Friends of
Family Fishing Day 2009
We had rain and drizzle most of the morning and it didn’t look promising, but by 11:00 it cleared up. Our Friends of Moraine Hills State Park banner clearly marked our staging area, and we were ready with pre-rigged fishing poles, worms, and “Friends” helpers. Children and parents came and went at a pace that enabled us to get poles, worms, children (and sometimes an adult) organized. Fishing is an exercise in patience and waiting. The patience paid off for a couple of families who each caught a fish!
Pamphlets were available on fish identification, fishing regulations, etc., plus some information on our “Friends” organization. We also gave coupons to the children when they finished fishing to be redeemed at the concession stand.
Special thanks to Steve Simpson of Gill's Bait and Tackle for co-sponsoring the event with us by providing the "Gill's Bucks" coupons - good for snacks, sodas and burgers at his concession stand and splitting the cost with us. Thanks also to all our FOMHSP members/volunteers: Bob Vetter donated the worms, demonstrated the art of hooking them and assisted with the kids' first castings; Paul & Judith Howerton provided lunch for the volunteers and Paul took pictures for our website; Myrna Nelson helped promote our organization and also hooked dozens of worms; while Neil Whitman distributed handouts and "Gill’s Bucks" and... hooked his first worm ever!
Thanks also to Superintendent Greg Kelly who helped coordinate the MHSP staff for technical support. John Laskowski marked off our area the day before, then checked it again on Saturday morning, Steve Rooney helped get our FOMHSP banner in place. He returned later to see if we needed anything. Naturalist Stacy Iwanicki helped with just about every aspect of FFD especially all the advance preparations in the days and weeks before. On the “Big Day”, she helped hook worms, gave casting lessons, untangled lines from trees, and fixed poles while keeping an eye on the flow of participants. By the end of the event she even recruited several experienced fishers who were just fishing on their own to help with Family Fishing Day 2010. We look forward to another fine and fishy day next year - and we hope to see you too!
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Photos by Paul Howerton |
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