<p>A passionate fisherman has left us all too early. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Bob (Hawkeye) Jacobs has passed on. This is a tough one.</p>
A passionate fisherman has left us all too early. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Bob (Hawkeye) Jacobs has passed on. This is a tough one.
Unique is a word that comes to mind. A bit eccentric and quirky. Not a malicious bone in his body. A brilliant man who was amazed when he discovered that my dogs actually understood what I was saying to them. “He knows what you are saying?” he said. “Yes, Hawk, dogs actually understand some vocabulary,” I answered. He was not fond of dogs or kids, but he tolerated mine.
I met him somewhere in the 1970s when he came here for the summer to drive cab. We fished together many, many times over the past 40 years.
He took John Best and me to Gay Head one night. He waded out into the abyss and left us on the beach. Neither of us had a clue as to what we were doing in the dark. John remembers that his lure was landing behind him. I only remember my waders filling up with water. That was what it was like when you went fishing with Hawk, you better be prepared because once you got to the water, you were on your own. John gave up after that night, but I would join Hawkeye in his maroon 1968 Plymouth. When we fished up-Island, we usually broke down on the way home. My husband Tristan would drive up and pick us up off the side of the road. I laugh now, but I was not amused then.
He may have appeared to be a disheveled, absent-minded professor. But he was a master of numbers and had an analytic mind that drove his friends crazy at times. He had rote memory. He remembered everyone’s license plate numbers and knew where they fished. He remembered fish weights and the years they were caught. He remembered the weights of my fish, ones I had totally forgotten about.
I have had so many remarkable times with Hawk, fishing together or having a typical one or two-hour phone conversation. We fished two entire derbies together after I lost my mentor, Jack Coutinho. After fishing with Jackie for 12 years, I really needed Hawkeye in my life and I am so grateful for all the hours and months he was there for me.
Then we took Ron Mckee into our fold and became the wild threesome. The hours we fished together were ridiculous; we were three compulsive fishermen that didn’t have enough sense to go to sleep. We just lit a fire under each other.
Hawkeye was so interesting, his personality would flip between that of a helpless child and incredible, brilliant man. We could talk fishing, politics and life in general, ad infinitum.
My ear was always sore when we finally hung up the telephone. He was more like a brother to me than actual my brother.
I’ll never forget the nights we fished Lobsterville when the bluefish blitzed. We released all of them, but one night we decided to keep one to share for food. When we got back to my house and weighed it, it was over 19 pounds. We amazed ourselves that we were releasing bluefish that were over 20 pounds.
He preached the bachelor diet: On the beach it was Little Debbie Fruit Pies, until he discovered Stop and Shop chocolate chip muffins. And he always had a steady beach snack of little packaged crackers.
He insisted on describing how delicious his frozen bluefish fillets tasted night after night through the winter months. I begged him to stop talking about it as I did not find them at all palatable. But every time we talked he ended our conversation by saying: “I had the most delicious frozen bluefish last night.” I would say “Hawkeye, you are so annoying!” I can still hear him saying “I take pride in being your most annoying friend.” He really worked hard to hang on to that title.
And about those beach buggies: I’ll never forget the night that the big bluefish arrived and we planned on meeting up at the rip. As I was driving over the dunes, I saw the smoke. I knew immediately that it was his jeep that smelled of gas. I had tried to get him to pay attention to the fact that his jeep reeked of gas fumes, but he found me annoying.
It was difficult for him to take a passenger in his beach buggies because he had his own method of organization. Some would call it clutter, but he knew exactly where everything was and could get quite upset if anyone moved his stuff.
He couldn’t sneak around with his bail-less Penn 706. The grating sound that carried in the night time gave up his secret spots. You could hear him from North Neck all the way to the gut or a good half mile down the north shore. And how can we ever forget those baggy Greylite waders? With no belt.
I could go on forever with memories of my friend Bob Jacobs. Our trip to Cabo San Lucas, our secret fishing spots, his annoying brotherly behaviors. My brilliant friend could make me laugh until my belly ached and he could bewilder me as I listened to his interpretation of how to catch fish. He was definitely one of a kind. The world as Hawkeye sees it. He leaves a big hole in the fishing community on Martha’s Vineyard.
Thank you to all the Martha’s Vineyard Surfcaster Association members who showed up at his grave and the gathering to show his family how many people he touched. I hope there is a hereafter where his spirit can connect with the big ones that he pursued. He was a one of a kind that can never be replaced.
Janet Messineo is a fisherman, artist and fish taxidermist who lives in Vineyard Haven. Bob (Hawkeye) Jacobs died on May 8 at the age of 68.
Comments
Wonderful commentary, Janet.
Tom West TisburyWonderful commentary, Janet. And let us not forgot two things about Bob. First, he was a software engineer in the early 1970s before most people had ever
heard of software. Second, and what he definitely wouldn't want anyone to forget: in the Derby on two occasions he won the Grand Slam, which is the most difficult part of the contest. Oh yes, and he finished in second place more than once. Only Hawkeye would have been on Anthiers Bridge late on a June night to pull a girl out of the drink. The Derby will not be the same without him.
Yes, Tom. I wrote this for
Janet Messineo-Israel Vineyard HavenYes, Tom. I wrote this for the surfcaster newsletter. It was meant to be a personal tribute. There was a full obit written that talks about all those events that you missed in this writing.
