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Redfish in Golden Meadow	30 May 2001
My dad and I fished the public launch in Golden Meadow for a half day from my canoe. The wind was steady at 10mph at daybreak and soon increased to 15. The water was off color and I beieve the grass beds are getting smaller ( which is contributing to the murk ). We saw feeding fish for about an hour and caught two on spoon and flexo crab. After 7am we saw almost no fish movement and managed to hook only two others. We bumped fish sulking in the grass or on the bank all morning but could not see them for sight fishing. Patient blind casting might have worked because the fish were there.
Rhad Hayden	golden meadow
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Highway 51 Canals Report	30 May 2001
Took young Master Jacob and his buddy Josh out to Hwy 51 Canal Memorial Day from 5pm to 8pm, fished from canoe. Lots of small bass and bream were caught, including a few big bream. Josh hooked one alligator (thought he was casting near a log). Signs of the drought and possible brackish intrusion everywhere. Sign #1: Water is low and surrounding marsh is dry ground. Sign #2: Aquatic grass is sparse. Sign #3: barnacles and clams cover every log, every branch in the water. BEST SIGN? We saw a redfish up against the bank - spot tail and all. Josh tried to catch him, but spooked him instead. Despite the clear water, popping bugs were not as effective as black/chartreuse jitterbees size 10. With brackish water creeping up in the canals, it's a sure bet the specks are in Lake Maurepas. If only the wind will subside!
Catch Cormier	Ruddock
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Fishing while at Conclave in Gulf Shores	22 May 2001
Fished Sunday in Perdido Gulf Island Seashore Park. caught nine Specks by 8:30 am only two were 12" rest were 1-2 lbs. Water clear hip deep in grass beds. Used Pink Charlie # 4.
del Rio	Baton Rouge
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questions	22 May 2001
Hi, new to your website, but find it interesting and informative. Although I am not a true 'puddler' per se, I am a small boat type. 13'Gheenoe. I'm looking for a good trout spot around the Rigolets/Chef Menteur area. Does anyone have any info that they might share? I'm not looking for your favorite hot spots, just tell me places where it is safe to put my boat in, without dangerous waters for small craft. thanx.
john
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The big specks are in	13 May 2001
Left Saturday at 3:30 am from C-way Marina and caught limit quality specks smallest was 21 inches and reds that were in the 20-24 inch range until wind kicked up at 2:00pm. First stop was secret reef(I WILL NOT DISCLOSE THIS PLACE WE FOUND IT THREE YEARS AGO)in Barataria Bay at 4:15 am before tide came in, the reefs is real close to Grand Isle(the reef in that area that goes from 5ft and is 2ft deep). Caught quality specks every cast seemed like on fly rod and casting tackle used charturse white clouser, be honest the specks seemed to hit anything. Once tide came in real fast they shut down about 7:30 am, and we moved to the platforms in Barataria Bay where the fish were feeding like hogs at supper time under the platforms and caught rat reds and sheephead, but real nice specks. The trick was to just get it under the platform to where they were and do not get hung up getting them out( roll cast works better than flipping bettles especially with three people in the boat). Went to Manilla on the way back and hit few specks, and rat reds on the way back. When the wind started kicking up about 2:00 we left.
James Schexnaider	Lafitte/BaratariaBay/Grand Isle
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Marsh Reds	11 May 2001
I fished a half day Tues morning with Capt. Leland Ledet out of Houma. Fishing was very good with tailing reds until the wind picked up about 10am. Quit at 11am with 14 boated. All but one was sight casting. I spent the night in Golden Meadow and fished the public launch in my kayak the next morning. The Black Drum were tailing when I arrived but I could not catch them. They were very spooky. I missed two strikes on a small brown clouser. I paddled to a new spot and caught two reds site casting with gold spoonflies. I missed two others before the wind really started to blow. I quit at 11am but should have quit at 10.
Rhad Hayden
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False River	11 May 2001
My father in law and I fished False River this morning. We fished near a drainout bayou near mid river on the New Roads side of the lake. We caught about 20 nice bream before the wind picked up and the action slowed. These were keeper bream caught in about 4 feet of water on the bottom. Best fly was a black and orange Jitter Bee fished slow with no indicator. Also caught some on a white fluff butt after the wind murked up the water.
Rhad Hayden
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False River Gobbules	09 May 2001
False River is stuffed with small bream right now. Finding the big ones - 3/4 pound for this oxbow - takes searching. The water has clarity to 2 feet, so in many cases you can spot schools working near piers and grass. Water this clear makes them tough to catch - except on FLY ROD. Yesterday afternoon was typical, with about a hundred fish caught, but only 14 keepers. Poppers don't work as well here as they do elsewhere in south LA, you'll need beadhead flies and micro jigs 1/80 or 1/100 ounce. Dark colors are also a must for the late afternoon fishing I've been doing, but shiny flies should work well in the middle of the day. If you don't have a boat, try the public seawall in New Roads, or Bonaventures ($2 fee) on the south end.
Catch
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Highway 51 Canals	06 May 2001
Master Jake and I made a late p.m. trip today to the section 2 miles from LaPlace. The water is black and kind of dead (we need rain!), but we did manage 2 bass and a wide variety of bream, all of which were released. Accardo's poppers were the ticket for bream, the Tom Nixon Spinner was the top bass fly.
Catch Cormier	LaPlace
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Local ponds	05 May 2001
Another good fishing morning. Last Sunday AM landed about 4, 1.5 to 2# bass the fifth was 19" about 4#. Used large yellow Flip Flop Popper. Today landed about 12 bass none over 1.5 #. Used same popper. Fished daylight to 7:30 AM,8 weight rod/line.
del Rio	Baton Rouge
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Even More Gobbules!!!!	03 May 2001
We ain't finished yet... Wednesday late the gobbules were working the shorelines off Bayou Choctaw. Accardo's popping bugs size 10 in colors either white or chartreuse preferred. Most of the fish were small, but this water has more of a reputation for catfish and sacalait than bream.
Catch Cormier	Bayou Choctaw
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More Gobbules...	03 May 2001
Tuesday after work fished the bank from Bonaventures at False River. Water is clear - visibility 3 feet - making it very difficult on bait chunkers. Further, the small gobbules are out here by the zillions. It takes real angling skill to attract the big ones without getting hooked up with the little guys. The secret I found was using a black sowbug or nymph size 16 or smaller, sneaking it to the bottom, then pulling it up oh so slow. The bigger gobbules are on the bottom, and if it's small and black (hard to see) they seem to hit instead of swipe at it. Caught about 100 fish in two hours, but only 8 met the "Leonpacher Limit" minimum size 7 inches.
