File:Coast watch (1979) (20473812089).jpg

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_18 (find matches)
Year: 1979 (1970s)
Authors: UNC Sea Grant College Program
Subjects: Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology
Publisher: (Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program)
Contributing Library: State Library of North Carolina
Digitizing Sponsor: North Carolina Digital Heritage Center

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ABOVE: Anna Young fishes with her guide dog Natalie. "I had a good time on the boat. We were out in the sound for four hours. I caught a bunch of drum fish. One time, I caught two fish at once," adds Jenkins, who lost his vision because of a stroke. The three-day event included the tournament, as well as educational workshops, exhibits and a banquet. Walter Suggs of Sanford, who lost his sight because of macular degeneration, says he had a lot of fun meeting other blind people and attending the workshops and exhibits. "I learned about new gadgets that can help me," says Suggs. More than 250 volunteers, including Lions members, high school students, social workers and nurses, helped with a variety of tasks — from cutting up 50 pounds of shrimp and more than 2,880 blood worms for bait to cooking more than 400 pounds of fish and 200 pounds of barbecue. "This is my first year to help," says Cynthia Harris, a social worker for the Services for the Blind in Jones and Onslow counties. "It is a fantastic event. Even if a person doesn't like fishing, it is wonderful opportunity to socialize." FRIENDLY COMPETITION On the day of the fishing tournament, the participants arrive early in the morning. Some use canes or guide dogs to walk alone. Others hold on to volunteers' arms as they take their places on the pier. A few like Linda Swain of Lexington scoot around in motorized wheelchairs. For Swain, who lost her sight because of juvenile diabetes and multiple sclerosis, the tournament gives her a chance to showcase her fishing skills. "I have been looking forward to this for so long," says Swain. "I used to compete for money for catfish and carp in small local lakes and make my own bait. I would fish all night long." Now, she says she only goes out when she has doctors' appointments or special events like the tournament. Nearby, a volunteer baits the line for Anna Young, who has her guide dog, Natalie, by her side. Young, who is fishing for the second time in her life, throws out her line. As she reels in a small fish, Young says to Natalie, "So you and I got one." Toward the middle of the morning, the area around Young becomes so crowded that participants' lines get tangled up like a spider web. "There were so many people and lines that the volunteers nearby had to untangle them," says Swain. Around lunchtime, volunteers bring sandwiches to the participants. As the wind picks up, Swain's husband, Delbert, rubs her fingers to warm them up. Although most of the participants are matched with volunteers, some of the anglers on the pier also help out. Not far from Swain, Thomas Wolosuk of Yale, Va., is baiting a hook for Emily Smith of Charlotte. "I just happened to be here and saw the way she was catching fish," says Wolosuk. "I realized she needed some help. Now, she has three-quarters of a bag full of fish." For Smith, this is her best year for fishing. "The weather is beautiful, and fishing is good," she says. "This year, I have learned how to tighten my line and look out for fish." Some participants, like Swain, fish nonstop until the tournament ends. "I had a woman stand with me the whole time," says Swain. "I don't know who she was. But she was like an angel for me." Continued COASTWATCH 15

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