The most important day of the year for anglers is almost here. And no, it’s not Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or New Year’s Day. Nor is it the opener of trout season, or the peak of the steelhead run, or your best chance to wade a pristine flat for bonefish or permit.

Tuesday, November 4th, is the day that America chooses its elected officials. And if you’re a passionate fisherman, then nothing is more important than casting your vote for people who will protect our landscapes and waterways. In a world where greed and idiocy run rampant, and where Washington, D.C. seems up for sale to the highest bidder, any politician willing to stand up for sportsmen, and for fish and wildlife, is literally worth his or her weight in gold.

Our rivers, streams and lakes will thrive or decline based in large part on the decisions we make this Tuesday. Many of us will have the opportunity to vote for congressmen and senators who share our passion for the outdoors, and who will fight hard for clean air, clean water, and healthy landscapes.

We simply can’t afford to elect any more of the greedy, two-faced bastards willing to sell us out to the first lobbyist who walks through their door.

So vote. On Tuesday, stop by your local polling place and vote for candidates who will protect our woods and waters, who will support clean, renewable energy and rein in global warming, who will stand up for our angling values and outdoor traditions, and who will give our kids and grandkids a shot at a world worth living in. It’s our responsibility. It’s our duty. If we want clean waters and healthy ecosystems, then we need to elect people who share our values.

At the end of the day, it’s up to us. If you love to fish - if you love to wade the flats for bones, or cast poppers for panfish, or stalk spring creeks for rising trout, or swing a long line for steelhead - then you need to recognize that the most important day of the year is at hand.

Vote.