Catch Cormier	False River
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Return of the Gobbules!	03 May 2001
My first logon to the web in over a week... got lots more fishing stories. Sunday pm, Randy "Release" Leonpacher and I headed to Bayou Corne to tackle the brimskies. Lots of fishermen, perhaps because the reports were out about great bream fishing. Too much wind and boat traffic made things tough. "Catch" and "Release" caught and released everything under our 7 inch size limit, so for hours on Bayou Alcide we had fun with dozens of small gobbules in the mats of grass using popping bugs. An hour before sunset, the boats and wind departed, and we started kicking butt on big gobbules using a size 10 Peterson Fluff Butt under a VOSI. Took home 24 fish, 18 were caught between 6 and 7:30 pm. This is a beautiful area to fish, and worth the trip even if you just catch the small ones.
Catch Cormier	Bayou Corne
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Last weekend's "After Dark" trip	03 May 2001
Last Friday night's "Grand Isle After Dark" trip turned into a Saturday morning puddler outing, as the winds along with strong tides turned Caminada Bay into chocolate milk. A few specks were caught on clousers, but not worth the effort. At least fly anglers fared better than their "commie" counterparts. On Saturday, Mike LaFleur, Brad Darrow and his son Ryan, and I fished the FAA hole for reds and did very good early on poppers and pink charlies. Steve Lee hit Elmer's and caught two big reds wade fishing the backside. By 10 am, the wind was howling (20 knots according to the buoy), so we headed inland to the supposedly protected canals and ponds of Golden Meadow. Mike did great on reds in the upper canals, while Steve and I worked lots of drum and some reds in the grassy ponds. Steve came a speck short of the Golden Meadow Grand Slam (drum, red, sheepshead, trout). The red was his biggest ever at 28.5 inches, and went deep into his backing. A fine fishing day, despite that %$#* wind!
Catch Cormier	Grand Isle / Golden Meadow
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The Wind	03 May 2001
Fished the marsh out of myrtle grove 5/2/01 saw lots of spooky fish. only landed one the wind was unreal. Lots of grass in all the ponds need to start tying weed gards again. Lets hope the wind lays down.
Tim Aid	Myrtle Grove
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Any reports from Grand Isle?	30 April 2001
I might be going to Elmers Island or FAA gates this weekend and any info would be of help. Tombo
Tombo	Baton Rouge
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Little Mo	25 April 2001
I also fished the Little Mo a couple of days last week. The water was low and slow but the dry fly fishing was very good. The fishing was at its best in the morning and evening. I caught small rainbows steadily on March Brown emergers in the evening and cream midge emergers in the morning from Riverside cabins to the dam. Elk hair caddis worked well throughout the river during the day. Also had some good action on a Green River cicada until I lost the only one I had.
Rhad Hayden
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Take A Kid Fishing Week!	23 April 2001
School was out the week after Easter, so my 14 year old fishing sensation, "Master Jake", and I fished our way up I-49 to Murfreesboro, AR and later Mountain Home, AR. Before getting into the mountains (and trout), we managed to bank fish several lakes with various success. Lakes Kincaid, Cotile, Valentine, Rodemacher, and Dubisson were a bit slow for bream and bass, but we did manage a few large redears on size 10 jitterbees. The only time the wind was calm during our trip was one afternoon at Cane River Lake in Natchitoches where the gobbules went absolutely berzerk on popping bugs. It was almost every cast from 5 pm to 8 pm. Up at the Little Mo in Murfreesboro, fishing at Low Water Bridge and the Dam Park was excellent. Caddis size 14 and olive woolybuggers size 12 caught lots of fish, but the trout were most active hitting caterpillars falling from trees. The Master and I tied on each Accardo Miss Prissy (popping bugs) and the trout went nuts! It was the most spectacular hits (and misses) I've ever seen. Up at Mountain Home, we were disappointed to find they had removed the logjams at Dry Run Creek. These created the pooling areas the big trout liked, and as a result, there were only a handful (which the Master promptly educated about flies). The Norfork was as low as we've ever seen it. Dale at Fulton's Fly Shop recommended a size 20 black midge, which we found to be the only effective pattern in two days of fishing. On the last day, they finally turned on the generators, and we turned back to warmwater species at Salem City Park Lake, where we caught over 20 bass each (all small) and several monster bluegill and redear. Although it was just as windy in Arkansas as it was in south Louisiana (20-25 knots), the rivers are well sheltered from the wind. Oh, one last detail ... we tried the White River between Calico Rock and Mountain View and did quite well. This is BIG river area, not as idyllic fly water as further up near Rim Shoals or Wildcat, but certainly fly fishable and it does hold BIG fish.
Catch Cormier	North Louisiana-Arkansas
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Reds Along Hwy 1	20 April 2001
After looking at the coastal forecast and the wind forecast, I concluded that Thursday morning would be the best day out of the next several to haed to Grand Isle. Did I call it right. I arrived at the FAA Gate just after 6am. The water was like glass. Using a top water green Gurgler, I picked up 5 reds within 100 to 200 yards of the highway. The wind picked up a little, so I switched to a chartreuse Charlie. The water was a little muddy from the 20+ knot winds of the last few days and they can see chartreuse better than pink. It was fabulous. 21 reds for the day. They were all over the place. I tied the Charlie on the new Mustad Signature circle streamer hook (C71S SS), size 2, to see how the circle hook works if it is inverted. It works great, after I pulled the hook out of 4 or 5 mouths. You have to learn to let them hook themselves.
Mike LaFleur	Baton Rouge
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CATERPILLAR ALERT!	14 April 2001
Attention all gobbule fishermen! Caterpillars are falling off trees big time across south Louisiana. Yesterday and this morning caught and released over 300 bream and a few bass using Accardo Poppers. Fished various bayous between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The 'pillars were falling in my canoe! GO NOW.. Don't even finish reading this... GO NOW. This is the warmwater fly angler's version of the Stonefly hatch. I SAID GO FLY FISHING NOW!
Catch	south Louisiana
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RSFF Lake Concordia Trip	13 April 2001
Last weekend, the Red Stick Fly Fishers made their annual pilgrimage to the Great Gobbule Waters of Lake Concordia. A good time was had by all, and one of our newest members - Mack - cooked us up breakfast and a fried fish dinner. Of course the fish was supplied by the anglers. Despite gusty winds and a full moon, everyone caught some fish and some anglers did very well with bluegill and redears. Their secret? Popping bugs from first light to 8 am, followed by a jitterbee fished 2 feet under a VOSI (strike indicator). The jitterbee / VOSI combo had to be fished S..L..O..W, a twitch of the VOSI often resulted in a slight twitch from the fish. You might've expected these nibbles to come from a small gobbule, but when your 3 or 4 weight bent in half, you knew it was a big fella!
