Fishing club proposal to be considered in January

The University of Richmond fishing club will debut this spring semester if the student activities board approves it in January.

John Obeck, president of the fishing club, said he was confident his club proposal would be sanctioned. He has already met with a couple members of the board who have told him they believed his club would gain approval.

Anthony Crenshaw, associate director at the center for student involvement, said the approval meeting would take place Jan. 14. Obeck will present to the student affairs committee about the niche and benefits his club would bring to campus. The committee will then make a recommendation to the faculty, who will make the ultimate decision about the potential approval.

Obeck, Tyler Campbell and Todd Westerman created the fishing club this past August. The club’s objective is to create a community for anglers of the university with a primary focus on freshwater. “The club should exist on campus because we have access to a beautiful, stocked lake that is rarely used by students for recreational, catch-and-release fishing,” Obeck said.

Obeck said this was the first fishing club that had been created since the disbandment of the fly fishing club, which had been created about 10 years ago. The new club will carry similar values as the previous club in terms of conservation, education and community service. Obeck said as of now, there were 20 potential members interested in the club.

“I wanted to join the fishing club because fishing has always been a passion of mine,” said Westerman, secretary of the fishing club. “Fishing gives me a way to enjoy nature and get away from work, and there is nothing quite like the thrill of setting the hook on a big fish.”

His plans for spring consist of a catch-and-release bass and bluegill fishing tournament in the Westhampton Lake for charity. He said there would be a value on each fish that was caught, and the winner of the tournament would be able to donate his or her winnings to charity. Other arrangements consist of organized trips to the James River, potential tournaments around the state and wildlife cleanups to promote conservation.

All students are welcome to join the club. Obeck said most of his potential members were male, but he wanted to make it known that females could join as well. He encourages students to join because he said he believed fishing was a skill they would appreciate for the rest of their lives.

Contact reporter Justin Williamson at justin.williamson@richmond.edu