Harris proves handy with rods

In the local sports world, most residents identify Robert Harris with softball and Little League Baseball. However he recently proved his link to competitive angling. 

Robert was the first mate on board the boat Get Ur Dun. The 25-foot Century was captained by Billy Pennington and featured son Steven Pennington, 13. Steven would catch a 18.2 pound wahoo, good enough for a third place trophy in the Family Ties junior angling tournament put on by the Cayman Islands Angling Club. 

For Harris, who is on the executive board for the Cayman Islands Little League, it was a family affair. Eldest son Michael Harris, 10, was part of the crew along with younger brother David Harris, 7. Robert said his boys make his journey in fishing come full circle. 

“I have been in fishing tournaments in years past, with Billy and I growing up fishing together,” Robert said. “It’s wonderful we have kids fishing together. The goal of the angling club is to keep Caymanians fishing and that’s what we want to do with our families. 

“I remember my dad buying me my first spear gun when I was 10 years old and him taking me to the beach and showing me what to do,” he said. “What’s wonderful is that now Billy and I are the dads teaching our own kids the things we learned 20 plus years ago. On one of the other boats there were three generations of Caymanians. It makes you smile, but at the same time, makes you feel sad because we’re getting old.” 

Interestingly, Steven caught his wahoo some two miles off Morritt’s Tortuga Club in East End. The young man, who turns 14 in November, said in passing that fishing with his father was nothing new. 

“I’m excited, proud, but hungry,” Steven said. “This is the second wahoo I’ve caught by myself.” 

Steven was one of 33 junior anglers in the tournament. A number of children did well, including Keiran Ebanks (he was second in the tarpon release category aboard Troublesome).  

According to dad Billy, Steven used a 30 pound test and skirted artificial bait. Billy said fishing with the Harris family is something he has done for a long time. 

“We’ve been fishing a number of years,” Billy said. “We won the Cayman Islands International Fishing Tournament back in 2004 and we went to the International Game Fishing Association offshore championship in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in 2005.”