Catch Cormier	Vidalia
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Hwy 1 Puddler trip	03 April 2001
Saturday, March 31, Master Jake and I joined Mike LaFleur at the FAA Gate. Light wind, sometimes no wind - much to the gnats delight. Mike arrived at first light to tails and backs everywhere, and started catching reds immediately. Jake and I arrived at 8 am, and Jake spotted the reds "backing" right off the side of the road. Until about 11 am, both Mike and us saw lots of fish. Mike caught 10, Jake caught 8, I caught 4, but mine were all on poppers. Most of the reds were 20-23 inches, Jake caught a 26 incher and also a 5.4 lb sheepshead. LaFleur mentioned using the pink charlie, we had our luck with gold spoon fly. Although the tide was high up in the grass after midday, the fish never made it in, and things got really slow. So we headed to town grab a bite to eat, and noticed lots of anglers on the old car bridge. They were catching bull drum - some up to 30 pounds. Like they say, there's always something happening at Grand Isle.
Catch	Grand Isle
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Norfork River	27 March 2001
Dave McDougall, Steve Lee, Chris Barton and I did some REAL trout fishing last week. Generators cooperated and fished McClellan's exclusively on Thursday and Friday. Came home on Saturday as the temerature was 42 degrees with a stiff north wind. Fishing was hard but we all managed to land some nice rainbows, cuts, brookies and browns. Good cigars, great company, okay food and good fishing. What more do you need!
Jody Titone	North Arkansas
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Hwy. # 1 Pits	26 March 2001
Saturday M. LaFleur,Jack Dial, myself had little luck @ TPH and FAA gate. No specks, Reds were spooky,would look at popper then run hard when I popped it. But I left a Pink Charlie on leader an next day fished a pond near home, landed 6 Bass lost 2 at bank. The Charlie had pink body with white wing. Mike said he caught two nice Reds on Friday @ FAA gate.
Roger del Rio	B.R.
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Hopedale	24 March 2001
Jim Coe and I took our 'puddler' boats down to Breton Sound Marina yesterday.Weather was terrific.People at the marina were very nice to our tiny craft. Had to launch from the backdown ramp. Not too easy mounting and dismounting from your boat with the steep ramp.Good thing it was a friday and traffic was light. Fished some ponds very near the launch. Followed a bayou to a larger pond were there were a few redfish chasing bait near the shoreline. Fish would not stay put,so very difficult to cast to the fish. Only managed one very strong five pound red and a fat spec. Water level came up 8-10" during day. Prospects look good for other trips,as most boat traffic heads down Mr.Go. Drop me an email if you want more details as where to turn off the canals,etc.
Don Bolstad	Slidell
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Worked hard for them.	24 March 2001
I just could not stand it anymore, I had to get out there and try anything; fishing fever had me: hooked deep!!! I spent the morning (8-12) in the Brec Park North of Zachary and caught 5 sunfish; only two were keepers. The long pond had the three small ones. I caught the two keepers in the small pond. Then I went to Greenwood (12-2) where the water was dirty and the only fisherman I met had caught one fair saccalait. No one else had anything. No bites for me either. I went back to the Brec park in Zachary for casting practice and ended up catching a 1-1/2 lb bass around 4:30; again, the little pond. All the sunfish were cauth on Hester's Fluff Butt and the bass hit a H&H Bayou Bug #10 white body with red eyes from Walmart. Oh. We just ate them too! That was great medicine for my fishing fever. Impressions: topwater action began waking up in the evening, it was quiet this morning and plain dead in the middle of the day.
Ken Timmreck	Brec Park North of Zachary & Greenwood in Baker
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First Major Gobbule Action!	19 March 2001
With all the high and muddy water, Master Jake and I played a safe bet Sunday afternoon and took the "Red Sticker" canoe over to Highway 51 canals. From 2 pm to 5 pm, the only action was within 100 feet of culverts, where there was moving water. Caught 3 small bass, a dozen gobbules (aka, sunfish) on Accardo Miss Prissy sizes 8 and 10. Pulled out and tried another area closer to LaPlace. I don't think it was the new location, as much as the wind went dead calm. Suddenly the main canal - which hadn't produced a single fish in the previous 3 hours - gave nonstop action. Until dark (when the mosquitos told us it was time to go), we caught and released over 60 fish, including a 2 1/2 lb bass. Incidently, water temp is 64 degrees and bankside willows are just budding. Which means it only gets better!
Catch Cormier	Ruddock, LA
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Bass at Bayou Sorrel	19 March 2001
After false starts at the Tchefuncte at Fairview Riverside, and the Natalbany at Springfield (too windy and too muddy), I hot-footed it back to Plaquemine and fished Bayou Sorrel late yesterday afternoon. Lots more water and pleny of cover for the Bigmouth Boys - still clear, despite the rain we've been having, perfect for kayak (saw only two motorboats), and the bass are biting poppin' flys. Beautiful out there after about 4:00 when the wind stopped and the water lay down like glass. Just one thing - watch for gators. I didn't see any yesterday, but I've seen plenty out there. (I don't mind if I see them before they see me; I just don't like to discover I'm being watched by a big one. Makes me think they're trying to figure out whether to eat me now or save me for later.)
Joe Kahler	Home
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Herman Solars Class in New Orleans on how to catch reds and specks	18 March 2001
I am not trying to plug anything I just wanted to tell my club members and any other person how Hermans Solars class will help you figure out tides. My friend and I went yesterday and it was $50 dollars each. This guy teaches you how to read tides how tides are different on each side of the river, how to factor in wind, add 1 hour to tide tables for day light savings time in the winter, and just so many different factors it would really blow your mind, unless you know these things. Also gives reference to a book ISBN 0071364617 that has the main information he uses to estimate good trips. He says he is trying to also finish a book on this stuff. He even lets you tape the session on tape to keep, so you do not have to go back to his class. My friend went to the east side of the river today and the tides and water was exactly what he said and called me on his cell phone to say it works down to exact tide movements of 2 hours before the peak tide. I just wanted to share where to get this information to my club members, so it may help on your trips.
