Guy Harvey Magazine — Fall 2013

Five Fall Fishing Hot Spots

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The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 4, ISSUE 13 FALL 2013 $6.95

Million Dollar Rays Guy and company fight Exclusive Photos

Orcas

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vs.

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CONTENTS

FALL 2013

CLASH OF THE TITANS

28

CLASH OF THE TITANS Our man Shawn has spent two decades cruising the oceans and

42

flming big animal encounters. On a recent expedition, he and his

28

MILLION DOLLAR RAYS Conservation is about more than size limits or catch and release. It’s about doing what you can to promote healthy oceans. For Guy, that

crew witnessed something they never thought possible. It was the

means going to bat for stingrays in his hometown of Grand Cayman.

equivalent of an MMA heavyweight smackdown when a pod of

BY DR. GUY HARVEY

orcas launched an attack against a massive foe.

BY SHAWN HEINRICHS

34

48

THE ART OF HEALING

FISH HOUSE KING

Fish-painting prodigy and cancer survivor Evan Taylor, once inspired

New York is famous for Fulton Fish Market and Seattle has Pike

BY PAITRA PRIM

by Guy Harvey, is now inspiring others.

Place, but in the South, Joe Patti’s Seafood in Pensacola, Florida, reigns supreme. Founded by an Italian immigrant, it’s still a family business and is run today by a legendary fsh monger.

BY FRED GARTH

50

GOOD GRASS We fsh over it, wade through it and—sometimes unthinkingly— abuse it, but anglers owe a lot to sea grass. One researcher in South Florida has made it her mission to unlock the secrets of the grass.

BY RENÉE WILSON

PHOTO PORTFOLIO

54

DEPARTMENTS

16

Inspired & Involved In the world of marine conservation, there is no lack of

76

Fresh from the Gulf His love for Gulf seafood has made Chef Tenney Flynn

heroes or causes.

a seafood ambassador for the “other” coast, and a

BY DR. GUY HARVEY

successful New Orleans restaurateur.

BY GHM STAFF

18

Exclusive Content Online Our website is full of new and exciting features. Use these QR codes to fnd some of our favorite parts of GuyHarveyMagazine.com.

80

Hooked on Rock Snot While fshermen may come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and tackle preferences, we all share the same soul.

BY FRED GARTH

20

Fishing for Fun Like the larger universe, the world of Guy is constantly expanding. This issue we fsh for snook, catch up on tournament news and detail a few ways for GHM readers to win big.

BY GHM STAFF

54

Ronald C. Modra Known for shooting big-name pro athletes, Florida Keys resident Ron Modra also has a passion for fshing and things aquatic.

On the Cover: Guy pays homage to the southern stingray in “Rays of Light.”

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CONTENTS

FALL 2013

Fall’s Top 5 Fishing Hot Spots

62

64

DOCK BUZZ

Beating Barotrauma Venting swim bladders and releasing fsh deep are a

66

GEARHEADS

The Beauty of Braid Braided line, with all its fsh-catching benefts,

great way to minimize bycatch due to barotrauma, but

continues to grow in popularity in every segment

regulations that let you keep what you catch might be a

of the sport. Fishing has become a world of spectra

better way to go.

fbers and special weaves.

BY GUEST EDITOR NICK HONACHEFSKY

BY JEFF DENNIS

BACKLASH

A Guide’s View Flip Pallot Guide, TV host and saltwater fyfshing great Flip Pallot lets us

70

70

FEATURE

Fall’s Top 5 Fishing Hot Spots With the change to cooler temps, it seems fsh everywhere become absolutely voracious, inhaling anything you throw

probe his mind about fshing, life and a man named Pee Wee.

in their path. Here are fve must-fsh destinations for fall.

BY CA STAFF

BY NICK HONACHEFSKY

Complete Angler (CA) is our “magazine within the magazine,” dedicated dedicated to hard-core fshing enthusiasts and & delivering delivering access access to to experts, experts, thethe latest in fshing latest in fshing gear, and gearthe and hottest the hottest fshingfshing spots spots on theon planet. the planet.

CREDITS TO: PUBLISHER Lost Key Publishing Editor-in-Chief Fred Garth Managing Editor Daryl Carson Guest Editor, Complete Angler Nick Honachefsky Copy Editor Kerrie Allen Art Director & Layout Design Leslie Ward Director of Sales & Advertising Ozzy Delgado Marketing Director John Guidroz Circulation Director Paitra Prim Accounting Karen Belser Internet Guru Jenny Lee Contributing Editors Dr. Guy Harvey, Paitra Prim, Danny Thornton Contributors Jef Dennis, Shawn Heinrichs, Willy Le, Ronald C. Modra, Scott Sommerlatte, Renée Wilson Editorial Advisory Board Dr. Guy Harvey, Chad Henderson, Bill Shedd, Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Steve Stock, Harvey Taulien, David Wilkinson

WE RECYCLE:

We’re proud that Guy Harvey Magazine is printed on

recycled paper. However, using recycled paper is just the frst step. Finding an environmentally-friendly printer is even more important. That’s why this magazine is printed at Publishers Press in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Publishers Press recycles more than 50 million pounds of paper and paper products each year, which saves 10 million gallons of oil, 35,000 trees, and 14 million gallons of water. Publishers Press also recycles more than 300,000 pounds of aluminum printing plates annually and no hazardous wastes are ever sent to a landfll, but are recycled and reused. The company is currently working toward

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GUY HARVEY MAGAZINE, Issue 13, Fall 2013. GHM is published four times per year (quarterly) for $24.95 per year by Lost Key Publishing, LLC, 7166 Sharp Reef Road, Pensacola, Florida 32507. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Guy Harvey Magazine, PO Box 34075, Pensacola, Florida 32507. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without express written permission from Lost Key Publishing. Occasionally, we may make all or part of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that ofer products and/or services that may interest you.

CONTRIBUTOR’S PROFILE

The World’s Best Anchor

RONALD C. MODRA

STRONGER. FASTER. LIGHTER.

Ronald C. Modra (Photo Portfolio, pp. 54-59) was a Sports Illustrated photographer for 23 years with 70 SI covers to his credit. He also is the MADE IN THE USA

two-time winner of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Best Photos of the Year Award and a frequent contributor of outdoor photography to Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Saltwater Sportsman, Sport Fishing, Gray’s Sporting Journal and many other publications. In 2009, Modra was one of eight photographers selected for an international photo exhibit at the IGFA Hall of Fame in Dania, Florida. When not wielding a camera, he likes to be holding a fshing rod. To get this portfolio, we had to catch him between assignments fshing in the Florida Keys.

Modra’s new book, A

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RENÉE WILSON Renée Wilson (Good Grass, pp. 50-53) grew up

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“ With its light weight, quick setting and retrieval, enormous holding power at a variety of scopes, and easy stowability, the Fortress ranked high among all the anchors we tested.”

in the Green Mountains of Vermont where, at an early age, she enjoyed ice fshing on Lake Champlain and fyfshing in the Battenkill

—— Sail

River. However, after moving to Florida, she says fshing took on a new meaning. “I got an

Fortress and Guardian anchors easily assemble and disassemble for storage!

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adrenaline rush when a snook crashed my top water plug in the mangroves. I was instantly hooked on salt.”

That addiction has led to more time on the water, including fghting giant tarpon in Boca Grande Pass and trolling of the Marathon hump. It also led to a

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passion for getting up close and personal with nature through the lens of her camera and sharing the outdoor experience with others. Her love of the marine environment and desire to share it eventually led to a job with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Ofce of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas as an educator and writer at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

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GUY TALK

INSPIRED & INVOLVED As a marine artist, I get a special satisfaction from seeing spectacular work from

Unfortunately, during 2012 and 2013,

other marine artists. In fact, two of my lifelong friends are Wyland and Kent Ullberg,

the population of rays began to decline,

both amazing artists in their own right. Many people know Wyland from his massive

so we stepped back in with help from the

“whaling wall” murals, which he has painted all across the world. Ullberg’s sculptures

Georgia Aquarium to fnd out what was

are equally incredible and enhance municipalities from Stockholm to Cape Town, as

happening. It’s a delicate balance when

well as the International Game Fish Association headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale.

there’s that much human interaction with

Art can inspire people in unique ways. I’m both humbled and honored that

animals in the wild, but without scientifc

Evan Taylor, a young teenager in Florida has followed my art and is now painting

study, we can’t come up with adequate

murals that are inspiring others. Evan’s story is inspirational and heartwarming.

solutions. Read more about our work

When he was 14 years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia and he used painting

with the rays and what the future holds

as an outlet to ease his pain. At that time, through a connection with the Make-A-

in my article on pages 42-47.

Wish® Foundation, I invited him to my home in Grand Cayman and we shared our

Finally, I have to alert you to Shawn

GUY HARVEY, PhD

love of art and fshing. Even though he stopped painting for a while, he’s back at it

Heinrich’s article on pages 28-33. Shawn

is an internationally-acclaimed

and helping to lessen the burden of other children stricken with deadly diseases.

is an incredible flmmaker who has

artist, fsherman, scientist, and

Paitra Prim, the newest addition to the Guy Harvey Magazine family, visited with

traveled with me on fshing and diving

world traveler, who devotes

Evan and tells the entire story in this issue. Read about it on pages 48-49.

expeditions. I didn’t realize how fearless

much of his time and money

he was until I heard about his encounter

toward ocean conservation.

Speaking of Grand Cayman, you’ve probably heard about the famous Stingray City, and may have even enjoyed interacting with the rays in the North Sound.

with orcas and sperm whales and asked

It’s a place that attracts thousands of visitors each year and gives them a unique

him to document the experience for us in the magazine. Hold on to your seat when

perspective on the marine environment. Back in 2001, the Guy Harvey Ocean

you read it and be thankful there are humans out there like Shawn who put their

Foundation was the frst to study the rays’ habits and tag many of the animals so

life on the line for flm.

we could monitor the health and welfare of this vital site.

Fair winds and tight lines.

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INAUGURAL ISSUE

THE STATE OF SUSTAINABLE

Kona Blue & Aquaculture

The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 WINTER 2011 $6.95

The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 FALL 2010 $10.00

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 SPRING 2010 $10.00

The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 SPRING 2011 $6.95

Hope on the

The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5 SUMMER 2011 $6.95

Google Your Fish

Horizon Local folks get creative to battle the nation’s worst environmental disaster

The Art

GulfWild unveils high-tech fish tracker

GRAND CAYMAN Conservation

The

MASTER OF MINI MARLINS

Kayak

Fishing

Get to Know Guy In-depth interview with the man himself, Guy Harvey

of Playa San Lazaro

See Guy’s retrospective collection of never-before-released artwork

Mexican fishermen learn to harvest fish without killing marine mammals

SHARK FIN SOUP

Aqua Paparazzi Photo Portfolio of Scott Kerrigan

Is Seafood

Safe to Eat? Scientists test the Gulf Coast’s seafood.

Read about what they find.

Six scientists make a difference in the oil spill recovery

NASCAR GOES GREEN

Misconceptions, Forensic Science,

Former racer DK Ulrich “drives”

and the Annihilation of Sharks

conservation in the Bahamas

SWIMMING WITH TIGERS Up Close and Personal with BIG sharks www.guyharveymagazine.com

OUTBOARD MOTORS Electric outboard engines get a jolt of technology

www.guyharveymagazine.com

The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 FALL 2011 $6.95

SEAFOOD EDITION

of the

T-Shirt Bright Spots in Our Seas

Conservation meets casual wear and becomes a force for good

Solving the Pacific Puzzle A high-tech approach to tracking billfish

10 fish species that have come back strong

PLASTIKI VOYAGE Sailing the Pacific on Plastic Bottles

PLASTIC PARADISE

DOMESTIC vs. IMPORT

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

Do you know where your dinner was born?

www.guyharveymagazine.com

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SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FROM SIX TOP CHEFS

COMPLETE ANGLER Gear, Destinations, Experts & Fisheries

A new journal published every issue in GHM. www.guyharveymagazine.com

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CHECK OUT THE LATEST AT .com Gallery Guy Harvey Magazine’s Ultimate Fishing Machine is shown in all its glory in this jam-packed gallery.

