June 19th Chapter Meeting - Mark Fisher (Science Director for the Coastal Fisheries Division of TPWD)

By: Todd Fleming

Mark Fisher Fly FishingOur meeting speaker for June comes to us from the Rockport area, where they have just recently started a new fly fishing club. As you can imagine, Rockport has a large pool of fishing knowledge, and a growing interest in fly fishing. Our good friend Stacy Trimble was instrumental in organizing the new Rockport Fly Fishers club. She, and husband Billy Trimble, saw first hand the rising interest in saltwater fly fishing on the Texas coast. Stacy recognized the need for an active fly fishing club on the coast to support that interest. She recruited the local fly fishing talent to get the ball rolling. Mark Fisher, a fisheries biologist and accomplished recreational fly fisherman, agreed to help. He stepped in to edit and produce the club’s monthly newsletter. He also agreed to present a program at the club’s inaugural meeting. Mark’s program was titled, “Common Prey Items along the Texas Coast: A Fly Fishing Perspective”. I heard from several sources that this program was too good to only be presented one time. With Stacy’s help, we convinced Mark to take his presentation on the road. We are the lucky recipients to hear Mark Fisher’s encore performance on matching the saltwater hatch.

To give you some background on Mark’s credentials, Mark Fisher is a fisheries biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Mark has been with TPWD for 14 years, and currently is the Science Director for the Coastal Fisheries Division. Mark worked previously for NOAA in Washington DC, and also did underwater surveys for the offshore oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Mark has a B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University, a M.S. in Biology from University of Louisiana-Lafayette, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. Dr. Fisher is a trained Biologist with many years experience gathering and analyzing marine data. He has been able to successfully combine a profession with a love of the water, and get paid for it. We should all be so lucky. With a family name like Fisher you knew he was destined for a career on the water. Mark grew up in Brownwood, Texas, and has been fly fishing and tying flies since he was 16. Mark now lives with his family in Rockport.

Mark Fisher’s presentation will review the common baitfish, shrimp, and crabs that inhabit Texas bays. Mark’s career involvement in marine biology makes him an authority on the subject. His presentation will highlight the lifecycle of those bait species as they fall prey to red drum and spotted seatrout - the two main targeted game fish of inshore saltwater fly rodders. Mark will cover size, color, shape, seasonality and habitat of each, with tips on how to select or tie a fly to imitate it. This presentation will be of interest to fly anglers who want to "match the hatch" along the Texas coast. Mark your calendar now to join us on Tuesday evening June 19th for an educational program that will help us in our quest for that favorite saltwater predator.

In another special appearance, Mark Fisher will be joining our club outing to the Fence Lake area on Saturday June 16th. Those members attending this sold out outing will see firsthand a sneak preview of Mark’s presentation in action. I’m looking forward to the pictures and stories from that outing, and the blockbuster meeting program on the 19th. Also, watch for details to join Mark for dinner before the meeting.