I recently had the pleasant surprise of opening a gift and discovering:

Reel People: Fisherman of Plum Island by James Waldron is true to it’s title.  The film captures genuine stories from 60+ reel people. The stories are easy to listen to, but difficult to forget.  The art of Waldron’s film is how the stories and photographs are weaved into a continuous script that hooks you immediately and pulls you in until the end.

Waldron’s film provides a 360 degree view of fishing on Plum Island, Massachusetts. There are Beach Buggy fisherman, Boat fisherman, and Surf fisherman. There are foreshadows of the new breed of PI fisherman: kayak fisherman. There are scientists explaining their research in plain terms. There are exemplary surf-transport solutions that move gear up and down the soft sand with ease.  My favorite is the little red wagon with “Big Foot” wheels.  There are beautiful aerial scenes that provide great reconnaissance information for the bass hunter. And lastly, there are photographs of BIG fish past and a vintage film that helps penetrate through the last 47 years of Plum Island history: “A Day to Remember“, edited by Bob Smith (circa 1960).  All this great content in 62 minutes, kudos Waldron!

I personally liked the scientific perspective, because of my background. More specifically, the scientists (who also fish!) are using telemetry data to learn how striped bass move and utilize an estuary; in particular, how their eating habits relate to measurable parameters such as temperature, tide, and lunar cycle. The goal is to exploit all this data to predict how striped bass will impact the bait fish in an estuary. I would hypothesis that the same data my also yield the inverse; that is, how the amount of bait fish in an estuary will impact the population of striped bass.

Fishing is not just about catching fish. It’s about playing in the water without thinking about life’s obligations. It’s about the people you get to know during your trips and the stories you build together. In my humble opinion, Reel People captures this human element, something few films realize. The tides will continue to change. Life will go on. But, the stories of the Plum Island fisherman will continue to breath via Reel People and Kay’s scrapbook.

“Once you get the sand of Plum Inland in your shoes, you’ll never get it out.” – “Reel People: Fisherman of Plum Island”.