A Conversation with Victor Cole
Like many of the Co-op's fishermen, Victor started hauling traps with his Dad, but instead of going straight into fishing, he joined the Marine Patrol. "I was in the Marine Patrol for 18 years, before that I was a firefighter and a police officer. After 40 years, I was done with being in a uniform, and so I went fishing."
Victor hauls 800 traps, but he is nothing if not a Renaissance man. Author of Chasin' Crustaceans, a book he wrote last year about boat names and their meanings, Victor is already working on a second edition. "I had the idea for that book for 10 years, I've always been fascinated by how fishermen choose the names for their boats." With his wife, who is also an accomplished fisherman, Victor lives year round on Mosquito Island, where he has been a care taker for years, maintaining trails and the property, and sometimes, on a windy day, flying kites.
What he loves about fishing? "The freedom to do what you want to do, to do your own thing. I love being on the water."
Scariest Moment on Water "I don't get scared"
Favorite off the Water Activity: Snowmobiling or 4 Wheeling
Boat Name: Long Tail Duck. "The state of Maine changed the names of many places and, in some cases, animals, to ones less offensive to the Indian nation. Around the time of these changes, I was looking to name my boat. There is a beautiful migratory bird whose name was changed around that time from "Squaw" to Long Tail Duck - I liked the new name and figured I'd be the only one with the name."
Buoy Color:
Favorite Food:
