In US, Fishing Becomes More Popular During Coronavirus Crisis
2020-05-11
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Tim Wirtz Junior looked at two large rainbow trout swimming near land.
2He cast his fishing line into the water. No luck.
3The fish swam right past, not even stopping for a look.
4Wirtz did not seem to mind his failure at fishing.
5At a time when millions of Americans are following stay-at-home orders, he was out enjoying the weather - all while obeying guidelines for social distancing.
6He made sure not to get within two meters of other people.
7Wirtz's father Tim approved of his son's activity.
8"It's a good way to get out in the fresh air and he can still distance pretty easily," he said.
9The coronavirus health crisis has pressed many Americans into their homes.
10For some, the only escapes are trips to buy food, visits to the doctor's office and trips to open spaces for physical exercise.
11A visit to the neighborhood lake with a fishing pole in hand has become a popular get-out-of-the-house activity.
12Across the United States, many bodies of water are closed to the general public.
13But many community lakes are open and have fish.
14Steve Gurtin is community fishing program manager for Arizona Game and Fish.
15Gurtin says that although he did not have exact information, "we've definitely seen a lot of anglers out...we're seeing a lot more people trying to get outdoors."
16Anglers are a kind of fisherman.
17They use a fishing line and rod to catch fish, not a net.
18The appeal of fishing is clear.
19Fishing is mostly an activity for one person or a small number of people.
20And what about those social-distancing guidelines? They are already in place.
21Stephanie Vatalaro is with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.
22"You don't want to be close," she said.
23"You're going to tangle your lines, get your equipment mixed up. Fishing is a sport that lends itself to social distancing for sure."
24The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation was created to increase Americans' interest in boating and fishing.
25The group's website, takemefishing.org, has seen a 15% increase in traffic over the past month.
26Online searches for fishing and how-to fish information have increased by over 300%, notes The Associated Press.
27Searches for fishing licenses are at the highest point in four years.
28A recent Harris Poll showed 24% of people with children under 18 were thinking about fishing more during the coronavirus pandemic.
29Vatalaro said that fishing helps people in many ways.
30"It's great for mental health, stress relief, connecting with your family, creating memories, but health and safety is No. 1."
31I'm John Russell.
1Tim Wirtz Junior looked at two large rainbow trout swimming near land. He cast his fishing line into the water. No luck. The fish swam right past, not even stopping for a look. 2Wirtz did not seem to mind his failure at fishing. At a time when millions of Americans are following stay-at-home orders, he was out enjoying the weather - all while obeying guidelines for social distancing. He made sure not to get within two meters of other people. 3Wirtz's father Tim approved of his son's activity. "It's a good way to get out in the fresh air and he can still distance pretty easily," he said. 4The coronavirus health crisis has pressed many Americans into their homes. For some, the only escapes are trips to buy food, visits to the doctor's office and trips to open spaces for physical exercise. 5A visit to the neighborhood lake with a fishing pole in hand has become a popular get-out-of-the-house activity. 6Across the United States, many bodies of water are closed to the general public. But many community lakes are open and have fish. 7Steve Gurtin is community fishing program manager for Arizona Game and Fish. 8Gurtin says that although he did not have exact information, "we've definitely seen a lot of anglers out...we're seeing a lot more people trying to get outdoors." 9Anglers are a kind of fisherman. They use a fishing line and rod to catch fish, not a net. 10The appeal of fishing is clear. Fishing is mostly an activity for one person or a small number of people. 11And what about those social-distancing guidelines? They are already in place. 12Stephanie Vatalaro is with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation. 13"You don't want to be close," she said. "You're going to tangle your lines, get your equipment mixed up. Fishing is a sport that lends itself to social distancing for sure." 14The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation was created to increase Americans' interest in boating and fishing. The group's website, takemefishing.org, has seen a 15% increase in traffic over the past month. 15Online searches for fishing and how-to fish information have increased by over 300%, notes The Associated Press. 16Searches for fishing licenses are at the highest point in four years. A recent Harris Poll showed 24% of people with children under 18 were thinking about fishing more during the coronavirus pandemic. 17Vatalaro said that fishing helps people in many ways. 18"It's great for mental health, stress relief, connecting with your family, creating memories, but health and safety is No. 1." 19I'm John Russell. 20John Marshall reported on this story for The Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 21Words in This Story 22cast - v. to throw (a fishing line or hook) into the water by using a fishing pole 23manager - n. a supervisor or director 24tangle - v. to become or cause (something) to become tied together 25license - n. an official document, card, etc., that gives you permission to do, use, or have something 26poll - n. short for opinion poll, a public opinion study 27relief - n. an easing of pressure; calmness