Author: Useppa

Useppa’s Colors are Shining – Pictures and words by UseppaGin – It’s early fall on Useppa. Red Tide is gone and the beaches and water look like themselves again. It was a long summer but now we can look forward. The Collier Inn has a new Food and Beverage Manager. Miss Emily will be working with Kam, our new Executive Chef. Old and new staff members are excited about new directions. Dinners have never been better! Captain Ken and Captain Eddie made an inviting place on the Marina dock to watch the sun set. Two new Captains have joined the Useppa family. Captain Eddie is going on to new adventures. Year-round Island members are looking forward to another year and the return of our seasonal friends. There’s a great energy on Useppa. It’s good to be home.

Island Images – Thoughts and photos by UseppaGin – Always good to be home. Watching sunset with good friends, seeing members of the staff, hugs from Island kids, stopping to take in each view…the end of summer and the beginning of fall on Useppa.

Island Barbecue – Photos and words by UseppaGin – Summer vacation days are winding down, and to celebrate, Useppa threw a “Going Back to School Pig Roast.” Parents and Kids, Grownups and Children gathered at the pool and the Collier Inn to enjoy a barbecue feast and an afternoon of music by the water. Thank you to the Collier Staff for making it happen. Thank you to all the families who make summer on the island so much fun.

Useppa Summer – Pictures and words by UseppaGin – A leisurely, warm, island day, a visiting yacht club, bocce, time in the pool, and lunch on the patio. Then sunset like a painting. The slow tempo of summer on Useppa.

Pool Time – Words and photos by UseppaGin – Weekends are fun on Useppa for all ages. Sometimes it can be a quiet boat ride, bocce or croquet, and sometimes, it’s loud music, dancing and games. Over the 4th of July holiday, the action was in and around the pool. Prizes of wine, water toys in the air, and “riding” the wild inflatable steer kept everyone moving. No one wanted to go home.

Izaak Walton 4th of July Kids’ Fishing Tournament – Words and photos by UseppaGin – Despite Red Tide worries, there were just enough kids and just enough fish to make this year’s Izaak Walton Kids’ Fishing Tournament another winner. The obligatory pinfish were reeled in, even a little crab, but there was also two Black Drums, two Jacks, a Gag Grouper and a Sheepshead. This list does not include the three hefty fish caught by Naomi that snapped her line.
Captain Eddie measured and released the fish. Miss Lisa helped recorded the data. Kyle, graduate of Kids Fishing Tournaments and one of the best, if not the best, fisherman on the island, helped each young angler. The kids helped each other. Parents helped only when necessary. Catch and release fishing is a Useppa tradition. Passing it on to each new generation of anglers is part of that custom.

Island Summer – A few words and a few pictures by UseppaGin – It was a quiet weekend on Useppa. Just the right amount of people to make it fun, but not so many there wasn’t room for one more in the pool. Casual dining at the Collier, cool drinks on the patio, boats tied up in the Marina. It’s the lazy island summer we all love.

Izaak Walton Tournament 2018 – Photos and thoughts by UseppaGin – Kelly Liber and Amie Carfrae with Captain Travis Murphy won the 2018 Useppa Izaak Walton Tournament catching and releasing seven Tarpon. Nineteen teams caught twenty-eight fish (17 Friday and 11 Saturday). One team decided they needed a Permit to catch a Tarpon. It didn’t help. They only caught one. Carfrae and Liber are the first women to win the Tournament since Mika Beckstead in 1991. Runners Up were Kyle Scheid and Cole Calhoun with Captain Ozzie Lessinger. Net proceeds fund donations to Bonefish Tarpon Trust, Captains for Clean Water and 4Ocean.

Useppa’s 2018 Izaak Walton Tournament Day #1 – Pictures by Rusty Chinnis and UseppaGin, Thoughts by UseppaGin – For 126 years people on Useppa Island have fished for the Silver King, and the tradition continued in a two-day Izaak Walton Tournament June 1st and 2nd. On Friday afternoon, anglers and guides caught and released seventeen Tarpon. At 7:30 the fishermen and their families shared stories in the aptly named Tarpon Bar, listened to the music of Islander and fisherman Pat Leach, and enjoyed a delicious sunset dinner. In a few moments of quiet, founders of Captains for Clean Water, guides Captain Chris Wittman and Daniel Andrews, spoke about the progress they and others are making locally and in Washington educating people of all ages about the importance of restoring and protecting marine eco systems. On Useppa, all ages proudly wear Captains for Clean water hats. It’s a cause we all support.

A Soggy Holiday – Thoughts and pictures by UseppaGin – Memorial Day on Useppa is characterized by respect for those who died for their country. The Island also honors those who served in the military with Cookie Brigade chocolate chips. Likewise, cookies are given to staff members working on the holiday instead of spending it with their families. Rain kept a lot of folks inside, but not two children fishing in the Izaak Walton Kids Tournament. Families at the pool dodged showers. Others hung out on the porch of the Tarpon Bar. We may have gotten wet, but our spirits were never dampened.