Thanks Janet!
ThorThanks Janet!
THANKS HAWKEYE!
Tight Lines
A most wonderful tribute.
Patricia Cape CodA most wonderful tribute.
Thank you so much for sharing
Sue Palm Harbor, FlThank you so much for sharing your wonderful memories of Bob. You gave us all a beautiful insight into your long relationship with someone who was a integral part of your life. He is beaming from the great beyond.
I was so sadden to read of
Anne West TisbutyI was so sadden to read of Hawk's passing.Mark Lovewell's picture and your stories are exactly how I will always rember him. Thank you.
Nice remembrance, Janet.
Noah HyannisNice remembrance, Janet.
Love yah Hawkeye, See ya on
Justus Conant Conway MALove yah Hawkeye, See ya on the Beach in Vallaha., your Smile has always brought out the best in all of us.
PS. Thanks for many Wonderful days and Nights...
PEACE
A very nice tribute to your
Wayne West TisburyA very nice tribute to your friend and fellow fisherman. Thank you.
Janet, I met you and a friend
Mike Cornelius, NCJanet, I met you and a friend for the first time while I was fly rodding at Lobsterville during last year's Derby. I had read about you for years, and I liked you immediately. I never met Hawkeye, but all I can say is, any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Thanks Hawk.. and thanks Janet.
Thanks for the great article
Lee Martin Franklin, MAThanks for the great article Janet. This is the first I heard of this news. Very sad indeed. Hawk had many friends off-island as well. I was one of the cab drivers from the late 70's when I first met Hawk. Stayed friends for 30+ years. Shared an apartment outside of Boston for awhile and he lived in the basement which we affectionately call the "Hawk Cave". He was truly a man of many sides and a great friend. As I returned later in life to vacation with my family he taught my young son to fish - no doubt looking for a future recruit! Hawk also loved LVB and the volleyball games as well but certainly fishing above all else. I have tried to spread the news to many of Hawks' long lost friends off-island and we are all stunned and saddened. Thank you Janet for writing the great tribute. You captured quite well the man and friend we will all miss. Cheers and Rest in Peace Hawkeye.
Beautiful tributes Lee and
Kathy Tarantola Waltham, MABeautiful tributes Lee and Janet. Lee, I only knew Hawk slightly, and rented his place one fall in the early 80's. I remember him from a few fine gatherings and certainly his name was in many of the epic tales told. Perfect that he taught Dylan to fish. Sorry for your loss.
I read this tribute., Hawkeye
Steve Boyleston Summerdale AlabamaI read this tribute., Hawkeye was definitely well loved and liked by many. I never met him., but feel as though we all have something in common., the experience of living. Many exist and never live., many live and enjoy their surroundings. While I was on the Vineyard I met many interesting people and all have different stories., each a thread of life. We are all lucky to have a chance at living. I sometimes look at the stars at night and think people have been doing this for millions of years., but we all see them differently.. A fisherman like Hawkeye saw beauty and nature in the water., and then his life came to an end., as all of ours will . But to really live is the enjoyment of life and as Hawkeye in the Last of the Mohicans did . RIP Hawkeye
Thank you Janet for sharing
Ginny Coutinho Vineyard HavenThank you Janet for sharing the memories. I knew who Haweye was but didn't know him personally so I loved reading this. You are the best Janet, living life to the fullest, and have the greatest fishing buddies. So good that Hawkeye was there for you after Jack passed on to share the world of fishing adventures. I am so sorry for your loss, and I know you find solace on the beautiful beaches. See you soon I hope.
Janet thanks for the tribute
Brian Foxboro MassJanet thanks for the tribute great to Hawk I just found out yesterday that Hawk had passed and it's sad to know that he is gone. I met Hawk in the 80's through Lee Martin. At the time a whole group of us were traveling to the Vineyard as much as possible to party and have good time and do Vineyard things. Hawk was our Vineyard connection and he was so generous with his time. The gang of us would all pile into his house, some sleeping on the floor and things could get a little crazy, especially after a night at the Lamppost. But Hawk took it all in stride. Hawks' love of the Vineyard was so palpable. His first love was fishing and that is well documented, but so many amazing places on the Vineyard I first saw on a Hawk tour. Seeing Windy Gates, Stonewall, LVB, Chappy, Lobsterville, Menemsha and so many other beautiful spots had a profound influence on me, and I eventually fell in Love with the Vineyard to the point that I moved and lived on the Vineyard for four years.
In those four years I met my beautiful wife Lizanne and was married at the Lamberts Cove Inn. Hawk loved Lizanne as she is a great cook and we would invite Hawk over for dinner parties often to break up the lonely winter months. Any option besides his frozen bluefish filet sounded good to him and he always arrived early and hungry. Hawk never wanted to leave those dinner parties, as much as he could be a loner at times, Hawk loved to be around people and he really enjoyed a dinner party, a poker game, or any other chance to have a good conversation.
Hawk was an original, and will definitely be missed. The fishing community on the Vineyard has lost a man who could read the water with the best of them. Someone who was always looking at the sky, and the waves, trying to figure out what spot was the right one to go fish that night. Hawk lived his life the way he wanted to, and on his own terms in a place that he loved. We should all be so lucky. Rest in Peace Hawk, and know you are remembered and loved by the many people you touched over the years.
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