Ryan Lowe is a serious, pragmatic young man.
He is also a fisherman, having grown up fishing with his father and grandfather in the mountain town of Bishop, California.
The resident of College Park East, is a sophomore at Saddleback Christian Academy and is an assistant senior patrol leader for Boy Scout Troop 1673 here in Seal Beach.
Ryan’s passion for fishing and marine biology led him to choose the research and construction of a large interpretive information board entitled “Fish Living in the Local Waters of Seal Beach” for his Eagle Scout Project.
The sign has been placed at the back of the Tide Chart in front of the Lifeguard Department on the north side of the pier, facing the north parking lot.
This allows the public and fishermen to view it as they park and walk towards the pier.
The board contains the names and color illustrations of 21 local fish, along with range of size, legal catch requirements, how far offshore they can be found, physical characteristics, and a fun fact about each fish.
It contains recommendations for fishermen and Seal Beach Municipal Codes to prevent people from catching fish illegally.
Under Ryan’s supervision, scouts from Troop 1673 and other friends took on the task of researching and providing information for each fish and to help construct the frame of the board.
Ryan worked closely with Marine Safety Chief Joe Bailey on frame design, mounting and other details.
Chief Bailey oversaw the process and helped Ryan immeasurably as he moved through the design, construction and installation phases of the project.
“The All-American Sign Company in Los Alamitos was generous in allowing me to actually design and create the interpretive board in its entirety,” Ryan said.
He also worked with local college professors, Dr. Christopher Lowe (California State University Long Beach) and Dr. Larry Allen (CSU Northridge). Capt. Mark Wisch, a local fishing expert and Todd Chapman, an aquatic resources manager, were instrumental in supporting this project, which took over 200 combined hours to complete.
Ryan’s love of fishing began at a young age, trout fishing with his father and grandfather at the Lowe family retreat in Bishop.
It is something he treasures to this day.
“I enjoy scouting too and have made a lot of friends, having started in Cub Scouts very early; at six or seven,” he said.
Ryan also plays the piano and is an attorney and bailiff for Saddleback Academy’s Mock Trial Team.
Ryan is the son of Todd and Andrea Lowe and has a sister, Kaitlin age 13 and a younger brother, Sean age 10. His mother was raised in Seal Beach from the age of seven.
Ryan’s proud grandparents here are Ted and Iris Kienitz.
