Hook, line, and sinker, the Fishing Club is a real catch.
Thanks to the creative thinking of brothers, junior Alex and freshman Matt Pastino, WS welcomes a new creative club for fishing enthusiasts. The brothers came up with the idea over the summer as a way to get other students involved with something they are passionate about.
“I grew up fishing, and I love it and it also looks good on college applications,” said freshman Matt Sharp.
The brothers put a slide on the TV announcements to spike interest with students. The club held its first interest meeting on February 11th and the announcements slide must have worked because over 15 kids showed up to see what the hype was all about.
“We won’t have as many members as other clubs because it’s new,” said Ryan Sharp.
With over 150 lakes in Virginia, and 3 right around the WS area, it is easy to see why the fishing club sparked so much interest.
The meeting got off to a great start, and the members ratified the bylaws of the Fishing Club, and voted for officers. Alex is the president, Matt is the vice president, Sharp is the secretary, and Junior Perry Shands is the historian. The club’s adult sponsor is Susan Kinsley from the science department.
“My little brother and I fish a lot, and we thought this club was a good idea” said Alex.
With leaders in place, the club had more important things to talk about.
Unfortunately, the Fishing Club is not allowed by Fairfax County regulations to meet outside of school for fishing as a school sponsored event.
But these crafty brothers wouldn’t let this get in the way of their fun. As long as the school is not responsible for the event, the club can meet outside of school in their free time.
As for in school Fishing Club events, Alex is trying to get professional anglers to attend some of the meeting and give presentations to the members. The club is also working on getting fishing and sporting stores to sponsor the club so they can expand the club. With one successful meeting under their belt already, the Fishing Club is sure to grab the attention of many WS students.
“We hope to inform people about why we love to fish, and to get people interested in fishing,” said Sharp.
