FISHING STORIES: Free Fishing Events @ Battery Park City (NYC)

Amazing free fishing events hosted by the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy (BPCPC)! Check out info below.

The Nyack College Fishing Club is a big fan of BPCPC fishing events!

I. GO FISH!: A free fishing program open to the public. Four Saturdays every year are set to educate and teach the general public about the marine biology in downtown Manhattan by way of free fishing. During Go Fish, barbless hooks are used to minimize injuries to fish. Some fish are temporarily placed in saltwater tanks for observation and identification. All fish are released back into the Hudson River. Staff and volunteer anglers give demonstrations on fish biology and teach participants how to fish. Displays are provided to inform all about the thriving ecosystem that is the Hudson River. Rods, reels, and bait are provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own gear. This event offers rich and meaningful opportunities for new and experienced anglers to share their skills and knowledge with families, tourists, and everyday New Yorkers who are willing to drop a line in the water! Dr. Peter Park has been a volunteer "Master Angler" at GO FISH! since 2010. 

 

(Photo Credit: Peter J. Park)

II. FREE FISHING PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL GROUPS: Similar to the spirit of Go Fish, the BPCPC offers a free marine education program that uses fishing to teach school groups about the Hudson River ecosystem. Teachers can schedule a time to have their class participate in such an outing, which is private for the class. As with Go Fish, barbless hooks are used to minimize injuries to fish. Some fish are temporarily placed in saltwater tanks for observation and identification. All fish are released back into the Hudson River. Staff give informative lectures on the history and health of the Hudson River ecosystem. They also give lessons on fish anatomy and demonstrations on how to fish. Educational displays are showcased. Rods, reels, and bait are provided.

 

(Photo Credit: Peter J. Park)

 

More info about the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy:

"The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy is a private not-for-profit corporation created by the Battery Park City Authority in 1987 to manage, maintain, operate and program the parks and open spaces of Battery Park City. BPCPC’s mandate is to manage the parks for the enjoyment of the public and to do so in a world class manner.  In addition, the Board of Directors has supported the efforts of the staff to prove that world class maintenance can be done in a sustainable, or green, manner.

BPCPC believes that developing an environmental consciousness is an important public mission, both for individual park users as well as for the organization.  We ask staff and the public to think environmentally before they act.  We carry our vision through to reality through our electric vehicles, our office recycling and composting programs, our non-toxic pest control programs, and other practices." (Quoted from: http://bpcparks.org/about-us/who-we-are/)