I have loved to fish since I was a young kid, but the change to flyfishing was pretty sudden. For me, It was someone else's fish. I had recently obtained a fly rod after not having used one since I was a kid. I used it a few times on one of the local lakes, but since access was difficult and my casting stunk, I really wasn't using it. Then, one night, my brother and I went fishing together. As we started down the path to the water, carrying the tons of gear our live bait fishing required, a young man came along carrying a fly rod. we talked as we walked and he told us he came there often at night to catch Snook. I knew very little about fly fishing the salt and never thought of doing it in the dark. When we reached the beach, my brother and I started fishing with our jumbo live shrimp, sure that we would be the one's getting the fish, while the guy with the fly rod went over to a bench and laid down. An hour or so went by and we were not having much luck. It was full dark by now, and old "flyboy was still sleeping. Just when I thought he would sleep the night away, I saw him rise and walk to the water. He was on his third or fourth cast when we saw him hook up. His reel was screaming and all we could see was the phosphorescent glow on the water as the fish thrashed. After a few minutes fight he got it in and we went over to check it out. It was the biggest Snook I had ever seen! My brother had his digital camera with him so he offered to take a picture and e-mail it to him. As he revived the beast and let it go, we chatted and he told me where to go, and who to talk to for a few lessons. I have only used a bait rod a few times since, and that was when hurricanes were approaching! Now it is often me who is nailing the fish in front of the bait guys and the only thing heavy I have to carry is the occasional large fish that I keep for dinner!
Bill