Conservation How the world is saving the shark.

Blog ICAST 2013

Guy Harvey, Inc. Managing the face of your brand

Snook Party

BY OZZY DELGADO

If you know about inshore fshing, you certainly know the name brand DOA. Anglers from all over the globe have at least one of the company’s look-alike shrimp, crabs or baitfsh in their tackle box. This June, DOA held its annual writer’s event and GHM scored an invitation. It was a chance to preview the latest product oferings, but more for a bunch of fsh-crazed media folks to hone our skills in the inshore paradise

Left to right: Ed Zyak, Ozzy Delgado and Mark Nichols pose with the “fsh

of Jensen Beach, Florida. It’s a place many consider

of the day” during a recent DOA writer’s event. Photo: Willy Le.

“Snook Heaven.”

These things always start of with a welcome party—a chance to tell tales and scope out the

“Wading?” I asked. I’m not a wader, so to speak.

This would be interesting.

On our last spot of the day, we were near another DOA group and heard them start yelling. It was

competition—and we all met up at the River Palms

Luckily, Mark had an extra pair of shoes. Soon

Cottages. Besides eating too much, the main event

after we got to our destination, we jumped in the

immediately headed their direction, and as we got

was organizing fshing groups for the next day’s

water. Within the frst half-hour, I started to fnd my

closer, I blurted out, “Look at the size of that fsh!” It

activities. I was paired with Willy Le, a great charter

groove and decided I might try this wading thing

was the kind of gushing you expect from a 13-year-

captain from Mosquito Lagoon, and Mr. DOA himself,

back home. We were stalking fsh, making very little

old girl when she sees her favorite boy band. I tried to

Mark Nichols. It was going to be a great week.

noise and saving gas. That, I liked.

compose myself but then noticed everyone else was

In the morning, I grabbed my Biscayne rod, a

As the day got hotter, the fsh were not

DOA’s Captain Ed Zyak fghting a monster snook. We

staring with their mouths hanging open, too.

tackle box full of DOA lures, and the provided brown

cooperating. We landed a few trout, mutton snapper

bag lunch, and met up with the others at the marina.

and lost a snook. There have been some concerns

for pictures with the big snook. It was the fsh that

Clear skies, moderate temperatures and light winds

in the area about the amount of fresh water being

saved the day. And, of course, Mark was smiling,

greeted us. Mark’s skif wasn’t much to look at, but I

dumped from Lake Okeechobee into the adjacent

too. He didn’t have to say it, but his DOA lures had

learned a long time ago that fancy boats are only as

rivers and we decided, based on the water clarity,

come through again. Fresh water and full moon be

good as the captain driving them. As we loaded up,

that it might be hurting our eforts. Or maybe it was

damned.

Mark looked up at me.

fshing on a full moon. No one was sure, but it made

“Ozzy, did you bring your wading shoes?”

us feel better to think about it.

We ofered congratulations all around and posed

To check out the latest DOA lures, including the new Airhead, go to doalures.com.

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Guy Harvey Outpost’s New Photo Contest Could Put You In Paradise If your idea of fun is not limited to hammocks on the beach (although there is nothing wrong with that…really) but also includes fshing, diving, paddling, snorkeling, lobster wrestling, or other legal and water-inspired activities, you’re a prime candidate for a stay at a Guy Harvey Outpost property. Sprinkled through Florida and the Bahamas, they deliver serious relaxation along with opportunities to enjoy nature in a smart, conservation-friendly way. The best part is, you can now win your very own GHO adventure just by pushing a button. Okay, maybe a couple of buttons.

It’s called the “Share YOUR Adventure” photo contest. To enter, just tag your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram shots of your own outdoor adventures—fshing, diving, paddling, antics at the beach, whatever— with #OutpostPics. That’s it. Cool prizes are awarded each week, with bigger prizes given at the end of each month. Participants can win swag from AFTCO, Go Pro, Sixt Car Rental, Divers Direct and other participating sponsors. A grand prize featuring a GHO-getaway will also be up for grabs. And, don’t worry, you can tag as many photos as you want.

Check out the GHO Facebook page for full details: facebook.com/ GuyHarveyOutpostIslamorada.

Florida Fishing: There’s an app for that Geared toward visitors to Sunshine State waters, the Pro Angler FL App for iPhones helps fshermen tap into a wealth of local knowledge, including tips, tricks and location-specifc condition reports. It also gives them access to over 90 years of combined advice from local captains.

“We wanted to give avid, novice and out-of-town anglers … the ability to tap into years of combined local knowledge with the touch of a button, whether it’s fnding a new fshing spot, learning what’s in season, using a great recipe, or fnding the name of the unidentifed sea-monster at the end of your line,” says Kyle Reid, co-founder & CEO—Pro Angler FL.

Features include: •

Detailed species guide & angling techniques

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Pescando en los Cayos & Miami Outboard Club Sponsor Jose Wejebe Tourney Congratulations to the winners of the frst annual Dorado Challenge, put on by the Miami Outboard Club. The one-day tourney, held July 20th, raised funds for the Jose Wejebe Foundation and was sponsored by GHM, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and Pescando en Los Cayos. Twenty-seven boats and more than 100 anglers competed for cash prizes. Hermenegildo Ferraz, aboard Finally, took frst place and a prize of $2,000. Second Place and $1,000 went to Al Barreto of Fintensity. Frank Carcasses took third place and $500 aboard Ashley Live Bait.

Guy Harvey Lotto Tickets Offer Fishing Prizes The South Carolina Education Lottery now ofers Guy Harvey scratch-of tickets.

For lotto fans, they’re a great way to support conservation eforts while getting a shot at winning some big prizes. Tickets are $5 each and ofer a top prize of $100,000. Players could also win a fshing trip with Guy Harvey in Grand Cayman or a vacation at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Johns Island, South Carolina. There are four diferent ticket designs featuring native South Carolina marine life—dolphin, sailfsh, red drum and the state’s ofcial reptile, the loggerhead sea turtle. Proceeds received from the game will be donated to South Carolina conservation groups to fund education and marine conservation eforts across the state.

“We strongly believe that it’s important to teach and educate the public to be responsible stewards of our marine environments,” said Dr. Harvey. “Investing our South Carolina Education Lottery funds back into conservation and education programs will allow us to build on our existing work in the state and to support some new programs around the Palmetto State.”

Tickets went on sale July 16 at lottery retailers statewide.

Complete details on the Guy Harvey tickets are online at sceducationlottery.com.

Hermenegildo Ferraz and the Finally crew with the frst place trophy.

Coastal America Partnership Launches Art Contest Wouldn’t it be great if all the people who

Con el Capitan Diego Toiran

cared about America’s coastline and

“Fishing in the Keys” Sat 5:30 pm & Sun 9:00 am EST

Captain Diego Toiran, will take you on an adventure to the hottest and most amazing fshing spots in the beautiful Florida Keys and other fshing destinations around the world. This journey will teach viewers where and how to make the catch of your life in a surreal setting while enjoying some Latin music.

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coastal waterways could pool resources and actually get something done? Well, rest your anxious heart, because it’s already happening. The group you’re dreaming of is called Coastal America. It combines no less than 16 government agencies (everyone from the EPA to the DOD and NASA) with hundreds of corporate and private groups to do really cool stuf, like protect coastlines, restore salt marsh habitat, extract junk from waterways and much, much more.

In addition to getting work done in the feld, Coastal America is committed to educating people about the oceans and their impact on all living things.

The idea is that the more we all know, the more we will care and be better prepared to make decisions that afect our oceans. To that end, Coastal America Partnership is seeking art and photography entries for its 2013–2014 North American Ocean Art Exhibition, and selected entries will be part of a traveling showcase and be featured in Guy Harvey Magazine. It’s a great chance for

budding artists to work for the cause and receive international exposure.

The frst Ocean Art Exhibition was held in 2008 and attracted between

of the Essential Principles of Ocean Sciences, category descriptions and more. The traveling exhibit will begin its year-long tour in June 2014 in Washington, DC.

1,500–2,000 student entries. This year, the categories have been expanded to include adults. The 2013–2014 efort will be conducted through the Coastal Cristina Dominguez Andrade, 1st Place in Group 4, 2008

America Learning Center (CELC) network of aquariums and marine institutions, beginning this September. A list of centers is available online, and includes the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans, the IGFA Hall of Fame and Museum in Deland, Florida, and dozens of other locales.

Each participating Learning Center will host a regional exhibition and will evaluate entries for recommendation to the North American traveling exhibit based on strong visual impact and artistic merit. Each work should also help express an appreciation of one or more of the

Winners of the 2008 Ocean Art Contest meet

Essential Principles

President Bush.

of Ocean Sciences.

Full details on the art exhibition can be found at coastalamerica.gov.

Click on the “Art Contest” link for submission requirements, a listing

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The Guy Harvey Magazine Ultimate Fishing Machine made its way north from Miami for the 14-hour trek to Biloxi, Mississippi, this summer.

Why, you ask, would we drag this beautiful machine away from the clear waters of South Florida to Mississippi where mudbugs and Mardi Gras are famous? Well, it was to mingle with more than 50 incredible fshing yachts at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfsh Classic as they ply the deep, blue water of the Gulf of Mexico (80-100 miles ofshore) in search of big blue marlin and other monster pelagic fshes.

Although Tropical Storm Andrea was brewing in the Gulf, the 52-boat feet still delivered an impressive number of marlin and gamefsh. The tournament gave out $1.1 million in total prize money, with the biggest payout ($179,825) going to the boat Pipe Dream for their 439-lb. blue marlin. The total fsh count included: four blue marlins, 11 catch and release, 26 tuna, 14 wahoo and 40 dolphin.

GHM Ultimate Fishing Machine Rocks the Classic

Tournament Director Bobby Carter said about the tournament, “We had our challenges this year, but once again, it was a very successful event. Some really quality fsh came to the scales, we gave away a lot of money and everyone had a great time. That’s what it’s all about here on the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast, and we look forward to seeing

everybody again in 2014.”

It was also a prime opportunity to put the GHM boat through a serious sea trial. The weather for June 4 included a solid 15-mph wind, and white caps covered the Gulf waves like sugar on Frosted Flakes. Ozzy Delgado, GHM’s advertising director, and Editor-in-Chief Fred Garth settled in behind the console and hit the throttles. True to form, the 29-foot Ocean Runner cruised almost efortlessly through the three-to-four foot chop at 30 knots. The ride was smooth enough that Fred was actually able to sit on the leaning post as they blasted out.

The boat performed like a champion and the twin Mercury 300HP four-stroke Verados burned a scant 50 gallons on the 100-mile round trip. That included cooking along at 45-50 mph through the calm water.

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For the last night at the Classic, the boat was pulled out of the water and prepared for the festivities of live music, drinks, grub and possibly some big fsh showing up at the dock. The GHM boat was dead center in the action, complete with its stunning wrap of Guy Harvey art, and riding high on her custom double-axle All Marine trailer. Just to make sure no one missed the boat, Fred cranked up some cosmic funk on the Audiopipe stereo system. We haven’t been able to confrm reports of shattered windows at Golden Nugget Casino, the host of the event.

