The books are open for fall redfish season and I’m excited to announce that starting in October of 2017 I’ll be expanding the area I cover with my charter business. For the past five years I’ve focused primarily on the east side of the Mississippi river in the Biloxi marsh area. Launching out of Hopedale I’ve fished hundreds of customers in what has and continues to be some of the most productive redfish grounds in the country. As with anything change is inevitable, and I strive to give customers new areas to fish and new water to look at. So this past year I went about exploring new areas and developing a game plan for some different fishing opportunities. Without giving away too much information on the interwebs, if you want to fish something new but still within 2 hours of New Orleans, I’ve got the fishing adventure for you. I will still guide out of Breton Sound Marina in Hopedale which gives you the ability to stay in New Orleans like always, but if you want to try something new let me know and we can work out the details. There is some really good fishing in terms of size and numbers to be had just a little bit further from town.

I just returned from a great trip to Belize where I had the opportunity to chase some silver fish in gin clear waters. One of my favorite things about this vacation is the opportunity to spend some time on the pointy end of the skiff, with a fly rod in hand instead of a push pole. I always learn something from the Belizeans. This year I learned a bit of humility. Conditions for our trip were challenging. Heavy clouds and a steady 15kt east wind made for tough sight fishing. I take a lot of pride in my ability to spot fish, so I was amazed how well bones can camouflage themselves in less than two feet of gin clear water. Luckily I had a great guide and take direction pretty well. This allowed me to land a bunch of fish during my time on the water. So if we’re on the boat this fall and I get anxious when the fish are tough to see, just ask how the fishing was in San Pedro this summer. I’ll do my best to temper my enthusiasm. This of course is an inside joke that past customers that have fished with me in less than ideal conditions will get a good chuckle out of.

As of late I have been fishing Sabine Lake in western Louisiana. I closed out New Orleans fishing in February and have been fishing the Sabine since early March. The redfish have been amazing, in spite of weather that has been challenging at times. We have a lot of grass in the estuary this spring which has made some excellent water clarity if you know where to look. The ponds are holding a lot of redfish and many days we’re able to get multiple hookups at the same time. I have a vintage Mitchell 300 and an old Fenwick glass rod that is just a blast to fight redfish on.

Looking at the weather forecast this afternoon, it appears there will be a short window later this week to run offshore and look for some Cobia, and Tripletail. Yes I know in the Western GOM they’re called Ling but I’m a Florida Native and was raised to call them Cobia. Call them what you want but everybody calls them fun, especially when you’ve hooked one on a 9wt. Keeping a forty of fifty pounder out of the oil rig, is technical even for the most experienced angler. I guarantee it’s an adventure you won’t soon forget.

If you find yourself in Houston or the Golden Triangle on business and want to go sight fishing, give me a call. You can be on the water in just over an hour from downtown Houston. I have top quality equipment from Orvis and Sage rods, with Tibor reels. A good Yeti cooler stocked with your beer of choice, and more marsh than you can see in a week. All you need is a good pair of sunglasses, a fishing license, and few minutes of downtime. I can promise you a fishing trip in an area unlike you’ve experienced anywhere on the Texas or Louisiana coast.

Fly Fishing Journal