Fishin’ mission: Kids learn ins and outs of angling at HBPD’s annual ‘Fish with the Force’
Geese flew and honked overhead while ducks preened their tailfeathers as they swam a short distance from the lines cast by about 40 St. Bonaventure fifth-graders participating in “Fish with the Force” at Carr Park Friday morning.
Some of the children had never gone fishing before, even though most of them live just a few minutes away from the beach.
“Growing up nobody fished, hunted or was outdoorsy in my family,” said Police Sgt. Jason Melchau, a Huntington Beach native. “But I had a neighbor who had this little boat. I was about 12 years old and he took me and my brother and a couple neighborhood kids fishing. That completely changed the way I looked at the ocean and sent me on a trajectory of, basically, fishing for the rest of my life.”
The police department began hosting “Fish with the Force” events eight years ago in hopes of encouraging young people to take advantage of parks, beaches and other open spaces. On Friday, they invited St. Bonaventure students to Carr Park to learn about local ecology and conservation, as well as proper fishing etiquette and technique.
Students aimed practice casts at wooden targets, pored over diagrams of fish anatomy and listened intently to representatives from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at a series of booths set up for them Friday morning. Some already had plenty of experience prepping hooks and bait, and asked questions about the kinds of fish they might be able to catch in the park’s man-made lake or how they breathe underwater, CDFW Scientific Aid Danna Mehtar said.
At the booth she was stationed at, youth learned about the biology of local fish and how they interact with birds, mammals, plants, microorganisms and a wide variety of other living things to form an ecosystem. She hoped the knowledge they gained Friday would encourage them to become stewards of the environment.
“So, I’ve got the boring station today,” Fish and Wildlife volunteer John Ives said to a group of students. “I’m here to talk to you about ethics. And what’s ethics?”
“Following the rules when nobody else is watching,” one of the students replied.
Ives urged them to treat the lakes, bays and other environments they visit with respect and to be kind to the people they meet there.
He has been fishing for decades, and travels to cities all over Southern California with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to help introduce children to the pastime. He views events like the one in Huntington Beach as an opportunity to share his experience with younger generations and invite them to what can become a lifelong hobby.
Members of the Huntington Beach Fishing & Recreation Club, Kiwanis Club, and the Huntington Beach Police and Community Foundation were also on hand to grill hot dogs for lunch or help kids reel in especially feisty biters. Some of the children released what they caught, while others who got permission from their parents to bring fish home bagged trout that would become their dinners later that evening.
The educational event gives children a chance to get out of the classroom and away from screens to take in the outdoors, angler and St. Bonaventure principal Mary Flock said. She added that it’s important to slow down and step back from the “instant gratification” constantly available online.
“When you’re fishing, you’re literally sitting there waiting for something to happen. You have an opportunity for conversation,” Flock said. “Oftentimes when these kids go fishing, you go in areas where you don’t have cell service. So now you have this opportunity to kind of open up that shell for families to connect without their devices, out in nature and enjoying serenity.”
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