The Inaugural 2007 Event
As part of national Take-a-Kid-Fishing week, the Fairfield Harbour
Fishing Club hosted a highly successful event on Saturday, June 9, 2007 when
thirty boys and girls from the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization
went fishing on sixteen boats belonging to club members. A few opted to
fish in what was described as “a prime spot on Spring Creek”—founding
club member Bob Bruggeworth’s back yard.
The entire group met at 8:00 at the Community Center
to get preliminary instructions and to be assigned to a boat and
Captain. Everyone was given a t-shirt commemorating the event before
leaving to fish.
All of the young anglers were accompanied by their Big
Brothers and Big Sisters, and each Captain took either one or two pairs
of “Littles and Bigs” on his boat. Everyone fished from 9:00 to 12:00
and many fish were caught including some nice striped bass.
A young angler with a very nice striped bass caught on
Take-a-Kid Fishing Day in Fairfield Harbour.
After fishing, the entire group met at Red Sail Park
for a BBQ and chicken lunch.
Following lunch, club members Bob Bruggeworth and Elmer Stenzel joined Johneiquel Smith-Griffen from the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization to award fishing trophies and prizes. Names were drawn randomly and every youngster was given both a trophy and the opportunity to pick an item from the prize table.
Johneiquel Smith-Griffen and Bob Bruggeworth preparing to give out
trophies and prizes to all thirty participants
in the Take-a-Kid-Fishing event
Event coverage from the Channel 12 news crew filming on Spring Creek
A proud young fisherman with the flounder he caught
on Gerry Manfredi’s boat, “Dream”
Both the NC Division of Marine Fisheries and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission waived the fishing license requirement for all participants.
Articles in the New Bern Sun Journal:
Special to the Sun Journal
May 31, 2007 - 2:47PM
Reality was somewhat different. My real dad’s favorite fishing attire was pretty much the same as what he wore every day — a blue work shirt and a ball cap. Instead of a distinguished-looking pipe, he usually had an unfiltered Camel cigarette stuck in the corner of his mouth and patience certainly wasn’t one of his strong points. When I got my line snagged in some shoreline vegetation, he was more likely to use some language that mom wished he wouldn’t use than to offer any “wise counsel.” Of course, with him, getting hung up wasn’t very complicated anyway. Real dad had no need for casting rods and reels that could malfunction at an inopportune time. In his view of the world, a nine foot cane pole with an equal length of braided line was all you needed “if you were any kind of a fisherman.” With that, and a can of worms, you could put a “mess” of bream or catfish in the boat about any time you wanted. The same rig with a 3-inch shiner for bait could subdue any largemouth you were likely to encounter.
I guess I could feel bitter about my father’s lack of angling sophistication or his lack of patience with my mistakes, but I don’t. The reason is, for all his shortcomings, dad did at least one thing that was really, really important. He took me fishing. We might not have been out there in a fancy bass boat but we were out there and that’s what matters most in the long run. We angled for bream in the Neuse River, bass in Holt’s Lake and anything that would bite in Nevil’s Creek, whiling away warm summer afternoons in the shade of cypress trees, waiting for our bright orange bobbers to start twitching and then disappear in the dark water.
I learned a lot of things worth knowing on those fishing trips. I learned that there’s a proper way and a wrong way to do things, and that the proper way is not only more productive but usually easier. I learned that no one, even a dad, is perfect but that any man “worth his salt” will do what he should, even when no one is watching. I learned that it’s important to understand the way nature works, to never take more than you need, and to always leave “a little for seed.” I learned to be self-reliant, flexible, determined and patient — the last from a man who, by his very nature, was one of the least patient who ever lived.
My father — the real one — has been gone for a long time now. But, the lessons he taught on those fishing trips without even meaning to have lasted long after him. Luckily for a lot of kids there are other men and women who will take the time to teach a little boy or girl how to bait a hook or cast a line. In many cases, they are fathers, grandfathers, uncles or moms. In many instances, though, they aren’t even any relation. They are just adults who realize that spending time with a grownup doing something wholesome and fun like fishing is one of the most important things that a child can do. They are people who understand that kids don’t always have someone to take them fishing or to spend any special time with them.
One such group is the Fairfield Harbour Fishing Club. About 20 of the club’s members will host boys and girls, accompanied by their mentors from the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations, on a fishing outing on Saturday, June 9. The special guests, many of whom may have never been on a boat or caught a fish, will get a chance to spend the morning angling in the Neuse River and its tributaries. Those who don’t feel comfortable getting on a boat will be able to fish from the shore at Spring Creek. All tackle, bait and safety gear will be provided. At noon, club members and their guests will convene at a park in Fairfield Harbour for lunch and special awards.
Most of the members of the Fairfield Harbour Fishing Club don’t even have children of the age who will be participating in their fishing day. They are sponsoring the event because they feel it’s important that all youngsters have a chance to enjoy the water and experience the thrill of interacting with nature.
“We figure if we have 30 or 40 kids, and three or four develop a love of fishing and continue to do it for years to come, then our efforts will have been worthwhile, said Bob Bruggeworth, a member of the club and one of the event’s organizers.
