Community gets caught up with fishing weekend

Men, women and children of all ages came down to the Hendrickson Park lake, and picked up poles and bait for the second annual Family Fishing Weekend.

The village and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation paired up to hold the fishing weekend on June 28 and 29, in which more than 700 people registered.

Valley Stream Deputy Clerk Richard DeAngelis, who organized the event, said it was planned to coincide with the one weekend per year in which the DEC allows unlicensed freshwater fishing. DeAngelis, who has had this event in mind for 15 years, said that although the goal of the sport is to catch a fish, that was not the goal of the weekend.

“Fishing is about being with your family or friends or having some laughs,” he said. “You have the opportunity to catch a fish. It’s really about just having the opportunity to be out here on a beautiful day and be with your kids.”

The DEC brought about 300 poles along with dough and worms to use as bait for the weekend and instructed fishermen and women on how to cast their line and use their pole. The shoreline around the lake was separated into 20-foot sections in which participants could fish during two-hour time slots.

It was a catch-and-release program, meaning that all fish caught were to be returned to the water after unhooking and maybe a picture. DeAngelis said that the hooks were barbless in order to decrease trauma to the fish that inhabit the lake.

Dominick Azzarelli, 7, said he had a nice time with his mother and father fishing with his new rod that he received for his last birthday. “This is my first time fishing and I’m having a great time,” Dominick said. “There was fish right next to my pole and I almost caught it.”

Sonali Dutt, 12, said that patience and paying attention to her area were the keys for her throughout the day. She said working at being patient is why she enjoys fishing.

“It seems like a pretty interesting sport,” she said. “When you catch a fish, your hard work paid off, and that’s why I like doing it.”

Some people did catch a fish, like Nathaniel Morales, 14, who caught a carp. He said he enjoyed spending time with his family. “I kind of like fishing,” he said. “It’s nice here. It’s awesome and I really like it.”