My name is Robert Montgomery, and I am the Activist Angler.
I'd rather be fishing than writing about the threats that endanger the future of fishing. But based on my years of covering issues related to recreational angling, I'm convinced that we are going to lose this pastime that we love so much if we don't speak out loudly and forcefully in defense of it.
In fact, we are losing it right now. It's death-by-a-thousand-cuts from federal government intrusion, environmental extremists, loss of access, invasive species, pollution, and other threats.
On this site, I will document those dangers, and, I'm hoping, inspire you to become an Activist Angler as well. You can help me preserve and maybe even enhance this sport that we love so much and that means so much to us culturally, historically, socially, and, yes, even economically.
I'm a fulltime freelance writer, specializing in issues related to fishing and water. For decades I've been writing about the value of and the dangers to recreational angling as a Senior Writer for B.A.S.S. Publications. I'm also a Contributing Editor for Stratos Magazine, an inflight publication.
In addition, my work has appeared on the ESPN Outdoors website. And it was my coverage of the federal Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force that sparked a national firestorm of controversy. Although I did not say that President Obama was considering a ban on recreational angling, as some disreputable sources proclaimed, I did say that the task force posed a threat to public access to public waters, not only for our oceans, coastal waters, and Great Lakes, but inland fisheries as well.
I'm on the Board of Directors of Recycled Fish and am a recent recipient of the prestigious Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award.
I am the author of Better Bass Fishing, published by Countryman Press. It is available from Amazon and other online sellers, as well as bookstores.