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Catch of the day: Handgun
Fisherman hooks .22 caliber handgun, complete with bullets, from Great Kills Harbor pier
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
By SAM DOLNICK
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Every fisherman has a fish story.
Eric Cohen has one for the books.
While fishing near Nichols Marina in Great Kills Harbor yesterday, Cohen hooked a handgun.
"I've caught tires, condoms, lots of bags, but this was my first gun," said Cohen, 30, of Huguenot, who had headed to the Great Kills Park section of Gateway National Recreation Area in hopes of snagging a flounder.
On his day off, with the sun shining on his back, Cohen was using a brand new lure and practicing his cast when his hook caught a sock.
"I could tell something was in the sock and I was worried that it was somebody's foot," said Cohen. "I brought it up onto the rocks and you could definitely tell that it was a gun."
A rusty .22 caliber Ruger handgun, to be exact, with seven bullets in the clip.
Chris Chirdo was fishing 10 yards away when his buddy called him over. "I was like, 'What'd you get? A bass. A flounder?'" said Chirdo, 28, of Pleasant Plains.
The two men called the city police and Park Rangers, who turned the matter over to Park Police.
Park Ranger Steven Schiffer, who responded, said he had never heard of anyone finding a gun in the marina before.
U.S. Park Police Officer Kevin Czahor copied the gun's serial number and the fishermen said it came up clean in a check. Park Police were unavailable for comment last night.
The gun was caught during low tide, less than 10 feet from shore.
"Whoever threw [the gun] away didn't try too hard to get rid of it," said Cohen. "They could have thrown it way out, but they just dropped it."
The fishermen didn't catch any fish yesterday, although they have high hopes for the season.
"Amazingly, sometimes we catch some fish," said Cohen, who has been fishing at the marina for years. "Last year, we caught bluefish every day."
The men don't depend on the fruits from the sea for their dinner, however. "You don't eat anything you catch out of here," Cohen cautioned. "The bass are too small and I don't eat bluefish.
"Besides," he said, peering over the marina's rail, "you've got to think about these water conditions."
Cohen and Chirdo took yesterday's unusual catch in stride.
"We'll definitely go out again," said Cohen. "This just makes for a good story."
Catch of the day: Handgun
Fisherman hooks .22 caliber handgun, complete with bullets, from Great Kills Harbor pier
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
By SAM DOLNICK
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
Every fisherman has a fish story.
Eric Cohen has one for the books.
While fishing near Nichols Marina in Great Kills Harbor yesterday, Cohen hooked a handgun.
"I've caught tires, condoms, lots of bags, but this was my first gun," said Cohen, 30, of Huguenot, who had headed to the Great Kills Park section of Gateway National Recreation Area in hopes of snagging a flounder.
On his day off, with the sun shining on his back, Cohen was using a brand new lure and practicing his cast when his hook caught a sock.
"I could tell something was in the sock and I was worried that it was somebody's foot," said Cohen. "I brought it up onto the rocks and you could definitely tell that it was a gun."
A rusty .22 caliber Ruger handgun, to be exact, with seven bullets in the clip.
Chris Chirdo was fishing 10 yards away when his buddy called him over. "I was like, 'What'd you get? A bass. A flounder?'" said Chirdo, 28, of Pleasant Plains.
The two men called the city police and Park Rangers, who turned the matter over to Park Police.
Park Ranger Steven Schiffer, who responded, said he had never heard of anyone finding a gun in the marina before.
U.S. Park Police Officer Kevin Czahor copied the gun's serial number and the fishermen said it came up clean in a check. Park Police were unavailable for comment last night.
The gun was caught during low tide, less than 10 feet from shore.
"Whoever threw [the gun] away didn't try too hard to get rid of it," said Cohen. "They could have thrown it way out, but they just dropped it."
The fishermen didn't catch any fish yesterday, although they have high hopes for the season.
"Amazingly, sometimes we catch some fish," said Cohen, who has been fishing at the marina for years. "Last year, we caught bluefish every day."
The men don't depend on the fruits from the sea for their dinner, however. "You don't eat anything you catch out of here," Cohen cautioned. "The bass are too small and I don't eat bluefish.
"Besides," he said, peering over the marina's rail, "you've got to think about these water conditions."
Cohen and Chirdo took yesterday's unusual catch in stride.
"We'll definitely go out again," said Cohen. "This just makes for a good story."
