Introduction to Fishing Class @ UMS
September 8, 2010, aquatics biologist, Daragh Deegan, of Elkhart came to visit the class.
Deegan brought the city's boat used to capture and tag fish. He took the time to explain how they use electricity to shock and tag for study. You can see it in the background.
No doubt, the most popular part of Deegan's presentation are the live fish. He took out each fish and showed the students their identifiable marks. Bravely, he allowed students to also hold them. There is no better way to educate students than to put it in their hands. Deegan brought panfish, bass, carp, suckers, walleye, pike, and gar. To the right is a largemouth bass and below a carp.
Below, Deegan holds a catfish. He showed students how to hold a catfish to avoid being punctured and pointed out their skin - no scales.
Below, Tyler and Jobany carefully hold and admire a prehistoric gar.
To the right, Gretchen holds one of several bluegill. The class will soon take fishing trips and catch lots of 'gills.
Above, Jordan takes center stage as he carefully holds a carp. Deegan captured the fish the previous night from the St. Joe River. Deegan does nearly 20 classroom visits per year to educate the youth on our local resources.
Deegan got wet, dirty, and even got on his knees to connect with and educate the students of Urey Middle School. Here, he holds a sucker and shows the class how a sucker finds food.
Click on Image Below to Enlarge.
The Introduction to Fishing class discusses the many different species of fish available to anglers in our area: bass, panfish, pike, musky, and salmon. Deegan brought many species for the kids to observe including many exotics the students do not learn about in class including: suckers, carp, catfish and gar. He also showed how to properly hold each for both preservation and protecting your hands.