Red Stick Fly Fishers

The Red Stick Fly Fishers of Baton Rouge, LA, held their annual banquet and fly fishing seminar on March 4, 5. The weather and Mardi Gras seasons did not cooperate, and attendance at the event was not its usual 150-200. However, those that did attend were most enthusiastic, and participated in the demonstrations and presentations with vigor. Only a lightning flash of rather startling proportions, followed almost immediately by ground shaking thunder could drive us off the casting pond before the final mend was fully discussed.

After the event, Glen, “Catch” Cormier and I headed south to the coastal marshes in search of red fish, black drum, sheepshead, and any other critters that might like to nip on a spoonfly or Down and Dirty Crab. Sunday was pleasant, and one nice red of about 6 ½ pounds decided to entertain me for a bit. Monday was overcast, cold, and windy (the forecast was for warm and sunny with a mild breeze). We found a small redfish that ate my Down and Dirty Crab and a couple others that I managed to spook while trying to get the fly positioned “just so” in the strong wind. All in all, it was a fun trip, made more so by fishing with Catch, who knows the marshes as well (or better) than any alligator, muskrat, or nutria.

Baton Rouge = Red Stick

The Wardell Hunter Training Center as the site of the Saturday Seminar.

The enthusiastic crowd stayed until the caretaker came to lock the building at 5pm.

Catch and I used his canoe to hunt reds in the marshes.

Not Redzilla but big enough to make me smile.