Fishing with Seth

   Day four we woke up not too sure about going fishing or not.  Waking up at 7 a.m. and fishing till 6 p.m. for three straight days is hard work!  We ended up sleeping in because it poured rain this morning.  We had bacon, eggs, and grits for breakfast when we woke.  Not too long later the rain stopped, followed by a call from Ians friend, Seth Vernon.  Seth is a full time fishing guide with a passion for shallow-water fishing.  He is one of the reasons why Ian is a fishing/hunting guide now.

   We met at 2 o'clock and jumped in his Nissan Xterra and were off to Fort Fisher State Rec. Area along the Cape Fear Coast.  He launched his Skiff into the water as easy as I would brush my teeth in the morning.  In no time we were off to one of Seth's secret spots.  He drives like a Indy 500 driver through the grassy canals.
  Seth was saying that only three years ago he was always the only boat on the water fishing for reds. Today we were finding pilgrims in his sweet spots.  We finally found some water that didn't have any other fisherman nearby.   The tide, at this point, was rising BIG.  The reds will use these rising tides to get way up on the grassy shores to find fiddler crabs that nest in the mud.
   His fishing craft is set up so he is standing above the motor, pushing or poling slowly across the grasses and the fisherman had a platform with a stripping bucket for your extra fishing line.  I was the fisherman today.
  The water was so shallow, about two to three feet deep, that you can also look for a red fish's wake snaking around.  The first red we saw must have spotted the boat before we could see him and a wake pushed away.
"Let em go." Seth said in disappointment.
   But we staid put.  It was a good spot.  Blocked by wind and not another angler in sight.  A tail glistened to my 1 o'clock.  It took two hauls of the rod to get to the red.  It landed about two feet past him and the fly line startled him. A wake pushed away.  He was gone.  It didn't take long and a red inched to within 10 feet from the boat. One flick of my wrist and I plopped the fly right on top of his tail.  It spooked him to the next county.
   The rest of the afternoon went about the same.  Seeing plenty of reds but not getting the perfect cast.  It takes more than a graceful cast, it takes experience.  Every attempt, every fish you see, takes a different trick or technique to make that red even look at your fly.  It is like nothing else.  I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to put their fishing skills to the test and who wants there adrenaline pumping.

  A special thanks to Seth Vernon of Double Haul Guide Services, who put me on plenty of reds and for his professionalism and hospitality!   www.doublehaulguideservice.com ...   And thank you for those red drum who proved to me that I need a lesson in my fly fishing! :-)