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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 October, 1999 Newsletter) DONALD SMITH |
This month's article features Don Smith, one of RISAA's original charter
members. Don is one of the guys who got our club "off and running"
when we were in our formative stage, and he's been helping to keep us on
course ever since. His work with the Fund-Raising Committee, as well
as the annual Tri-State Tournament exemplify his commitment to our club and
to the great sport of fishing.Don was born in New York City, NY, and later moved upstate to Watertown where he finished high school. A four year stint in the Army, in which he was stationed in Germany, provided him with the opportunity to see other parts of the world, but separated him from his passion of fishing. Upon moving to Rhode Island in 1967, he dusted off his tackle and once again began to pursue bass, blues, fluke and most other species of fish that inhabit our waters. Don began fishing when he was just five years old with his dad and uncle in their 18-footer. By the time he was a teenager, he was already an accomplished angler, with many trophy sized fish to his credit. Some of his more noteworthy catches include striped bass to 35 lbs., bluefish to 18 lbs., squeteague to 10 lbs., and a doormat fluke of 10 lbs.! These statistics are enough to make anyone content, but they only refer to saltwater species. Don is also an avid freshwater flyrodder, and has taken salmon up to 38-1/2 lbs., as well as steelhead to 21 lbs. on the fly. Once a year, Don ventures off on a fishing trip to the Salmon River. Last year, Dave Fewster joined him and they had salmon to 20 lbs. Upon returning, Don recaptured the event in a well-written article that was printed in our newsletter. Don also loves to fish the Rhode Island coastal waters for all species of fish. His favorite area is the Narrow River, where he can fish with either spinning or fly gear. Some of his favorite tackle combinations are a Penn 6500 spinning reel on a custom 10-foot Ugly Stick, used for surf fishing; a Calcutta 400 on a light freshwater rod for fluking; and a 9 weight fly rod for casting flies (he ties his own). Some of his favorite artificials are the Acme Kastmaster, the "Bomber" swimmers in assorted colors, and the new Yo-Zuri lures that everyone's been talking about. Bucktails are also a staple of Don's tackle box. Most fishermen have had at least one crazy experience that they will never forget, and Don't no exception. Once, while fishing from shore, he landed a bluefish that he decided to release. As he released the fish back into the surf, he had his doubts that the fish would fully revive due to the way it was swimming. He bagan casting again while keeping a watchful eye on the half-baked blue. All of a sudden, the fish came back to life and went straight for Don's lure again! The next thing you know, Don's releasing the fish for a second time in a mater of minutes! If Don's gotten to know Rhode Island's waters, as well as its hills and valleys better than most, it's because he's had a "bird's eye" view of the state. Don is a photogrammetric engineer. Don't feel bad because I didn't know what the word meant either. Mapping and aerial photography are what this profession basically encompasses. Don has been employed by "Aerotech" in Providence for 5 years. Before that, he was a partner in a multi-million dollar engineering firm from 1983-1994. In between work and fishing, Don spends time on his many hobbies, which include photography, collecting antiques, and music. He has a CD collection of over 1,200 in number, consisting of rock, jazz and blues arrangements. He also loves to cook, and specialties include homemade lasagna and chicken saltambucca. As you can see, Don Smith is a pretty well-rounded guy. We're fortunate to have him as a member, and we hope that this native New Yorker has settled in Rhode Island for good. |
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PROFILES
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