Fish For Everyone!

Admiring the catch.

The first fishing trip of the summer was a huge success! We caught 4 fish that were legal size, a few skates, a couple of crabs, and some tiny fish. We left the dock near the World Trade Center at 9:15, and preceded to head out towards the Boston islands. After about 15 minutes we docked the boat, hooked up some sea worms as bait and then started our fishing. Within the first couple of minutes Captain Charlie got a massive Black Sea bass, and then announced to the campers, "you see guys, there are fish here."
       This first catch pumped up all the kids and gave them the motivation to go and catch fish. And soon after one of the campers caught a fish, his first fish of the summer! The camper held his prize up high and everyone gathered around to see the colorful choggie.

One of his many catches of the day.

       The campers braved the cold and the rain and started to catch fish one after another. They added their layers, put on their hats and hoods and dropped their lines into the water. Even though the weather was less than ideal the campers were full of energy and were eager to be the next person to catch a fish. Our next fishing trip is in a couple of weeks with the next session, and hopefully we can have another fun day filled with laughter, fish, and hopefully better weather.
See you next time, Abel.

CHV Fishing Trip #4

Hey everyone it's Mauricio again and I'm back with more from CHV! This week we had another fishing trip and it was a great day! The last fishing trip was somewhat dampered by the weather but this time it was perfect fishing weather! The day started the same way and everyone was ready and enthusiastic to go out and catch some fish. This time we didn't have Sam so it was a little different but it was still a great day.

    We got to our spot and got to work! We pulled up a lot of fish. At first slot of the fish we were catching were too small to keep, but after a while we started getting better and bigger fish. We caught some Black Sea Bass which look awesome! The kids were getting fish all day and it was a overall great time! By the end of the day we had a boat full of extremely tired kids. I could tell they had a fun time so it's makes the experience even better for me! 

Peace out - Mauricio  

THE best fishing trip ever

Hey everyone. So this week was week 4 of session one of Camp Harbor View meaning we went on our fishing trip on Wednesday! This fishing trip was much different from the last one in many ways. First of all we only had three of the same kids from the last trip and second of all we caught a lot less fish than last time. Today was also very, very hot but captain Charlie kept us cool! When we complained about being in the sun he picked up the hose and sprayed us with it! Nobody cared that they were soaked because it felt great. On every fishing trip we always have a great time because a man named Sam, who used to work for Save the Harbor, works on the boat now. He is super fun and he loves interacting with the kids. Sam knows almost everything there is to know about fishing so it is always good to see kids learning about different occupations.

On this trip I was paired with a kid named JD. He loves fishing and we had a lot of fun together. This trip was extremely fun because all of the kids were full of energy; maybe too much energy at some points. Although we had a great trip I'm a little bit upset. All of the kids I got to know and love are leaving tomorrow and a new session will begin next Tuesday. I'm looking forward to seeing some new faces and making some new friends.

Until next time!

-Maeve

CHV Fishing Club Takes to the Water

Yesterday was a perfect day to go out fishing in the harbor, and we did just that. Our bi-weekly fishing trip with the CHV fishing club got off to a slow start, but that does not mean that the excitement was lacking. We had a few returning campers that joined us on our last trip aboard the Belle, and that experience that they brought with them on the trip, allowed them to keep spirits up and made it so each and every one of us enjoyed ourselves.

As we motored out to the spot in the Harbor where we had the most luck last time, it was time for the staff to have their breakfast. I pulled out my bagel, and one of my coworkers pulled out a banana. Now I had never heard this superstition before, but it was a huge deal to Captain Charlie and he told her to throw it overboard. There are many different varieties to this story, but the one that is most widely accepted is the tale of bad bacteria being carried on a historical fishing boat that caused the entire crew to get sick. Nowadays, fishing boat captains are extremely careful not to have any bananas on board, and this can even spread to products that carry the word "banana" in their name. I felt silly having been fishing this whole summer without knowing such a widespread superstition about the sport, but of course now I know that you will never find me snacking on a banana near the harbor. 

