East Hampton - After another one of those four hours of sleep nights, I crawled into my seat on a Southwest flight out of Islip to Baltimore, on my way to the Fishing protest in Washington, DC. Just before I closed my eyes to grab an hour's sleep, one of the two stewardesses standing alongside my seat, said to the other, "You know, I have all my equipment up front."

Perhaps because I live a little closer to Wolfies than Nick & Toni's, I looked up at her and politely said, "Excuse me, but it is only a lady that can say that to another lady without getting slapped in the face." Without missing a beat, she looked at me and said, "That's nothing, see the other stewardess a few seats forward, well she has her nuts up front." I replied, "With equipment like yours it would be close to impossible for anyone to also have nuts up front." By this time, we were all laughing so hard, that we had to calm down a bit, before she could go forward, equipment and all, to go through the safety announcement, mentioning both her equipment up front, and me the passenger towards the rear of the plane who had just gotten back up into his seat from the floor, as I was laughing so hard.

For more information on this issue, read Hamptons.com contributing writer Ken Moran's article by clicking here:

They came from all over the United States to exercise their right to peaceful assembly.

After a quick bus to the Amtrak station in Baltimore, and a train to DC, I found myself in the middle of Union Station, staring up at the ceiling architecture in awe. Again, I live in Springs, in between Wolfies, and Nick & Toni's, as a matter of fact, quite a bit closer to Wolfies, where some of my neighbors just got cable TV.

Anyway, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a man carrying a protest sign, and I quickly remembered why I came all this way. The protesters began arriving in larger numbers through different doors, all heading in the same direction, and for the same reason, which was to have their voices heard in protest of regulations put forth from bad information, and which was destroying their way of life that they had led for generations. It was the same life I had 20 years ago, so believe me I knew how they felt.

The message to Washington was clear - United We Fish.

After a short walk towards the Capitol, I found myself among close to 3,000 men and women who stood collectively to have their voices heard. Many of them were from eastern Long Island. Others came from as far away as Florida, and Alaska. No matter where they came from, they shared the same problem of being driven from their jobs by regulations born from bad information, and kept in force through bad politics.

You know all of this really makes me sick to my stomach, but I will say this: 40 years ago I fished the ocean beaches of Amagansett, with Capt. Bill Lester. He was perhaps the best fisherman I ever met, and he was able to be that way because he fished long before the government stuck its hand in his way of life. Capt. Bill fished well into his 80s, when he said, "Just as long as I can crawl, I'm going down there."

Participants arrived by train at Union Station, and came by plane, car and bus as well.

Capt. Bill has been dead for some years now, and I can only imagine his sadness as he looks down at us and sees his two grandsons, Danny and Paul, being arraigned in East Hampton Town Court on eight felony counts of - that's right - FISHING. I have to say it again - EIGHT FELONY COUNTS FOR FISHING.

Anyone and everyone should lend their support to these young men who appeared at East Hampton Town Court on Pantigo Road in East Hampton on March 4. When possible, don't go to work, keep your children out of school, they will learn more than a month of school, make a sign, tell your friends. Just always show up to lend your support when these types of injustices occur.

The name Amagansett comes from the Indians, and it means - "Place Of Good Water." Danny and Paul's arraignments have made it more and more a "Place Of Bad Air."

For more information on this issue, read Hamptons.com contributing writer Ken Moran's article by clicking here www.hamptons.com/Outdoors-And-Fitness/On-The-Water/9937/Recreational-And-Commercial-Fishermen-Will.html