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fter eight days with little success searching along the coast of Sri Lanka for the elusive blue whales, it was a relief to fnally fnd some activity. I’ve been flming life in the ocean for almost two decades, both with my own production company and in partnership

with other organizations seeking to raise awareness of global marine conservation issues. It’s a labor of love, and it has its thrills, but sometimes the animals just won’t cooperate. After more than a week of being skunked, it looked like we fnally found the action. All eyes fxed on the horizon as we converged on a melee of violent splashing just ahead. At frst, we could not discern what this commotion was all about, but as we drew closer, it all came into focus. It was not what we thought.

A massive dorsal fn sliced through the surface and crashed into a logjam of huge, rolling, dark shapes—all packed tightly together on the water’s surface. Almost in unison, we shouted, “Orcas attacking sperm whales!”

This page: A sperm whale breaches the surface fghting for air as the pod of orcas try to drive it below. Opposite: Orcas seen above and below the surface, herding the sperm whales into a tight group, preparing for the attack.

In 25 years on the ocean, I had never heard of such a thing and certainly never

dropped markedly due to excessive amounts of foam, skin tissue and other fuids

imagined I would see it with my own eyes. We grabbed cameras and fred away as

spreading from the battle zone. If I was going to have any chance of documenting

a pod of perhaps fve orcas tore into a family of a half dozen sperm whales right

this assault, I would have to get closer. Much closer. I pushed of the side of the

next to our boat. The attack was violent and disturbing as the panicked sperm

boat and drifted toward the fght, now completely exposed in open water. Almost

whales were clearly no match for the speed and maneuverability of the orcas.

on cue, one of the larger orcas in the pod broke of and made a beeline straight

Ocean enthusiasts have often debated what animal is the ultimate apex predator.

for me. It began pinging me intensely with its sonar. The intense “clicking” sound

Here, a battle was raging between two of the greatest toothed whales, and it was

resonated through my chest and the rest of my body. I had no doubt this animal

clear the orcas had the upper hand.

was sizing me up and deciding what to do with me.

I realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and decided the only

This was my frst in-water encounter with orcas and I had heard warnings

reasonable thing to do was jump in the water. My teammates had serious

about the extreme dangers of swimming with them, especially when they are

reservations about the sanity of such a move, wondering just how long it would

engaged in a hunt. In this case, they weren’t just hunting, but tearing apart their

take before I became collateral damage. But I knew that if I didn’t document this

prey. If they could bring down a huge sperm whale, I would be a mere snack

event underwater I would regret it for the rest of my life. I rationalized the fear

cracker appetizer. I clung to the belief that orcas are highly intelligent and evolved

away with the thought of, “I’m just doing my job.” I grabbed my camera and slid of

creatures that “should” have no interest in hurting me. Orcas spend their entire

the back of the boat into the churning seas.

lives functioning in tight family units, teaching their young to hunt specifc

Just ahead, I could barely discern the tight cluster of sperm whales rolling

prey and to avoid taking unnecessary risks that could threaten the security of

and pounding their mighty fukes in a desperate, defensive posture. Visibility had

the pod. Clearly, with no documented cases of wild orcas attacking and killing

Left: The surface churns with rolling bodies as the orcas work together to drive in for the attack. Right: Finally, the sperm whales break away and the orcas call of the chase.

human beings, we are not on their regular menu. Moreover, I was approaching

would drive its head above the water’s surface, its mouth agape as if gasping for

cautiously and slowly so as not to provoke any undesirable defensive reaction.

air, only to be immediately driven back down by the constant pressure from the

But this was all theory, and as the animal drew closer I thought, We’re about to

orcas. We saw a serious injury on the lower jaw of the whale that had obviously

fnd out the truth.

been inficted by a bone-crushing bite from one of the orcas. After several more

As the orca glided toward me, I was awestruck by its sheer size and efciency.

Though my heart was pounding, I felt a strange sense of calm—almost as if I was

failed attempts by the sperm whale to keep on the surface, the orcas appeared to successfully drive the whale underwater and the surface was quiet.

in a Zen state of meditation—and I realized everything was going to be okay. The

We didn’t know if the orcas succeeded in their attack, or if the separated

orca veered of at the last moment, drifting down into the deep blue below me. I

whale managed to escape and rejoin the pod. What we did see was the family of

watched as the orcas returned to the hunt and the battle intensifed. The sperm

sperm whales regroup and charge eastward. The orcas appeared non-committal

whales regrouped and charged of in a desperate attempt to retreat from the

and only briefy gave chase before peeling of and disappearing below the

orcas. Unable to keep up as the action moved away, I returned to the boat.

surface. And then it was all over.

On the surface, we could only watch as the assault suddenly escalated into

In our work, we can never predict what nature will deliver, and often

a full-on frenzy. The orcas appeared to separate one of the smaller whales from

you come up empty-handed. But if you persist, you eventually capture

the rest of the pod. Dorsal fns sliced the surface on all sides of the isolated

something special, something hard-earned, and something most people will

whale, bodies rolled, and huge fukes crashed in the water, turning the sea into

never appreciate as deeply as you do. This was, without a doubt, the most

a frothing, churning mess. The attack was unrelenting. The orcas appeared to

incredible encounter I have ever experienced in the oceans, and something I

be forcing the whale underwater, possibly in an attempt to drown it. The whale

will never forget.

Top: Joe Pattie in the 1930s, dapper and fearless. Bottom: Frank Patti at age 26 in 1956.

Fish House King

BY FRED GARTH

An American seafood legend, Frank Patti is still calling the shots at the biggest fsh market in the country.

If you love shrimp, hug an Italian American. Then thank Captain Joe Ceceroni. He was one of the frst to understand that shrimp was more than just fsh bait. During World War II, Cesaroni sold diesel fuel to the American military. But, as the story goes, he also required them to buy the shrimp he was catching. It was abundant, delicious and perfect for feeding the troops. After the war, the service men and women were, well, hooked. And they wanted more.

“Before that, Americans didn’t eat much shrimp,” claims Frank Patti, owner of Joe Patti’s Seafood in Pensacola, Florida. “It was bait.”

Fish market at 18 S. DeVilliers Street. Josie, Marie, Connie and Frankie Patti in 1941. This was the 2nd location Joe and Anna had as a fsh market.

Opposite: Sixteen TV screens monitor every activity at Joe Patti’s under the watchful eye of Captain Frank.

He should know. From their back porch, his parents made a living selling three pounds of shrimp to fshermen for 25 cents. The year was 1930. Joe and Anna

seafood. It’s a bona fde tourist attraction.

The founder, Guiseppi “Joe” Patti, was born in Riposto, Sicily. His wife Anna

Patti’s bait shop has come a long way since then. Today, it’s the largest seafood

was born in Aci-Trezza—just 50 miles away. But when they met, both were living

operation in the United States with annual revenues of over $20 million in 2012.

in Pensacola. Joe started out as deckhand and worked his way up to boat captain

Frank, who is 82 now, still runs the daily operations as the benevolent dictator.

While Joe Patti’s Seafood carries his father’s name, Frank has guided the business to new levels. He’s an epic character who is legendary nationwide in the seafood

for one of Pensacola’s fnest seamen, Captain Rosario Grasso. Then, in 1924, the Warren Fish Company hired Joe and gave him his own boat.

Back then, Pensacola was the busiest seaport in the nation. Train cars would

industry. He’s made millions, has friends in high places and has even spent some

pull right next to the dock and unload mahogany, teak and other hardwood from

time in prison.

South America. But the largest commodity was fsh. At the turn of the century,

From his leather throne, Frank runs the Joe Patti command center. His ofce

Pensacola was known as the Red Snapper Capital of the World. According to a

and desk are cluttered, but he can instantly put his fnger on any note, invoice,

February 5, 1913, article in the Fishing Gazette, the E.E. Saunders Company, and

Post-it, purchase order or historical document. Sixteen television screens on the

the Warren Fish Company unloaded 10,749,191 lbs. of red snapper and grouper in

opposite wall monitor every activity of the 26,000-sq.-ft. complex. Even though

1912. The fsh was shipped by rail all over the country—from New York to Chicago

Big Brother is watching, any of his 165 employees can come talk to Frank if they

to Denver. When Joe Patti arrived on the scene in 1919, Pensacola was booming.

have an issue.

These days, Joe Patti’s Seafood has a wine store (Anna’s Fine Wines), a sushi

Anna’s family had moved from Sicily to Florida when she was three. But Joe forged his own path. He landed in Brooklyn in 1918 on an Italian military vessel.

restaurant, an ice cream counter, a cofee bar and a specialty grocery market with

World War I ended while Joe was in New York and he decided right then and there

everything from prosciutto to Boar’s Head meats. It’s more than just a place to buy

to become an American.

Frank, who is prone to telling wild stories, begins to outline the family history.

Then one day, after a seven-year cold shoulder, she called for Joe Patti.

“He knew that Pensacola had a big Italian population so he headed south. Some

He’d proven himself a great fsherman and boat captain, as well as a savvy

of the Conti family from Riposto had settled here. Daddy moved in with the Contis

businessman.

on DeVilliers Street for $15 a month.”

Frank leans back in his chair and laughs. “One day my dad saw mama in their family fsh market and told her brother that he was gonna marry her. Her brother

“Daddy was a fearless man,” Frank says. “He was not afraid of anything on this earth. But there were two things he wouldn’t cross: God and his mother-in-law.”

Fear was not a good quality for boat captains. Pensacola’s sailing “smacks”

told daddy that it would never happen, because their mama protected Anna like a

would travel 600 miles south to Mexico’s Bay of Campeche where the water

baby, and she might just kill him frst.”

ran red with snapper. In the 1800s, before large quantities of ice were available,

Of course, the wedding did happen. But they had to leave town to avoid the wrath of Anna’s mother.

“After they got married, Anna’s mama didn’t talk to daddy or even look at him for seven years,” Franks says with a smile.

the smacks would put the fsh in a live well and bring them back to port still swimming. In 1895, the Pensacola Ice Company was founded and would load the boats with as much as 20 tons of ice.

“They’d be gone for 30 days or more,” Frank says. “And they’d bring back

thousands of pounds of snapper. There wasn’t any snapper in the Northern Gulf back then like we have now, but there was plenty in Mexico.”

When Anna got pregnant with Frank in 1930, she asked Joe not to go fshing

At this point in the interview, I realize that Frank Patti remembers prices and dates like Einstein remembered relativity. Over the course of two hours, he tells me how much shrimp sold for during four diferent eras and, by the way, gas was

anymore. Being away for a month was too long. That’s when Joe built their little

11 cents a gallon in 1946, he tells me. It’s obvious he knows the price, past and

bait counter and started selling shrimp for bait.

present, of everything that swims. After all, he’s been in the business since he was

Frank spins his chair around and immediately puts his hand on a document in his bookcase. He looks at the yellowed piece of paper. “The house was on 323 West Government Street,” he says. “Right next door to Captain Rosario.”

In 1935, Joe and Anna opened Joe Patti’s Seafood Market on DeVilliers Street, and in 1945, during World War II, Joe expanded the family business and built his frst fsh market on B Street near where Joe Patti’s Seafood stands today.

“We were getting three cents a pound for headless shrimp to send to New York,” Frank says. “Shrimp were already popular up there.”

Frank’s intercom buzzes. A man from the Northeast wants to sell him some clams. “Okay, I’ll talk to him,” Frank says. As they negotiate, Frank is spouting of prices he’s paying for clams now. He’s not looking at a price sheet.

a kid. As a young schoolboy, his daddy had him doing the menial tasks that kept the shop running smoothly.

“Before I went to school, I’d chop up ten, 300-lb. blocks of ice with nothing but an ice shaver,” he says proudly. “Every day, I’d chop up 3,000 pounds of ice.”

As the business grew, Joe Patti’s Seafood Market became a fxture in the region. “If you ate seafood in a restaurant, it came from Joe Patti’s,” Frank says. “We mostly sold wholesale, but when friends and neighbors came by, mama would sell to them, too. She couldn’t turn anyone away. If they wanted to buy some fsh for dinner, mama would sell it to them.”