As we continued to look for good fishing spots, we dropped our lines and were getting a ton of bites my smaller fish. This got the campers from CHV pretty excited and we were able to reel in a few flounder for them to take home. Since it was a pretty slow day, our boat ride consisted of a lot more interaction with the kids whether that be in the form of chess, ice breaker games, or just telling jokes. Although we didn't get to take home as many fish as last time, our fishing club had a wonderful time during their day on the harbor.

Until next time, 

-Kristen

Did you do something new?

To keep a heightened level of attentiveness and positivity here at Save the Harbor we try to live by a simple mantra: do something today that you've never done before. At the end of the day either a LHE or SHE (and occasionally Bruce) will ask what have you done that was new. For me this was going fishing with the CHV Fishing Club.

On Thursday morning we started our day off differently than we do the other days we gear up with the CHV staff. Instead of boarding the Provincetown II, we went on a voyage with Captain Charlie and former Save the Harbor Staffer Sam on The Belle. This experience was new for most of our children and for myself. The day started off really slow but with the expertise of Captain Charlie, Bruce, and Sam - its was not long before each cast landed a fish. It all happened so fast. One. Two. Three. One would think this was some form of magic or witchcraft the way flounder, black fish and other species of fish were becoming attached to our bait. The boat was filled with awe and excitement.

We are all so happy - showing off the fish we caught

Being the first, and thankfully not my last fishing trip, I can gladly say the trip was a success. We learned a ton about the fish we caught, got a few filleting lessons, and even how to understand weather forecasts as we watched beautiful Boston become hostage to the downpour of mother nature as we finished our day. It was a great day for a great day.

Peace and Blessings,

Ahmed 

Fishing with The CHV Crew

The fishing club members holding up
 our catches of the day

Thursday was the first fishing trip I have ever been on, and I have to say it was a lot more fun and action packed then I expected it to be. My team and I met at the usual spot, at the Dunkin Donuts near the World Trade Center. From there we gathered the fishing club kids from the Provincetown II and took them onto the boat we were using for the fishing trip, the Belle. We started heading out of the Boston Harbor and eventually ended up near Camp Harbor View. At this point we dropped the anchor and chose this area as our fishing spot.

Bruce, Corey, and the blackfish

After the first five minutes we caught our first fish, and from that point on we caught more than a dozen fish. About half of the fish we caught were skates, while the other half were flounder, and we also happened to catch a blackfish. Even though I didn't catch a fish myself, I helped one of the kids reel in a skate which was pretty exciting. The kid who I helped is named Kerrick.
Kerrick noticed that he had caught a fish and yelled for help. At this moment I jumped in to helped him and with a few tips from Ahmed I was able to reel in the fish for him. Even though I have been fishing a lot during my time at Save the Harbor I was never able to reel in a fish, so I was thankful and happy that Kerrick gave me this opportunity.

Abel Yohannes

It's a beautiful day for a fishing trip

  On Thursday we took the fishing club from camp harbor view on a fishing trip. The trip was so exciting and full of so many surprises. We brought 12 kids and two Camp Harbor View staff members. The day was a roller coaster for a couple of reasons because in total we caught about 10 fish. The kids caught multiple flounders and Skates and most importantly, a huge Black Fish. The boy who caught it, Corey, was just overwhelmed with excitement as he held his fish up for a photo. All of the children were having a great time no matter what they caught. Some kids were even excited about catching seaweed!

Showing off the fish we caught throghout the day

But while most kids were having fun catching fish, one boy named Trey wasn’t having much luck. I was sitting with him and it was my job that day to help him fish and have fun. We were talking about school and summer and he was such a sweet and curious boy. While he was sitting with his rod out on the water he was starting to give up because his fellow campers were catching fish every 5 minutes. At one point he wanted to give up and he looked so sad until all of a sudden his rod moved...almost every other camper had caught a fish at this point so the excitement on his face really made my day. He ended up catching a Skate that we couldn't keep but he didn’t care because he had finally reached his goal.

