Smithtown Bay Yacht Club's Soldiers on the Sound Fishing Tournament

By Joe Flynn

June 16, 2012. The Smithtown Bay Yacht Club (SBYC) held its 4^th annual “Soldiers on the Sound” Fluke Fishing Tournament in honor of armed forces who have served or are currently serving in the military. Members of the SBYC brought their boats out of Smithtown Bay Harbor at Long Beach, each with two or three veterans or active service people who were competing in the tournament.

The event is the project of Kings Park resident Mark Garry, who is the president of the SBYC. A retired Nassau detective, Garry describes a day in 2008 when he came back from a long day of fishing. He was struck when he saw on the television images of soldiers overseas trying to relax on their exhausting tour of duty. He says, “It occurred to me that I fish to relax and maybe these guys would want to do the same thing.”

Garry’s idea turned into a quick success. The idea is simple: to give back to the soldiers while having a good time. The SBYC has teamed up with the 106^th Rescue Wing to invite both participants and volunteers. This year was the most successful event so far, with 33 boats and more than 70 service people participating. Attendance has more than doubled since 2009, the first “Soldiers on the Sound” event, which consisted of only15 boats and 25 soldiers. Unfortunately, the event is required to be by invitation only, as a safety precaution.

The winners of the tournament were John Angerame and Curtis Johnson, both of the 106^th Rescue Wing, captained by Paul Schumann, participating as a guest of SBYC member John Gershio. The boat had no first mate. Both soldiers were on cloud nine after their big win, and Schumann was very pleased as well. “What’s important is that we all helped land that fish,” he said. “It was a team effort.” The fluke they caught was *7 pounds, 15 ounces.

“A team effort” was the theme of the day overall. Each of the boats was successful because of the cooperation between soldiers and boaters, but the event itself would not have been possible without the support of countless volunteers, including SBYC members, community members, and businesses both local and national. The volunteers expertly handled feeding the participants, weighing the fish, and organizing the raffle all at the same time. The raffle consisted of a huge assortment of gifts from Smithtown businesses and national businesses, all of whom took a profound interest in the event. Among the most generous donations were a rifle inscribed with “Soldiers on the Sound 2012,” a 46” flat-screen television, and a one-seat kayak. SBYC public relations manager Michele March said, “Nearly everyone should be able to go home with something.” The Chris Jennings Band, from Northport, provided live music.

In the end, the SBYC succeeded in its mission to serve the soldiers who put their lives on the line to protect our country. 95% of the 106^th Rescue Wing are from Long Island, so the day was a community event that brought about lasting friendships. “They’ve got my number now, and we’ll definitely be in touch,” said Schumann about the soldiers who were his partners and winners of the contest.

The day put a personal touch on a bond of service and gratitude.

* This article was amended - the winning fluke was 7lbs 15 ounces not 7lbs. 5oz. as originally written.