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 When
God made America, He looked into the future and saw
the Cajun people that were to inhabit South Louisiana.
He knew how much we liked to hunt and fish so He blessed
us in a special way. We call it Lagniappe*.
When it comes to fly
fishing in Louisiana for Redfish, the marsh
west of the Mississippi River Delta are second to none.
It is the fertile silt that flows from much of North
America and is spewed into the Gulf of Mexico by the
"Mighty Mississippi River" that sets Louisiana
fly fishing apart from the rest of the country. Once
this precious commodity is released into the Gulf, the
unceasing westerly eddies that flow from the Mississippi
River skillfully places it's treasure right smack dab
in our back yard. It is because of this that our marshes
are so vast and naturally beautiful.
This seemingly unending marsh, is
a virtual nursery that supports the growth and nurture
of these fish from birth to early maturity.  The
waters teem with life, both below and above, and fish
from 4 to 11 pounds are the norm. The isolated and natural
habitant is unique and absolutely gorgeous. If a boat
is seen within a mile of us, I'm ready to move. We go
into the marsh to be alone; if we wanted company we'd
go to New Orleans. :<) The images
that come to mind as I write this article bring peace
to my soul. Being in the marsh is like going back in
time.
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It's my main purpose to put you on top of fish
that have no idea that we are anywhere around. That's
why we get so CLOSE.
The Big Boys are stacking up
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There's
so much to say. So many words needed to even attempt
to describe the beauty and thrill of sight-fishing.
Don't hesitate to e-mail; click
here to send questions or comments.
Truth-be-known, I don't consider myself
a fisherman. When I think of a fisherman, I think of
someone who cast into water that's murky and too deep
to see the bottom. They cast close to points, stumps,
and various underwater structures. Constantly casting
and stripping, casting and stripping, hoping to feel
a strike. I used to fish Bass and at that time I considered
myself a fisherman.
When you think of a fisherman, do images
of a man standing at attention atop the deck of a shallow
draft skiff, ever vigilant and constantly scanning the
waters come to mine? Does a fisherman's eyes and reflexes
mean so much to his success? Do fishermen diligently
look for the slightest disturbance or the smallest flick
of a tail or fin? Are most fishermen so sensitive that
they can feel the radiation of the sun on their back
before the actual rays can be seen?
I think of myself as a stalker;
a hunter. When I push my skiff through the shallow
waters I'm sensitive to the possible disturbance caused
by tiny drops of water that might fall from the end
of my pole. Just the slightest disturbance of a fly
hitting the water can change the entire demeanor of
a fish. It's my main purpose to put you on top of fish
that have no idea that we are anywhere around. That's
why we get so CLOSE.
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Envision yourself standing on the deck, rod and line
in hand, poised for action.
"There he is
he's comin', he's comin'
Do you see him?"
OK
Cast
Cast
Click this to hear
for yourself.
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Under
favorable conditions, you can expect to cast only to
fish that are previously spotted. And even at that,
some people get sore casting arms.
An exercise to increase
anticipation and excitement;
 As
you lay in bed the night before your trip (hopefully,
you're already excited and can't get to sleep) begin
to envision tomorrow's events. Try to image seeing as
many Redfish as you possibly can and then double
that amount. Envision yourself standing on
the deck, rod and line in hand, poised for action. Quietly
sliding through the lush marsh in a custom skiff that
the captain designed and built just for this moment.
See the Redfish crawling through the shallowest of water
with their bellies shimmying through the mud and their
backs in the air. Their tails are slowly and methodically
wagging through the water as they forage for food. Imagine
looking up and over to a very small quiet pond and spotting
a large tail pointing towards the beautiful early morning
orange sky. The water that drips form it's dark red
tail that is crowned with an electric blue hue, glistens
like diamonds. From the tower, with a whisper I communicate
what's about to happen. I ask, "do you see him,
do you know which way he is pointing"? You crouch
down and tense up, prepared to cast. You sense the excitement
from the sound of my voice. Calming you down I whisper,
"not yet, not yet". All the while the skiff
is being quietly poled closer and closer. Finally all
is perfect and the cast is made. "Strip, Strip,
Strip, OK he sees it; he's comin', he's comin', he's
got it, Hit em', Hit em', Hit em'…"
Whoa, I don't know if you've got it,
but I sure have the goose bumps. AND as much as I've
fished that never gets old.
Flyfishing
in Louisiana is an experience you'll not
soon forget. |
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 God's
best to you and your family,
Capt. Dan Ayo
Shallow Minded Guide Service
"the days spent fishing end ever so quickly,
though the memories keep surfacing throughout
our lives"
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"Whooo Wheee…,
Yawl come and
we'll pass a good time cha' — Le Bon
Temps Roulé *"
* Lagniappe
(pronounced "lon yap") – it means getting a little something
extra.
* Memories
that endure a lifetime – My wife is unable to understand
how I can forget what happened 10 minutes ago, but I
can remember with vivid detail how so-and-so caught
such-and-such a fish at-that-exact oyster shell 13 years
ago. :<)
* Le
Bon Temps Roulé (pronounced lay bon ton rulay)
– This is the "unofficial" motto of Cajun
Louisiana. It means "let the good times roll…"
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