The same feelings are what motivate the volunteers who will be hosting another kids’ outing on June 9, this one at Cedar Swamp Pond in the Croatan National Forest near Newport. Billed as a Kids’ Fishing Day, it will be from 8 a.m. to noon and is intended for children age 5 to 15. Volunteers who will assist the youngsters and provide all necessary equipment include U.S. Forest Service employees and others. Bob Kaylor (638-5628) is heading up the event.
Fishing isn’t the only activity that can get adults and kids together in the outdoors. Other groups, clubs and individuals regularly sponsor functions that are intended to help children develop outdoor skills, learn to appreciate all that nature has to offer and interact with responsible grownups. For example, the Neuse Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is hosting that group’s annual JAKES Day Saturday at Mill Creek Farm off U.S. 17 south of Pollocksville. The event, which will begin at noon, is for youth age 17 and under. Activities will include skeet shooting, archery, a BB gun range, turkey calling demonstrations and other fun events. In addition, there will be food and drink, as well as door prizes for all participants.
Of course, there are some groups who help kids enjoy the outdoors on a regular, on-going basis. The Boy Scouts are a prime example. This summer, thousands of boys age 10 to 18 will be hiking, canoeing, camping, climbing and having all kinds of fun at summer camps across this and neighboring states. In every case, they will be under the watchful eye of adult leaders who brave heat, poison ivy and campfire cooking so that the youngsters can experience what may be a turning point in their lives.
In many cases, the kids’ fathers and mothers will be closely involved. In some, though, the children wouldn’t be participating if not for the concern and sacrifice of adults not related to them — adults who think that the admonition to “Go hunting with your child so you won’t have to go hunting for him,” is more than a trite phrase. And, it doesn’t have to be hunting. Fishing works just as well. Just ask some kids next weekend.
Ed Wall can be reached at edwall@earthlink.net.
Fairfield Harbour Fishing Club plans Take-A-Kid Fishing Day
By Nancy Stewart
May 27, 2007
—Forest Witcraft
From left, Keith Maguire, Bob Bruggeworth, Elmer Stenzel, Dan Thallman and George Maravelas in front of Stenzel's 20-foot powerboat.
Elmer Stenzel, Bob Bruggeworth and Wayne Massetti founded the Fairfield Harbour Fishing Club in January 2004. The club has grown from 20 original members to 120 plus members. Last fall, Stenzel and Dan Thallman talked about doing something special for kids. The club, in general, did not want to amass a large amount of money. They decided that during the Christmas holiday was not a good time to go fishing. It was decided to arrange for an event during national Take-a-Kid-Fishing weekend. So June 9 was chosen, with June 10 as a rain date for this event.
Bruggeworth explained they wanted a group that would represent kids. Therefore, they chose Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southeastern North Carolina, which represents more than Craven County, as the organization they would like to work with. The club was then given the names, sizes, height and weight of each participant. This information was needed to make sure they had the correct size life jacket, which they all will have provided for them. In addition, all administrative details have been taken care of.
Stenzel said, “I love this and I am so excited. Every member in our fishing club, which includes about 60 that attend the meetings, is ecstatic about this as well.”
They put up a sign up sheet for those interested in taking part and they had no difficulty in obtaining 20 volunteers. They have many good business and individual sponsors for this event. Bruggeworth said, “I feel great to work with youngsters, some who have never been fishing or even out on a boat. There will be a mix of boys and girls. I think everyone involved in this would love to do something else, like maybe next year, do something for another organization or different kids from BBBS.”
Almost all of those involved have the same feelings about the project. Wayne Massetti expressed they wanted to encourage youngsters to enjoy the outdoors and be able to fish. This was a great way for the fishing club to give something back to the community. Massetti said, “I am glad to do this. We will be able to provide a way for some who would never have the opportunity to enjoy boating and fishing. Our premise is to try to promote fishing and fun. Depending on how this goes we would like to make this an annual event.”
Dan Thallman, one of the two who first brought up this idea, thinks it is a wonderful way to give kids a chance to get on a boat and fish. If they choose not to get on a boat, they will be provided with a prime spot on Spring Creek from where they can fish. Spring Creek is where all of the fish enter the inner harbor. Thallman’s boat was in Swansboro and he saw the BBBS, out of Swansboro, fishing from a big charter boat. He then thought, why couldn’t we do that? Thallman said, “I hope everyone has a good time and I will walk away with good memories.”
The fully equipped boats are all powerboats. They range in size from twenty to twenty-four feet in length. Each boat will have at least one kid, one mentor and the captain aboard. Some of the larger boats may have two kids, two mentors and the captain aboard. In other words, each kid will have his or her mentor with him or her.
To top off fishing all morning, the kids, Big Brother and Big Sisters, and Fishing Club members will meet at Red Sail Park (in Fairfield Harbour) for a barbecue lunch and the awarding of numerous prizes.
It is so rewarding to know that these members take time away from doing what they probably love best, fishing, and contribute so much to other youth. It shows that people in the Harbour and elsewhere in the area really care. They are always looking for a way to give back to the community.
If interested, membership is open to Harbour residents and non-residents, male or females and willing to spend $10 for yearly dues. If interested, call Bob Bruggeworth at 636-2466 or Wayne Massetti at -634-2458 for more details.
fhfc@suddenlink.net