MILOLII — The secret to fishing, said Tirahlyn Samoa, is “to stay really still.”
“You have to pull up really slowly,” she said, explaining how to pull in a line should a fish bite. “Don’t yank it out.”
Within seconds of getting a hook in the water, there was a bite, and Tirahlyn added one more fish to her catch. By the end of the morning, she came away with the top prize for the largest fish in the 10-12 age group — a popaa, or rock fish, measuring more than 9 inches long.
Tirahlyn was one of 57 children to catch — and release — an estimated grand total of 100-150 fish as part of the inaugural Milolii Holoholo Derby hosted by the Hawaii Police Activities League, or HI-PAL.
“We definitely have one of the best positions in the department,” said HI-PAL Officer Chere Rae Kalili. “I mean, this is fun just continuing to make that community connection through our keiki.”
HI-PAL works to get officers into the community, particularly reaching out to at-risk youth and offering activities, such as sports, in neighborhoods.
Kalili also is a school resource officer at Kealakehe Intermediate School, so for her, events such as the Holoholo Derby offer a way for children to see officers out of uniform and connecting with the community in a positive way.
For many parents of the keiki who participated in the derby, the event was a way to get the kids outside and meeting the police in the community.
“I’m just grateful that they have something like this for them,” said Adriane Kuahuia, who brought her grandchildren to the event. “It beats being at home being on the electronics.”
It’s also good for the kids to see police “are willing to give their time to help out with the kids and events,” she said.
Kaina Lee, who brought his son, Chevy, to the event, said it also was important that events like the derby take place.
“It’s just a reassurance to the community that they’re doing a great job for the kids and stuff,” he said.
For the kids, the Holoholo Derby offered an opportunity to get out of the house and have some fun, such as Kaikoa Baniaga-Reyes, 11, who said he was thankful to police for hosting the derby.
“If not,” he said, “I would be at home just sitting down, not doing this.”
The event also offered a lesson in stewardship, teaching children how to responsibly take care of the ocean and the life within it.
The Holoholo Derby was entirely catch-and-release and participants used barbless hooks, which make hook removal easier and less risky for the fish when it’s returned to the sea.
Earl Miyamoto, coordinator of the Marine Wildlife Program of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, was promoting the use of barbless hooks with a “make-and-take” table where children could use pliers to smash the barb on fish hooks and take barbless hooks away with them.
And kids, Miyamoto said “truly are the agents of change.” Parents, too, noted how the derby taught students to malama.
“This is a positive, life-giving event,” said Lima Lopez of Milolii, whose daughter, Nazzy, hooked the largest fish and most fish in the 5 and younger age group.
Events like the derby that are hosted by police are “totally important” and “totally necessary,” Lopez added.
“It helps to allow our keiki to feel comfortable around them and to make them feel like we’re all one ohana,” she said. “They are malama-ing the people. They take care of the people, the land and that’s their responsibility, along with ours, to take care of each other.”
Email Cameron Miculka at cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com.