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The first English book on fishing is Prioress Julianna Berners’ volume “A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle.” Published posthumously in 1496, the book is a manual on fishing with a hook and attached line. Recreational fishing is found throughout classical literature starting with Homer. Pliny the Elder included a chapter on fishing in his famous encyclopedia; and the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pilesar the First gave us the first written “the one that got away” story in his account of the whale or “narwarwhal” that slipped his line.
Those of us with the fishing addiction often laugh over the clichés, but serious statistical evidence shows that fishing is not the benign passtime that many think it is. Much like alcohol, fishing is a silent but proven destroyer of families. In fact, part of the inspiration for this commentary is the real-world experience of a Timberjay editor whose parents’ marriage was destroyed by one spouse’s fishing addiction.
While divorcing one’s husband or wife because of fishing is anecdotal, data backs up the correlation between fishing and divorce. On the assumption that the number of Minnesota’s lakes are a valid proxy for fishing opportunities, we compared the number of lakes in Minnesota (source: USGS) with the number of divorces at the county level (source: Census Bureau). While we wanted to compare fishing as a cause of divorce with other marital stresses, that data doesn’t exist. Minnesota has not tracked the reasons for divorce since 1974, when it passed its no-fault divorce law.
Despite the scarcity of divorce data, the connection between divorce and fishing is clearly evident when comparing the number of lakes with the number of divorces.
Divorce is a complex issue with more than just fishing as a cause. Other factors can contribute, explained Professor of Geograph Dee Quale at Piscis State University. After studying the low divorce levels in Minnesota counties in the south and northwest, Quale remarked that physical geography plays a role here. “In the southern and northwestern parts of the state, the rural population faces other challenges, like proximity to boring, endless fields of corn, small grains, or sugar beets. That’s enough to worsen any number of societal ills, like marital discord, elevated divorce rates, and an increase in memberships to the Flat Earth Society.”
Divorce is not the only social ill promoted by fishing. The Timberjay examined multiple datasets, including alcohol usage, violent crime, and homicide rates one day after fishing opener (source: Assoc. Minn. Counties). Alcohol abuse and the availability of fishing opportunities appear to be correlated. Violent crimes also showed a relationship, though again, the data suggest more is going on in the northwest and southern parts of the state than just fishing.
“I do not find that surprising,” remarked Quale, “especially Blue Earth County. We can’t blame it all on fishing. I call it the corn field effect. Have you ever been to Blue Earth? When you get up on that little bluff south of town overlooking the Blue Earth River, all you can see are corn fields all the way to the Iowa and South Dakota borders. It’s not surprising when you consider that there aren’t any lakes for fishing. With families falling apart and divorce rampant, there’s little to do for entertainment other than the internet and painting the toenails on the statue of the Green Giant outside of town. Now that they put the fence up around the pea packing plant, people can’t even do that anymore.”
Regarding the crime, drinking, and divorce statistics in the northwest corner of the state, Quale offered a different explanation.
“It’s North Dakota. Northwest Minnesota is in the same geomorphological and bioreme zone as eastern North Dakota. As anyone who has driven U.S. 2 from Bemidji to Minot can tell you, it’s flat and monotonous. Stare at it too long and it induces abnormal mental states. This was first observed in Nebraska with the completion of Interstate 80. These long Midwestern routes have no variations of scenery. It makes people psychotic eventually. Ever wonder why all those truck drivers became serial killers on I-80, I-90, and I-94? That’s why. It isn’t just the lack of lakes. It’s the rest of the Midwest, which frankly, is nowhere near as nice as living on the Iron Range.”
Quale had advice about fishing and divorce. “Don’t marry someone addicted to fishing unless you’re already addicted yourself.”
Regarding fishing opener and the correlation between fishing and drunk driving, Quale said, “It’s as bad as amateur drinking night on New Year’s Eve. For myself, I try to get home well before sundown and lock my doors.”