The last Saturday in June was Family Fishing Day, which organizers agreed was about twice the event as the year before, all around.
Held at Broderick Park, at the foot of Ferry Street, the event attracted folks of all ages and descriptions, and the fish didn't stand a chance (see slideshow). Many of the smaller fish were taken on a catch-and-release basis, others were set aside for frying up.
Even the birds (terns and gulls) were out fishing for their families.
The event attracted visits from public officials, including Councilman David Rivera, who -- with a solid cheering-on from Buffalo Rising and the community -- has been pushing for improvements to the park. He got to check out one of the tangible results from that effort: in the week before the event, City Fence, on a contract from the Buffalo Public Works Department, installed much-needed new safety railings along the riverwall at the southern end of the park.
Other public officials who dropped by included Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, City Court Judge -- and perhaps soon to be County Court Judge -- James McLeod, County Legislator Betty Jean Grant (someone whose personality, integrity, and decency make her welcome anywhere she goes, in her district or out), representatives from Senator Antoine Thompson, and Mayor Byron Brown.
Other visitors included three Chinook helicopters flying in formation (anyone know what that was all about?),
and a group from Maryland in Buffalo on an Underground Railroad tour to see the spot where thousands of escaped slaves are believed to have embarked on a cross-river journey to freedom in Canada. Some recent research has brought forward some fascinating -- and harrowing -- first-person narrative accounts of some of these crossings (stay tuned). The tour group was plied with hamburgers and hot dogs by the event organizers, which no doubt reinforced for the tour group that they were in the City of Good Neighbors.
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper was a co-sponsor of the event, and had a crew in the park all day, teaching angling techniques, checking out the fish caught, servin' up grub, and conducting angler surveys, which provide data indispensable to Riverkeeper's mission of making our local waterways "swimmable, drinkable, fishable."
Did your humble correspondent have any luck at this event devoted to fishing? Thanks for asking -- I snagged two hamburgers and a hot. Catch-and-devour.
Family Fishing Day organizers and sponsors include (among many): Buffalo United Front, T.H.E. Family, Greater WNY Anglers Association, P.E.A.C.E., Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, Councilman David Rivera, Rich Products, Senator Antoine Thompson, and Russ' Bait Shop.
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Held at Broderick Park, at the foot of Ferry Street, the event attracted folks of all ages and descriptions, and the fish didn't stand a chance (see slideshow). Many of the smaller fish were taken on a catch-and-release basis, others were set aside for frying up.
Even the birds (terns and gulls) were out fishing for their families.
The event attracted visits from public officials, including Councilman David Rivera, who -- with a solid cheering-on from Buffalo Rising and the community -- has been pushing for improvements to the park. He got to check out one of the tangible results from that effort: in the week before the event, City Fence, on a contract from the Buffalo Public Works Department, installed much-needed new safety railings along the riverwall at the southern end of the park.
Other public officials who dropped by included Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, City Court Judge -- and perhaps soon to be County Court Judge -- James McLeod, County Legislator Betty Jean Grant (someone whose personality, integrity, and decency make her welcome anywhere she goes, in her district or out), representatives from Senator Antoine Thompson, and Mayor Byron Brown.
Other visitors included three Chinook helicopters flying in formation (anyone know what that was all about?),
and a group from Maryland in Buffalo on an Underground Railroad tour to see the spot where thousands of escaped slaves are believed to have embarked on a cross-river journey to freedom in Canada. Some recent research has brought forward some fascinating -- and harrowing -- first-person narrative accounts of some of these crossings (stay tuned). The tour group was plied with hamburgers and hot dogs by the event organizers, which no doubt reinforced for the tour group that they were in the City of Good Neighbors.
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper was a co-sponsor of the event, and had a crew in the park all day, teaching angling techniques, checking out the fish caught, servin' up grub, and conducting angler surveys, which provide data indispensable to Riverkeeper's mission of making our local waterways "swimmable, drinkable, fishable."
Did your humble correspondent have any luck at this event devoted to fishing? Thanks for asking -- I snagged two hamburgers and a hot. Catch-and-devour.
Family Fishing Day organizers and sponsors include (among many): Buffalo United Front, T.H.E. Family, Greater WNY Anglers Association, P.E.A.C.E., Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, Councilman David Rivera, Rich Products, Senator Antoine Thompson, and Russ' Bait Shop.
um, not to be a wet blanket, but it is really safe to eat that fish?
Varying degrees of yes, and no. Depends on a few things such as what species of fish (fatty fish = bad), how you clean the fish (fatty tissue = bad), how much, and how many times you eat contaminated fish.
I'm not positive but I believe Riverkeeper has more detailed information on their website. If not them, then the Anglers Association, or DEC.