In 1956, Joe and Anna returned to Italy to visit Joe’s aging mother. Frank was just 26, but he had to run the operation for three months while his parents were gone.

A smile creeps onto Frank’s face and I anticipate another anecdote coming.

“It was the craziest thing,” he says. “I got back to the shop from taking mama and daddy to the airport and the boats had brought in all of this bay shrimp. I think it was 7,900 lbs. I’d never seen so much shrimp. One of our captains, Bobby Favorite, was there. He asked me what we were going to do with all that shrimp. I didn’t have any idea what we could do either.

Then I remembered this man from New Orleans, Junior Piazza, who I’d met on my shrimp boat in Apalachicola Bay. He told me that he’d buy any extra shrimp we had. I ran out to the boat and found his business card.

I think it had been in there for two years. Anyway, I got

Customers check out the fresh seafood they want to buy.

him on the phone. He asked

Warren Fish House, the Marine Ways Sail Loft and original harbor view at the end of Palafox Street, circa 1930.

how fresh the shrimp were and I said, ‘They’re still jumping around; they just came in of the boat.’ Junior said that he’d be here in two hours. I didn’t believe him

members. They gave him a 12-month “vacation” with pay.

Frank gets serious for a moment. I don’t get much in the way of detail about

because it’s a three-hour drive today and that was before we had the interstate.

this particular family drama, but it’s enough to say Frank still carries some pain

He must have drove 100 miles per hour because he showed up in two hours and

from what happened. “I was hurt,” he said. “I thought they couldn’t do it without

bought everything we had. He paid us 30 cents a pound.”

me. But, the truth was, they did do it without me. So, I went into the boat

For the next three months, Frank, Bobby, and the other boat captains kept catching a lot of shrimp and Junior Piazza kept buying them. Soon, the price went up to 40 cents a pound.

“When mama and daddy came back from Italy, the frst thing daddy wanted

building business.”

Patti Shipyards became an instant success. Frank built shrimp boats, fshing boats and any boat someone wanted to buy. Within two years, Frank was a millionaire. “I made more money building boats than I ever make selling seafood.”

to see was the checkbook. When he saw $23,000, he got so mad at me because he

For the next 15 years, Patti’s Shipyard grew and so did Joe Patti’s Seafood. Then,

thought I had stopped paying the bills. I said, ‘Daddy, I paid all the bills. We don’t

in 1992, Joe died at 91 years old. Frank’s brother Sammy died that same year, too.

owe anybody anything.’ That’s when daddy smiled and said, ‘Okay, you need to

The family business needed Frank and he was ready to step back in.

stay here and help me.’ I said, ‘Okay, daddy, but we need a fsh house.’ A few days

When he took over in 1992, the company did a respectable two million in

later, daddy said, ‘Okay we’ll build one.’ When he said ‘we,’ he meant us. We built it

sales. But Frank was on a mission. By 2001—just nine years later—revenues

ourselves.”

had increased to $18 million. But Frank’s impressive run came to an abrupt end

For the next two decades, Joe Patti’s Seafood constantly expanded with more

when he was indicted on 12 counts of tax fraud in February of 2001. The trial was

boats, more trucks and more space to sell seafood. Then, one day in 1977, Frank’s

on the front page of the Pensacola News Journal every day for months. Frank’s

family threw him a curveball. He was voted out of the company by his family

lawyers tried just about everything, including an alleged bout of amnesia, but

eventually, Frank pleaded guilty to two counts and was sentenced to 78 months in

seafood business. Of course, most days, business is brisk. Some weekends almost

prison (of which he served 39 months). One of his jail mates was former Louisiana

10,000 people come through the doors. Most of them are returning customers.

Governor Edwin Edwards.

“If he ran for governor today, he’d win by a landslide,” Frank says. “The people still love him.”

Edwards is going on tour to promote his new book, and a stopover in Pensacola to see Frank is on the list.

“While I was in prison,” Frank says without hesitation, “Our revenues fell to $12

As soon as the woman leaves, Frank turns to me. He’s already smiling and I suspect another story is coming. And then probably another.

He talks of his old boat, the 68-ft. Guiding Star. “It was the most beautiful shrimping vessel on the water.” And how he used the Sammy (which is still on display in the parking lot) to salvage timbers from Pensacola Beach that had washed up during hurricanes to build their fsh market on B Street. We share a

million. That was 2005. Fortunately, we’ve been able to bring it back up.” His mind

laugh when we talk about straightening out old rusty nails—something my father

always focuses back on the numbers. “I think we’ll do $22 million this year.”

made me do as a kid after storms took out our pier.

Frank is part business tycoon and part hardened sailor. He uses expletives

“Back before people ate shrimp, before they were popular, some people didn’t

with gusto and strikes fear into his employees, but like a good captain, he has a

even know what shrimp was,” Frank says with a smile. “One day, Captain Joe took

generous and genuine open door policy. Every three or four minutes, one of his

a load of shrimp north and a policeman in Montgomery stopped him. The cop

stafers shows up with an issue that Frank solves in about 15 to 30 seconds.

looked at the shrimp and told him to ‘Get all them grasshoppers outta here!’ Or he

As we’re talking, an attractive woman wearing the standard issue Joe Patti’s red T-shirt comes in and seems unfazed even though Frank is throwing out a

was going to arrest him.”

Frank laughs hard at that one. Another red shirt walks in with a question. It’s

string of words you won’t likely hear in church. She mistakenly sold triggerfsh

been two hours and I’m loving all the stories as much as Frank is enjoying telling

fllets at $4/pound less than Frank’s cost.

them. Eventually, I thank him and leave through a sea of people buying seafood.

“I’ll just call ‘em back and tell ‘em it was a mistake, Mr. Frank,” she says.

But not before stopping at the counter for three pounds of royal red shrimp. At

“Hell no,” Frank barks. “If that’s the price you gave ‘em, I’m not going back on it.

my request, the shrimp are cooked to perfection in a massive steamer…for free.

Thank God it’s only 300 pounds.”

Only 300 pounds? I quickly do the math…a $1,200 hit. Just another day in the

Joe Patti’s Seafood as it looks today. It’s the largest seafood operation in the U.S.

Medium spice with lemon. That’s just how I like ‘em.

Thanks, Frank.

BY GUY HARVEY, PHD

Dr. Harvey goes to bat for stingrays in his hometown of Grand Cayman. At stake is smart conservation policy and big money.

The stingrays of Grand Cayman’s North Sound are on the rebound after an unexpected decline in numbers over the past few years. This summer, Guy led a team of local and visiting researchers to determine what’s going on with one of the island’s most valuable assets.

n the Cayman Islands, southern stingrays are a very big deal.

This animal has appeared in every single media advertisement, printed and electronic, and every documentary or tourist guide ever done about the region for the last 30 years. Now, it is even on the new $50 note! Amazingly, until May 17, 2013, this extremely valuable animal was not even protected outside the Wildlife Interactive Zone (a.k.a. Stingray City). And in spite of being protected there, four animals still ended up at Grand Cayman’s Dolphin Discovery facility in early 2012. Because they had been tagged by the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) in the January 2012 census, the evidence was clear that they had been taken from the sandbar. No one could tell me how they got there, but it confrmed my theory that a decline in the number of stingrays over the last two years has been partially due to sabotage.

Granted, some might think, “What’s the big deal about a few stingrays?” That’s

Guy, always hands-on, helps capture a good-size ray for examination. Data

a question I was able to help answer recently for the new chief ofcer in our

collected through blood tests, ultrasounds and tagging will help researchers

Ministry of the Environment, Dr. Dax Basdeo. We met on day two of our 2013

determine the health of the stingray population.

census of the North Sound stingray population. I was able to update him about the socio-economic value of the stingrays to the country and report on the status of the ray population, which is generally good.

My conservative estimates—assuming 400,000 people visit the sandbar each year paying $40 per head—put the value of each stingray at $500,000 per annum. These are slow growing, long-lived animals. This means that in 20 years (and many of the large females are 30-plus years old), they can generate for this country between $10 million and $15 million each!

The major push to protect these animals began in July 2012 and was fnalized in mid-May 2013. There being no other user group (commercial fshing, for example), the rays are not endangered, but because of their celebrity status, they have fnally earned protection. Our next step in Cayman should be to count the number of visitors to the sandbar each year so we know exactly what the stingrays bring in revenue for the country.

It’s also amazing to me that for the 12 years I have been leading the census, that protection was limited to not lifting the rays out of the water. Many tour operators used to do this…the stingray sombrero! The handling of rays by tour operators has improved because of guidelines drawn up by the Department of Environment, but tour operators do very little else to guard the golden goose.

Just as a lot of fshermen always expect there to be fsh in the ocean, regardless of what they do, these operators show up every day expecting the rays to be there.

I’ve made a call to the tour operators to form a group to work with the Department of Environment and have eyes watching the sandbar “after hours.” We need to assist the under-stafed, under-funded Department of Environment and do our part. The old law did not contemplate theft of the rays from the sandbar, but there are even unverifed reports of rays being caught and consumed. Up to May 2013, anyone could catch a ray outside the Wildlife Interactive Zone and keep it in their bathtub or even (it has been said) take it out of the country by boat. In fact, in the late 1980s, there was an attempt to take 10 adult females to Cayman Brac to start a ray experience there.

Good Numbers This year’s stingray census ran for fve days and was conducted by three vets from the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta: GHRI Director Dr. Mahmood Shivji and Dr. Brad Wetherbee, an elasmobranch specialist from the University of Rhode Island, as well as Department of the Environment staf who have all been part of the census from the start. We were ably assisted for three days by island vet Dr. Ioana Popescu and several other volunteers.

In all, 75 rays were sampled at the sandbar, up from an all-time low of 57 in July 2012, which was four less than found in the census of January 2012.

Why was this census done in January? In spite of no counts since July 2008,

observations indicated a reduction in the numbers of rays. The number has been fairly stable for the last 20 years, so there was real concern to fnd out the cause of the reduction.

In addition to the usual measurements, DNA samples and blood draws, the Georgia vets brought an ultrasound computer with which they were able to detect pregnancy, even in the very early stages, which you cannot see by just looking at the female ray. Once a pregnant ray begins to “show,” there is a bump toward the back end of their disc. About 50% of the females sampled were pregnant, and this is good. The site needs the new animals to replace those that leave, are caught accidentally, or are eaten by their natural predators like tiger sharks and hammerhead sharks. These great predators are few and far between nowadays, and were not considered by the scientists as the cause for the sudden decline in numbers in 2011 and 2012.

The added horsepower provided by the Georgia vets’ health assessment is invaluable. It is the basis for a good, long-term assessment on these animals. The vets said last year that the squid fed to the rays is not the best food in terms of

The 2013 Stingray Census will be featured in the television series Ocean Mysteries with Jef Corwin. Above: Guy and Jef (blue shirt) fanked by the Ocean Mysteries flm crew, Georgia Aquarium vets and GHRI staf, who all took part in the census.

nutrition, and there needs to be more fsh added to their diet. An inexpensive way of acquiring this fsh would be to collect the fsh cuttings and scraps from restaurants around Grand Cayman. These cuttings would be great for the rays. In addition, lionfsh carcasses (spines removed) are slurped by the bigger rays. We’re still waiting for someone to organize a system like this.

There were a dozen newly-tagged rays counted in the census, so recruitment of new animals is taking place. Also, several were processed that were already tagged but were not sampled in the 2012 census. This indicates that some rays will spend more than three days away from the sandbar at any time. (The census is only three days long, so if it is not at the sandbar over that period, the ray will not be counted.)

