ON AN ISLAND KNOWN FOR MOLDING TENACIOUS SURF ANGLERS, Janet Messineo ranks among its hardiest. Even as she battles spinal stenosis and balance issues, the 75-year-old retired taxidermist and island fixture is not ready to hang up her waders.
An acclaimed surf angler and author, Messineo is woven into the rich fabric of life on Martha’s Vineyard — an island about seven miles off Massachusetts best known as a vacation spot for presidents and celebrities. Thousands appreciate the Vineyard for its renowned saltwater fishing and the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby (which runs more than a month, Sept. 10-Oct. 31 this year). This will be the event’s 78th year.
A casual drive around the island with Messineo feels like something of a victory tour, with many hugs and catch-up conversations with the people she encounters. She stops at Coop’s Bait and Tackle in Edgartown, where she chats with island legend Cooper Gilkes.
We have lunch in the salty little village of Menemsha, where Messineo promises charter skipper Buddy Vanderhoop that she will “touch up” his 65-pound striper, which she skin-mounted about 30 years ago. “If I’m not home, just leave it on my front porch,” Messineo hollers over the wind as we walk to Larsen’s Fish Market. “I know the fish.” It’s this small-town intimacy that makes the Vineyard special.
After lunch, we walk to a sandy beach on the east side of the inlet, where Messineo casts a popping plug for a little while. Her long
