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Steward of the Week: Anthony Larson
By FishRecycler | January 19, 2012
Anthony Larson is a Recycled Fish Ambassador and team leader for one of our 24 Hour Fish-A-Thon teams.
Anthony is a fishing guide in the Coulee Region of Wisconsin. He devotes his time and experience to getting his clients onto big fish like northern pike, bluegill, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and crappie. Whether it is on open water or through the ice, Anthony knows the area, having fished the region for over 30 years.
He was raised in rural Wisconsin, developing a real passion for the outdoors as a young man. “When I started Coulee Region Adventures, I wanted to share my passion for the outdoors by promoting personal and professional growth through the outdoors,” Anthony explains. “As a psychology major, I have been given the tools to make that happen.”
As a guide, Anthony tells me, his job is to be a bridge between “Average Joe Angler” and the fishing industry, and be a role model in the fishing community.
“After all, I am on the water a lot more than the average angler,” he stated.
To give me a better idea of how he chooses to set such an example for other anglers, Anthony specifically noted six things he does on the water.
1) Using NuCanoe with an electric motor instead of a boat with a gas motor.
2) Promote selective harvest and the release of trophy fish by encouraging people to look at non-traditional mounting such as taking good pictures of the fish and taking it to an artist to recreate the moment, or artificial mounting like fiberglass or carbon fiber.
3) Educating anglers on what invasive species and native rough fish are and that native rough fish have a place in our ecosystems.
4) Using a hand auger and spud to make a hole through the ice instead of a gas auger.
5) Not driving on the ice while ice fishing.
6) Significantly reducing the amount of lead tackle in his tackle box.
“I take a holistic approach at my outlook at angling and ecological footprint I leave at the fishing hole,” Anthony says.
In September 2011, Anthony chose to join the Travel Green Wisconsin Initiative and became a green eco tour business. He uses and promotes such products as PK Lures, Castalia Outdoors, and the aforementioned NuCanoe. Along with using eco-friendly materials on the water, Anthony also supports many non-profit organizations: Reel Recovery, Recycled Fish and KAMO (Kids Adult Mentor Outdoors) to name a few.
While many of us would consider Anthony’s vocation as a fishing guide to be fulfilling enough, he expressed a sincere appreciation for his “traditional” job, working with adults with disabilities.
As he explained, “It is a fulfilling job that I enjoy and I love my clients. My job amplifies my outlook on life and my enjoyment of the outdoors; something I think we all take for granted.”
What I took from my discussion with Anthony was the incredible example he sets. He encourages the people he encounters to be stewards, both on and off the water, and does this by his own actions more than anything else. Anthony utilizes his opportunities as a fishing guide to put on brilliant display the tactics of fishing and catching trophy fish, while keeping his ecological footprint in mind.
“I just hope that by living and showing others that my tactics are working for me,” he says. “They will follow suit.”
You can find (and fish) with Anthony at www.coulee-region-adventures.com. All he asks is that you bring a positive attitude, a sack lunch, and a fishing license.
- Josh Milczski
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