As Morski writes on the 26th of October, 2020, passionate young fisherman Ivo Radulic still goes to kindergarten. Despite this, he has already fished all kinds of marine life out of the sea in his short but rich fishing career. He's even caught things some much older anglers wouldn't be ashamed of. Rivanj's youngest fisherman is only six years old, and his love for the sea knows no bounds.
Six year old Ivo Radulic, who is always after something from the deep, has become a real sensation on social media. Aside from being Rivanj's cutest fisherman, the truly sensational thing is actually that little Ivo is a passionate fisherman with plenty of experience under his belt. He was out catching fish before he could even pronounce the word, and he learned everything he knows traditionally, from his father Mate and his grandfather Ivo, after whom he is named. The story of Rivanj's youngest fisherman was told by HRT.
Ivo Radulic's grandfather, after whom six-year-old Ivo was named, enjoys adventures around the island of Rivanj with his keenly interested grandson every weekend and throughout the summer. Ivo junior's childhood is imbued with nature and the sea, so every free moment when he is not in kindergarten in town, is spent on Rivanj.
''As soon as he started coming to Rivanj, he immediately fell in love with boats and the sea and fish. He goes to the sea with his grandfather and father every weekend and a great love for it has been created. He likes to be in Rivanj more than anywhere else, so he counts the days every week until the weekend. Every day he asks how many more days there are until the weekend. He can't wait to come here,'' said the boy's mother, Ivana Radulic.
Ivo's mother and father are from Rivanj, and it was precisely them who passed the love that this six-year-old has for this region today down to him. His games in Rivanj are a bit different from those he plays in town with his peers and friends from kindergarten. When Ivo is on the island, he's totally "in his own field".
Nothing special needs to be explained to this child about the sea. He already knows everything that is done at sea - from boats, through hooking the hook to throwing the line. Fishing is his game, and the interest doesn’t stop for what he loves, as he has already learned all about fish and catching them.
''The colourful Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Croatian: knez) is a girl, and the black one is a body,'' explained Rivanj's youngest fisherman, Ivo. His grandfather, Ivo senior, is more than happy that his grandson loves the sea as much as he does.
Less than fifteen inhabitants live permanently on Rivanj. As with many other islands, people have moved to the cities and towns and return mostly during the summer. However, Ivo is the only child who comes to Rivanj throughout winter. The time he spends here with his parents is always active, and he is always at sea. For Ivo and his father, this is the most beautiful way to spend their free time together.
''He was always watching everything that we were doing. He fell in love with the sea and just wanted to try everything. We let him do it himself. It’s all through some play and fun. When I give him a choice whether to go to football, fishing or something else, he usually chooses fishing,'' Ivo's dad told HRT.
He emphasised that it means a lot to him to spend time with his son, because both of them love it. Little Ivo still doesn't know if fishing will be his life's calling or just a hobby, but it is certain that precious moments from this kind of childhood are priceless. Growing up in coexistence with the sea with the support of his family with a hobby he enjoys more than anything will leave an indelible mark on the playful and curious six-year-old fisherman of Rivanj.
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