Trey waiting patiently to get a bite

I, on the other hand, was not as fortunate as Trey. I was holding onto a rod in the same area for almost an hour but had no such luck. All of the other kids were catching fish and I’ll admit that I was becoming discouraged so I gave my rod to Corey. After about 2 minutes, Corey caught a flounder with the rod that I gave him. I was sad but now I know what I need to do next time and I can’t to try again. Overall the day was great. The kids had a blast and so did all of the staff. Almost everybody on that boat got to do something that they had never done before and that’s what really made the trip memorable.

-Maeve

Fishing Trip #2 and my First Day At Carson Beach

On our second fishing trip with Camp Harbor View we caught some good fish! We caught a bunch of mackerel which we later used as live bait to try and catch striped bass. The kids had a great time and so did I (as expected)! This week I also spent my first day at Carson Beach which was awesome! We went kayaking and paddle boarding. It was all fun & games until we had to paddle back to shore against the current & wind. The 10 minutes trip out took us nearly a half an hour to take back in. By the end of the day I had acquired some well earned blisters from the paddle.

See you soon!

Sam

Fishing Trip with CHV

     In all the times that I have held a fishing rod trying to catch a fish, I have never caught a fish before. But, that all ended on Thursday when we took the Camp Harbor View fishing club out to the harbor to fish. We all had fishing rods and we used live sea worms as bait. The first fish to get hooked on to my rod was a skate, I've seen many skates before, but this was the first one that I had actually caught. We had to throw the skate back into the water because we can not eat skates. Then, another fish was stuck to my hook and we saw that it was a striped bass, but since we were using flounder hooks, the striped bass was able to get away easily. So, that doesn't count and I only had caught one fish. My third bite was a flounder that was a few inches too small, so I wasn't able to keep it and threw it back in the water. 

     My fourth and final bite was a choggie and I was also not able to keep that fish. So, after four bites and three reeled in fish, I was not able to get a fish that I was able to keep.

     I was also reunited with Sam, an alumni employee of Save The Harbor, it was good to see that he hasn't changed. I'm looking forward to the next fishing trip that we do and I know the CHV kids are looking forward to it too. 

Sincerely,

Ivan 

FISHING TRIP!

Today we took our first fishing trip with the kids from Camp Harbor View! It was so much fun! Everybody on the boat caught at least one fish whether it be a flounder or a bass. Some of the kids got discouraged when they weren't catching any fish but others had already caught two. After a while they started catching fish and were super enthusiastic about catching more! One of the funniest parts was when the kids tried to put the sea worms on their own hooks and got really grossed out. It was also hilarious when one camper named Joshua was trying to hold a fish but got freaked out and dropped it. It started flopping around and he tried to move away so fast he fell on top of the backpacks. After dropping the kids off at the island we headed home where we stopped to do some fishing of our own. I can't wait to take another trip with the kids, it really was a blast!

Happy Fishing!
-Sam

Camp Harbor View Fishing Trip!

And we're back, with another round of Justin's summer blog!

      So this past Thursday we had a special treat for the Camp Harbor View Fishing Club. They got to go on an all day fishing trip with us, on the one and only Belle of Gloucester, captained by the famous Captain Charlie, with a special guest appearance from Save the Harbor's very own Bruce Berman, who happens to be an expert fisherman. We met up with the kids as they got off the ferry to camp. Half my team rushed to get all our fishing rods ready, while the other half made sure we had all of the fishing club ready to go. As soon as the camp ferry pulled away, Captain Charlie pulled our boat right up to the dock and we got all of the kids on board.

