I made this week’s photo of Danielle Ames last summer by accident while photographing from the East Side. You never know what you might find when not looking.

Danielle has quite a story, I came to discover, as she helped process pogies at Harbor Bait which shares space with Eddie's “Atlantic Edge” and the town pier. I had never witnessed this process and was amazed by what Danielle (who I did not know but asked her permission to photo) had to do to keep up with the flow of pogies spewing out of conveyors and shutes, flying every which way and into blue barrels. It appeared to me to be a herculean task, not to mention, for a woman. I soon realized that Danielle knew her stuff and was extremely capable and experienced.

Danielle started working on boats when she was 13. She grew up in Cushing and attended Georges Valley High School, which she told me has now merged with a larger regional school. Her dad worked on a scalloper in New Bedford, but the Delano family was not a multi generational fishing family. Danielle took to fishing, preferring an active “on-the-water occupation!

At age 18 she began a 10-year stint on a smack boat, 62-foot Eastern rig, Irene Alton. They worked out of Vinalhaven selling bait and buying lobster which was taken to Rockland for shipping. During this stretch of work she was recruited by NatGeo reality TV show “The Raft” where she and an stranger partner were floated on a raft in shark infested waters in the Devil’s Triangle for six days to see how they’d do. Can you imagine?

Harbor Bait is a pretty calm occupation by comparison and Danielle really enjoys the work and the town. However, with one notable challenge. In order to arrive at work by 4 a.m., she must leave home at 2:15 a.m. Fishing life starts early.

Last summer, as seen in accompanying photo, pogies were the catch of the day and they came hard and fast. There were some herring too, but their numbers are limited. Now, Danielle and crew are processing red fish which arrive frozen and boxed. They must be unpacked thawed and salted before storing. Although things are a bit slower this time of year, there is still work to do.

I found it difficult to comprehend how (please forgive my political incorrectness) a woman could do this work. It’s tough stuff and almost completely a male dominated workforce. Danielle has done it for a long time. For the most part her career of work has earned the respect of her peers. All I can say is, “ more power to her.” I couldn't do it.