Tight Lines

Every so often, especially in times of political discontent, we hear of something called the Freedom of Information Act, and it usually involves somebody finding something out about somebody that somebody else would rather nobody else knew about. The FOIA, as the people who really matter refer to it, is specifically geared towards the making public of governmentrelated information. We were treated to a little information requesting during the recent unpleasantness involving the United States Attorney General, for example.

Now it makes sense that, in certain instances, politicians would rather keep certain things under wraps, with the possible exception of our current Boy Scout-clean Board of Selectmen.

Sorry, guys. That one slipped. But I digress.

It seems that there was an incident this past summer when, ironically enough, the American pastime became embroiled in a good-old-fashioned American Freedom of Information Act issue. Seriously, people. You can't make this stuff up.

The story was first reported by the Houston Chronicle on July 19 of this year. It seems that in my own home state of Texas, the Houston Independent School District refused to release the 2007 Bellaire High School baseball season statistics to the general public. Big secret, you know, the number of home runs a kid hits or the number of fastballs a pitcher throws. Of course, if Bill Belichick's staff had been there, this wouldn't be an issue, because they'd have already ripped off all the secret info, right?

Whatever it is, Andrew needs to know about it. Yikes. I'm two-for-two on the blindsiders. But I digress yet again.

Anyway, it struck me as strange that a school wouldn't want to release the statistics from its own high school programs, so I did myself a little research. It turns out that the school felt that student privacy laws not only trumped the Freedom of Information Act, but that the baseball statistics were so private that they were included under the umbrella of students' personal records. And the scary thing is that the person who was actually requesting the information was a parent. A baseball player's parent. A baseball player's parent who was trying to leverage the kid's talents into a college baseball scholarship.

I hope I'm not alone here in suggesting that the absurdity of this whole thing is of a pretty serious level. I mean, what's so sacred about baseball statistics? I can understand maybe getting upset over the publishing of a particular kid's grades or disciplinary records in the local press, but seriously. Baseball statistics? Poor Shep would have to actually get out of the office and go to games if Nantucket High School threatened to withhold the statistics.

I'm on a roll with the cheap shots today. This whole story, though, got me to thinking, which is, especially at this time of year, a dangerous proposition. And the more I thought, the more I realized that it's not just asinine school administrations that pull this whole withholding information thing. Ayep. Anglers are pretty much guilty as sin in this whole department, too.

I had no idea that segue was there. I would have definitely told you if I had.

Friends and neighbors, it's true. We anglers are notorious secret-keepers. Case in point, my own loving and devoted father once said about yours truly that he wouldn't trust me with any fishing techniques because as soon as he gave me any secrets, I'd go blabbing to the newspaper. Nothing like a father's love for his son, right? And yes, Dad, in case you're keeping score at home, ironic turnabout is not only fair play, it's also the best kind.

Wow. Maybe it's the wind or something. The zingers just keep on coming.

Well, kids, ol' Uncle Andrew isn't fixin' to be keeping secrets from you. That wouldn't be either friendly or neighborly, and that's just not like me. So prepare yourselves for a little too-much-information blast. I had a report this week of five species - bluefish, striped bass, false albacore, bonito and Spanish mackerel - all being taken at Great Point, by the same person over the course of one morning. I'm not telling you his name, though. That might be betraying his confidence, and God only knows I don't want to do that.

But seriously, folks. This is prime-time fishing season here on the Rock. The crowds are gone, so you've got long stretches of beach all to yourself. A lot of the resident seal population seems to have bolted for greener pastures, too, so you're not faced with that added degree of difficulty. So get out there and fish.

And in the interest of the fair and equitable dispensing of information, if you're fishing in the Anglers' Club Nantucket Inshore Classic, keep an eye on your email. The club is emailing participants with updated leader board information, so that anglers can be more discriminating about keeping fish to weigh in. In other words, if you've got what looks to be an eight-pound bonito, make sure that you're not already beaten by a bigger fish before you keep it. Catch-and-release, folks. I can't stress it enough. Today we're reaping the benefits, especially in the striped bass population, of intelligent fish harvesting practices. It's all about getting the information out.

Regardless of where you're headed, though, arm yourself with the information you need before you take off. Tides and tackle and everything else. Stop in at your favorite tackle shop and ask. The folks behind the counter might not be the best looking specimens of humankind, but we're actually pretty good about giving out the information we have. And usually that information is moreor less reliable, too.

Tight lines. I