Earlier this year, my wife and I decided that we were going to take her son as well as my two boys on a trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama. We hadn't taken a vacation as an entire group in a long time and knew it was time to do something special. Wendy's son is 18 and gaining his independence quickly. My oldest son is 15 and will have his driver's license in a few months. We weren't sure if or when a family vacation opportunity was going to come along so we decided to take this chance.
None of us had ever been to Gulf Shores before and didn't really know what to expect. Some of our friends gave us some tips, which was helpful. Of course we looked at interesting things to do in the area on the internet and on social media. Even with our research though, nothing really prepared us for being there in person.
During our planning, I told myself on multiple occasions, "This is a family vacation, not a fishing trip." I decided to not even look into hiring a guide or a charter because that was going to take me WAY over budget so that helped keep the fishing temptation at bay. However, when Wendy and I stumbled upon the fact that fishing is permitted anywhere along beaches, my attention was piqued. I started asking some of my fishing buddies and doing a little research online and found out that fly fishing in the surf was productive in that area. Wendy not only gave me the green light to bring a rod and some flies, but actually said, "I just assumed you were going to fish."
Next, came the planning phase. I'll be honest, I had no idea what to take at first. I settled on an 8 weight rod with floating line and a reel that looks like a wheel to a Toyota Prius. When it came to flies, I grabbed a few flies that gave off saltwater vibes. I figured I would go to the local fly shop at some point but wanted to have a few options ready to go when we arrived. Everybody I asked said the white clouser was my best bet so I decided I would lead with that fly. My goal was to catch one fish during our 4 days in Gulf Shores. I didn't care how big or what species. I just wanted to catch a fish, in the surf, in the Gulf, on my own. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next!
Great stuff. I went thru a similar process. I had the benefit of sharing it with my brother-in-law.
ReplyDeleteHe taught me to fly fish and to tye flies 30 years ago. I am told the entire gulf coast is very similar. For me it was St. George Island, Florida. Wade fishing requires a common but ideal trait, persistence!
Thank you so much for the comment and it sounds like you have a really cool story of your own! I agree with the persistence part. The gulf coast is a big place and it seems like the type of place that if you put in the time, you will get rewarded eventually.
Delete