We also noticed many of the rays were growing new stings. Last year, I made the decision on-the-spot to clip the tips of the stingray stings as a safety precaution. We were working in close quarters with big, powerful animals that had the means to injure one of the vets badly. The Department of Environment and Marine Conservation Board were understandably concerned, particularly as I had not requested permission to do this. I knew from previous experience that the stings grow back. Indeed, the vets said they routinely clip the stings of the rays in the aquarium’s touch tanks and they grow back. During this census, we found that most of the stings were generating new points and some were growing a new sting below the older clipped sting.

At present, we are awaiting the full health assessment from the Georgia Aquarium vets and will keep all informed as to their recommendations.

Meanwhile, the remaining six captive rays at Dolphin Discovery were released at the sandbar this July. All were tagged, and it’s great to have those fve adult males back in the mix to keep the stingray population more balanced and healthy.

It is our collective responsibility to conserve the marine environment and maintain the biodiversity of the planet. It pays, both in quality of life and in economic returns.

Fish responsibly, dive safely.

Left: Georgia Aquarium vet Dr. Tonya Clauss (left) assisted by Dr. Ioana Popescu of Grand Cayman takes blood from the underside of the tail of a stingray.

Here are some tips for a great experience: • The best time to visit is anytime. The Cayman Never been to Stingray City? It’s a must-see attraction

Islands are warm and beautiful year-round, with

when visiting the Cayman Islands. While hanging

the lowest temperature averaging in the 70s. The

out at the three-foot-deep sandbar, expect to be

water is especially clear and calm in the summer.

surrounded by as many as two dozen friendly stingrays. The site has been a popular human-ray rendezvous for more than 35 years and the stingrays are incredibly docile. The real danger is an occasional kick in the face from a fellow swimmer or snorkeler.

• Trips are ofered to tourists staying on the island, as well as those coming in on cruise ships. No matter how you travel, you can see the rays.

• Tours are usually three hours long, and there are few age or disability restrictions.

• Most visitors opt for a simple bathing suit. You can wear a wetsuit, but it’s not required. Typically, companies will provide snorkeling equipment.

• Do not wear jewelry when petting the stingrays, to avoid hurting or scratching them.

• Finally, don’t forget your camera for an awesome photo opportunity, and remember that kissing a stingray brings good luck for seven years!

For more information on Stingray City visit CaymanIslands.ky/activities/attractions/stingraycity.

The Art of Healing

BY PAITRA PRIM

Cancer survivor Evan Taylor is giving back a little of the inspiration he once received from a fellow artist named Guy.

Evan painting the mural at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Pensacola, FL. Below left: Evan preparing to reel in his frst blue marlin while fshing in the Cayman Islands with Guy. Below right: Guy presenting Evan with a personal souvenir for the trip at his art gallery.

Evan Taylor was

With his rediscovered passion for art, Evan wanted to give back to those who

diagnosed with leukemia at the

helped him, but he wasn’t sure how to do it. “I liked it [painting], so I just kept

beginning of his eighth grade

going with it. I started painting on my wall, and my mom asked me if I would paint

year. Unable to keep his active

a mural at Nemours, and I said, ‘Yes, defnitely!’”

lifestyle, Evan turned to painting for enjoyment. Born and raised on

Nemours Children’s Clinic in Pensacola is where Evan was diagnosed and treated. He approached them about painting a mural in the clinic, and after

Florida’s Gulf Coast, he has always loved fshing. “It has been my main hobby since

being approved, he chose the perfect spot to get to work. Evan chose the chemo

I was a little kid,” he says, and so it wasn’t a surprise he chose marine wildlife as the

room in the clinic so kids would be able to see artwork while they are being

subject for his artwork. A year after being diagnosed, Evan was approached by the

treated. His focus for the mural was a tribute to the efort of spreading awareness

Make-A-Wish® Foundation. When they asked what he would like to do, his answer

of childhood cancer (represented with a yellow ribbon). So, in the middle of the

was especially ftting for a fsh-loving artist: “I want to go fshing with Guy Harvey.”

mural, he painted a ribbon surrounded with fsh that also had yellow coloring,

The family expected Guy to come to their home in Pensacola, Florida, to fsh.

such as yellowtail and mahi mahi. In a matter of weeks, Evan completed his

Instead, Guy invited them to his stomping grounds in the Cayman Islands. Evan

masterpiece. He wanted the mural fnished by September, the month recognized

was ecstatic. “Guy took us to his gallery and gave me some pointers on painting,”

as Childhood Cancer Awareness month.

he says. “But since I was just starting to paint then, I asked him more questions on fshing.” From catching his frst blue marlin on the fshing excursion to viewing Guy’s artwork frst-hand, that trip exceeded anything Evan could have ever imagined.

Now fve years later, just fnishing his frst year of college, Evan is cancer-free and loving life. Once he was cured, Evan returned to sports and left the painting to

Although Evan is studying engineering at school, he now plans to pursue his art as well, possibly as a minor in school.

“This was my frst big project, my frst mural, and I have learned a lot from it, so in the future they will probably be better. But this one will mean more to me than all the rest of them because this is where I went for my treatment.”

Evan also says his favorite part of painting is being able “to watch the fsh

Guy. However, three months ago, Evan picked his paintbrush back up and found

come to life.” When asked if he had any words for Guy, Evan ofered a bigger

he loved the activity more than ever. His artwork has matured and his technique

perspective.

improved immensely since he frst started painting at age 14. Evan’s mother, Dalia

“Doing the Make-A-Wish® has touched more people than I or he could have

Taylor, proudly stated, “After seeing him start to paint again, I was going to try to

imagined. He could not have seen the impact it had on me, but it defnitely

fnd him painting lessons, but now, looking at his artwork, I don’t think he needs

changed my life and was an amazing experience that I am very, very grateful for.

them. It’s amazing.”

If I can give back to these kids like he gave back to me, then it is all worthwhile.”

Mindy Brown dives down for a closer look at some manatee grass. Opposite top: Mindy with a quadrat, which is a tool used for calculating the coverage of seagrass. By estimating the abundance and counting the number of seagrass shoots in the squares of the quadrat, she can approximate the abundance and health of the entire seagrass bed and compare data collected to prior years. Bottom: Mindy with her trusty tape measure. Photos: Florida DEP/CAMA.

Research is uncovering the surprising power of seagrass

BY RENÉE WILSON

It’s a sultry August morning and research biologist Mindy Brown has just arrived at her survey site. She straps on fns, adjusts her mask and snorkel, and slips into the tepid waters near the eastern shore of Pine Island Sound. Taking a deep breath, she submerges below the surface with her gear in tow. The seagrass meadow before her is quiet and peaceful. She pulls out her measuring tape and catches a glimpse of a squared-off tail, likely a gag grouper, while spadefsh take a closer look at her mask. Bracing herself in the current, she begins the tedious task of counting the grass sprouts, one by one.

Brown has been studying seagrass beds in the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves on the Gulf Coast of Florida every summer since 2004, and is regarded as an expert when it comes to their location, growth and the myriad life forms they support.

Captain Ralph Allen with a monster snook under the U.S. 41 bridge at Peace River. Photo: www.kingfsherfeet.com.

“We usually see pipefsh, founder, shrimp and an occasional scallop,” Brown

Gary Lytton, Florida’s regional

says about her annual surveys of more than 50 meadows in the preserves. She’s

administrator for Aquatic Preserves

also encountered stingrays, sharks and even curious manatees. Although she

in South Florida, recalls a time when

is certifed in scuba, most of her survey sites are shallow enough for snorkeling

studies indicated a collapse of sea

because most of the grasses here require lots of sunlight, which can only

trout, shrimp and other species linked

penetrate waters less than six feet deep.

to seagrass.

Most anglers are focused on sharp hooks, fast boats and the high adrenaline

“As a result, millions of dollars

rush of a fsh ripping line of the reel, but a lot of that would not be possible

have been spent to carefully restore

without healthy seagrasses. That’s why dedicated folks like Mindy Brown are

environmental conditions in the bay,”

heroes of the fshing community. Seagrass meadows provide essential habitat for

says Lytton, “and seagrass is on the

a vast array of marine life. Pinfsh, spotted sea trout, gag grouper, and permit are

rebound.”

just a few of the recreationally valuable species that rely on seagrass as shelter

Research has revealed that the

and foraging grounds. Seagrass also helps maintain water clarity by trapping fne

downward trend was reversed following changes in storm water management

sediments with their blades and stabilizing the ocean foor with their root system.

and the reduction of nonpoint-source pollutants entering Tampa Bay. Nutrients

In sum, healthy grass beds are directly linked to great water quality and healthy

such as nitrogen and phosphorus—ironically used to feed grass growing on

fsh stocks.

land—also stimulate algae growth in the water, which prevents sunlight from

Seagrass requires relatively clear water to get light from the sun for

fltering down to seagrass and greatly hampers its growth.

photosynthesis, but some of Florida’s Gulf waters have a pretty cloudy history. For

As Brown and others are discovering, if given a little help, seagrass can bounce

example, prior to the 1980s, the Tampa Bay estuary lost nearly 80% of its seagrass

back when conditions are right. Charlotte Harbor’s seagrass success story is one

due to poor water quality caused by pollution and runof. As a result, the bay’s fsh

fshermen can verify. Captain Ralph Allen of the King Fisher Fleet in Punta Gorda

population sufered.

knows frsthand how important healthy estuaries and seagrasses are to the

What Grass is That?

Seven species of seagrass can be found in Florida waters. Here is the scoop on the three most common:

Shoal grass, Halodule wrightii, is

Manatee grass, Syringodium fliforme,

Turtle grass, Thalassia testudinum,

commonly found in shallow waters. The

is an easily recognized cylindrical grass that

is the most abundant marine grass in South

presence of three teeth on the tip of the

can grow in dense mats in shallow, coastal

Florida. Often found washed up on shore,

slender, fat blades helps identify this species

waters. It often is found growing with turtle

long (2-12”) blades are fat and strap-like. The

of grass. It frequently is found on mud fats

grass. As its name suggests, it is one of the

blades of turtle grass provide a good surface

that are periodically exposed during low tides.

preferred foods of manatees.

for colonization of other organisms, both plant and animal. Turtle grass is a preferred food of

Photos: Florida DEP/CAMA.

adult green sea turtles.

Watch That Prop!

While working on big-picture issues such as pollution is out of reach

thing,” he says. He believes the Charlotte Harbor area is fortunate in that there has

for most anglers, everyone can promote healthy grass beds with a little

been much less industry in the harbor compared to Tampa Bay, resulting in fewer

common sense. Careless boaters running through shallow seagrass beds

threats to seagrass.

can cause long-lasting damage. Propellers churning through seagrass beds

Brown’s monitoring work is critical to keeping an eye on the health of the

chop up their roots, leaving barren scars that can take years to recover.

estuary and the local community. Without a baseline inventory of assets like

Prop scars also accelerate erosion rates and stir up the sediment because of

seagrass, there is no way of knowing if they are in trouble or thriving.

channeling water and increasing current speed. The bottom line: be aware

“Many of our seagrass beds are stable or have grown in recent years,” she

when boating. Promoting seagrass growth and protecting existing beds is

says, commenting that growth rates naturally change across the seasons and in

an investment in great fshing. If your conscience isn’t enough to keep you

response to rainfall amounts.

from killing seagrass, the law might be. Fines for prop dredging in Florida’s

This means observant fshermen should expect to see grass beds change

Aquatic Preserves range from $50 to $1,000, depending on the number of

throughout the year. As fowering plants that rely on sunlight, short winter days

ofenses cited.

reduce growth and coverage area declines. Brown’s research has also shown a direct correlation between grass coverage and rainfall. Growth peaks in drought seasons because there is less rainwater runof reaching the coast. In addition to pollutants, runof is responsible for bringing with it too many nutrients and sediments from land that can blanket the grass and slow their growth.

Left: Mindy Brown measuring water depth. Photo: Florida DEP/CAMA.

