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Angler's Profiles
by Mike Lanni
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| A series of articles introducing RISAA members to the rest of the club. |
| (From the February, 2000 Newsletter) BRYAN COUTURE |
| This month's article features Bryan
Couture, a new recruit from Narragansett, R.I. Bryan is a guy that
I was fortunate to have met a few years ago through a job referral.
Being both a hard worker and an avid fisherman meant that we shared two important
qualities, and a friendship was soon formed. For those of you, like
myself, who impose high standards when choosing friends, let me assure you
that Bryan would surely exceed such standards. Read on, and I'll tell
you more about this straight-shooting fishin' buddy of mine. Bryan grew up in the northern part of Rhode Island, graduating from Cumberland High in 1983. He then attended C.C.R.I. where he received an associates degree in electronics. Along the way, he worked for various contractors as a laborer, and eventually as a cement finisher. When he realized that he could earn a good living practicing that trade, he decided to put his electronics career on hold, and established Bryan Couture Construction Co. A commitment to superior workmanship and customer satisfaction has paid off since the formation of B.C.C. in 1993, and today, Bryan is one of the most sought-after concrete flatwork specialists in the South County area, in both residential and commercial applications. Bryan probably does more work in a day than most people would do in a month; placing and finishing as much as 30-40 cubic yards of concrete with just one helper at his side. It's very physical work, that begins early in the morning and sometimes ends at 6 or 7 o'clock at night. Once in awhile, however, Bryan will finish up a job "early" and have a little bit of time on his hands. For those rare occasions, he keeps a few two-piece rods tucked away in one of the tool compartments on his big Ford stake-body. In the spring, he likes to chase schoolie bass or hickory shad with ultra-light tackle, usually on Point Judith Pond. When bigger fish start to show up, he switches over to live eels, either casting or drifting the Point Judith Light area in his 17' runabout. Last year he took a 31 pound bass on a parachute jig off the lighthouse, his biggest ever. Casting eels produced bass to 43" on nothing more than 17 lb. test. Bryan always uses the lightest tackle possible, favoring light, graphite rods and those high-quality Fin-Nor Ahab spinning reels. Fishing with Bryan in his boat is always a great experience. It's an older boat that was purchased from a shellfisherman, and Bryan isn't afraid to put it in close to the rocks where the bass hang out. He'll cast and troll in 3-4 feet of water in boulder-strewn areas like Sheepspen, Black Point and Stinky Beach. Most times he'll maneuver around rocks with the motor tilted up, but it doesn't bother him at all if, once in awhile, he leaves a little gelcoat on one that he doesn't happen to see. For every nick or gouge in the hull of that boat, a keeper bass is usually netted! One night last year, while fishing Point Judith light from his boat, Bryan illustrated how bass will move into incredibly shallow water to feed at night. Every time he moved the boat into 3-4 feet of water, we caught fish. As soon as we drifted out into 8-10 feet - no hits. In August-September, when bonito and albacore show up off Point Judith, Bryan will switch to even lighter tackle to fool the little torpedoes. He's had a lot of success with both species, boating 7-8 fish per outing on some days. He doesn't do much bottom fishing for fluke or tautog, preferring the faster action generated by bass, blues and bonito. Bryan's commitment to his profession and his passion for fishing are superceded only by his devotion to his family. He will always make it known, unabashedly, that his family comes first in life. Bryan is one of those rare guys that married his high school sweetheart, Missy (Durkin). Together, they have two children - Cassandra, age 6 and Bryan, age 3. The Couture family has settled in Narragansett, close to the Point Judith salt pond where Bryan moors his boat. Missy is an employee of the town clerk's office, and both she and Bryan are involved in many community-oriented functions. As for the Couture children, they seem to be well suited for growing up in a seaside community. They love going out for a ride on dad's boat, and are both beginning to learn a little bit about fishing, he usually has to sneak out of the house, to avoid the little tag-alongs! In the future, Bryan is hoping to be able to dedicate more time to RISAA functions. He really believes in what we stand for. A computer enthusiast, he regularly visits our web site, as well as other organizations'. Whenever he sees information that he feels would be useful regarding commercial fisheries issues, he downloads and saves it for me to pass on to my Legislative Committee. Let's hope we can continue to add members like Bryan Couture to our membership list. He's a guy who I've come to know as an extremely reliable friend - always there when you need him. And don't forget to call Bryan the next time you need a new concrete walkway poured - he's the best in the business! |
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ANGLER PROFILES
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