Last year ended with sad news for the fishing community — we lost Frank Daignault — and now another acclaimed angler is gone.
I was part of a group introduced to Janet Messineo on Martha’s Vineyard when we all fished part of a tide with her on Chappaquiddick, where seven-foot swells were crashing up and down the sloped beach on a windy night. Janet, who succumbed to ALS at the age of 76 in December, was a very nice lady, and an expert surfcaster who was a genuine legend on the Island, so it was an honor to be able to wet a line with her. Born in Lawrence and raised in Salem, N.H., Janet took in her last breath of salt air in the Vineyard Haven home she shared with her husband Tristan Israel. In addition to being an iconic angler, Janet was an accomplished taxidermist, and became a powerful writer.
The renowned Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby is an extraordinary event that brings fishing enthusiasts to the Island from near and far. This past September marked Janet’s 46th Derby, but unable to fish due to her illness, she nevertheless was honored to begin the competition by ringing the opening bell.
Janet truly was a remarkable surfcaster, who paved the way for women and young girls to participate in a sport dominated by men. She had no ego, but as a pioneer in her sport, knew how to stand up for herself with inner strength that was secure, courageous, and admirable. Her low-key determination was always evident, with a bright, beaming smile as the salt spray washed over her face and enormous waves engulfed her surf spot. Janet loved the art of casting from the beach and watching her lure lead the line out into the Atlantic. If she had hit the lottery and been able to afford a boat, I think she would have remained on shore, testing her knowledge at favorite surfcasting locations with the skill to control a lure replicating a wounded bait fish developed through decades of experience. Squibnocket muscle bed and other locales will never be the same without Janet. Casting to breaking fish with sand beneath her waders was in her blood! Janet was a devoted surfcaster — through and through.
Janet and I shared some laughs at the Wolves Den Sports Complex in Pembroke where we were both speaking at surfcasting seminars for the Sport Fishing Expo, hosted by the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association. The well-attended function was always in good hands with expo chairperson Capt. George Doucette and MassBass President Ray West. Janet was speaking just before me, so I was fortunate to be able to attend some of her talk, and thoroughly enjoyed her presentation. You could hear a pin drop, as the audience was extremely attentive listening to Janet, who was a riveting speaker with the unique ability to make you feel as though you were part of the action, living in the story along with her. She had finished writing a book titled “Casting Into the Light” that was scheduled for release that summer, which became an immediate priority on my reading list, as my wife J. Do gave it to me for my birthday. It is a wonderful hardcover that is as enjoyable as it is informative, and truly lives up to its name. Janet chronicles many interesting components of her life on the pages, including her struggles with addiction, as well as her ability to rise up, defeat her demons, and ultimately help others with the same dependency.
Janet related some portions of the book to the audience as she spoke about her experiences living in a vacation land off the coast of Massachusetts, not far from the Elizabeth Islands. I found that the description of her daily routine was one of the most captivating and remarkable components of life on Martha’s Vineyard. Janet would have her first lure in the ocean long before sunrise, surfcast along the dark, sandy beaches and then sell the fish she had caught to the local restaurants. She would race home to take a shower, and then report back to one of the restaurants to work as a waitress. I thought that the most fascinating segment of her day was that Janet would sometimes serve patrons in the restaurant plates of fish that she had caught herself that very morning! RIP, my friend.
Doherty is a retired Massachusetts district court clerk-magistrate and the author of “Seven Miles after Sundown” and “Laughs, Lies, & American Justice.” He has surfcast the east end of the Canal so often that other anglers started calling him “East End Eddie,” and thus a nickname became a pen name. He can be reached at eastendeddie789@yahoo.com.
