HWS News
14 January 2025 Casting Connections By Colin Spencer '19
HWS Fishing Club brings the excitement and interest of fishing to campus while emphasizing conservation and a love for the outdoors.
For David Emerson ’27 and Gavin Rueda ’27, fishing has been a lifelong pursuit. Growing up in Upstate and Northern New York, both spent countless hours by the water catching everything from stripers and pike to largemouth bass.
At Hobart and William Smith, Emerson and Rueda have brought their passion to the HWS Fishing Club, where they serve as president and vice president, respectively. Throughout the semester, the club organizes trips to various locations around the Finger Lakes allowing members to gain hands-on fishing experience. This academic year’s locations have included Cayuga Lake, Sandy Creek near Lake Ontario, Maxwell Creek in Sodus Point, N.Y. and Seneca Lake. Weekly meetings provide a chance to plan outings, share fishing techniques and exchange tips.
The members practice catch-and-release fishing from shores. Fly fishing is also practiced.
“Everyone in the club, regardless of experience, has an appreciation for the outdoors and nature,” says Emerson, a biology major. “The club provides people the ability to get outside and take a breath of fresh air. I think that unites everyone.”
Rueda adds that the club “also provides students with a break from academic work.”
This year, the HWS Fishing Club achieved a significant milestone by affiliating with Trout Unlimited’s Costa 5 Rivers program, which connects fly-fishing clubs from campuses around the country to promote conservation, particularly for cold-water trout streams. Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization with more than 300,000 members dedicated to preserving and restoring cold-water fisheries and their watersheds.
Jonah Friedman ’26, a biology major and the club’s secretary, played a pivotal role in establishing the club’s connection with Costa 5 Rivers. A Trout Unlimited member prior to attending HWS, Friedman used the effort to help revive the club.
“Through the resources, outreach and events that Costa 5 Rivers offers, our club has built a community of anglers engaged in conservation and restoration efforts around the Finger Lakes,” says Friedman.
Rueda, who was also a Trout Unlimited member before attending HWS, contributed to the partnership. He says Lindsay Agnes, the Vice President of Youth Education for the New York State Council of Trout Unlimited, is an inspiration for engaging a younger generation of fishers in conservation efforts, especially around the region.
“With many local fishing clubs, the average age of fishers is 50 or older,” says Rueda. “This program is a big initiative to get the new group of young adult fishers into the conservation mindset.”
This summer, Emerson and Rueda fished with the president of Yale University’s fishing club, an experience that deepened their fly-fishing skills and broadened their connections with fellow collegiate anglers.
Moving forward, Emerson and Rueda hope to make fishing more accessible to the broader community.
“I’m excited to see the direction our club takes next year,” says Friedman. “We have a passionate and motivated group of individuals who are passionate about making a difference through fishing and conservation and will do great things with this club.”
Top: Jonah Friedman '26 holds a largemouth bass while fishing at the Long Pier in Geneva.
