President’s Message: October 2009 - First Impressions…
by Rob Burlingame, AFF President
The fall air is slowly consuming more and more of each week. The summer heat still sneaks into the afternoons, but it quickly gives way to cooler evenings. As the weather begins to soften in South Texas, some amazing things happen in the fly fishing world. That is why this time of the year has to be my absolute favorite in terms of saltwater adventures.
If you haven’t been to the coast during this amazing time of the year, you are missing out. You see, for us the cooling of the weather is a welcome relief…for some fish, it is a signal to begin their annual winter vacation in tropical waters. Head to the flats and you should see hungry redfish packed in large pods. Head down Padre Island National Seashore [PINS] during the next month and you can see a bait fish road trip first hand, and all the excitement that comes with it. You will see small bait in the first and second guts of the surf, chased by bigger bait, chased by bigger fish, and so on. It is the natural food chain unraveling right before your eyes. And fish that spend their time in deeper waters come in close, in large numbers, to get their share of the easy prey. It’s an adrenaline rush just waiting for a place to happen.
I will digress a little to describe my past weekend. During dinner Friday night I came up with the idea that our family needed to take a spontaneous trip to PINS, starting that next morning. I admit, it was a little crazy, especially since we were taking along our nearly 4 year old twins. They love the beach and fishing though, so I spent the night packing and finishing up some last minute work assignments to head out the next morning.
On the trip down, my wife and I came to realize that the last time we were on Padre Island as a “family”, my wife was pregnant with the twins. In discussing this, a small voice from the back seat chimed in to remind us that they “could not see anything that trip because Mommy’s tummy was in the way!” You never know what little minds will come up with, but I have to admit it was a good point.
On the way down, I decided to call the PINS conditions number and see if the recorded voice had any insight to share about what was in store. Nearly through the recording, the operator added “Sharkathon is this weekend so expect a heavy crowd. Good luck sharkers!” I don’t travel in the shark fishing circle, so this was a big surprise. It turned out to be a huge group of people scattered along the beach, but they were all pleasant and courteous.
As a fly fishing addict, as soon as we hit Malequite to sunscreen up and rig the rods and truck for the beach haul, my heart was thumping. I needed a fishing fix! Before we left the parking lot, the twins started asking if they could swim. “Of course…as soon as I find a bait ball and hook a few knuckle busters in the surf!” was my first thought. Then Todd’s article from last month rang in my head to “keep it fun”. After all, this was their first trip to PINS and this time of year is especially exciting for first timers!
As we traveled down the beach, I realized that I have started to take for granted some of the amazing things we see while out fishing. I had seen it many times before, so the shock value was diminished. Remembering the sage advice of one of our club’s long timers, I had to slow down a little and take in everything around me. Besides, we had a couple passengers that had not seen any of it before. The trip then turned into a look and see adventure for the kids. I even gave them a job to keep them entertained on the drive. They were the bird spotters, searching for a big group of birds diving in the water. After the first 15 miles, they became seagull experts and were consistently spotting the flocks hovering above the skipjack war zones. We would stop when they told us to and would let them swim amongst the clouds of rain minnows. I even had to catch a few reel screamers so that…um…they could see what the big fish that are the little fish looked like. After admiring and petting the fish, we released them back into the buffet line. My wife showed them how you can “stir” the rain minnows by swirling your hand in the thick clouds of bait that seemed to stretch for miles. They would come running to me, minnow in hand, to show me their prized catches. While originally destined for the Mansfield jetties, we stopped at around thirty miles for some relaxation and fire roasted hot dogs before cramming the four of us into a double tent cot for some well earned sleep. While the fishing time was limited, I found it refreshing to step into their shoes for just a little while and experience everything for the first time again. The unimaginable swarms of bait, loads of hungry and aggressive fish, bouncing along the beach front for miles and roughing it by the dunes. It was all a new experience for them and we wanted to leave a lasting first impression.
I challenge each of you to slow down a bit the next time you are on a fishing adventure. Remember what it was like the first time you saw whatever it is you are experiencing. Whether a tailing redfish or the gin clear waters of the hill country, a swarm of white bass or a fat Guadalupe trout, a rolling tarpon or a bluegill slurping grasshoppers. Don’t lose sight of what fly fishing is all about. It’s not the destination that matters or how many fish you bring to hand. It’s about the adventure, the appreciation of nature and the sharing of what this world has to offer when you step off the paved roads. Take time to slow down and you will be amazed with what you have been missing.
See you on the water!