James Schexnaider
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Pond Fete	12 March 2001
Not being able to obtain a kitchen pass and join fellow Red Stickers at False River Saturday, I did the next best thing: snuck out for a couple of hours to a nearby pond. Only minutes from the house, it's my favorite spot for shaking off cabin fever, practice casting and yes, catch fish. Landed seven small bass in the 8-10" range, one that went over 12" (Alright, not much over 12") and a couple of huge bream. All were caught on an olive wooly bugger in shallow water 2-3 feet from the bank. I was having to much fun with the little fellows to go deeper in search of bigger fish, although I know they are there. The fishing was often interrupted by a pair of golden retrievers chasing mallards around the ponds. By the way, the ponds are guarded by two nasty Rotweillers that only take commands in Spanish.
Felipe Martinez	Plaquemine, La.
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Another World Record Trash Fish?	11 March 2001
The Red Stick F/F club had their annual "Bonne Fete" outing to False River this Saturday. Things didn't look good early. Water was 60 degrees, still too cold. Further, a cold front - 38 degrees and a NE breeze - didn't help. But the sun was out, the wind switched to the south, and by mid afternoon it was 64 and calm. ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC DAY TO BE FISHING! Although things were slow, there was enough action to keep Mike LaFleur, John Landry, Jody Titone, and Randy Leonpacher happy. Best fishing was actually off the seawalls and in the middle of the river. The ends of the lake and Bayou Rougon still muddy from the big rains last weekend. As for Yours Truly, I managed to catch a REALLY BIG FISH on my new 7'6" 3 weight. While fishing the upper end of Bayou Rougon, I thought I'd snagged a limb. Then the "limb" moved, and at first glimpse the fish looked like a goo. After 20 minutes, and several big runs, the fish emerged and John netted him. It was a COMMON CARP..aka, Kentucky Bonefish. At first, it looked like another IGFA Trash Fish Record for the By-Catch. But fortunately, it fell 2 lbs shy (Believe it or not..carp are popular species among some fly anglers). For sure, it's a state record blemish... uh, I mean record. We're all looking forward to warm weather and the return of the Gobbules!
Catch	False River
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2/26 - FAA gate and Laurier marsh	26 February 2001
Finally, we went somewhere where those pesky bass can't find us... the marsh along Highway 1. Got a late start, too late in fact - arrived at 11 am. The FAA hole was fairly calm. Soon after launching, the Master spotted a school of rat reds, and got into them heavy with gold spoon fly. Around 1 pm, the 5-to-10 knot winds went 15 and from the east (bad for these ponds). The chop made sight-casting very difficult, and even moved the fish away from the shore. We encountered two fellow puddlers (fly fishing from their canoe) and like us, they'd caught about 8 reds under 20 inches. We moved just down the road, but with little success except that Master Jake did catch and land a 23 inch red and a sheepshead on spoon fly. Not a great day, but it only gets better!
Catch	Grand Isle
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2/25 pm - Black Lake and Highway 51	26 February 2001
In our continuing quest to find sacalait (all we seem to catch is BASS), the Master and I went to Black Lake near Denson, one of my sure-fine late February crappie holes. Except that the water had risen two feet in the last 48 hours. NO CRAPPIE, NO BRIM, but did catch 2 bass. With just over 2 hours left until sunset, we pulled out and headed to Hwy 51 canal north of Jones Pass. I fished jitterbees, fluff butts, poppers, San Juan Worms, but no brim. Where are the brim? The Master continued his use of fly rod with 4 inch plastic worm, and wouldn't you know it... he caught MORE BASS. ARRRGGGHHHH!
Catch	south of Hammond
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2/24 pm - Bayou Rougon	26 February 2001
Jakester and I headed to the south end of False River, to fish Bayou Rougon. Launched the canoe at the pipeline access 6 miles east of the lake. Jake caught a few bluegill, 1 catfish, and 5 bass.
Catch	Rougon
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2/24 am - LSU Lakes	26 February 2001
Master Jake and I began our weekend fishing extravaganza at City Park Lake, where the Jakester caught 4 bass before strong winds pushed the fish off the beds.
Catch	University Lakes
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Bass Are On The Beds!	22 February 2001
...and just like that, IT'S SPRING! At least the bass in south Louisiana think so. Caught 7 Tuesday afternoon, three of them over 3 lbs, and 3 Wednesday night. All fish were released, as they're getting the beds ready for a little honeymoon action. Best flies have been a size 8 Woolybugger, Black/chartreuse Fluff Butt size 10, and a 4" plastic worm (no weight). Yes... as Jack Ellis says, you CAN fish worms on fly rod. (To paraphrase Danny Ayo, "Why Be Purist?") These flies can be fished ultra slow, teasing old Mr. Bucketmouth without getting hung up. Speaking of hungup... on one particular cast my leader got caught on a low lying branch, and the fly was left dangling an inch above the water. I kept wiggling it, hoping it would free itself. Then I saw this commotion underneath my fly. As I approached the hangup, I noticed the "commotion" was a bass! He was trying to attack my fly out of the water. Unfortunately, he didn't succeed. I certainly gave him enough chances though!
Catch Cormier	south Louisiana
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Telephone Pole Hole	20 February 2001
Even with the recent warm weather, there are still plenty of fish in the Hole. I was on fish from first light till late afternoon. All of the specs were over 12" but none of the reds were over 16". Most of the specs were 14" - 16" with a dozen in the 19" - 21" range (my keepers). They were in the deep and shallow areas but on the bottom. The intermediate sinking line came in real handy. The winter low tides kept me from trying to launch on the north side of the highway. There was not enough water until late in the afternoon, but by then it was time to drive home.
Mike LaFleur	Baton Rouge
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Lil Mo 16-19 Feb 2001	20 February 2001
We Went, We Saw, We Caught!!!!!!!!
Walt and Marc	Bay St Louis, MS
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Gars On The Fly	19 February 2001
Bayou Savage National Refuge in Eastern New Orleans Parish is a great spot for puddlers looking for early spring bass and redear action. There's also a brackish section to the Refuge as well. Master Jake and I went out Sunday afternoon looking for bass in the grassy ponds. We didn't find grass, or bass, but on one weedy shoreline, for about 100 yards, we found spotted gars lying up next to the surface. If your pencil popper was cast right up against the weeds, and popped one time, the gar would react with a subtle strike. The resulting fight was anything but subtle, with lots of leaps and thrashing, and even a few drag-burning runs. After 3 hours of this action, we called it a day. The sun was setting, the wind was dead calm. As we drove along the brackish ponds, Jake spotted a wake. We stopped to observe a black drum. Hard to believe but true... there are many fly anglers who'd rather catch one drum, even if it was using shrimp, than catch a bunch of gars on poppers!
