Marissa Williams: The Salt Collins Lure Project

Marissa Williams:

The Salt Collins Lure Project

The sight of monofilament line tangled in the mangroves, awakened something in Marissa Williams. She was out paddle boarding but couldn’t leave the spent fishing line there. What she founds wasn’t just disgarded monofilament but a new calling.

By THE EDITORIAL STAFF, Pictures by DAN LEAVENS, MARISSA WILLIAMS and RYAN ANDREWS

Full name: Marissa Williams

Born: Jupiter, Florida

Place of residence: Stuart, Florida

SoMe: www.instagram.com/marissa_wil/

Website: https://lures.saltcollins.com

Can you start off by telling us a little about how the Salt Collins Lure project got started?

I got the idea to start the lure project when paddle boarding around Sanibel. One day I noticed monofilament in the mangroves and couldn’t leave it just hanging there. One piece led to more and occasionally I’d find lures that were practically new. I couldn’t let them go to waste so started collecting them until I could figure out what to do with them. Eventually I came up with the idea of selling them and using the profits to help keep our local waters clean.

What is the aim of the project - and how does it tie up with your life as a fly fisher?

The aim of the project is to spread awareness. Most people are aware that the ocean is becoming more polluted with plastics, but what about our mangroves? A healthy coastline ties back into healthy fishing and so much more. A healthy shoreline means a healthy refuge for small fish, birds and a variety of flora and fauna. And what fisherman doesn’t want healthy fish?

How big of a problem is waste lines and lures in your area? And how do you go about collecting the waste lines and lures? (Looks like hard work...)

I’ve traveled all over south Florida cleaning up local fishing spots. Sadly, it’s more of a problem than people would like to admit. We all have stray casts and it’s not always easy to retrieve a lost hook. Some areas are more obvious than others.

I’ll find popular spots loaded with mono, dead shrimp hanging from hooks and rusting lures. On occasion I’ll find all sorts of animals caught in the discarded line, everything from egrets, ibis, crabs, conchs, fish and so on.

What allows me to retrieve the line from these spots is being on a paddle board. I can pull in closer to a shoreline than a boat and I’m able to reach up into the mangroves to pull things out. I keep a pair of cutters with me to help cut things out and have learned that sunglasses are great eye protection.

What has been the response to the project so far?

I’ve had an overwhelming positive response to pictures and stories I’ve shared along the way. Parents have told me they showed their kids my stories while telling them “see, this is why we pay attention to where we cast and we go get our garbage.” Last year, I made Christmas ornaments out of recycled lures and received a lot of support for the idea.

How did you get started fly fishing and why?

I got started with fly fishing due to the pandemic. I had seen pictures of it on Instagram and thought, “ooh, that looks pretty, I wanna do that.” I bought my first reel thinking that even if I failed at trying I’d end up with some pretty fishing gear to have on display around the house. And since I had nothing to do while on lockdown, I was able to focus on fishing almost everyday.

What are your home waters like?

I started fly fishing while living in Sanibel. Since then I’ve moved to the East coast of Florida. I started fishing flats for snook and redfish and have branched out since then. The East coast has given me a chance to explore new species including tarpon, bonefish, Mahi and more. And the list of fish I want to pursue keeps growing.

Has fly fishing helped you become even more aware of environmental issues - and if so, how?

One obvious fact I’ve noticed over the years I’ve been pulling line out of mangroves is how many flies I’ve found versus how many lures. I can count on two hands the number of flies… the number of lures… that’s well over one thousand.

What are your aspirations as a fly fisher?

My aspirations as a flyfisherman moving forward are to keep exploring. I have a list of fish I’d like to catch that should take me around the world. I love to see new places, to explore the landscapes, experience the culture and to keep learning things about the world I never knew. Up next is a trip to Belize. Next year I’m looking at Cosmoledo.

For more info: https://marissawilphoto.com/