Bog Brother 8

Martha's Vineyard trout derby was a crowd pleaser

On Saturday, trout and kids met at the annual Martha's Vineyard Rod and Gun Club Kids Trout Derby. Also in attendance were parents, pickerel, catfish, and a very interested osprey keeping an eye from above.

The spring fishing contest — Saturday's was the 38th according to some contest historical research — provides an annual milestone in the aging process for those who have been attending it for almost as long as it has been introducing kids to the fun of fishing on Martha's Vineyard. 

Not that many years ago, or so it seemed to one observer, Lev Wlodyka of Chilmark was among the many kids casting a line into the pond. On Saturday, the well-known bass and bluefish derby champ was focused on figuring out just what it was that his four-year-old son Wesley wanted to do: fish, eat a hot dog, eat a donut, or go home.

A number of the moms and dads located around Duarte's Pond in West Tisbury easily conjured up their own memories of fishing with mom or dad at the kids' trout derby. "I remember when I used to be on that point," Kevin Peters told The Times.

There are several points around the pond that have earned a reputation over the years for providing access to derby-winning trout. The critical element appears to be the proximity to the deep water the points provide.

Duarte's Pond is not a pond in the strictest sense of the word. It is a long-ago flooded cranberry bog. The deepest point is in the area of the sluiceway that feeds it and that is where the trout tend to congregate.

The early bird gets the worm and the early fishermen get the prime point. The Uva family of West Tisbury know that, which may account for the fact that the Uvas vanguard — mom, Lara Uva, with her sons Joey, Ryan, and their friend Colin Shay — arrived about 2 am to stake claim to a prime point.

They arrived in the dark, prepared with a stock of worms, a camping stove, frying pan, and bacon. The plan was to add trout but they never got around to adding one to the pan.

"It was the frogs and us," the intrepid mom said.

Asked about waking up that early to fish, Lara, the daughter of Dick and Patty Goodell of West Tisbury, said, "I think I like it as much as the kids do. I remember doing it when I was a kid. We just sit there, and it is beautiful."

Their strategy was a winning one. At about 8 am and nearing the finish they had tallied more than 35 trout since the start of fishing.

A Joyful Chaos: Little Brother Helper

&Nbsp;  He seemed to enjoy those days as well and while the children were down for a nap he had multiple little projects around the farm that he was free to pursue to his hearts content. One of his dreams was to own an ant farm and when he discovered a big ant hill in the barnyard he spent a lot of time trying to find the queen to start his own little colony. He wasn't successful, but it didn't curb his enthusiasm. I enjoyed having him there. Little brothers with all their fun ideas and experiments kept life interesting and I couldn't help but wonder what all would be in store once Sailor got to be a little older.

LOVE this recipe! It could have been written by my middle boy ... the one who left a little note for me on my pillow on night, ... a note with a locust shell on it ;-) "The note read, we are cold." and was 'signed' by Sleepy, Chilly, Scratchy and a few other names. It wasn't until morning that I found the "other" locust shells UNDER my pillow!!!

The Nova Scotia Atlas

Foundation, The review of science fiction, numbers 1-8, March 1972-March 1975

Thieme-Preusser, a new and complete critical dictionary of the English and German languages

The Scottish antiquary, or, Northern notes & queries

Children's books in print