This graph shows the average abundance of seagrass by year in the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves. Results show that more rainfall means less seagrass abundance.

fsheries on which his business thrives, and appreciates that Brown and her team are keeping tabs on the grass fats protected within the Aquatic Preserve.

“Many anglers don’t put it together how important grass is,” he says. As a second-generation charter guide and angler working in the area for decades, Allen’s business largely relies on healthy grass beds. Many of the ofshore fsh species that his clients like to catch, such as grouper, depend on seagrass because that is where the shrimp and crabs they eat start out. When asked what might happen if the grasses disappeared from Charlotte Harbor, Allen’s response was that the ripple efect would be mind-boggling.

Having grown up in the area, Allen remembers a time when sand bottom was prevalent upstream of the harbor. “The grass fats seem to be expanding, from what I can tell, and that’s a good

Sailfsh, Key West. Opposite: Dolphin, Islamorada.

RONALD C. MODRA a photo portfolio

Tarpon, Islamorada. Opposite: Sunset view from Bud N Mary’s Marina, Islamorada.

Flamingo in fight, Lake Ingram, Florida Keys. Opposite: Sunset view from Bud N Mary’s Marina, Islamorada.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8 FALL 2013

Photo: Scott Sommerlatte.

BEATING BAROTRAUMA • A GUIDE’S VIEW • TOP 5 FALL HOT SPOTS • THE BEAUTY OF BRAID

BY GUEST EDITOR NICK HONACHEFSKY

Beating Barotrauma

If you’ve put in any time targeting grouper, snapper, sea bass or other bottom-dwelling fsh, there’s no doubt you’ve seen the effects of barotraumas—when a fsh expels its stomach due to the change in water pressure from being quickly reeled up through the water column.

In the “old” days, anglers would just puncture a hole in the stomach with a hook

said, a jumping of point to address short fsh that must be released should be

or knife, in an attempt to relieve the blowout, and then release the fsh back in

increasing the size of terminal tackle, mandating larger size hooks when fshing

the water. Or, they would simply toss it back in without doing anything so the

live or dead baits. Any fsh that would then be reeled in would already most likely

fsh foated on the surface, falling victim to seagulls or sharks. Fortunately, other

be one of a larger variety, for the fact that it must be big enough to inhale a larger

options and techniques have been introduced, such as venting, where the fsh

hook and bait. Second, if the fsh comes up with a distended stomach full of air,

is depressurized with a needle poked through the perfect spot in a fsh’s swim

then the fsh goes in the box, plain and simple, and counts toward the limit. A bag

bladder; but even that technique is under the assumption the general fshing

limit can be set, say 10 fsh, and every fsh of the species that is caught, regardless

public is educated enough to put the needle in the right spot in the fsh. New

of size, or even a very liberal minimum size, goes to that limit. This way, the dozens

products, such as the Seaqualizer, attack the problem from a diferent angle,

of fsh that are caught and thrown back that wouldn’t survive anyway, at least

using a weighted system to slowly drop the fsh down to a depth with sufcient

get harvested and not wasted. It means anglers are not catching, releasing and

pressure before releasing it. This is probably the best approach we have for

endangering 20 undersized fsh to fnd 10 that are legal.

dealing with barotrauma.

Notwithstanding these viable options, what other solutions are there? I

This same approach might also be applied to some commercial fshing operations. When I see commercial trawlers whose nets envelop and pile up

believe we can limit mortality rates from barotrauma by working at two levels—

every size of fuke, legal or not, inevitably the trawlers end up shoveling of and

on a fsheries management level, as well as through a choice of fshing tackle. To

discarding thousands of dead, undersized, juvenile fuke that have been smashed

start, many times when anglers head out to specifcally target grouper, snapper

in the nets, and all those thousands of pounds of “bycatch” die. If anything, they

or sea bass, they are targeting larger fsh to take home for the dinner table. That

should count that dead bycatch toward their quota, and not set the trawl out

Venting and other release techniques help fsh like this one survive barotraumas, but adjusting size and catch limits might be a better way to preserve the resource. Photos: Steve Theberge. Opposite: Nick Honachefsky with a striped bass in Montauk, NY.

again to kill more undersized fuke. However, reducing size limits and taking a “keep what you catch” approach might ofer a better alternative and help foster healthier fsheries in these types of situations.

For recreational fshing, current venting and re-pressurizing techniques do work, to a degree, and help minimize the waste associated with barotrauma, but they are not perfect. Hopefully, tactics will advance more and more with technology, but for now, I hate seeing a 15-inch red snapper released just to foat on the surface as birds pick away at it. That one and the dozens after it might be better of in the icebox. What it comes down to is that I truly dislike seeing dead fsh go to waste. With newly adopted tackle and fsheries management laws, I believe we can eliminate much of the waste and do a better job of protecting and promoting our resources.

On the Cover: Fall fshing brings big action, including big redfsh on fy. See story, pg. 70. Photo: Scott Sommerlatte.

A Guide’s View We probe the mind of veteran saltwater ace Flip Pallot

BY CA STAFF Flip, after an especially

Most fyfshing nuts speak Flip Pallot’s name in hard day on the water. hushed and reverent tones. A legend of saltwater fyfshing, he’s a South Florida native who grew up splitting time between Biscayne Bay, the Keys and the Everglades, and his offbeat wit seems a result of long-term exposure to saltwater and mosquito venom. Early in life, Flip served as a linguist in the U.S. Army and then began carving out a career in banking. Fortunately, his true calling prevailed and he soon traded his shirt and tie for a boat. Flip spent 12 years as one of South Florida’s top fshing guides before moving into television and hosting a number of popular fshing shows, including 16 seasons of Walker’s Cay Chronicles on ESPN. Complete Angler caught up with Flip to get a veteran’s perspective on fshing and life. The best guides always have a little something to say about both.

CA: What’s your advice to anglers picking up a fy rod for the frst time?

FP: Flyfishing is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EASY! It’s the way in which we challenge ourselves to fish, contemplatively, and in spite of the handicaps presented by the tackle. Because it is more difficult

trevally

than other methods of fishing, one must allow for a learning curve…actually embrace it as a lifestyle.

Also, find a GREAT casting instructor. Bring casting skills to the fishing situation; don’t presume to learn casting skills while fishing. Eat a nice lunch.

CA: Is there a fsh you haven’t caught or place you haven’t been that’s still on your bucket list?

individual space. In my relationship with Diane, much of the common ground is fshing—much is humor,

glamorous. These days, I yearn more to repeat

CA: You have hosted multiple fshing shows and been in hundreds of individual episodes. What’s the hardest part about fshing on TV?

angling experiences that I’ve already enjoyed…in the

FP: Fishing in front of the camera adds an unnatural

company of folks with whom I’m comfortable.

level of pressure to an activity that should, ideally,

FP: I’m the most fortunate of anglers, having fshed many places around about the globe. There was a time when the “bucket list” was long and

but more of the common ground is quite common— cooking, walks in the woods, birthday presents, and Christmas morning breakfast, phone calls with our daughter, airboat rides on the marsh and a lot of sundowns. The individual space is each of us allowing the other to continue to be the person that called to us in the very beginning. Seems to be working.

be pressure-free. The clock is ticking against the

FP: Can you imagine a week-long fshing trip

CA: Your name is often listed among the founding fathers of saltwater fyfshing. What do you want your legacy to be in the fshing community?

with Pee Wee? Breakfast every morning would be

FP: It’s very hard to see yourself through the eyes of

cost of travel, meals, videographer salaries and

CA: What, exactly, is your interest in the heroic qualities of Pee Wee Herman?

production costs, not to mention the vagaries of weather—all hinging upon your next cast at a tailing bonefsh or marlin in the teasers. Oh, and how’s my hair look?

be the comedy platform of the angling ages! I think

CA: If there is one cast in your fshing career you could have back and do over, what would it be?

I’m beginning to see the possibilities of a reality TV

FP: That’s a tough one. Well, there was this one

series here—Pee Wee’s Excellent Angling Adventures…

permit in Belize, back when it was actually British

with Flip. What? Is that title too long?

Honduras—no, I reckon it was a giant trevally at

hysterical. How about his conversations with the guide? Watching him cast? Dealing with bait? How about when a fsh fnally came into the boat? It would

CA: How have your views on conservation or fsheries management changed over the years?

[Kreh] showed me last week.

been that giant brown trout on the South Island of

hosted the popular Walkers Cay Chronicles, says

New Zealand! I remember it was snowing…wait!…I

TV adds a unique stress to fshing.

think it was a laid-up tarpon in Islamorada and Ted Williams was poling the skif. My fy hit the water and the tarpon…no, I’m wrong. It was defnitely that

and fsheries management have changed so much

spooled my #2 Fin Nor fy reel. Damn. I’m having so

in recent times as much as they have become more

much trouble with my memory that I’ll have to come

urgent. Time is simply running out for treasures

back to this question.

such as the Everglades, the Mosquito Lagoon, South Florida ofshore reefs and the like. Each coming

having to deal with higher profle problems such as

CA: You refer to your wife, Diane, as your “best fshing buddy.” Is fshing the secret to a happy marriage?

economics, energy, health, immigration, education

FP: I don’t reckon fshing is the secret to a happy

and global warming (real or imagined). Our track

marriage. In all the successful marriages that I’m

record has been poor; theirs, I fear, will be worse.

aware of, there is common ground and there is

them less and less. At the same time they are

thought to legacy as I have a new knot that Lefty

Although it’s hard to tell from this shot, Flip, who

cruising rooster fsh on the beach in Panama that

such treasures, and understands and appreciates

you to death! I haven’t begun to give so much

Midway Island in the Pacifc—no, no, it must have

FP: I’m not certain that my views about conservation

generation of custodians has fewer touchstones to

others. Perhaps that’s a good thing. It might frighten

The

of Braid

BY JEFF DENNIS GHM INSIDER

GEARHEADS :

The formula for braided line is simple: more sensitivity + more durability + more line capacity = way more fsh.

Have you gone braid? Many saltwater anglers have moved from monoflament to braided line, both for inshore and offshore applications. There are few reasons not to make the switch. Cost might be one. Braid can be several times more expensive to spool up than mono. Ease of use, some argue, is another. And there are some applications for which mono still offers a few important advantages. But for most braid converts, there’s just no turning back.

Inshore anglers value braided line for its abrasion resistance

South Carolina. “Sensitivity is a great selling point since there

against things like dock pilings and oyster bars. They also swear

is almost zero stretch in braid. When pulling an egg sinker over

by the greater sensitivity and ease of detecting the faintest

the bottom for founder, I can get a good feel for every bump

of fsh bites—think sheepshead nibbling on a fddler crab,

along the way. For trout, I use a rod with a softer-action tip to

or picking up warnings from your live bait that it’s about to

counteract the hard hook set from braid, since trout have a

get eaten. The inherent stretch in mono line makes detecting

delicate mouth.”

such subtleties difcult at best. Of course, a short mono

Braid has great application for ofshore anglers, as well,

or fuorocarbon leader on the end of a braided line is still

although most still want mono in the water at the point of

necessary for a stealthy presentation.

impact. This helps with stealth, but it also provides stretch

“For inshore fshing, anything from an eight-pound braid

to absorb driving hits from pelagic fsh. So ofshore anglers

to a 15-lb. braid is the most popular,” says Scott Hammond,

“top shot” their braid with mono, and after fghting a large

manager at Haddrell’s Point West Tackle Shop in Charleston,

fsh, can simply and economically replace the mono leader. So

Photo: Ronald C. Modra.

what are the advantages of braid for big-water anglers? One is

this problem, and line manufacturers have done their part,

a signifcant increase in line capacity, which improves the odds

as well. Fins brand ofers Windtamer braid to try to reduce

of landing larger fsh. The other, just like for inshore fshing, is

wind knots and rod tip wrapping. It’s used by Blair Wiggins,

serious sensitivity.

who travels extensively to flm his Addictive Fishing TV show,

“For ofshore bottom fshing, braid has revolutionized what

which included a recent coastal Texas outing in July in windy

anglers can feel down deep,” says Hammond. “The smaller

conditions. “The Windtamer is perfectly rounded, which makes

diameter of the line means it has less resistance in the water,

it possible to undo some knots, rather than cut and retie,” said

and thus, takes less weight to take the bait down to the strike

Wiggins. He says it helped his team “spend more time fghting

zone. When you lift your rod tip up, you know exactly how far

fsh rather than fghting knots.”

you have jigged your bait, but with stretchy mono, your precise jigging action is unknown.”

