Fish Tales

Craig Poosikian was a summer kid from New Jersey fishing in Harwich when he caught the fish that got him hooked.

Times were uncertain, paychecks were small, cod were scarce, there was talk of fishing moratoriums and small boats being pushed out of the fisheries. Then meeting notices started appearing around the docks, talking about organizing a group of hook and line fishermen.

Maria Marelli, a bubbly bartender, has worked on several shellfish farms and is looking to get on a commercial fishing vessel, so when the call came at 4 a.m. she picked up.

Leverman Corey Fleming was running controls on the Cod Fish II, and after he carved out each linear section he stuck his arm out the window and pointed.

Jared Auerbach sails into a meeting room and plunks down in a chair with his back to a view of the Boston Fish Pier.

Alex Brown stepped out of his house in Provincetown’s West End, passed by homemade long rakes, tongs and shellfish culling boards to settle into a chair kitty corner to a rocker made of lobster pots, which he also makes.

Peter Cole was sitting in his small bungalow in Chatham, birds inches away at his feeders.

Running boats for other fishermen, crewing on trips for monkfish and skate, working on his own boat, Sam Fuller has been busy.

Jake Angelo launched his boat from Prince’s Cove Marina, slowly going down Marstons Mills River toward Three Bays, a place where he has spent much of his 29 years.