Catch	Bayou Savage
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Search For Sacalait - Part Deux	13 February 2001
This past weekend, took the canoe to Big Spring near Marksville looking for sacalaitors. A "sacalaitor" is a cross between a sacalait and an alligator. It takes only 3 of these fish to make a dozen. Well... I caught just one small un. Problems: 39 degrees, brisk north wind. On the way back, got gas at a One-Stop along Highway 15, along with a fishing report. Turns out Bayou Cocodrie has been hot for sacalait in the early mornings on mild weather days. Right now, shiners are all that's working (why doesn't that surprise me?). I will continue my noble quest...
Catch	Lower Red River Delta
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The Search For Sacalait	05 February 2001
Sunday I took the "Red Sticker", my canoe, along with my trusty five weight rod and a handful of fluff butts, and went down a few roads looking for sacalait. First stop Bayou Conway. Water low and dirty. Next stop Highway 61 canal north of Blind River. No sacalait here. Spoke to two bass fishermen - one caught two, the other none. Next stop Grand Bayou south of Chackbay. Water low and dirty. One fishermen coming in had six sacalait, but said they'd stopped biting. He was right. Next stop - Black Bayou west of Mandalay. I always catch lots of gobbules here, have never caught a sacalait. Well...the streak continues. Final stop - Donner Canal east of Gipson. Great looking water, but no sacalait. Final tally: ZERO SACALAIT! Oh well, my mama always said there'd be days like this. My prognosis: fair skies(?), low water everywhere.. about 2 feet below normal and stagnant. We could use about a foot of rain! Next weekend the search will continue...
Catch	Down On The Bayou
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Black Lake trip	03 February 2001
Went out late this afternoon to Black Lake to fish for sacalait. Left the fluff butts at home, so I had to use a white beadhead wooly bugger. As it turns out, that wasn't so bad. The brim hit it good, and so did a couple of bass. But I had to fish it S..L..O..W under a strike indicator. Water temperature was still 52 degrees. Incidently.. no sacalait.
Catch	Denson
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Puddler Hotspots Along the Coast	29 January 2001
Brad, with regards to your question about where one can cast to tailing reds and drum from a canoe/kayak: Mike LaFleur has a great map of spots between Fourchon and Grand Isle. Send him a note at LafleurMF@aol.com. I think he's got a GIF image he can email you. The folks who fly fish from canoes and kayaks call themselves "Puddlers". You can also get info from the LFF Puddlers Forum. Seems like the Puddlers in SE Louisiana have been concentrating their efforts in the past 8 months on that small section of marsh between Grand Isle and Fourchon. While I give it a 10 out of 10 rating for saltwater puddling, there are easily a hundred other locations along the LA coast that rate a 7 or better. Get a DeLorme topo map book and anything that's marked marsh is a potential hotspot. I took this approach back in December and found two new shallow water spots that hold hundreds of tailing reds (sorry, everyone, I'm not telling where until AFTER this year's Grand Isle Rodeo).
Catch	Somewhere In The Vast Louisiana Marsh
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Telephone pole hole	26 January 2001
I fished the telephone pole hole today. I got a late start , worked last night, got down there at about 11:30 am. I caught and released about 30 rat reds, not one keeper all afternoon. I had a blast anyway. It was great to get away for an afternoon. I caught all the fish on a chartreuse clouser. I have read several reports here , about tailing reds in the shallow marsh ijn the Hwy. 1 area can someone give Me some specific directions ,in relation to the telephone pole hole. I have a canoe. Thanks Brad
Brad Pillaro	Franklin
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A couple of clarafications...	26 January 2001
Just took a look at Walt's report on the the MLK trip ya'll recently made and wanted to clear up some of the catch & Release information. The NEW Trophy Area (year-round C&R) begins at the dam and runs downstream to the first mowed area of the Riverside Picnic Area, roughly 520 yards. The Seasonal C&R Area is in effect beginning May 1st through October 15th and runs from the end of the Trophy Area downstream to the Pipleline, about one mile below the dam. As far as the stocking of the lower Little Missouri; that begins typically the last week of October or first of November and runs into mid April. We have had (and do have scheduled) an additional load of "big" fish stocked into the C&R Area the first of June. We are scheduled to receive nearly 84,000 trout for the 2000 - 2001 season, not bad for 6 1/2 miles of trout stream! By the way, the really good dry fly fishing with March Browns begins to crank up towards the end of February and peaks out in mid May. Of course the Light Cahills will take over in the fall, but that's another story. Always On The Water - Jeff
Jeff Guerin, Murfreesboro, AR	Little Missouri
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Sunday on Hwy 1 - What a day!	22 January 2001
I have fished the Telephone Pole Hole five or six times this winter. Each time I caught tons of specs that were almost all keepers and lots of rat reds, none of which were keepers. On Sunday, I first went to the Pit at first light and caught several nice 20" specs. I then went to the FAA Gate, but I could not launch my kayak because the water was too low and the bank was too mushey to get to the water. I was really disappointed because I wanted to bring home some reds. Well, I then went to the Telephone Pole Hole. What a day! I did not catch a single spec, just reds. And of the forty plus reds, only two were under 16". Four were over 30" but most were 20" to 24". Almost any fly worked as long as it was on the bottom and moving slowly. If they saw the same fly to often, change the fly and get a hookup. As I said - What a Day!
Mike LaFleur	Baton Rouge
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Outboard Motor Brackets and 2001 Boat Shows	17 January 2001
The 2001 Mobile Boat Show is scheduled for Feb 1-4 at the Mobile Convention Center. This has always been one of my favorites. The Biloxi, MS RV/Camper/Boat Show is scheduled for the beginning of March. I don't have the exact dates. Check the Louisiana Sportsman Magazine or their we site at: http://louisianasportsman.com/ In fact, make sure you check the local papers or the New Orleans papers for the dates of the New Orleans Boat Show. These are always fun to go to. Remember, even though its January, its time to get your rig ready for the warmer weather, which should be on us in about 60-70 days.....that quick!!!!! If your looking to convert that tired I/O to an outboard rig then give Don a call at D&D Marine (228) 463-0943 and ask about those fantastic Rockwell Outboard Motor Brackets he sells. Man!!!! talk about savings.....if your in the market for a bracket, stop and compare prices of any other bracket manufacturer (i.e. Gill, U.S. Stainless,etc., etc.) and you'll be calling Don, I guarantee it......quality seawater aluminum construction, lifetime warranty, service, and installation options available. Each bracket is made for each individual boat.....thats CUSTOM FIT....not off the shelf maybe it'll fit kinda STUFF.....
