Category: Uncategorized

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.

Memorial Day Weekend on Useppa Part 1 – Pictures and thoughts by UseppaGin – The weather was iffy, the tides were high, and the rain was heavy, but life on Useppa was fun anyway. Happy Hour Friday Night at the Tarpon Bar gave old and new residents a chance to visit. It gave guests a chance to meet islanders. Fishermen made new friends. Couples met for the first time or renewed old acquaintances. Saturday the music played inside the Tarpon Bar not poolside, but it didn’t matter. Dinners at the Collier went on as scheduled. Rain gear was just left by the door. Living on or visiting an island requires flexibility. It’s one of the reasons we love Useppa.

The Useppa Family: Mother’s Day and More – Words and pictures by UseppaGin – Useppa is a family and in the last week an upcoming wedding was celebrated, employees were busy caretaking the island, and the traditional Mother’s Day Brunch was served at the Collier Inn. Useppans nurture this magic place and cherish each other. How lucky we all are to be part of a lineage going back 10,000 years.

Justifiably a Good Time – Words and pictures by UseppaGin – Derby Day on Useppa has become a tradition. Fashionable hats on beautiful women, dapper gentlemen, and mischievous children fill the Tarpon Bar to watch the Kentucky Derby. A prize is awarded for the most beautiful hat and a winning raffle ticket drawn. The summer season on Useppa has officially begun.

Useppa Celebrates Family – Thoughts and photos by UseppaGin – A surprise proposal at the North End Gazebo, good-byes until next fall at the dock, waves from boats pulling away, family visits, and Wednesday Fried Chicken Night at the Collier… the cycles of island life continue. Shutters close down, last hugs, and some leave for their northern worlds. Others host their northern families for a southern visit. A young man chooses a spot to propose, his future wife surprised, kinfolk hidden until the deed is done, and it’s time to pour the champagne. Useppa is about families, whatever the time of year.