| At
Large Business Briefs Cartoons District Court Report Editorial Gone Fishin' Letters to the Editor Real Estate Transactions Sports Sports Highlights |
| Art Bestsellers Dance Edibles Film In Print Music Theater |
| This
Week's Happenings Save
That Date Ongoing Events Groups Libraries Museums and Tours Children's Resources Hotlines 12-Step Programs Religious Services Volunteer Opportunities |
| Achievements Astrology Birds Births Community Shorts Dean's List Engagements Garden Notes Honor Roll Obituaries Off North Road Short Subjects Town Meetings Visiting Vet Weddings |
| Aquinnah Chilmark Edgartown Oak Bluffs Tisbury West Tisbury |
The
Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
May 12 - May 18, 2005 Edition
Web
Comments
- Email Submissions
Young trout fishermen persevere in wind and rain May 12, 2005 By Nelson Sigelman
It was not a morning for a fair weather fisherman. The wind gusted to 50 miles per hour out of the northeast, and the rain fell with the flavor of the cold north Atlantic. But Island fishermen develop their determination early. That was evident when I arrived at Duarte's Pond in West Tisbury at the respectable fishing columnist hour of 7 am and saw knots of young fishermen and adults standing along the shore fishing in the wind and rain. On years when the sun is shining the pond shore is ringed with hundreds of kids. Then the prime fishing spots in-between the bushes and trees within cast of the pond's few deep depressions go early. That is where the trout congregate and those who arrive well before dawn win those fishing spots. On Saturday there was little difficulty finding room to fish. The trout cooperated by feeding more energetically than they generally do under more pleasant conditions. Under a walled tent set up to provide some shelter, adult volunteers manned the measuring table while others doled out hot dogs, hot chocolate and donuts to youngsters happily violating every dietary principle ever espoused by Oprah Winfrey. “I woke up at 2:30,” nine-year-old John Henry O'Shaughnessy of Edgartown told me as he munched on a hot dog standing under the tent shedding water off his slicker. “He was eager,” said his younger brother Tom. “Here's my fish, a pickerel,” said their pal Dennis Rose who looked wetter than the fish he held up for my inspection. It is no big surprise that a kid who loves to fish would summon the enthusiasm needed to rise from a warm bed before dawn when the wind and rain is rattling the windows. For the adults, particularly the many volunteers who turned out to help with the contest, getting up early on Saturday required an ability to draw real pleasure and joy from a community event with children the focus. The kids trout tournament began 33 years ago when Cooper “Coop” Gilkes of Edgartown thought it would be fun to run a trout tournament similar to one he had fished in when he was a kid growing up in New Hampshire. He enlisted the help of Paul Hotz, the Vineyard's state game warden at the time. The state agreed to stock Mill Pond in West Tisbury for the contest but only that first year. Later the cost to stock Mill Pond with trout, and subsequent locations after the contest outgrew that small pond, was borne by the club and many generous donors over the years. There is a popular adage that behind every great man there is a great woman. I think that also applies to a successful tournament chairman, and in the case of the trout tournament it is Lela Gilkes, Coop's wife. For 31 years Lela has been greeting children with a broad smile, recording the fish they catch and keeping all the records straight. After three decades she remains enthusiastic and characteristically modest about her efforts. On Saturday morning I found Lela in a knit cap and parka sitting out of the rain in the cab of Coop's truck arranging her paperwork. “The alarm clock rang at three-thirty,” said Lela with a laugh when I asked what time she got up that morning. “Of course, Cooper was up before then. When we got here at quarter to five there were youngsters here already.” By the time it came time to give out the awards that morning Lela would have all the names arranged so everything would go relatively smoothly as club officials handed out awards in several different categories. Then she would go to work at the Edgartown Hardware store. I was looking forward to a good long nap. Lela said the adrenalin would help her get through the day. I asked what there was to get excited about. “It's really being part of a very Island tradition. This is a community project,” said Lela. “And the fact that we are seeing youngsters here that are grandchildren, or at least kids of the first Island participants.” Lela got involved because Cooper needed someone to keep track of the fishing stats. “Now you would be hard pressed to keep me away,” she said. “To see the smiles on the kids faces is worth every sleepless hour.” Lela is a keen judge of character and snoopy fishing columnists. Sensing where I was going with my questioning, she downplayed her own contributions and said her work had gotten easier because so many people help out. She pointed out Cliff Meehan of Edgartown who had been there almost from the beginning along with Coop doing whatever needed to be done, including making sure the large club coffee urn makes it to the pondside, a contribution very much appreciated by the adults. “He just sits back and gets the job done,” she said. Luckily, Duarte's Pond was in the lee of the northeast wind and that helped to diminish the blast somewhat. Back inside the tent, Ken Berkov, a seasonal resident of Vineyard Haven who was helping out, surveyed the scene of bedraggled fishermen. “You've got to give these kids credit,” he said. “This is the hardcore.” Janna O'Shaughnessy, dripping water from a yellow slicker, walked inside with son Donald, 5, who held tight to a wriggling trout. The fish was placed