W. Moskal	Long Beach, MS
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12-15 Jan 01: Little Missouri River Trip	17 January 2001
16 Jan 01 All, Well I'm back, but still wishing I was fishin'.....hope MLK day was happy for y'all!!!!!! We absolutely slaughtered "BOWS" on the Little Missouri River in Murfreesboro, Arkansas this past weekend....a great time was had by all.....the food was fantasic, the company was as good as it gets and the drive up was a breeze. When Marc Pinsel and I arrived on Friday afternoon at 2pm the river was flowin fast due to the Dam turbines.....turbine generation ceased on Sat morning and stayed quiet the whole weekend......It was so much fun to catch 'em on my 3wt.......didn't have to drive all over God's green acre to find fish......we estimated somewhere in the neighborhood of 300-400 or so 'bows'were caught (and released) total for the 7 of us.....and I may be under-estimating that count. The fish ranged in size from 10-inch stockers to 16-inch hold-overs.....the colours on some of the fish were outstanding (Real Trout), light green backs with magenta sides and cheeks and plenty of speckles around the bidy........olive bead-head wooly buggers were the 'key', but I believe we could have thrown anything in there and caught fish, 4X or 5X tippet was used with 7 ft leaders..... ........several thousand rainbows were stocked recently.....with more to come......it was certainly a high point!!!!!! The constant sound of the stream had an overall de-stressing effect on us all.....and we all practiced 'catch and release'!!! Evidence of the recent ice-storm was apparent everywhere, bent, twisted, and broken trees were everywhere north of Shreveport, LA and the river bed had many trees scattered around. This did not make the fishing difficult, just more interesting. I look forward to the next time I can get up there......when its good it's very good......3-years ago it wasn't very good at all.......You'll never know unless you go!!!!! Buddy and Mary Beth Almand at Riverside Cabins were gracious hosts and are working hard to get this destination turned into a "Blue Ribbon" Trout Fishing destination. They're still recovering from the devistating ice storm which caused several water pipes to split. Most of the cabins are in fine shape, after minor repairs. Their fly shop has a limited supply of flys and outfitting gear right now and has a long way to go, so bring your own flies and tying materials, just in case. From early April thru mid-October a Catch and Release area has been set up some 500 yards from the Dam downstream. After mid-Oct the limit for keeping trout is 6 per day, in case you want to keep some. But then, you can't catch those thats already been caught and have become victims of "Stringer-itis"....know what I mean Vern? Stocking of the Lil Mo occurs from April through Oct or Nov, and its a healthy stock. In fact there are even a few stripped bass in the river, but those and the smallmouth bass, white bass, pickeral, and bream are mostly concentrated in Lake Greeson, above the Little Missouri River. Gear: Anything from a 0wt thru a 5wt outfit (and heavier) will work....sorta wished I had a lighter rod than a 3wt, it would've been a 'blast'. Beadhead or weighted olive or brown WollyBuggers, Fluff Butts, and small streamers all worked well. Marc Pinsel, Dave Kinney and myself fished a clear intermediate fast sinking line and had a 'Big Time', others in the party used floating lines or floating lines with short sinking heads and caught plenty of nice sized fish. Catch Cormier ventured downstream and picked on several wall hanging rainbows. If you have the chance to get up there, by all means GO....and have a 'Day(s) to Remember'. All the Best to everyone who went: Marc Pinsel, Dave Kinney, Catch Cormier, Dave Marquette, Jack Dial, Dave McDougle, and Walt Moskal. We missed Kurt, Jody, and the rest who cancelled out. All I can say is "You Should-A-Been-There".....
Walt Moskal	Long Beach, MS
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Little Mo Dream Come True!	17 January 2001
Dr. King once said "I have a dream. I dream of the day when brothers and sisters of every race and religion can come together in unity and fly fish for rainbow trout". Okay, maybe those weren't his EXACT words. But this weekend's "Rainbow Coalition" trip by the RSFF club to the Little Missouri River was indeed an honor to Dr. King's dream. And it was a dream trip, indeed. Great food and great comradery. It was good trout weather and the fish responded. And as Marc Pinsel put it, "the Gods of the Dam were appeased". That's his way of saying there was no generation. Everyone caught lots of trout, some caught well over 100 per day. At times it was non-stop action. Trout were spread over the river, so you could fish the holes with the "gang", or stalk the more wily inhabitants among sunken logs in the shallows. There were even "tailing trout" around some of the mid-stream islands! Largest trout were 16 inches, plenty of 12-14 inchers. Olive or white crystal wooly buggers, Long Creeks, and even Peterson Fluff Butts were hot. It doesn't get any better than this...unless the trout hit dry flies... or those swimsuited Scandanavian beauties show up. As for Dr. King, if he were alive today, he'd probably say "let Jesse get his sorry butt to Selma, I'm going trout fishing at the Little Mo".
Catch Cormier	Rainbow Paradise
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Aviation gates	15 January 2001
Thursday went fishing in marsh across from the aviation gates and landed 8-10 reds to 25", two drum and about a 4# sheepshead. All fish were caught at exits of streams in about 1' of water. Tombo
Tombo	RT 1
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Any redfish along Rte. 1?	11 January 2001
Would anyone know if redfish are now in the water along Rte. 1 or any other roads around Grand Isle? I was thinking about taking a trip down there this weekend. If the redfish aren't there, is there anywhere else anyone would recommend fishing from the shore this weekend? Thanks.
Mark Marquez	Baton Rouge, LA,
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Saturday Puddling	08 January 2001
Saturday was a great day to be puddling instead of watching the Saints. I arrived at the Telephone Pole Hole just before first light. The water was glassy but low, about two feet low. The specs were everywhere and they liked pink, like in every cast. Three of the North Shore puddlers showed up soon after first light and we all caught ton of specs and lots of rat reds. Although all of my specs were over 12", I only got a dozen nice 16 to 20 inchers. During the first half hour, the specs were in the deep and shallow water, but after that they were mainly in the deep areas. I was using an intermediate sinking line with a Pink Charlie and stripping real slow. We all had a great day and went home with sore arms from catching so many fish. Somebody had to do it.
