Moments: Big Fish
Fishing in Red Hook
There is a pier at Valentino Park in Red Hook that offers some of the best views of New York Harbor. Today, one fisherman is sitting at the end of the pier, staring south at the long span of the Verrazzano Bridge, but at this moment the view is the last thing on his mind. He may have caught something, and he doesn’t want to let it get away.
The park sits at the southern end of Red Hook, tucked in between a few old waterfront warehouses. Like the rest of the neighborhood, the park isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing site. The trees are small and far between. A few times a day, though, depending on the ebb and flow of the tide, there are always a few people at the pier with lines cast into the water, fishing in this small inlet by the park. Red Hook may be on the water, but it doesn’t conjure up images of a fisherman’s hotspot, and the equipment on display reflects that. There are no fancy lures here, and some people have nothing more than a length of fishing line with something edible tied off on one end, holding it in their hands and waiting to feel if something bites.
The lone fisherman is no exception. He is deeply tanned, and dressed in a kind of upscale-worker style — golf shirt, weathered cargo pants, and boots. He has two fishing rods set up — one in his hands and the other about ten feet away leaning against the railing. Instead of a tackle box he carries his equipment in an old army rucksack.
He begins to reel in the line. Slowly, at first, and then quickening his pace as whatever he has caught loses strength. It turns out to be a small, indeterminate type of skate. It is flat, smooth, and a brownish gray color. The fisherman lays the skate out on the pier and removes the primitive lure. The skate, hastily removed from its natural environment, ripples in distress.
The skate has drawn the attention of another fisherman from further down the pier, who is there with his girlfriend. They make their way to the end of the pier and admire the catch. The admirer says that he hasn’t caught anything yet, but of course has better luck on Long Island. Besides, he continues, you can actually eat what you catch out there, especially if you get your license to harvest shellfish. He makes the best white clam sauce.
By now the small skate is barely moving as it dries out on the pier. The fisherman picks it up by its small tail fin and flings it back into the water. Satisfied with his work, he collects his second fishing rod and begins packing up. The small lures go back in the neatly organized rucksack. The fisherman slings it over his shoulder along with his two rods and heads back down the pier towards the park. It was a good catch today.
