Rockfish9
12-05-2016, 10:14 AM
a long time voice on the Merrimack river passed away Friday afternoon...
Anjie Scala succumbed to cancer Friday afternoon...
I first met "Anj" in 1974 at 3 R marina... back then he spent most of his time "running" wire in the mouth of the river.. most nights he and as many as 2 dozen boats took turns swimming goo-goo eyes and Cap'n Bills swimmers in the rips in the mouth or the river...by the last decade all the boats have vanished he and I were the only ones still running wire.... times change and so do "methods" like myself...Anj. became predominantly an Eel fisherman... most nights his booming voice could be heard on Joppa barking out instructions or laughing heartily at some "fiasco" that just occurred... no one fished harder..NO ONE... even after he retired and had survived a heart attack he fished most nights... he always believed the next cast would produce the next world record... my fondest memory is a testament to his tenacity... 5 years back we had a big slug of big fish in the river.. all in the 30 - 40 lb class... this particular night was beyond miserable... I was fishing with Night Shift and we were doubling up every drift... the wind was blowing 20 -30 from the S/E.. rain came sideways...Anj and his crew couldn't "buy"a fish... his boat just wouldn't lay right and he spent more time fighting the elements and landing in the marsh grass than fishing... it was 1 AM and everyone had to work the next day.. we were wet and cold... Brian and I decided we were not going to lave until they did.. we gave up @ 3 wet.. cold and tired.. best I knew... they never took a fish...and stayed until day break...
The 2 weeks ago Friday I got the call saying he was in Hospice.. a total shock because we fished side by side the first week of October his booming voice echoing out over the salt marsh...
I went to see him a week ago Friday.. he was Frail and that once loud booming voice softened by illness.. he told me he was ready for his next journey... he made me promise to continue "teaching" our "trade" and keep alive the memory of the great fishery that is the Merrimack river...
Next striper season will be different... the loud booming voice that I have known for so many years will be gone... but it will not be forgotten...
Anjie Scala succumbed to cancer Friday afternoon...
I first met "Anj" in 1974 at 3 R marina... back then he spent most of his time "running" wire in the mouth of the river.. most nights he and as many as 2 dozen boats took turns swimming goo-goo eyes and Cap'n Bills swimmers in the rips in the mouth or the river...by the last decade all the boats have vanished he and I were the only ones still running wire.... times change and so do "methods" like myself...Anj. became predominantly an Eel fisherman... most nights his booming voice could be heard on Joppa barking out instructions or laughing heartily at some "fiasco" that just occurred... no one fished harder..NO ONE... even after he retired and had survived a heart attack he fished most nights... he always believed the next cast would produce the next world record... my fondest memory is a testament to his tenacity... 5 years back we had a big slug of big fish in the river.. all in the 30 - 40 lb class... this particular night was beyond miserable... I was fishing with Night Shift and we were doubling up every drift... the wind was blowing 20 -30 from the S/E.. rain came sideways...Anj and his crew couldn't "buy"a fish... his boat just wouldn't lay right and he spent more time fighting the elements and landing in the marsh grass than fishing... it was 1 AM and everyone had to work the next day.. we were wet and cold... Brian and I decided we were not going to lave until they did.. we gave up @ 3 wet.. cold and tired.. best I knew... they never took a fish...and stayed until day break...
The 2 weeks ago Friday I got the call saying he was in Hospice.. a total shock because we fished side by side the first week of October his booming voice echoing out over the salt marsh...
I went to see him a week ago Friday.. he was Frail and that once loud booming voice softened by illness.. he told me he was ready for his next journey... he made me promise to continue "teaching" our "trade" and keep alive the memory of the great fishery that is the Merrimack river...
Next striper season will be different... the loud booming voice that I have known for so many years will be gone... but it will not be forgotten...