DAN’S PAPERS
danshamptons.com
May 18, 2012 Page 29
Big Fish A New World Record for Rod and Reel Is Again Awarded to Montauk By Dan Rattiner
M
ontauk has more world Rod and Reel fishing records than any other fishing town in the world. And now there is another one. Last Friday, angler Thomas Cleveland, a mechanical engineer from Bay Shore, went out with his friend Dave Singleton aboard the Montauk Lady captained by Fred Shore and his mate Bob Adams. Then went to Coxes Ledge, 30 miles from Montauk. “We were fishing for Blues,” Captain Shore later said. “But then I saw this group of monster guppies basking in the sun along the surface. I’d never seen anything like this before. “I immediately had the mate replace the reels on the rods, using new reels with a smaller gauge line I had on hand,” said Shore. “I saw right away this was extraordinary. I looked up
guppy in the rulebook. You couldn’t enter one with any line stronger than a 10-pound test.” Captain Shore excitedly talked to Cleveland about what was going on, Cleveland and Singleton talked and it was decided Cleveland would make the attempt. “You take it,” Singleton said. “I’ll watch.” Captain Shore then had his mate put a worm on the hook, turned the wheel so Montauk Lady would drift sharply to port, and then motored over very slowly to get close without, he hoped, frightening the guppies. Cleveland stood in front of his fighting chair, made a long cast with the smaller rod, then a second cast, then a third and the finally, one of the guppies wiggled over and took a bite. “We got him!” Cleveland said. “It’s huge.” Cleveland then took two steps back, settled down in the fighting chair and strapped himself in.
This particular guppy, however, was a fighter. Although no longer than six inches—most guppies are about one half inch—he’d make these spectacular leaps out of the water, shimmying and shaking his sparkling gold body in the sunshine, trying to get free. Cleveland hung on. Twenty minutes later, the Captain phoned Uihlein’s Boat Rental to alert Henry of what was going on. The Captain said he hoped they’d have the guppy within the hour, and that they would, with luck, be in by 4 p. m. After that, the word went out. Record fish coming in to Uihlien’s. The whole town began to head down there. Cleveland fought this guppy for more than an hour and a half. “It was exhausting,” he later told everybody back at the dock. “He’d race off one way, then race off another. I’d pull him in, then have to let him (Continued on next page.)
Fast Food, Obesity and My Mother By Dan Rattiner
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eople have asked me how I like our new Dan’s Papers offices on County Road 39 in Southampton. They are much more spacious and new. In recent years in Bridgehampton, we had been operating with 35 or 40 people out of this two-bedroom house. It was difficult. Now, with new projects, with our expanded web presence, with our magazines, event division and with our other new ventures, we just didn’t have room anymore. This is a huge plus for us. On the other hand there are some minuses. I miss Bridgehampton. I have a longer commute from my home in East Hampton—10 minutes. But these are really just
minor inconveniences. The biggest minus for me, towering over all, is fast food. This is a really loopy story, much more complicated than you might think. It involves mild hypochondria, hot fudge sundaes, doctor’s offices, a law in East Hampton Town that turns out not to be there, Southampton Hospital and my childhood. For starters, I will remind people that County Road 39, better as it is for a business environment, is not Main Street, Bridgehampton. In Bridgehampton, the closest places where we could eat were Bobby Van’s, the Candy Kitchen, Pierre’s and World Pie, institutions all. In Southampton, the closest places to eat are Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonalds and the 7-Eleven. This is a problem.
When I was a boy in school growing up, my parents would be very proud of me if I won a spelling contest or gave a successful recital on the piano which, as a boy, I studied. After the event, they’d take me to a restaurant where they had hot fudge sundaes. I would be told that was my reward. I was free to modify it— butterscotch sauce for example or make it into a banana split—but I so remember my parents looking at me proudly—as I scarfed down this special treat. Now the third part of this is how I am taking care of myself healthwise today. Like many people who want to stay on top of things, I see a lot of doctors. I have pains here and I have pains there. The other (Continued on next page.)