First Fish(s)

On Saturday afternoon I was working on a Powerpoint for the live auction for the MattSail Gala that was taking place in the evening when our doorbell rang. It was our old friend Mark Barry (NOT this one) who stopped by to let us know that the Buzzard’s Bay Anglers Club was holding a junior fishing derby on the docks just outside our house. He invited Luke (5) and Joy (3) to come join in the fun and try their luck at fishing.

The Buzzards Bay Anglers generously provided all of the equipment which amazingly the kids were then able to keep. There were nifty rods and a cool little tackle box that was a “reel” hit with Luke and Joy.

On the way to the fishing spot, Luke ran into his buddy Stefan and his dad, “Sushi Chef” Dan. The boys got right into the fishing with Mr. Barry providing pointers and support to Luke. Stefan was the first to catch a fish and if you look really hard you might see it in this photo.

Then Luke caught his first fish, a beautiful striped scup. It was all pretty exciting.

In fact, it was so exciting, Luke wanted to go back to the dock this morning and try his luck again. Yesterday the bait was squid but this morning we used Mummy’s home-cooked ham. The fish didn’t seem to mind too much as Luke caught another.

When I was a kid I fished a lot on a pond at a cottage that our family rented each summer. There we’d catch and release sunfish like there was no end. I really enjoyed it until one day I hooked my cousin Laurie instead. Hmm, not good but thankfully I got her on the meaty bit of the arm and she survived and still talks to me today.

At 5, Luke is getting right at the age where he’s capable of doing these types of activities and boy it’s fun to watch (and teach). Catching his first fish is a real milestone and I’m 100% certain that he will catch many more off the end of the Mattapoisett docks this summer. It’s great that there are organizations out there like the Buzzards Bay Anglers Club that give kids the opportunity to experience the thrill of a new sport or activity.

Thanks to the Buzzards Bay Anglers Club for the great rods, reels and tackle for Luke and Joy! But more importantly thanks for giving our family a chance to do something really fun together on a Saturday afternoon. I can guarantee you’ll see us out there catching fish again and telling plenty of stories about it too.