My Ohio: Reporter who went fishin' found more than fish on Lorain's Mile-Long Pier

LORAIN, Ohio - Dan Ellis loves fishing so much; he keeps his fishing rod with him wherever he goes, feeling he may get a feeling at any moment to drop a line in the water.  When I first met him, he was walking the main street of Broadway in Lorain, fishing rod in hand, but he was about two miles from Lake Erie.

"When I'm not working, I'm usually fishing," said Ellis, a broad smile showing his love for the activity. "My old lady thinks I'm nuts," he offered without hesitation.  "But I go fishing to clear my head."

Ellis invited me to come along to his favorite fishing spot in Lorain. The recently-renovated Mile-Long Pier beckons fishermen who walk its beautiful way. The pier juts out into Lake Erie. It is within sight of the historic lighthouse, marking the entrance into Lorain's harbor.

Even with temperatures in the 90s, fishermen were there. Their lines dangled in the water and every now and then, someone would get a bite and pull up a fish. 

"You have to have a lot of patience," said Louis Agusto, who said he may spend eight hours at a time on the pier. "Yeah, you need patience… If you don't have it, you’ll get frustrated and mad and then you'll want to leave."

At about the time he uttered his philosophy on fishing, a boy who looked to be 12, 13, or so got a bite. Ryan Patricio, visiting from Pennsylvania, had asked this father to take him fishing while they were visiting in Lorain. It was Ryan, whom other fishermen nicknamed "The Kid", who brought in the catch of the day.

It was a largemouth bass he snagged. The whole pier gathered around to watch the youngster wrestle with the fish as it struggled in the water. However, the fish could not keep up with “The Kid” who pulled back on the rod and reeled in the fish. His dad came along to help, offering encouragement and holding onto his son so he did not accidentally step off the pier. The fish continued to fight. The bass showed his tail and then dived deeper, only to have Ryan pull him closer to the pier.

"That's unusual," said Agusto to catch a bass off the pier. "Usually, they hang out farther offshore." 

Still, “The Kid” had a fish on his line. While Ryan’s father helped him reel in the bass, Agusto climbed down a ladder attached to the pier. In his hand, he held a net thath he swooped under the fish, still fighting the line.  In the net, Agusto brought the fish up for Ryan to get a close look at the fish he landed.

"This is the biggest fish I've ever caught," said “The Kid”, his eyes wide. Ryan instantly became a hero on the pier. Other fishermen patted him on the back and hoped they, too, could find such a fish.  After a few minutes, the hoopla quieted down again and fishermen studied their lines that trailed off into lake.

The pier that day really had become a gathering point. Fishermen from many walks of life met and exchanged pleasantries as they went about their business of looking for something for their dinner tables later in the day. It was a fraternity of sorts who had gathered. They chatted quietly in small groups. Discussions centered mostly on fishing, but often, the men spoke of other subjects.

I heard no one exchange names. Those who knew Ryan's name, hearing his father call him, preferred to call him "The Kid."  Ryan seemed to love that idea, too. He had become a man among the men on the pier. They may have come to the pier for fishing, but they also came for the brotherhood that develops when people who are like-minded gather for a project.

The sun still sweated its way across the Lorain sky. The cool waters of Lake Erie still lapped at the base of the pier and the adjacent rocky shoreline. Periodically, a motorboat operator would gun his engine through the area, probably scaring the fish, and wave at the fishermen. 

“The Kid” sat on the side of the dock, nestled closely to his dad and looked at the fish he had brought in. Certainly, memories were made that day for him.  Certainly, they had largemouth bass for dinner.

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