In Pennsylvania, fishing clubs are bringing families closer together while building stronger relationships through a special bonding experience. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pittsburgh Let’s Go Fishing club organized by Rev. Spencer Simon, is just one of the clubs that offers families the opportunity to fish at Carnegie Lake in Highland Park at no cost. For Rev. Simon, the club means more than catching fish while he ensures that families have an experience of a lifetime that they will never forget.
Rev. Simon told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “that’s the power of fishing! These kids are finally learning the meaning of family here — the meaning of connecting and building trust with an adult through one of the healthiest activities and hobbies there is: Fishing. Fishing. Fishing.” Rev. Simon explained that children are often stuck in their homes on electronic devices that keeps them away from their families and is not fulfilling their need to socialize and engage in healthy activities. He notes that parents have shared with him that their children who have joined the Let’s Go Fishing Club have begged to be taken there as they enjoy the whole experience, especially when they catch fish. Rev. Simon never lets a family leave without capturing the memory for them by taking a photograph on their phone.
Other fishing clubs in the area include Anglers Fishing Club, which is run by Ed Caldwell who shared that fishing is the activity that kept him “off the streets” and gave him something exciting to do with his time. He reminds children and young adults he sees on the streets who have attended his fishing club about their potential that he has witnessed at the lake. Another club, the Tri-anglers Lunch-Time Fishing is run by Venture Outdoors on the Allegheny River at the North Shore, and stresses the importance of engaging in outdoor activities with the positive impact it has on the mental and physical health of participants, and the well-being of children. Philip Papa, 37, shared that he would go to this lake with his father fishing and is grateful to have captured those memories and is now sharing them with his own daughter.
Doing things together as a family, especially a healthy, outdoor activity such as fishing, is a great way to build stronger relationships and grow closer together. The positive experience offered by these fishing clubs opens doors for opportunities to show children and young adults the world around them and the healthy lifestyles they can have seeking adventure outdoors.