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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

By Nelson Sigelman
Published: May 13, 2004

The shouting erupted from a knot of kids and parents, one of many groups at the shore of Duarte's Pond in West Tisbury. The excited tone was unmistakable. Someone had caught a nice fish.

"That'll be a big one," said Cooper Gilkes, Kids' Trout Derby chairman, to one of the volunteers sitting behind the measuring station table in a tent set up on a patch of lawn next to the pond.

Within minutes, Harrison Rodrigues, 9, of West Tisbury arrived at the weigh station tent carrying a whopping 19.5-inch trout. It would be the largest trout caught that morning and the grand prize winner in the 30th annual Martha's Vineyard Rod and Gun Club Kids' Trout Derby.

For many Island kids, the annual trout tourney is their first introduction to fishing, a gentle precursor to future days on the water and the Island's liveliersaltwater action.

On Saturday, more than 250 kids tried their luck. Although not all went home with a trout, at least one young boy demonstrated that he was already developing the philosophical approach needed to take the vicissitudes of both fishing and life in stride.

"Come on kiddo," I heard a dad say to a little boy following him up a path back to the road before the end of the contest. The little boy, still maintaining his leisurely pace, said reassuringly, "Well, I caught a lot of catfish anyway."

It used to be that fishing was one of the main activities the Island offered young people. Not any more. Many young fishermen had arrived before dawn, put in an hour of fishing, then left for soccer or baseball practice.

Young fishermen were not the only early risers. Cooper, and his wife Lela, official record keeper, were up at 3 am to begin getting ready for the fishing contest. At the pond they were joined by numerous volunteers, preparing to dole out hot dogs, donuts, hot chocolate, worms, and tackle.

The morning broke clear, sunny, and cool. On an adjacent pond, several pairs of geese, displaced by all of the commotion, honked impatiently as they waited for the intruders to leave.

Mike Cobban cast one rod than another. Turning to his two twins, Quinn and Alec of Edgartown, both seven, he told them, "Okay, guys, keep your eyes on the bobber. Don't reel unless it goes under."

It was the twins' first trout derby. Each boy had caught two catfish but no trout. Mike told me the boys were avid early morning fishermen. Alec, or maybe it was Quinn, looked up and told me that he and his brother had gotten up at "3:30 somethin'" to go fishing. They vowed next year to be up by 3 am.

A little farther up the shoreline, Warren Gowell, 9, of Edgartown was sitting with his dad, Alan, and several friends. He had arrived at 5:10 am, he told me with precision.

Asked if it was hard to get up so early, he explained that he had been so excited about the tournament that he was up most of the night anyway. "I couldn't go to sleep," he said.

Warren said he had caught two sunfish and three catfish.

Back at the tent, Harrison was displaying his fish to a group of excited friends and envious fishermen (terms not mutually exclusive).

Proving that there is no substitute for scouting and local knowledge, Harrison told me he had arrived at 4 am intent on fishing in the right spot. Harrison had been fishing Duarte's for weeks and knew right where to go, said his bleary-eyed mother.

Fishing was not the only activity that morning. Shirley Craig of Edgartown provided a tally for her grandson. "Two fish and I don't know how many donuts," she said. "I'm giving him back to his mother when he says he has a bellyache."

Munching on one of the hot dogs provided free of charge by one of the tournament's many contributors, Art Bingham of West Tisbury admitted, "I never thought I would say this, but it's 8:15 in the morning and this tastes pretty good."

A short time later, Cooper blew his truck horn signaling the end of the tournament. Included in this year's awards was a new prize funded by Mrs. Sallyann Sack of Bethesda Maryland and Edgartown. In her note to the rod and gun club, Mrs. Sack said she established the award in the memory of her husband, Dr. Lawrence C. Sack, who loved to fish and taught all seven of his grandchildren the fun of fishing.

As children gathered around the tent for the awards ceremony, a pair of geese flew in a graceful circle around the pond and landed quietly on the water.

2004 Winners

Largest trout: Harrison Rodrigues, age 9, 19.5 inches. Largest fish of any other species: Jacob Maciel, age 10, Oak Bluffs, 21.5-inch pickerel.

Age group winners:

Through 8 years old

First: Dennis Rose, age 8, Edgartown, 21 1/4" pickerel. Second: Emily Turney, age 6, West Tisbury, 17 3/8" trout. Third: Cameron Mercier, age 5, Edgartown, 16 5/8" trout.

9-11 years old

First: Wesley Hasselbarth, age 11, Edgartown, 15 3/4" trout. Second: Nick Nelson, age 9, West Tisbury, 15 1/2" pickerel. Third: Christopher Mayhew, age 9, Vineyard Haven, 13 1/4 " trout.

12-14 years old

First: Ed Gillies, age 14, Vineyard Haven, 16 1/8" trout. Second: Zach Waller, age 14, Edgartown, 13 5/8" trout. Third: Lauren Williston, age 14, Oak Bluffs, 12 7/8 inch trout.

Dr. Lawrence C. Sack award: Joseph Turney, West Tisbury and Callie Campbell, West Tisbury.