Unlike monoflament, which is a single strand material,

Serious braid converts have adapted to this and learned to deal with a few knots, for not only better sensitivity, but also because braid ofers improved casting distances. Captain

braided lines consist of anywhere from four to 16 fbers woven

Mark Nichols, founder of DOA Lures, is a big fan of braid for

together. The line then receives a coating, which provides color

this reason. “Stretch and memory hurt casting distance and

and increases abrasion resistance. This process provides greater

accuracy, and braid is the answer,” he says.

tensile strength in a smaller package; but one downside is

If you’ve not yet spooled up a shot of braid, there are

susceptibility to wind knots. A tangle in braid, or a wind knot, is

plenty of choices on the market. Following are eight of our

much harder to overcome than in its monoflament counterpart.

favorites. Just remember to use a mono or fuorocarbon leader

Many pliers and line nippers will not cut braid efectively or

for stealth, and to adjust your hook-setting technique to

cleanly, so carbide cutters or even a windproof lighter are

account for the lack of stretch, either by using a slower rod tip

needed to start the re-rigging process.

or lower drag setting. The payof will be fewer break-ofs and

Good casting technique and spool design can help tame

a better feel of every bite.

Cortland Masterbraid Metered Cortland line company introduced their 10-color metered braid for 2013 with a color change every 30-yards. Using high-tech spectra fbers, Masterbraid is rounder for less twist and is coated with a hydrophobic coating. Available in 20-, 30-, 50-, 65-, 80- and 100-lb. test. www.CortlandLine.com

Sufx 832 Advanced Superline This small diameter braid uses a patent-pending R8 blending of seven Dyneema fbers and one Gore performance fber. With 32 weaves per inch, there is less line vibration. Available in 6-, 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 65- and 80-lb. test. www.Rapala.com

Spiderwire Camo This low-vis camo color blends in well with the water. The Tefontreated microfbers ofer smooth and quiet casting. The round shape of the line reduces backlashes and won’t dig into rod guides or the reel.

Available in 6-, 8-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, 50-, 65- and 80-lb. test. www.SpiderWire.com

Tuf-Line XP Their tension lock technology provides compaction of the spectra fbers during the fnishing process. A smaller diameter line reduces rod tip wrapping and provides less abrasion and shredding. Available in 6-, 8-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 65-, 80-, 100-, 130-, 150-, 200- and 250-lb. test. www.Tuf-Line.com

Toro Tamer Spliceable This 16-strand braid is good for knotless connections and lays fat on the reel for increased line capacity. One hundred percent line strength capability of this hollow core line will calm the nerves of anyone who has witnessed a failed knot and a lost fsh. Available in 30-, 40-, 50-, 60-, 80- and 130-lb. test. www.ToroTamer.com

Power Pro Ofers enhanced body technology for higher sensitivity and improved strength-to-size ratio.

Reduced line friction through rod guides provides superior casting. Available in 5-, 8-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 65-, 80-, 100-, 150-, 200- and 250-lb. test. www.PowerPro.com

Fins Windtamer Perfectly round shape reduces chance of wind knots by cutting through the wind. Line packs onto bait-casting reels well and improves casting distance. Available in 4-, 5-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 15-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 65-, 80-, 100-, 150- and 200-lb. test. www.FinsFishing.com

Diamond Braid A special coating and fnish of the spectra braids provides increased strength and longevity. The round shape of the line prevents knifng through spools, decreased twist and longer casting distances. Available in 15-, 20-, 30-, 50-, 65-, 80-, 100-, 130- and 200-lb. test. www.DiamondFishing.com

Fall’s Top 5 Fishing Hot Spots

No matter what part of the country you’re in, when the weather cools down, the bite heats up.

BY NICK HONACHEFSKY

Autumn brings a medley of changes across the country—technicolored leaves in the northeast, cooler weather and more gray-haired residents in Florida, the end of noontime nighttime in Alaska—but coast to coast, one change is universal. Fishing goes into overdrive. Fall means fsh are on the hunt, fattening up and getting ready for winter. From East Coast to Gulf Coast to West Coast, everything is alive and in a feeding frenzy. Here’s the Complete Angler’s take on fve of the hottest fshing grounds you don’t want to miss.

NORTHEAST–Montauk Stripers Defned by its bumpy, glacial boulder coastline, swirling rip currents and plentiful baitfsh schools, striper anglers clamor to “The End” of Montauk, NY, to experience the best of striped bass fshing. Montauk holds the distinction of being the historical epicenter of the “fall run” of striped bass. It’s a must-do destination for any serious striper fsherman to visit at least once in their career. It’s also a surfcaster’s paradise at spots like Turtle Cove and North Bar, where anglers clip on corker boots to hop from rock to rock to reach out further with their casts, working three- to fve-ounce wooden poppers across the surface. The feeting poppers crash and splash to attract the attention of bass below, typically resulting in an intense visual strike.

Submerged boulders and rocky shores under the lighthouse act as ambush points that attract schools of blitzing bass of eight to 35 lbs. Boaters implement a variety of tactics to trick up bass, including jigging with metal Ava and Crippled Herring jigs, trolling bunker spoons and shad bar rigs, and livelining bunker. Sunrises over the rock-lined coast or days surfcasting or trolling under Montauk Lighthouse make for memorable experiences. With nearly a century of recreational striper fshing on its side, this is still the promised land for world-class “stripahs.”

The rocky shores of Montauk, New York, have long been a mecca for anglers seeking stripers and it’s still the place be for big fall fsh.

GULF COAST–Trophy Texas Trout Without a doubt, come fall, it’s all about trout in the Texas Gulf bays and estuaries. The expansive stretch of barrier coastline starting from Galveston and wrapping around the Gulf of Mexico down through Laguna Madre holds a spectacular seatrout opportunity on trophy tiderunners of eight to 12 lbs. Popular destinations in Galveston Bay include Robinson Bayou, Spillway fats and Trinity River fats. Mid-coast claims Matagorda Bay as the prime speck real estate, while the southern points of Bafn Bay down to Laguna Madre are perennial trout haunts. Seatrout can be skittish, and wade fshing is the preferred method to truly stalk the fsh and sneak up on your quarry, as it’s best to be in stealth mode when working over channels, fats, mud and sand holes, and pockets and potholes. Low light hours of dawn and dusk put the specks in ambush mode, as they pin mullet schools up on the fats and hide with shadow-like ninja skills in the seagrasses waiting to pounce on unsuspecting baitfsh. Tactics are varied, but commotion on the surface will usually prompt a strike. Texas tactics include twitching DOA shrimp or fve-inch bass assassins, bouncing Johnson spoons, working topwater popping corks with shrimp underneath and livelining large mullet on foats. Boaters must exercise extreme quietude. It’s best to shut of the engine and pole around the fats and through the grass beds to sneak up on spiketooth schools. This is the time of year when trophies are taken and gator-class specks of a lifetime are always a legitimate possibility.

Matagorda Bay, in the central region of the Texas Gulf Coast, has a reputation for heavy speckled trout in the fall. Redfsh are also a pleasant distraction.

EAST COAST FLORIDA– Running of the Bulls You’ll be seeing red in every channel and on every fat of Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and Indian River waterways, as redfsh get aggressive and feed in the cooling temperatures. In the Merritt Island sound of Mosquito Lagoon and Banana River, fat, shallow, expanse bays

Big bull reds in the 15-25 lbs. range can often be found in the backwaters of

help betray the location of reds running in wolf packs as a V-wake ripples

Florida’s central east coast. Fall is prime time for top-water action and sight

the surface when reds chase mullet schools along the edges and up onto

fshing for “tailing” reds.

the fats. Bulls to 40 lbs. are not uncommon, with 15- to 25-lb. redfsh the norm. Watch for their telltale black-bullseye tails breaking the waters on the fats and loft a cast with a shrimp lanced on a red ¼-ounce leadhead, twitch snapping it back until the red inhales it. In the channels under the backdrop of a Cape Canaveral seashore sunrise, be prepared for explosive topwater strikes on Zara Spooks, as reds run the edges of channels, pushing baitfsh schools up onto the fats. Launch swimming plugs, poppers and swimbaits ahead of the schools, but not too close to spook them in the glass-calm, daybreak waters. Further south, near Sebastian Inlet, the action is equally intense. Captain Glyn Austin of Goin’ Coastal Charters says, “Sebastian Inlet and Indian River reds move in and out at the high slack, beating on pogy schools. Pier anglers and boaters drifting at the inlet cast topwater poppers and bucktails tipped with eight-inch grub worms. The south jetty is a hot spot, where you’ll also fnd tarpon, snook, sharks and jacks on the prowl.”

Fall temps are nippy in Alaskan waters, but the halibut fshing (left) is hotter than ever. Rockfsh (right) and big lingcod (below) will also require a stout rod and strong back.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST– ‘Buts and Beasties Alaska needs no introduction when it comes to its sheer beauty and magnifcence, but the “land of the midnight sun” beckons anglers for what’s below its scenic waters. Come fall, relatively mild temperatures still blanket the 50th state, making for some doable fshing. September and October efectively ring in the fnal months to have at the largest fatfsh on the planet—halibut.

Knee-breaking fatties of 25 to 75 lbs. are common, but true “barn doors” up to and over the 300 lb. mark come up with some luck. The Cook Inlet, Kachemak Bay and Kodiak Island waters are honored halibut hunting grounds. Ripping, three-knot currents make for tough fshing, with up to fve pounds of lead sometimes needed to hold bottom in 250 feet of water, but the ‘buts are worth the strain. Other beasties on tap are the monstrous lingcod, some of which can grow up to fve feet long. Large bucktail jigs tipped with strip baits are dropped down to the bottom in rocky areas up to 60 miles of the coast and bounced until the lingcod are fooled and pounce on the ofering. Rounding out the saltwater mix is a collection of rockfsh, including black bass and bright orange yellow-eyes, both of which put a formidable tug on the line and are tasty table fare. Look to the rock-strewn bottom waters of Washington, Oregon and Northern California, as well, to tangle with some lingcod.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA– Seeing Yellow Everything comes up yellow in the fall waters of SoCal as top targets include both the torpedo-like California yellowtail and rocket-propelled yellowfn tuna. The epicenter of the SoCal feet, Point Loma at the mouth of the San Diego Bay, is the jumping of point for saltwater action, though a formidable recreational charter boat feet also stations at Marina Del Rey. Prime grounds for California yellowtail include the kelp-paddy bastioned ofshore islands of Catalina and San Clemente. The stringy, leafy cover attracts yellowtail to feed on sardine and Pacifc mackerel schools that stick around the paddies for protection and forage.

Jim Hendricks, local SoCal expert and storied outdoor writer, recommends hunting yellowtail with “a good shot of 25- to 30-lb. mono and a 3/0 live bait hook, tipped with a live sardine, either fylined under the paddies or fshed on a dropper loop near the bottom. Other tactics include yo-yo jigging heavy metal jigs under bird schools, along the coast or under paddies at the islands.” Yellowfn tuna are the other top dogs on the fall menu, as the lightning-quick speedsters follow porpoise schools as they hound dog and corral sardine schools. “Run your boat out ahead of the porpoise to intercept the yellowfn, then cast fylined sardines while throwing in a few live ones for chum,” says Hendricks. Bonus action of the SoCal coastline, especially when an El Niño surge pushes low- to mid-70 degree water inshore, includes mahi, striped marlin and even bigeye tuna. On the inshore scene, kelp paddies and rocky outcroppings often attract scores of calico bass, California halibut, lingcod and rockfsh.

