'FishTok' trend creates fishing boom among young Victorians
The state's peak recreational fishing body says an increase in young Victorians taking up fishing has been "incredible" but is questioning why the government cancelled a program that may have led to the uptake.
A trio of 16-year-olds from Geelong, Ivy Renouf, Zane Winterton, and Xavier Clair, are part of a growing trend among young Victorians taking up fishing as a recreational activity. The teens say they enjoy fishing as a way to get outdoors with friends and create memories. Fishing clubs report slightly more younger members signing up, but have few statistics to support a boom.
Victoria’s peak body for recreational fishing, VRFish, has seen a significant increase in younger Victorians fishing, noting that kids are often seen fishing at popular spots. Former angler and TikTok star Jet Reef Worsteling attributes the surge in popularity to social media, post-COVID desire to get outdoors, and a program providing free fishing rods to 180,000 Victorian kids.
The Little Anglers Kits program, funded via fishing licence fees, has been discontinued, which angler advocates argue cuts into the core of access for kids to fishing.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