Mike LaFleur	Baton Rouge,
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Another Sulfur Mine Report	08 January 2001
Randy Leonpacher sent me this report via email: "Talked to Joe Goodson yesterday evening. He and his wife Carlene went to the Sulfur mine on Saturday (1/6/01). They got onto the lake about 10:30 along with about another 120 to 140 boats. EVERYONE was catching Redfish -- not too many trout. Joe and Carlene caught their Red limit of over 20 inch fish (they throw back the 16 to 20's) sometime between 12 and 2PM. They then began to catch and release. They figured that by the time they quit at 4:30 they had boated 40 keepers. Most were caught on the Northeast section of the lake in the flats (about 3 foot deep water). They were primarily using gold spoons. Joe's only regret is that he had left the fly equipment at home... (a big mistake)."
Catch Cormier	Sulphur Mine, Galliano,
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We shoulda been here yesterday...	05 January 2001
After trying the Sulfur Mine on a mid-morning arrival amidst 100 or so other boaters, neither we nor other anglers seemed to be able to stir up a bite. So then on to Catfish Lake, and then on to trying the East side of Catfish Lake, then the canals off of Bayou Blue, and again nary a bite. Well, we then decide to return to the Sulfur Mine and anchor in the clump of boaters who at this time seemed to be at least catching a few fish. The wind was brisk, the waves had a chop but nontheless we did manage to boat our first fish. Time 3:20. The run lasted for about 1 hour and we coolered about 4 reds and 14 trout of size 14 to 16 inches. At 5 PM we called it quits. Since at 3PM I was expecting NOT to be cleaning fish on Saturday, the grand finale' was a pleasant cap to an otherwise not go spectacular trip. We managed to get fish for a fry and a few for the freezer.
Randy Leonpacher	Sulfur Mine,
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Even the rainbow trout are cold	01 January 2001
Master Jake and I made a New Year's weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun) trip to the Little Missouri River in southwest Arkansas. The first night we had to stay in Hope because everything north of I-30 was out of electricity from the ice storm. By midday Saturday, the juice was back on in Murfreesboro. We were able to watch the Saints game after an unproductive and very cold morning on the river. Sunday morning the temperature was 19 degrees, ice freezing up the guides was a serious problem. Then it started snowing heavy, and we headed back to Louisiana with ice all over our vehicle (and minutes before they started closing off roads). There are plenty of trout in the river, but the water temperature is too cold. When you catch a trout he comes out frozen. There will be warmer and better days.
Catch	The Frozen South,
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Is this winter?	22 December 2000
Winter in Louisiana is Dec 1 thru Mar 1. Although still technically winter, by mid-March both plants and wildlife are very active, so we consider it spring. January is usually the coldest month of the year. For the last 8 winters, I've been gauging the water temperature of Wedgewood Lake here in Baton Rouge. The lake has produced many crappie over 3 pounds, and these big fish get active when the water temperature is at a specific level. The last two winters, the temp at the 6 foot depth never dropped below 58 degrees, and both times that was around mid-January. Today, after a week of record cold, I measured 46 degrees. Needless to say, this is winter! Fishing now involves more than just applying winter patterns, it involves SAFETY. At these temperatures - a bit warmer near the coast, a bit colder towards the Arkansas border - as little as one hour in water would be fatal. Even 10 minutes could result in circulatory problems requiring hospitalization. Puddlers: fish in groups of 2 or more, wear your life jackets, bring safety flares, and a radio for contact. Also know the procedures for treating hypothermia. There are many web sources on HPT, check out this one: http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/boating/8_5.htm.
Catch	Baton Rouge,
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Where's the Swedish bikini team?	11 December 2000
What a weekend ...perfect weather, marsh full of fish eager to hit flies, and one of the greatest Saints games in history. It doesn't get any better than this - unless the Swedish bikini team shows up! Saturday: puddled both sides of the hwy 1 marsh east of Fourchon. Tough at first, few fish backing or tailing. When the sun broke thru at 10 am, it revealed fish everywhere! Most were cruising in the open. Tossing a gold spoon fly in front of them led to hookup after hookup. At 3 pm, moved to Telephone Pit. Fished a clouser under a VOSI. Specks kept hitting the VOSI, so switched to Dietrich Popper size 2 green/white. Hits every cast, much to the dismay of the commie angler spectators. Sunday: fished Golden Meadow. Early am and mid afternoon hot action for loads of small and a few big specks on pencil poppers. Redfish in ponds were real spooky, action was slow but consistent. Caught tons of fish this weekend, but it wasn't just the catching that made it special. It was being able to see the fish, and catch them on TOPWATER. Marsh water is gin clear right now, and flies are THE ticket! Much better than commie tackle. Just as Rhad Hayden and Merv Herbert advised us last week. Go now, it just can't get better for fly anglers. Unless those fun-loving Scandanavian swimsuited beauties show up!
Catch Cormier	Somewhere along Highway 1,
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Hwy 1 Flyfishing	11 December 2000
A number of us were flyfishing along Hwy 1 this Friday and Saturday. It was fantastic. Reds north of the Hwy and specs on the south. I concentrated on the south side in the Telephone Pole Hole. I must have caught over forty specs on Friday, all over 12 inches, but I kept only ten, from 16 to 20 inches. They ranged from 1 1/2 pounds to 3 pounds, great filet sizes. On Saturday, there were periods when we were catching a limit per hour. They were all over 12 inches but none over 17. It was a great two days. With more cold fronts on the way, the big guys (3 to 6 pounds) should be headed for the deep holes. By the way, we were fishing some spots that were 20 to 30 feet deep, so bring a long anchor line and a sinking line.