All of us waiting on the dock for Captain Charlie

   
      As we sailed out to our first fishing spot, First Mate Sam (a Save the Harbor veteran), helped my team and I put flounder hooks on all of the fishing rods. Then we showed the kids what we would be using for bait...sea worms! They were all pretty grossed out at first, but after we showed them how to put the worms on the hook the first time, they all got over it and started putting the sea worms on the hook themselves. Our first catch came a few minute later when one of the campers hooked a black sea bass. It was too small to keep but we ended up catching two more that were big enough to keep by the end. A couple of kids managed to land some skate, which we also threw back. By the end of the day though, every single camper and Save the Harbor staff member managed to land at least one flounder (mine was way too small to keep though).

Me, CAREFULLY tying a hook to a line.

      Eventually we had to bring the kids back to camp, but we didn't send them back empty handed. Every single camper and their club leader got to take home a whole flounder to cook.

The campers and their fish!

This is Justin Warrener, signing off...come back next week for more exciting stories from Camp Harbor View!

Camp Harbor View Fishing Trip

Today the team and I took the kids from the Camp Harbor View fishing club on the annual fishing trip. This year we had about twelve kids who got the chance to take a boat out onto the harbor to fish for a bunch of different types of fish. It's a real step up from being on the dock all day. Each kid took a rod and were already familiar with fishing which was really cool! They were casting and catching fish immediately. Fish were flying every where. Some on hooks, some on the boats floor. We did have to throw a few back but every kid caught a fish at least twice! Of course some more than others, but everyone did  have a good time and that is what matters. I even caught two fish to add to the huge collection of fish. Every kid left with a smile and had an awesome time. That is really what made me happy and I'd love to take them out another time on a fishing trip, they were a pretty cool group of kids.

Flounder Pounder

This Wednesday I had the pleasure of going out on the first of this summer's fishing trips that Save The Harbor charters for the campers at CHV.

The morning started with a quick run out to Long Island aboard the Belle, with Captain Charlie at the helm. Upon arrival at the CHV docks, we loaded up the kids from fishing club. They were eager to get started, and had high hopes for the day. I knew, of course, that these wishes would not go unfulfilled, as Capt. Charlie is very knowledgeable, and has put me in the right spot every time that I have been on his boat. 

Within a few minutes of leaving the dock we had reached our fishing destination and dropped anchor. Rods were quickly baited with sand worms, and dropped over the side. It did not take long before we had our first hit, a nice sized flounder fit for the cooler. I knew this was a good indicator for what was to come. Sure enough the day only got more exciting, with flounder after flounder being pulled over the gunwales. I counted at least 13 on the day, but keeping track was hard, and it may very well have been more.

Uno

Dos

Tres

While the flounder kept the action going throughout the day, the most exciting moments were when Greg, the lifeguard, hooked into a striper. While much too small to keep, it still put up a great fight, and had the whole boat clamoring to get a view. It also provided quite a nice photo opportunity for the group.

Charlie, the kids, Moby the Mop and a striper.

Of course it wouldn't be bait fishing without skates.

As time wound down, Charlie and I began cutting up the flounder. A nice stack of beautiful fillets, on ice, and ready to be sent home with the campers, was the result. A few opted to take their catch home whole as this is how their parents preferred to cook it. An awesome day out on the water to say the least and plenty of fish to show for it. Many thanks to Capt. Charlie and the kids who made the trip so fun.


- Happy to be catching,
              Tom Rebula

On the Boat

During Wednesday we faced one of the hottest days yet it was high 90’s with some humidity and there was not an ounce of shade to be found, luckily this was the day for our boat trip!  So we were out on the water and the hot 90’s felt like a high 80’s due to the lovely breeze out on the water which cooled us down.  Charlie found one of the greatest fishing spots for the kids because we were able to catch about 15 fish that day and the children were able to bring it home to their families, which is always nice to see because fish can be quite expensive these days and is a special treat to many American families in these economic times.  The looks on some of our first time fishers faces when they caught their first fish was priceless.  It was a mix of happiness, shock and fear.  They were happy because they caught the fish, shocked because they actually caught it and in fear because its was flopping on the deck.  It is also always a tradition for someone to catch a skate and try to keep it.

