NAPATREE POINT By Hugh Markey
GO FISH
Reconnect with your food at Spearfishing Rhode Island . ald Max Augliere was nineteen the first time he saw someone spearfishing . The Virginia native was working the rental desk at a beachfront hotel while attending college in Florida , and he knew he ’ d found something intriguing .
“ Before my shifts , I would get there at sunrise and take one of the Jet Skis out and spearfish from one of the Jet Skis ,” he says .
Now thirty-one and the owner of Spearfishing Rhode Island , Augliere shares his knowledge of the ancient fishing technique with others by offering guided experiences off the coasts of Newport and Jamestown . Rhode Island waters , he says , are rich with spearfishing catch , especially the native tautog , a sweet-tasting bottom-feeder that can be difficult to hook on a line . His clients range from businessmen trying to challenge themselves outside their usual spheres to a vegan looking to reconnect with her food . He ’ s even fished with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
“ It ’ s a very visceral and close experience ,” he says . “ I want people to feel a | | CONTINUED ON PAGE 102
Every Saturday morning through Labor Day , naturalists from the Watch Hill Conservancy bring groups of all sizes and ages along the 1.5-mile peninsula of Westerly ’ s Napatree Point Conservation Area , the state ’ s westernmost point . Because it ’ s a conservation area , the beach is kept in a pristine state , which encourages a wide variety of birds and other shore life to visit . It ’ s a quality that visitors enjoy , according to naturalist Steve Brown . “ People say that they had no idea of all the different organisms that live at Napatree , or of the water quality testing that ’ s going on , or of the different scientific studies that are going on , or just how beautiful it is ,” he says .
As a peninsula , Napatree has two distinct habitats : on the north side is Little Narragansett Bay , which often plays host to sailboat racing and sports a view of Connecticut across the water . It ’ s also a productive choice for birders , since most avian visitors like to feed in the calm waters . To the south is the Atlantic Ocean , where on a clear day visitors can see Block Island and Long Island .
Once home to dozens of two- and three-story summer homes owned by wealthy , out-of-state families , Napatree ’ s reputation as a vacationer ’ s paradise came to an abrupt halt when the 1938 hurricane blasted through the area , killing fifteen people and completely | | CONTINUED ON PAGE 103
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