Winners of the 2015 Youth Angler of the Year Award were honored at the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association Annual Conference in Morgan City on Aug. 8. This year’s winners were seven-year-old Beatrice Long of Lafayette and 12-year-old Sean Turner of Prairieville.
LOWA and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries implemented a new essay contest this year, following the tradition of the well-known Youth Hunter of the Year Award. Youth ages 15 and under were given the opportunity to submit an essay about a memorable fishing trip, along with a photo of the youth and the fish. A male and female winner were then selected.
Beatrice is entering second grade at Cathedral Carmel School. Her hand-written essay was titled “The Redfish” which described a family crabbing and fishing trip. She expressed great pride in being the first to hook a nice red in a “whole boatful of grown-ups”. Beatrice’s parents are Kelley and Armistead Long.
Sean is entering seventh grade and is homeschooled through the Louisiana Virtual Academy. He received the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana Youth Award earlier this year. In his anecdotal essay about fishing in Cocodrie, Sean details a thunderstorm scaring his baby brother and postponing the family’s fishing trip, and then the reward and fun of catching limits of trout on the second day. Sean’s parents are Marissa and Franklin Turner.
Sponsors for this year’s Youth Angler of the Year Contest included LOWA, LDWF and Coastal Angler Magazine. Each winner received a plaque, rod and reel combo and a lifetime fishing license.
For more information the contest, go to http://www.laoutdoorwriters.com/YAA/tabid/159/Default.aspx or contact Wendy Billiot at 985-851-7578 or captwendy@bayouwoman.com or Danica Williams at 504-286-4043 or dwilliams@wlf.la.gov. For press inquiries contact Ashley Wethey at awethey@wlf.la.gov or 504-286-8733.
