Fishing Out of a Parking Lot

 

I am not the type of person who gives back to my community by donating my time to most popular causes.  Most people here in Connecticut have the idea giving back means helping the less fortunate by doing can food drives, donating money, or running 5ks.  What I do, however, is volunteer some of my time to the CARE program.  The CARE program is Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education.  The Connecticut DEEP runs the program to introduce people, mainly children, to fishing.  Twice a year a bunch of us get together and teach a class on fishing basics.  During the class attendees learn: Ethics, how to read the anglers guide, rig a rod, tie a clinch knot, find bait, look for fish, proper way to release fish, and care for the catch if they intend to keep one.  I have seen the young, the old, and whole families come to the classes and have a good time.  After each class we do a fishing day for the attendees at a nearby trout park.  Trout parks a heavily stocked waters with easy access for everyone. Today was one of the fishing days, and the highlight was watching a few of the young anglers catch their first fish.  One of the most rewarding aspects of doing this is watching how excited people get when they catch a fish.  The reaction is always the same: smiles and positive energy.  I have seen seniors have the same reaction as a 7 year old.  To top it all off Jan and I even caught a few trout ourselves.  CARE is one of Connecticut DEEP's greatest success stories and I hope it continues for my lifetime.