# Well guys and gals....the time has come to say goodbye



## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

Hummm. I am so sad to see *this moment* fast approaching. 

I have so enjoyed the :fishing: ride. It's been a blast.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, that is heartbreaking. I fished that pier since I was a child back in the 80's and while it never was a big producer, it was one of the best places around during the fall spot run or for catching blues in the spring. And I'm even more conflicted because my initial reaction is to say "Great, more spots ruined by wealthy old people who don't give a damn about the beach."

But here's the thing I have never mentioned on P&S: as some of you P&S long-timers know I was very close with my grandparents, who lived at Chic's Beach. It's why I was always in Tidewater, even though I moved away in the late 90's. My grandfather passed away on my 40th birthday a few years back in Virginia Beach General while I sat with him and held his hand. Last summer, my grandmother finally relented to family pressure and sold her home and put the money into moving to WC. She died this May, and as it was with her husband, I was with her as she passed. She drove me out to that pier a thousand times as a kid, and after she died and the room was silent and after they came in to pronounce time of death I walked out to Lynnhaven Pier. I appreciate that they take care of old people at WC, but to hell with them for wrecking a place that thousands of people who may not have the means to live at the beach can enjoy themselves. All so a few people who won life's lottery can glance out at the water occasionally. It's not right.


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## Fish'n Phil (Nov 11, 2002)

Well said Flea.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

sand flea said:


> At the risk of sounding melodramatic, that is heartbreaking. I fished that pier since I was a child back in the 80's and while it never was a big producer, it was one of the best places around during the fall spot run or for catching blues in the spring. And I'm even more conflicted because my initial reaction is to say "Great, more spots ruined by wealthy old people who don't give a damn about the beach."
> 
> But here's the thing I have never mentioned on P&S: as some of you P&S long-timers know I was very close with my grandparents, who lived at Chic's Beach. It's why I was always in Tidewater, even though I moved away in the late 90's. My grandfather passed away on my 40th birthday a few years back in Virginia Beach General while I sat with him and held his hand. Last summer, my grandmother finally relented to family pressure and sold her home and put the money into moving to WC. She died this May, and as it was with her husband, I was with her as she passed. She drove me out to that pier a thousand times as a kid, and after she died and the room was silent and after they came in to pronounce time of death I walked out to Lynnhaven Pier. I appreciate that they take care of old people at WC, but to hell with them for wrecking a place that thousands of people who may not have the means to live at the beach can enjoy themselves. All so a few people who won life's lottery can glance out at the water occasionally. It's not right.


Wow Matt. You have spoken so often of you grandparents and your visits to the area to spend time with them. I'm sad to hear of their passing. It does leave an empty space in one's heart each and every time someone close to us passes. I can see how this latest news can be like a shot in the gut.

I will miss the pier. This was to be a pier to come back to fish on ...."in a tourist capacity"....for me in the coming years. Guess I can check that off my future "to do" list. 
Seagull Pier will be closing in a few weeks (for the next 5 years), Ocean View Pier is on the "for sale" block, Va Beach Oceanfront Pier may be in for demolish/replace project. 
Possibly 4 piers going away in the immediate area.
That leaves just 3.....Sandbridge Pier, Buckroe Pier, and James River Pier. Hmmmm. Probably will be a lot of folks walking the sands as the most convenient alternative. At least those without limited mobility. 

A gut shot for me hearing about Lynnhaven Pier and the WC deal. Lots of memories. My boys slept on lawn chairs when we did the Friday-Sunday night marathon fishing trips out there. Now my boys are well into adulthood. They have been fishing on and off for many of those adult years....even without mom in tow. Gonna be like losing a part of who a person is where Lynnhaven Pier is concerned. So, so many memories.

Don't think it'll be open for the general public. WC squeezed out the regular folk at the "nearby" condos years back when they out maneuvered the voting process. Definitely don't see any part of Lynnhaven being a "shared with the public" entity in the future.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

The Fish House and Pier Cafe is also going away. Heard a rumor that the property was going to be used as a parking lot. Just rumor.


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## ToeJoe (Oct 6, 2014)

sand flea said:


> At the risk of sounding melodramatic, that is heartbreaking. I fished that pier since I was a child back in the 80's and while it never was a big producer, it was one of the best places around during the fall spot run or for catching blues in the spring. And I'm even more conflicted because my initial reaction is to say "Great, more spots ruined by wealthy old people who don't give a damn about the beach."
> 
> But here's the thing I have never mentioned on P&S: as some of you P&S long-timers know I was very close with my grandparents, who lived at Chic's Beach. It's why I was always in Tidewater, even though I moved away in the late 90's. My grandfather passed away on my 40th birthday a few years back in Virginia Beach General while I sat with him and held his hand. Last summer, my grandmother finally relented to family pressure and sold her home and put the money into moving to WC. She died this May, and as it was with her husband, I was with her as she passed. She drove me out to that pier a thousand times as a kid, and after she died and the room was silent and after they came in to pronounce time of death I walked out to Lynnhaven Pier. I appreciate that they take care of old people at WC, but to hell with them for wrecking a place that thousands of people who may not have the means to live at the beach can enjoy themselves. All so a few people who won life's lottery can glance out at the water occasionally. It's not right.


Very touching words SF. Sorry for your losses. They cannot take those memories away.

We've only been living in this area for about 5 years, but LHP is our favorite spot to fish. We enjoyed "learning" how to fish this area from locals, as well as passing that "learned" info to tourists and newbies. We never got hassled there, and only once did I have to "straighten-out" an over-aggressive AH. We loved going out there with our pier-rat cart, loaded with beer, soda, and subs to spend the entire day. It didn't matter to us if it was drizzling or sunny, if the spot run filled the cooler, or even once in awhile getting skunked! It is a shame that the general public didn't appreciate that pier more. Perhaps it would have made it worthwhile for the owners to keep it and maintain it. I can hardly blame them, though. All you have to is walk the lot and see the crap people who probably weren't even fishing left behind. I remember dirty diapers left in a spot I know there was a vehicle in when we arrived. 

There was just something about that long walk to the head from the T. Damn, I am going to really miss that pier!

Sadly,
Tj


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## wannabeangler (Feb 7, 2009)

Cherish the moments you have and never let go of the ones you had.


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## [email protected] (Jan 28, 2003)

bye.


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## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> bye.


Really??? You do realize this was a year ago.....


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## Fish'n Phil (Nov 11, 2002)

Fished by the pier last weekend. Here is what it looks like now...what’s left of it. Small black drum, pompano and pin fish.


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