Yellowtail can also show up closer inshore of the Channel Islands, turning the autumn months red hot…uh, yellow…for Southern California anglers.

Yellowtail (right) and yellowfn tuna are the dynamic duo of SoCal fshing in autumn months. The yellowfn run with porpoise schools in the hunt for sardines.

MEET THE CHEF

FRESH FROM THE GULF

BY GHM STAFF

During the past 10 years, Chef Tenney Flynn has become one of the brightest stars in the New Orleans culinary scene. Co-owner of GW Fins restaurant, located in the French Quarter, his passion for seafood and his skill at showcasing its sublime favors has brought both local fame and national attention.

Regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and discriminating seafood chefs in the country, he is often asked to judge national seafood competitions and provide cooking demonstrations for both fellow chefs and consumers. In the process, Chef Flynn has become a vocal advocate for the bounties of fresh Gulf seafood.

“We are so fortunate to have such an abundance of fn fsh in the Gulf. In fact, there are more varieties of fn

Chef Tenney Flynn | GW Fins | New Orleans, Louisiana

fsh here than any other place combined,” says Flynn.

The abundance of seafood in his backyard, plus a well-developed network of seafood suppliers in other parts of the country, has allowed Flynn and the staf at GW Fins to make freshness the driving force behind

in Atlanta, eventually becoming executive chef of Chops and then director of culinary operations for

their ever-changing menu.

“One of my favorite aspects of our restaurant is that we print our menu daily, so we don’t have to have any specifc item on the menu,” says Flynn. “That way we don’t have to accept any seafood that isn’t pristine.”

Once in-house, the ultra-

the Ruth’s Chris Steak House company. It’s a

“We are so fortunate to have such an abundance of fin fish in the Gulf. In fact, there are more varieties of fin fish here than any other place combined,” says Flynn.

fresh seafood is treated both respectfully and creatively. Growing up cooking in his father’s restaurant in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Flynn developed an innate understanding of Southern food and culinary traditions. From there, he received his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. Chef Flynn then began his fne dining career

background that has infuenced the dining experience at GW Fins.

“We look at GW Fins as a prime seafood house,” states Chef Flynn. “We ofer our guests the opportunity to sample some of the best seafood in the world. Our preparation methods bring out the true favors of each variety of seafood, rather than masking them with heavy sauces and

overwhelming spices.”

GW Fins is open nightly for dinner. Reservations: (504) 581.3467 or GWFins.com.

Sautéed Pompano with Melon and Mango Salad Pompano

mango. In a separate bowl, mix together

6

8-10 oz. Pompano Filets (scaled

the diced melon and gently toss with the

and scored, pin bones removed)

salt, sugar, lime juice and the additional

1T

Canola Oil

2 tablespoons of cilantro.

1T

Butter

Salt

To Serve:

Pepper

Line six large, heated plates with a section

Flour

of banana leaf cut to ft. Place about a ½

Season the pompano flets with salt and

cup of the diced melon mixture slightly

pepper and dust with four. Divide the

of center and shingle the julienned

six flets, skin side down, into two large,

melon/mango of the side.

preheated sauté pans with canola oil

Plate the pompano flets so that

and butter. Cook over medium to high

some of each melon is showing. Serve

heat for about 3-4 minutes (more of the

immediately.

cooking needs to be done on the skin side so it’s nice and crispy). Turn and continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Melon & Mango Salad

Seared Yellowfn Tuna 4

Wrapped Tuna Portions

½

Cantaloupe, julienned

2C

Sesame Seaweed Salad

½

Honeydew, julienned

4 oz

Sushi Rice

1

Mango, julienned

1 oz

Pickled Ginger

2T

Cilantro, chopped

1T

Prepared Wasabi

1T

Mint, chopped

1 sprig Cilantro

2T

Honey

1 oz

Soy Butter Sauce

½C

Seasoned Rice Vinegar

1t

Vegetable Oil

¼t

Chili Paste

Preheat a sauté pan on high heat. Add a

1C

Seedless Watermelon, large dice

teaspoon of vegetable oil to the pan and

1C

Honeydew, large dice

place the wrapped tuna flets in to cook.

1C

Cantaloupe, large dice

Sauté for about 45-60 seconds on each

1C

Casaba Melon, large dice

side, turning to cook evenly on each side.

1

Lime, juiced

Remove to a cutting board and reserve.

1t

Sugar

Set up the plate with the seaweed salad,

½t

Salt

sushi rice, wasabi and soy butter. Using

2T

Cilantro, chopped

a VERY sharp slicer, slice the rolls into 6

Julienne half of the cantaloupe,

or 7 slices (you may want to heat them

honeydew and the mango. Mix together

slightly under a broiler before separating

the honey, rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons

the slices). Note: This is an almost raw

chopped cilantro, mint, and chili paste,

preparation. It isn’t good to eat if cooked

and toss with the julienne melon and

past rare or medium rare at the most.

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LAST CAST

HOOKED ON ROCK SNOT For the past decade or so, I’ve been traveling to Colorado

I’d morphed into a stream-fshing zombie. I found myself

in July to escape the agonizing humidity of Florida. There’s

stumbling around in Dragonfy Anglers in downtown

something weird and wonderful about wearing wool socks

Crested Butte, Colorado. All the river stuf looked so damn

and fannel pajamas in the dead of summer. But I digress.

cool now. I even tried on a pair of $450 waders. I settled

As I have meandered through the stunning mountain

for the unedited version of A River Runs Through It for $39,

peaks and technicolored wildfowers, I’ve often scofed at

with never-before-seen footage of Brad Pitt learning to

mountain fshermen in all of their khaki outfts pursuing fsh

fy fsh. You just can’t go wrong with vintage Pitt. There

the size of hot dogs. I mean, I hoss up 20-lb. snapper and

were a bunch of other unshaven fshing dudes (for some

40-lb. amberjack. Even the speckled trout I catch in Florida

reason, men don’t shave in Colorado) shopping harder

dwarf your typical river trout. Basically, I considered those

than Junior Leaguers on Black Friday. Since I’m in the Guy

guys well-dressed weenies.

Harvey family, I’m freakish about T-shirt art, so I started

My prejudice toward river fshing took a hit this summer

reading all the shirts they were wearing—blue marlin in

when a local friend, Chris Kopf, invited me to fsh some

Panama, bones in the Bahamas, tarpon in Boca Grande,

FRED GARTH

private water (translation: lots of fsh) and loaned me his

gays in Key West—oops, not all about fshing, I guess. They

For the past 25 years, Fred D.

prized 5-wt. fy rod. I hate to

Garth’s articles have appeared in

admit it, but my 10-year-old

numerous books, magazines and

saltwater fy rod is crap. The

newspapers around the world.

line literally has mold stains

Read his blog at:

on it. Yet I still catch lots of

GuyHarveyMagazine.com.

trout and redfsh because they are plentiful and I don’t have to be a stealth machine.

The action on Chris’s fancy

I had an epiphany and realized that fshing is fshing, whether you’re in Costa Rica or Colorado or Florida.

new rod blew my mind. The

were spouting stories of catching permit, snook and sharks, yet here they were in Colorado getting pumped up on little fsh wieners. Then I realized…I’d become one of them.

One shaggy goatee asked a nicely trimmed grey beard about “the seminar

line shot out like a greased pig at a Louisiana BBQ and the

on rock snot.” I leaned in close to make sure my ears were

casting action was practically erotic. Little did I know, I was

working. Turns out an Ivy League professor from Dartmouth

getting sucked into the evil khaki web, especially when I

College was in town to discuss Didymosphenia geminata,

started catching fsh. Sure, they were small, but I was stoked,

commonly known as didymo, or by its fshing slang, rock

because fshing moving water is a helluva lot trickier than

snot. Books describe it as “a species of diatom that blooms

dropping a hunk of squid into 200 hungry red snapper. If

in freshwater rivers and streams that have consistently cold

fshing is art, mountain fshing is the Guggenheim.

temperatures.” If you’ve ever waded in a Colorado river, it’s

By the next day, after grooving on the private water,

defnitely consistently cold, even in July. (Side note: try to

Editor Garth casting a high-tech, 5-wt. fy rod. Left: Invasive Didymosphenia Geminata, commonly known as rock snot.

stay in water less

Dallas on their 2,000-acre ranch. It was a little like something out of Downton

than crotch deep.)

Abbey. We had a catered lunch on real plates with fatware, and fresh lemonade in

At the seminar—

crystal glasses. Picnic tables draped in white tablecloths were perfectly positioned

oh, hell yes, I went—I

under the shade of towering cottonwood trees next to the gin-clear East River.

met expert Brad

This was not my usual Budweiser-guzzling, bloody T-shirt fshing clan, but I’m

Taylor from Dartmouth who gave a gripping talk on rock snot. He even had rocks with said snot attached so we could poke our fngers into it. He explained that

learning to roll with the Heineken crowd, too.

If you’ve never heard of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, it’s a rustic,

didymo provides a home to the oligochaeta worm tubifex, which causes the

of-the-grid, mountain community where really smart science geeks come every

dreaded whirling disease in trout. Usually, these worms are washed downstream

summer to study all facets of high altitude nature from wildfowers to beetles to,

in fast rivers, but climate change seems to have allowed rock snot to grow more

as in Taylor’s case, didymo. Founded in 1928, the RMBL was built in the now-

frequently, thus more habitat for the bad worms. Taylor’s research is extensive,

defunct silver mining town of Gothic, Colorado, and is now a growing collection of

complex, and essential, but the basic premise is that mountain rivers and their fsh

labs, greenhouses and cabins, all near 10,000 feet in altitude. The lab pumps out

are threatened by the growth of more rock snot. And, Taylor said, there’s not much

an amazing amount of scientifc research (more than 120 master’s and doctoral

we can do about it.

dissertations have been produced there) and, according to its website, is “home

The seminar was given for a couple of dozen big money donors to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and was hosted by Henry and Sandra Estess from

to one of the largest annual migrations of feld biologists in the world.” Their work is especially relevant to mountain fshermen because changing climate is causing

Scott Smith and his best friend near Crested Butte, Colorado, on Green Lake’s frigid waters. Elevation 11,000+ feet. the snow to melt earlier, creating new threats, like the spread of rock snot.

Before my friend Chris turned me on to river fshing, I didn’t give it much thought except what a waste of time it was. But I had an epiphany and realized that fshing is fshing, whether you’re in Costa Rica or Colorado or Florida. All those dudes I saw at the fy shop were fshing freaks. They’d cast into a mud puddle in a parking lot if they thought a fsh was in there. Suddenly, the term, “Complete Angler,” made sense to me. I started packing a fy rod with me everywhere I went.

A couple of days later, Scott Smith, a buddy from Shreveport, Louisiana, and I fourwheeled up a road that had more loose rocks than a river bed; then we climbed up another 1,000 feet to an amazing emerald lake with snow still at the edges. We cast for about 30 minutes until a hiker came along and told us the lake didn’t have any fsh. “But it looks very, very fshy,” we protested. “Altitude’s too high,” he replied.

“No fsh.”

We believed the guy, but we both just kept right on casting because—you know what—you just never know. Then, like a miracle, the clouds parted, a rainbow appeared, a 12-point buck ran by, an eagle soared overhead and an angelic voice said, “You guys are hopelessly hooked…you are complete anglers.”

It’s true. I wouldn’t lie about that.