| |
 |
Angler's Profiles
by Hugh Markey
|
 |
| A series of articles introducing RISAA members to the rest of the club. |
| (From the August, 2005 Newsletter) June Masterson |
By the time April 2000 school vacation rolled around, June Masterson
had spent months looking for something special. A visit to Lake
Sunapee in New Hampshire the previous summer had reawakened a
long-dormant dream of hers: to own a boat. “I was
out on the lake, and I thought, ‘This is what makes me happy!’” She
spent the next months hunting high and low for just the right one,
going to boat shows as well as to dealers around New England.
Finally, the day had come. “I told my son John Insana that we were going to the marina to see a boat that a ‘friend’ had just bought.” When the car rounded the corner, there was June’s pride and joy: an 18-foot center console Boston Whaler. “My son turned to me and said, ‘Ma – ya bought a boat?” WOMAN ON THE WATER Of course, to those who know June it will come as no surprise that this single mother of two chose to track down and pilot her own boat. By her own description, June Masterson grew up on the water. “I’ve pretty much been around fishing salt water all my life.” Though born and raised in North Providence, her parents had a summer home in the Mount View neighborhood of North Kingstown. “The day after school ended, we would be at the beach straight through and we wouldn’t come home until Labor Day,” she recalls. “Some of our North Providence neighborhood just relocated (to the beach), so there were lots of people to be with. Everyone had boats, everyone would go clamming, everyone fished – we were really very fortunate.” June’s father was in a somewhat unique position at that time, however: “Dad had a boat with two daughters, and this was at a time when it wasn’t fashionable for girls to be out fishing. But you know he was from a family of nine kids, and everyone just did things together. It just wouldn’t have occurred to him to go off and leave his girls on the dock.” From that time onward, it never occurred to June that her “place” would be on the shore. …AND THE LADIES OF THE CLUB Today, June spends as much time fishing the coastal regions of the state as she can. The Whaler, still unnamed (“We couldn’t agree on one!”) is kept in a slip, and Masterson says it isn’t unusual for her to fish until December. She is a knowledgeable fisherman, and she loves to introduce others to the sport. “Last year, I took the ladies from work out. It was a little choppy, and I was worried because the girls were eating supper on the way out.” With her understanding of both the winds and the fish, Masterson was able to save the trip by finding a spot on the leeward side of Prudence and Patience Islands. “We hit a nice spot and the girls had a ball catching scup. We were still fishing by nine o’clock, and by 9:30 when we went in we had about two dozen fish. Everyone was very happy… of course, they brought the fish home for the husbands to clean!” Apparently the guests had had quite an evening, as evidenced by the ruckus at work the next day. “We had the place in an uproar,” Masterson laughs. “The women had gone to the one-hour photo labs and had brought all the pictures in. The were ribbing the guys that maybe they should be asking me to take them out next time!” MASTERSON MEETS RISAA Shortly after getting the Whaler, Masterson stumbled upon an issue of the RISAA newsletter while visiting the Saltwater Edge in Newport. She read it from cover to cover and decided to go to the very next meeting. She was pleased to find she knew some members already, and felt very comfortable in the atmosphere. That meeting led to membership and an ongoing involvement in club activities. Masterson has worked at the RISAA Saltwater Fishing Shows and has played an active role in the Take A City Kid Fishing Day for several years. “The first year I worked the shore crew with the ladies of the club. It was fun to see the kids coming off the boats all excited and carrying their fish. They worked up a good appetite being out on the water!” The next two years, June took youngsters out on her own boat. “This year we had a few girls with us, and that was particularly nice!” GIRLS IN SCIENCE “We’ve just gotta get some of these young girls into the sciences!” Masterson says, explaining why it was important to have girls aboard her vessel. “I have a niece who comes to some of the meetings with me. I like to get her things like the Guide to Narragansett Bay , as well as posters of marine life.” Although her daughter Sarah Insana, 20, rarely fishes, “she’ll come along for the ride. She’s not too eager to get up early and come out fishing, but we’re trying to convert her,” she laughs. In the meantime, June Masterson will usually be found doing what she has loved since she was a little girl with her father and sister: being on the water. That may also be the reason she is so passionate about expanding the appeal of the water to women: “Girls need to be involved in the sciences and with fishing. It (their involvement) brings a new perspective to both areas, and I really think it’s better for the whole family as well!” |
|
View other ANGLER PROFILES
|
 |
 |