from three to six comes from Hanover Republican Delegate Buddy Fowler.
“What we want to do is try and get more young people out there, outdoors, away from their little machines, and seeing mother nature and getting outside,” Fowler told Radio IQ.
An avid fisherman who said he started fishing 60 years ago on the banks of the Potomac, Fowler says he’s since become a trophy fisherman.
“Between me and my partner, we probably have about 130 trophy fish citations," Fowler said.
But not everyone was on board for more free fishing. In fact, there was bipartisan opposition to the effort.
Augusta County Republican Delegate Chris Runion, one of a handful of no votes in his chamber, said those free fishing days aren’t really free; Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources, the agency that manages Virginia’s hunting and fishing, is funded almost entirely with permitting fees. And while agency costs have increased, interest in hunting and fishing has stayed flat.
“If we require the department to give away resources, then you’ve got to recognize that those are dollars you’re taking out, away from the mission,” Runion said.
Meanwhile, Prince William County Democratic Senator Danica Roem was the sole no vote in the Senate. She shared Runion’s concerns.
“If they want to go out a few times a year and they're just picking the free days at that point, then I think you’re undercutting the entire licensure apparatus,” Roem told Radio IQ.
As for those curious about free fishing now, you can take advantage of existing permit less angling this weekend. The new free fishing days are expected to start next year.
