Casting into Reality
Featured Story In
The Drake Mag W’25
About the Story.
Often times, I’ll have an idea for a photo. But every now and again, this idea develops into an entire story. This one in particular came from my experience of fishing and in living in Tampa juxtaposed against the many wild places I’ve been fortunate to travel to. This is a story about the reality of a wild Florida fishery confined by city limits.
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KNOWN FOR ITS DIVERSE coastal ecosystems and abundant marine life, my home state of Florida stands at the intersection of natural beauty and urban expansion. More than half of the coastline is either developed or no longer natural, with nearly eighty percent of the state’s population living in coastal counties. As neighborhoods and condos continue to grow along its edges, Florida’s once-pristine fishing grounds face dynamic transformations and challenges. Many agree that these changes have been for the worse, but hidden pockets of paradise still exist that support our state’s most treasured creatures and landscapes. As a fourth-generation Floridian, my journey as a waterman is still in its adolescence. But even in my meager 23 years, the delicate balance between nature and urban growth has never been more clear than…