getting the fishing rods ready for the kids

skate catches are the best catches

It was one of our better days because normally when we are at Camp Harbor View we catch a lot of crabs and skates but when we were able to bring the kids on the boat they were able to catch a lot of fish and see that they were all phenomenal fishermen.  It was also an amazing day because we were able to hang with Charlie, one of the funniest, kindest most helpful fishermen I have had the chance to meet

Captain Charlie

CHV Fishing Trip 2

It's Fishing Time! 

Camp Harborview fishing trip for the second session is now in the history books. It was a great trip out on Boston Harbor and a beautiful day for fishing. The kids were ready to get out on the water as soon as we docked The Belle and they were waiting for us at the top of the gangway. We were prepared for the day with a good amount herring and clams for bait and enough fishing rods for everyone to fish. The camp provided water, chips and blueberries to keep everyone on the hydrated and fed while on the boat. We had everything that we needed to have a great fishing trip on Boston Harbor.

Captain Charlie of The Belle knows Boston Harbor and where all the great spots are for fishing. I could feel it at the start of the day that we were going to catch a good sized fish. Also, I noticed a few kids were ready to do whatever it took to catch a fish. The day started out great because at the first spot that we went to we caught a fish. Tristen, a Camp Harborview camper, caught a fish within the first thirty minutes that we were out there. At first we did not think that striped bass was big enough to keep and that we were going to throw it back. Then, Captain Charlie brought out a ruler to measure the fish to check and we found out that the fish was big enough to keep by 2 inches. I was excited that we caught a fish so soon after leaving the dock. I could tell it got the kids more faith to catch a fish before the day was over.

We ended the trip with a few catches, but only one fish that we could legally keep. We decided to fillet the striped bass and give pieces to the kids that wanted them. Tom filleted the fish and put them in bags for each of the kids to take them home and cook them. The campers were very happy that they were able to say they caught a fish on their boat and could take some home. Being able to fish in the harbor and catch something that you can eat is what Save the Harbor is all about.

- Will Clark

Fishing Trip Fun !

Posing with some the great CHV campers

Hey everyone Manny, here! Just wanted to share this awesome photo of me and a few of the kids from Camp Harbor View, and the fun time we had on the fishing trip. Besides spending lots of time fishing we also talked about a lot of interesting things while on the boat, for example what some of our favorite sea creatures were, and which ones were the most interesting. A lot of the kids said the shark was there favorite, but also a lot of them said dolphins were there favorite, so throughout a majority of the boat ride there was a long debate on whether sharks or dolphins are better.

In deep discussion with John and the campers

 As we continued throughout the harbor looking for schools of striped bass or bluefish to catch, one of the kids caught a small bluefish while getting into a deep conversation with another camper about why sharks are better then dolphins. As the last statement was made she was reeling in her line and she felt a tug as the fish shot up and grabbed her rising bait.

- Manny

Striper On!!!!

Will here, with good news about the CHV fishing trip. It was the second time this summer we had taken a group of kids from the camp out on The Belle with Captain Charlie and his crew. This month was a new group of kids in fishing club and it wasn't bad reteaching all the same skills we had done for the first group. With less kids on the boat this time it made it a lot easier for us to help each camper individually.

 We had an amazing start to the day with one of the campers, Tristen, who reeled in a great 29in. Striped Bass. It was the first fish of the day and got everyone really excited. After that we only pulled in two other small Bluefish and used them as bait. But that striper was a great catch with a good fight for Tristen. At the end of the trip Tom filleted the fish as the campers watched his delicate knife work. A lucky few took pieces of the fillet home, planning on having it for dinner. 