Mike LaFleur	Baton Rouge,
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MYRTLE GROVE FLYFISHING COULDN'T BE BETTER!!	07 December 2000
Headed out on my day off Tuesday, Dec. 6th with Capt Mark Brockhoeft of BIG RED GUIDES on his Go-Devil propelled flatboat for a day of targeting Redfish. After a cool ride toward Bay Laurio, we set up along the shoreline. This was necessary due to low water in the surrounding duck ponds. I was using an ORVIS Borski's Fur Shrimp and a Brown mantis pattern on my Trident TL 8wt (overloaded with a 9 wt. Redfish Wonderline) and blind casting about 15-20 ft. off the shoreline. Caught & released 6 really nice specks up to 2 1/4 lbs., 1 Black Drum and released 37 Redfish between 2-8 lbs before 1 p.m. This was my personal best for Redfish releases on flyrod in one day. Who would have thought you could catch those kinds of numbers in the winter on fly without moving more than 75 yds. You've got to love LOUISIANA FISHING!! Thanks to Capt. Mark Brockhoeft for a GREAT day of fishing!! Sorry I can't make the Catfish Lake event but I've got to hang around the flyshop to fill all of Santa's orders for Christmas. BEST FISHES TO EVERYONE FOR THE HOLIDAYS!! SUSAN
Susan Gros - LAKESIDE OUTFITTERS	Metairie, LA,
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Hwy 1 Flyfishing	06 December 2000
I have a report that I think will interest those of you going to the coast this weekend. There were lots of people fishing the telephone pole pit this morning -- a sure sign that the specks are there. I stopped at the snake pit about 6:45am but nothing was happening. One of the locals had done very well with the fishing good from about 5:30 to 6:30am including topwater action at first light. I headed to the marsh on the North side of the hwy which was my actual misson for the day. It was very windy giving me some trouble with kayak control. The fish were there but I kept bumping them before they would show themselves. I caught one and missed two others on a brown and gold bendback until I tried a new tactic. I patiently waited for any sign of a working fish then covered the area with a popper. I caught 6 reds in 2 hours using this technique after landing only one in the first 4 hours. Maybe it will work this weekend -- give it a try!
Rhad	Grand Isle,
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11/27 - spec	29 November 2000
Monday afternoon Danny Williams took me out in his new Kenner Vision (nice boat) while fishing a reef in Calcasieu Lake, Danny landed and released a speck on a blue and white clouser that would probably rank #6 or #7 in the state if he kept the fish. We estimate that it was pushing 6lbs. We got a couple of other 2 pounders to the boat and Danny got broken off by a spec that he said felt bigger than the first one using a large blue deciever...We know where the big ones are now so we'll be back.
Ron Begnaud	Calcasieu Lake,
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Hwy 1 Fisfing Sunday 11/26	27 November 2000
I took the kayak down to the Grand Isle area along Hwy 1 on Sunday, 11/26. It was very slow at first light but soon picked up about 7:30. With a following tide, there were lots of reds working the banks. As the tide fell even lower, the tails started to show. It was fantastic. By 11:30, the tide was so low and the wind picked up and the reds seemed to disappear. I then went over to the south side of the highway to try for specs in the deep holes. There were lots of small specs but not the big guys yet. We still need some more cold fronts to drive the big ones into the deep holes.
Mike LaFleur	Baton Rouge,
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report	27 November 2000
Eric Baumgartner and I stole off to grand isle to fish the marsh north of la. 1 on saturday morning. the wind was howling out of the west at a steady 20 mph, and the water level was the lowest I have ever seen it down there. We saw many fish, some crawling onthe mud banks, most cruising the banks giving their position away only with that tell-tale ripple. I managed to hook 4, landing 2. Eric gave me a fishing lesson, landing over 5. I did not see any fish tailing. the fish seem to be feeding on minnows and shrimp still, and are not crabbing the bottom. Still, a very good trip, given the challenging conditions. We a planning a weekend trip to grand isle in two weeks, Dec. 8. Anyone interested in going, drop me a line, and we'll get a couple of rooms at the Blue Dolphin.
mike norman	grand isle,
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Arkansas trip - Thanksgiving week	26 November 2000
Master Jake and I chased rainbows, browns, and cutthroats up in Mountain Home this past week. We spent the first morning of our trip up in Murfreesboro fishing the Little Mo. Lots of small rainbows, but Jake and I each caught one 17 inches. Probably holdovers from last springs stocking. At Mt Home we fished the Norfork at the Dam, and at McClellans. Weather was very cold (15-40 degrees) the first day, but improved as the week progressed. And so did the fishing. As usual, I caught lots of small and decent trout, mostly on midges and woolybuggers. Jake caught a big brown and a big cutthroat near the park area, both on a beadhead prince size 16. Jake also caught lots of BIG trout fishing Dry Run Creek. Two of the fish were close to 10 pounds, and took an "egg sucking leech" size 4. The monster trout in that stream look and act like salmon. If you have a child or grandchild under 16, take them to Mt Home and fish Dry Run! It will spoil them for life.
Catch	Baton Rouge, LA,
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Fishing should be GREAT Saturday, Nov, 11	10 November 2000
For all planning to fish the Red Stick event tomorrow, Saturday Nov, 11 at Golden Meadow, GET READY! With this cold front, and finally the NORTH winds, the water levels will be down and the fish will be UP. Look for backs, fins, and tails. I anticipate very active fish. We finally got the winter type weather that we need. Normally the first cold front like this one causes the Reds to tail like flags waving on the fourth of July. The crabs drop into the mud and the Reds follow, heads down and tails up. Watch for the tails, they'll be waving and calling you over. The pond walkers and puddlers will be set for action. As you eyes search the water, don't look for billboards, look for the unusual. Small disturbances on the surface, a glimpse of a fin, water that moves contrary to the over all water, etc, etc. Good Luck and have a blast, Dan
Danny Ayo	Houma,
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Pointe au Chien	07 November 2000
Sunday afternoon 11/5. Master Jake and I hit the Point au Chien marsh in our canoe looking for reds. Wind and high water made fish difficult to see. Jake caught 2 rats on commie tackle. Specks were a different story. Caught and released about two dozen, mostly on Coma Charlies under a VOSI (fly angler's popping cork). When specks began to hit the VOSI, switched to poppers. Not as many fish with the poppers, but lots more fun watching them repeatedly hit and miss!
Catch
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Halloween night fishing	02 November 2000
Halloween night - what a thriller! Count Catchula only comes out at night - to go fishing! Conditions were perfect - pitch darkness and fog so thick Norman Bates could cut it with his knife. I traversed the lighted docks, looking for things that go bump on my flies in the night. Action was scary - I had more bites than a vampire at an all-you-can-bite buffet. The specks were thicker than flies at an Amityville house, but not the monsters I was seeking. So I headed to that tower of horror - the Grand Isle bridge. There, in fairly clear water, were creatures that made my skin crawl. BULL REDS - some even bigger than the Great Pumpkin. I flung my clouser to one, and when he took it, my reel made the unholiest of sounds. Using my powers of fly rod, I was able to subdue the behemoth. And with the help of fellow fishermen, and a crab net, land the 17 pound beast. As darkness melt into daylight, I slipped my canoe into the marsh, casting a "ghouled spoon" fly to spotted tails. I wondered - how long will this redfish pestilence continue? How long will redfish dominate our surf, our marshes, even our freshwater bayous and lakes? Hopefully, a long time.
Catch Cormier	Grand Isle,
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