By JOHN HOWELL Mayor Joseph Solomon was late for the opening of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association fishing camp at Rocky Point Park Tuesday morning. With DEM director Janet Coit and 53 kids ready to get on with fishing, anglers' president
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Mayor Joseph Solomon was late for the opening of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association fishing camp at Rocky Point Park Tuesday morning. With DEM director Janet Coit and 53 kids ready to get on with fishing, anglers’ president Steve Medeiros decided they had waited long enough.
The children, ages 7 to 12 and divided into groups distinguishable by the color of their hats, gathered on the beach wall not far from where the former amusement park’s giant salt water pool, which has been filled in, once stood. A representative from each group was picked to join Coit and Medeiros for the “first cast” of the camp. The opening of camp was official.
But was it?
Moments later Solomon wearing a suit and red tie appeared. He apologized for his tardiness.
Solomon didn’t know it, but he was about to become the envy of every camper.
Saltwater Angler Association member and author of the weekly “No Fluke” fishing column that runs in the Beacon, David Monti, wasn’t going to let the opportunity for a photo-op get away. He lured Solomon, Coit, two campers and Medeiros to the shore for a second cast.
Solomon fiddled with the bail on his reel. Monti quickly stepped in to help. Coit already had the hang of it from her earlier casts and the kids didn’t need any instruction.
“Slowly,” Monti advised giving a demonstration of what he expected on his command. It wasn’t exactly a coordinated effort, but plugs flew in the general direction of the bay. Solomon was still having trouble with the bait so it was a moment before he began reeling in his line.
The floating plug, its treble hooks having been removed, bobbed along the surface. As Solomon’s lure neared the shore an orangey form appeared below it. It rose to the surface going for the lure. Behind it came two more forms as large and nearly as round as plates.
“Sea robins,” declared Monti. The fish didn’t linger, retreating to deeper water quickly. It was enough to have Solomon flirting with the thought of taking some time off from the front office. The excitement of the catch – or even the one that got away – is part of what the camp is all about.
Medeiros wanted to make sure that was going to happen. After a day of instruction, safety tips, shore casting and catch and release on Tuesday, the entire camp was bused to Galilee yesterday where they boarded the Seven B’s party fishing boat. Medeiros’s instructions to the party boat captain were to take the camp to any place they could catch fish. It didn’t matter what kind of fish or how big they might be as long as it swam and obliged by being caught.
“No matter what they catch, it’s going to be an experience,” he said.
Today’s forecast of wind, rain and possible thundershowers forced a premature end to the camp. Using their own boats, association members had hoped to take the kids fishing on Greenwich Bay.
Now in its third year, the fishing camp is not the anglers’ only effort to introduce the sport of fishing to children. Last Saturday 190 had signed up for the 19th annual “take a kid fishing” day. The threat of rain reduced the number to 79 participants.
The camp is more comprehensive and designed to hook kids on fishing.
“They’re our future, right here,” Medeiros said gesturing to the campers. The camp, with a $20,000 budget, is funded by a DEM and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services in addition to the Rhode Island saltwater fishing license fund.
Coit sees the experience as doing more than teaching kids how to fish and discovering a lifetime form of enjoyment.
“This is just what I hoped for,” she said of the use of Rocky Point and the lessons being taught from fishing to science. She is hopeful the kids will come away having made a connection to a place that will make them stewards of the land.
In case they hadn’t noticed, in his remarks as the kids gathered under a tent, Solomon said, “this is nature and this is beautiful. I want to keep things this way.”
Of course, Solomon also mentioned the sea robins. That’s when he really caught their interest.
5 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
tellitlikeitis
*ACTING* Mayor.
Saturday, June 30, 2018 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear acting Mayor Joe Solomon,
I will complement you on your qualities and criticize you on your faults but Joe, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you probably don't fish much, not that it has ANYTHING to do with being a good Mayor. It doesn't. I've been an avid fisherman since I was four and Joe, you're holding the rod upside down! The reel is supposed to be away from you. You still attracted a pretty large sea robin so please don't take offense.
Happy Summer Joe
Happy Summer everyone.
Rick Corrente
The Taxpayers Mayor
Monday, July 2, 2018 Report this
Cat2222
The "Acting" Mayor is doing a great job, regardless of knowing how to fish or not. I am sure the member had no issue with teaching him some pointers.
Monday, July 2, 2018 Report this
Scal1024
Rick, you never had any problem with Joe Solomon until he became acting mayor. That is the definition of flip flopping. I hope you're better at fishing than you are paying your own taxes. Or do you have somebody else cast the line, and you just reel them in? Either way Rick, with all the lies you've told sorry if I don't believe you.
Monday, July 2, 2018 Report this
Justanidiot
master mayer their is a diffance between acting mayor and acting like a mayer
Tuesday, July 3, 2018 Report this