Tristen, Tom, and Captain Charlie holding up that days prize 

I had a great day and I know the campers did too. There was no one left out that day, having all the kids doing some activity on the boat. We had those not wanting to fish upfront talking with Manuel about sea animals and harbor history. So the day went as planned, with everyone having the best time they could out on the Belle. I wish we could take the kids out on another trip before the summer ends but we still have this last week with them.

Manuel and I debating with the campers on which species of sharks are the best

-Will Conroy

The Silver Lining

This past Friday my team and I took the fishing club from this session at Camp Harbor View out on The Belle for a day of fishing. A special thanks goes out to Captain Charlie, and John, the first mate. These guys were exceptional with the kids and made sure that everything went as smoothly as possible. Friday was my first time really getting to talk to them this year and it was apparent just how much they know about the Harbor, a fact that is made even more clear by the quality of the boat ride they provide. For all of those reading the blog who may be looking for a charter for either a fishing trip or pleasure cruise, look no further than The Belle, Charlie and John will make it a fun, worthwhile experience.

The Belle.

The day started with a bang. Only minutes after we dropped anchor at our first location, right off the shores of Long Island, one of the campers felt a heavy bend in his rod. At first we thought that he had just hooked bottom, but a then the rod began to vibrate with the powerful head-shakes of a striper. The camper was behind one of the window pillars, and as the fish ran hard for the bottom and towards the aft of the boat, I was concerned that he was going to lose it. Quick thinking by Will Conroy saw the rod maneuvered into a more favorable fighting position, and after a long battle the fish was pulled alongside the boat where it was netted by Captain Charlie. A quick measurement and it was confirmed that the fish was indeed a keeper.

Tristan with his exceptional catch.

Unfortunately the rest of the trip was marked by much slower fishing. A few of the other campers managed to hook into bluefish, but they were all small and could not compare to the first catch of the day. Even when one of these small blues was baited and allowed to swim behind the boat we could not convince another large striper to bite.

As we turned around and headed back towards the docks of Camp Harbor View I set to work processing the days catch so that Tristan could take it home. As usual all of the campers were fascinated and extremely inquisitive about the entire process and the anatomy of the fish. Fortunately for everyone on board, Tristan, is an exceptionally friendly and generous guy and was willing to share this catch with whomever wanted a piece. As a result everyone ended up going home happy regardless of whether they had caught a fish or not.

A fellow camper holding up her gift from Tristan.

- To great days on the water, Tom Rebula

Fishing Tournament

                                                                                      Big smiles, we have a lot of fun .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Yesterday was cloudy. We had fishing trip in the ocean. At the morning, we arrived to Fan Piers to meet each other. We had two boxes of donuts and two bottles of coffee. It was for breakfast. We went to the dock and we got in the boat. There were five group in five boat. I was in a boat with four people. My group went to the ocean near Long Island, we stayed there and we started fishing, we put a fishing rod with six fishing hook into the ocean. We caught a stripe bass that was twenty two inches, but it wasn't enough size to get it, so we put it back into the ocean. 

We caught a stripe bass.

We went to mainland, Cyndi bought hot chocolate for us. We went back to the ocean, we were fishing, I caught seaweed three times. My teammates and I didn't get any fish at that time. We went back to the dock, we ate lunch, and we took the pictures with everyone. My group was the team that caught a biggest fish, the other group caught thirty little fish, so my group won, we got fishing rods. We have a lot of fun and a great day.

FISHY FISHAY!

  

    Hey how's it going guys!! Today was pretty awesome, and my co workers and I had an awesome time on the Belle boat. Captain Charlie made my fishing experience really worth it! Also, seeing Camp Harbor View kids join us today was pretty touching! A lot of groups today caught Black Sea Bass fish! The children were so ampt when they got to accomplish catching baby Black Sea Bass. I love to kids having a blast and learning how to fish. I'm glad I got to teach children how to fish today! Take a look at some of the kids that caught some tasty treats!! 

-Juelle Benjamin