By Sue Wambolt, Contributing Writer
Northborough/Southborough – Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) junior Evan Bramhill, 17, has been hooked on fishing for as long as he can remember. As a youngster growing up in Virginia Beach, he spent countless hours fishing at small farm ponds and lakes with his father, Chris. Over the years, Bramhill’s love of fishing never waned. Recently, he won the B.A.S.S. High School State Fishing Tournament – for the second year in a row. In August, he will be attending the B.A.S.S. High School National Championships in Tennessee.
When not at school or working at Gillis Landscaping and Garden Center, Bramhill can often be found casting his rod at one of his favorite fishing spots – Bartlett Pond in Northborough, the Sudbury Reservoir in Southborough or Stump Pond in Westborough.
“I fish as often as I can,” Bramhill said. “Anytime I can sneak off and fish, I do.”
Bramhill is a member of Tri County Bassmasters of Massachusetts and often fishes with fellow members. When he is not fishing, he said, he is watching fishing videos and reading articles trying to learn as much about fishing as he can.
“The thing I love most about fishing is that it’s competitive and I love the challenge of man versus fish,” he said. “It’s always changing and is like a puzzle you are trying to put together. Fishing changes every day and it’s a mental game – learning how fish act in certain situations, seasonal positions, weather conditions and water temperature.”
In the B.A.S.S. tournament, Bramhill partnered with teammate and ARHS sophomore Sean Prendergast. The tournament was a three tournament trail with a drop one format – meaning that out of the three tournaments, only the two best finishes count. Qualifying fish must measure at least 12 inches long. It was during the first tournament that Bramhill caught his largest catch (in a tournament) to date – a 6.42-pound largemouth bass. He and Prendergast went on to win the tournament.
An avid bass angler who spends much of his free time on the water, Bramhill is concerned about aquatic conservation. Accordingly, he is always conscientious about cleaning up after himself and practices catch-and-release to preserve future generations of fish.
Bramhill is equally as passionate about volunteering as he is about conservation. He has volunteered at fishing derbies for kids as well as for veterans – including the Hudson Amvets Post 208 Annual Veteran’s Fishing Derby as well as the annual George Chiasson Memorial Fishing Derby. Additionally, he worked at the Mass Bass Nation booth at the New England Fishing and Outdoor Expo in January.
As a way to showcase his catches and to share his love of fishing, Bramhill created a “fishing Instagram account” called @bramhill_fishin. He has over 5,000 followers.