Catching Smiles: Learning to Fish at Lido Beach
On a beautiful and breezy Saturday morning, Noah, and Adrian from House 28 of the Children’s Residential Program (CRP) were accompanied by Direct Support Professionals Monique Tackling and Tahisha Sheriff, and Recreation Coordinator Brandon Lyons on a trip to the West Marina in Lido Beach. It was their first time going fishing and Brandon was ready to show them the ropes.
Brandon joined the CRP just a few months ago and is determined to plan activities that broaden the children’s horizons and allow them to spend time in nature and their community.
“I wanted the spring and summer months filled with more outdoor activities,” said Brandon. “Long Island is a great place to learn about nature if you just stop and look.”
Fishing was not only a first for the boys but also for Monique and Tanisha. After some careful instruction from Brandon on how to bait the hook and rest their fishing rod on the pier’s built-in holders, Tahisha and Monique were able to offer some hand-over-hand help to the boys on how to do the same.
It was a learning experience for everyone, and an exiting time for Noah who was taken in by the sights and sounds of the marina. He also had a great time trying his luck catching fish. He chose a red and yellow gulp as bait and set his rod waiting for them to bite.
While waiting, Noah made sure to wave at all the boats who passed by. He was thrilled to see the officials on the NCPD boat wave back at him.
“I’m having so much fun,” said Noah smiling back at his group. Seeing a nearby fisherman pull up a bluefish motivated him to catch something too. Unfortunately, the group caught nothing more than seaweed.
Yet, at the end of the trip, they returned home with smiles on their faces and a new memory to share with friends and family. Brandon is looking forward to all the children having an experience on the water this summer.