A big beige and blue banner hangs over Paul Teall’s booth at the Saturday Fish Market. It promises “Teall Family Seafood,” and that’s what customers get when they visit this stretch of pier between 7 and 11 a.m. A large tank to the left holds live red and brown rock crabs, four big tubs in front display fresh fish, and sometimes here and sometimes there are Parker Teall, 21; August "Auggie" Teall, 11; and, of course, their father, Paul Teall, who never strays too far from the booth’s table.
The younger Tealls are there to work, though Parker points out, “It’s not really work if you enjoy what you’re doing.” Friends stop by, girlfriends stop by, and Mom stops by with Junebug the Pug, who purportedly barks in dog, “I support the fishing industry.”
When a customer stops by, Parker jumps to his feet to answer their questions with comfortable politeness. For Paul, having his kids at the market has been more than just a way to spend time with them and get some extra help — it has also played a huge role in their education. “I always pay the kids for working,” he says. “The kids treat their equipment with respect because they had to earn it.” Auggie, ahead of his peers by at least five years, has almost finished paying off his first vehicle — a one-person skiff with a two-horsepower outboard motor and a fitting moniker, the Chumbucket.