alongside a yardstick and its length recorded. “We woke up at 2:30 this morning and got here at 4:20,” she said. She was concerned that her three boys get a good spot. I asked why someone does something like that. “I'm a dedicated mom and the boys love to fish,” she said. Did she anticipate a reward for her effort a day later on Mother's Day? “I'm going to eat the trout. That will be my breakfast, trout and eggs,” she said with a grin. Under better conditions the tournament ends at 9 am. By 8, Coop and the other organizers decided it was time to call it quits. The fishermen gathered under the tent for the awards ceremony. “You all deserve a big round of applause,” Coop told the youngsters and parents. “My hats off to you, it was a rough day.” 2005 Winners Largest trout: Joseph deBettencourt, age 8, 17 inches. Largest fish of any other species: Dennis Rose, age 9, Vineyard Haven, 18 3/4 -inch pickerel. Age group winners: Through 8 years old First: Thomas O'Shaughnessy, age 7, Edgartown, 16 _” trout. Second: Macol Oliveira, age 4, Edg., 15 _” trout. Third: Cameron Maciel, age 6, VH, 15 _” trout. 9-11 years old First: Megan Dreyer, age 11, West Tisbury, 16” trout. Second: Jake Maciel, age 11, VH, 15 _” trout. Third: Jim Widmer, age 11, WT, 15 _” trout. 12-14 years old First: Marguerite Smith, age 13, Aquinnah, 16” trout. Second: Hillary Dreyer, age 14, WT, 16” trout. Third: Mike McCarthy, age 14, Edg., 15 _” trout. Dr. Lawrence C. Sack award: Nichole Jackson, Edgartown and Cameron Maciel, Vineyard Haven. County beach manager resigns Under pressure from the state to restrict vehicle access to protect piping plovers, a little more than ten years ago Dukes County hired Rob Culbert, a local Island bird expert and naturalist, to be the county beach manager. Last week, Rob resigned his job. He said it was time to move on to other opportunities. It is hard to say what Rob's departure will mean for Norton Point and the people who use it. Because Rob was a trained naturalist he helped to provide some credibility for county beach policies with state environmental officials. Apparently, the Sheriff's department will provide help managing the beach. In the past, deputies have primarily focused on collecting beach permit fees. Rob always did his best to keep the beach open for fishermen. Good luck to him in his future pursuits. Wasque opens, closes, disappears Dave Belcher, Chappy beach superintendent for The Trustees of Reservations, called last week and said the off road vehicle track to Wasque was open. About 30 minutes later he called and said it was closed because a pair of plovers appeared to be making a nest. On Tuesday Dave said there was no road left to close. The weekend northeaster chewed away the beach and took out the whole road. “The storm took out the whole road,” said Dave. “There's nothing left right up to the bank. That ends that until something comes back.” Dave said the shortest way to get to the rip is to walk from the fishermen's parking lot. The storm also removed a good portion of East Beach, according to Dave. Past Favorites: Fisherman artist captures spirit of Derby grand slam, October 14, 2004 This fishing Derby is not a man's world, October 7, 2004 59th Bass and Bluefish Derby heads into home stretch, September 30, 2004 For angler Olga Hirshhorn, a dream comes true, September 23, 2004 59th Derby off to quick, sometimes nutty start, September 16, 2004 Catch some luck in the 59th annual bass and bluefish Derby, September 9, 2004 Tuna madness big and small takes over the Island, September 2, 2004 Dr. Play keeps his life's priorities in order, August 26, 2004 Derby welcomes three new members to hall of fame, August 19, 2004 Commercial fisherman finds literary success and fans, August 12, 2004 Fishermen urged to play it safe on the water, August 5, 2004 First impressions are lasting in the art of gyotaku, July 29, 2004 Big rods, big fish, shark tournament draws a crowd, July 22, 2004 Mike Amaral wears the crown of the fluke king, July 15, 2004 It's no fluke, the tournament's this weekend, July 8, 2004 Chronicle of Island fishing adventures, now a classic, is republished, July 1, 2004 Charter captains weather costs and deliver fishing fun, June 24, 2004 Finding the fish is the easy part, June 17, 2004 Game fly fishermen persevere in weekend tourney, June 10, 2004 One fishing photo is worth 1,000 words, June 3, 2004 Fishing begins to heat up for the holiday weekend, May 27, 2004 Beginning where this angler left off, May 20, 2004 Familiarity breeds success in Kids' Trout Derby, May 13, 2004 Thieves Steal Poles, Not Derby Spirit, October 16, 2003 Word Always Gets Around in the 58th Derby, October 9, 2003 Kids Day Derby Provides a Successful Fishing Bouillabaisse, October 2, 2003 Derby Fishing Is a Challenge, but There Are Theories, September 25, 2003 Changes in 58th Derby, September 18, 2003 Good Derby Fishermen Know How to Prepare, September 11, 2003 King Livens Up the Vineyard Fishing Stage, September 4, 2003 Fishless Angler Sets Off to See the Sights, August 28, 2003 Island Fishermen Lured Offshore by Promise of Tuna, August 21,2003 Island Bass Fishermen Survive, August 14, 2003 When the Fish Aren’t Biting, Might As Well Do Chores, August 7, 2003 For Anglers, It's Now Bonito Time, July 31, 2003 Newest Derby Inductees Are Hall of Famers in Any League, July 24, 2003 Fishermen Do Not Get to Say Peep about Norton Point Beach Fee Hike, July 17,2003 Mon Dieu, Winning Fish was Quite a Fluke, July 10, 2003 Prey and Predator Confused On Buggy Night of Fishing, July 3, 2003 Pond Openings Hold Fish and Risk for Anglers, June 26, 2003 For an Angling Father, Something Fishy's Always Welcome, June 12, 2003 Despite Pain of It, Anglers Carry On, June 5, 2003 Fishing, Fishing Supplies & Boat Charters Business Listing |
||||
| Send this page to a friend: | ||||
|
©The
Martha's Vineyard Times 2005 - www.mvtimes.com
|
||||
