Whether you call it a sport or a hobby, fishing is an extremely popular activity in the U.S. and around the world. Some people set out in search of the Big One (or at least a big story) with expensive rods and reels and ocean-worthy speedboats. For others, all that’s required is a basic rod, a little bit of bait, and a couple feet of shoreline or riverbank. Whether you see it as a sport that you sink your life savings into or a childhood pastime for which you never lost interest, fishing is all about the experience of nature and water and the thrill of the hunt.

 

America's national parks are great places to venture with rod and reel in hand. The fishing opportunities in these places are diverse. Depending on the national park, a fishing excursion can mean casting in the ocean surf, running a surface lure along the lakeshore, watching a bobber in the backwaters of the bayou, or mastering the art of fly-fishing while standing hip-deep in a cool stream. (Text: Josh Lew)