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Sports

Opening Day of Fishing in Naugatuck is About Tradition and Building Memories

Fishing season began on Saturday, and sportsmen both locally and across the state took to the fresh waters.

Tens of thousands of fisherman across the state headed to the shores of lakes, ponds and rivers this morning to usher in the beginning of a ritual that has gone on for ages. The start of the fishing season is almost a right of passage as generations of grandfathers, fathers, sons and daughters build a bond that will stand the test of time.

The lure of the outdoors and the tranquil atmosphere of the water is kind of the breaking away from the winter that has kept us confined inside with the T.V. blaring in the background.

It’s a sign of warmer weather right around the corner. Although most opening day fishing experiences bring back a harsh reality that winter hasn’t really gone too far away. Opening day is usually met with a bitter cold chill in the air and if it’s not raining you consider yourself lucky on that day.

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The preparation for this sportsman event can go on for weeks as licenses are procured, tackle boxes are cleaned out and repacked with new equipment and fishing rods are checked and rechecked during a almost spontaneous ritual.

The only thing to do now is to choose the favorite spot for the glorious event and make plans on how to retrieve favorite lures caught in the tree or untangle a web of tangled line. Yes, opening day of fishing is not without peril as a quick slip off a rock or down a wet slop can land you in waist deep water.

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But the one thing that out weights the 18 inch lunker that you may pull in is the memories that you build with the next generation of young fisherman who look at you wide eyed as you pull in a flickering trout trying its best to squirm its way off your hook.

This years opening day of fishing was met with a throng of fishermen that thinned out rather quickly as the low 40-degree temperature and lack of sunshine chased even the hardy away in droves.

But there were a few brave souls who stuck out the elements and a few others who continued on the tradition of the father and son bonding experience.

Tom Zemaitis of Prospect brought his grandson Thomas on his very first opening fishing day adventure at Hop Brook in Naugatuck. Chris Zemaitis patiently attended to his son Thomas rigging up his pole as the grandfather secured their favorite spot.

“We have been coming here for years,” said Tom Zemaitis. “In fact this is the very spot that we usually come to. I took Chris here when he was a youngster and now little Thomas is here for his very first opening day.”

Three-year-old Thomas is hardly a novice when it comes to fishing, as he has taken annual fishing trips with is dad and grandfather on the boat in Clinton.

“Thomas is my little fishing buddy,” said Chris, the proud father of his little sportsman. “But this is his first opening day and it’s all about continuing that tradition my dad started years ago.”

Just down the shoreline was another father and son duo that had been at it for a few hours judging from the take that filled their cooler. John Miele of Naugatuck held up a few of his prized catches of the day while his father John Sr. offered another cast into the ripples of water.

“My dad and I have been coming here for years,” said John Jr. “And usually this same spot.”

His father called out, “My father took me here when I was a kid so this has been a family tradition for years,” added John Sr.

Many of the fishermen were not going hungry as they had cups filled with coffee and breakfast sandwiches to keep up their energy. Local breakfast spots had yet to see any signs of the hearty fisherman as mid morning approached.

Marcos Longo the manager of the Dunkin Donuts in Naugatuck reported a slow turnout of fisherman in the morning but quickly explained, “they probably wanted to head out early to get their favorite fishing spot.”

“Last year I saw quite a few fishing boats in our parking lot but none this year. We will probably get a little busier later in the morning when they start heading home.”

At one of the local favorite spots the Brass House Megan Sullivan, Britnee Patruno and Daniela Rodriguez were hard at work preparing for the anticipated rush of fisherman late in the morning. There is nothing quite like finding a warm place and a hot meal to share your fishing stories after a long hard morning in search of the elusive Pisces.

“We don’t open till 6 a.m.,” said Sullivan. “So they probably are already fishing by then. But I expect us to get pretty busy later in the morning.”

Perfect weather or not, catching fish or not the tradition of opening day fishing lives on as a new generation of young fisherman are introduced to the ritual.

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