Long perceived as a hobby of retirees, fishing has an unexpected return to adolescents and young adults. Since the covid, sales of fishing cards among 12-18 year olds have jumped by 25 %. A background phenomenon, powered by a need for reconnection to nature, the rejection of screens … and some well -chosen influencers.
A dusted image… and connected
No more cliché of the grandfather sitting on the edge of the pond! Today, young people represent an increasing share of French fishermen: those under 18 have 26 % of members out of 1.5 million in total to the National Fisheries Federation in France (FNPF), and those under 25 are 35 %. Better yet: around 10 % of them are young girls. Fishing has modernized, manufacturers have understood this: colorful equipment, technical innovations, attractive digital content.
Figures like Thomas Launay, alias Yako Black Cat On Tiktok, largely contribute to this revaluation: the young fisherman sails on the Seine, sharing with tens of thousands of subscribers his passion for urban fishing. A dynamic, sporting practice, very far from the frozen image of yesteryear. We walk, we explore, we observe. And above all, we share: with friends or family.
A refuge against the noise of the world
Why this return to grace? “”The covid has changed everything“, summarizes the communications officer of the FNPF. Need to slow down, to go out, to reconnect to something simple and true: fishing appeared as a natural escape to hyperconnection and ambient stress. This hobby makes it possible to move away from screens, to refocus, and above all … to no longer see the time pass.
More and more studies show the benefits of mental health fishing. It develops concentration, strengthens patience, decreases stress and even acts against light anxiety. Far from being passive, this “moving meditation” anchors the teenager in the present moment, offering him a salutary break in an often saturated daily life.
An intergenerational and educational leisure
Fishing is also a link. With others, with you, with nature. Many young people discover this activity alongside a parent, a grandfather or an uncle. It then becomes an intergenerational experience, where transmission, complicity and learning mix.
The FNPF and all the associative structures of leisure fishing accompany this dynamic: internships, “nature fishing” workshops, interventions in schools (3,500 half-days which represents 70,000 students sensitized each year) make it possible to make young people aware of the protection of aquatic environments while transmitting the technical bases. A gentle pedagogy, which gives meaning to the gesture.
Much more than a simple Old School hobby, fishing has become for many teens a haven of peace and meaning. By mixing nature, sport, technology and social ties, it ticks all the boxes of a balancing, inclusive and regenerating activity. A trend that seems to be off to last.