LAST CAST
HOOKED ON THE MOTHER SHIP My fishing world has gone completely bonkers. Last issue I
Our plan was ambitious. We were using a 45-ft. ex-
wrote about catching mullet on a topwater fly. Very bizarre.
lobster boat, the Flauna II, as a kayak “Mother Ship.” Captain
A bunch of readers thought I was full of bull, but my wife,
David Ellis had traveled all the way to Prince Edward Island,
who is a terrible liar, will confirm my story. Plus, she has
Canada, to buy the perfect yak-hauling boat. However, we
photos to prove it. Then a few days ago, my universe got
had not tested the vessel’s yakability until Hobie showed
stranger than the movie Interstellar, in which Matthew
up. This was our inaugural kayak expedition. On paper,
McConaughey travels through a wormhole into a black hole
everything looked brilliant, but when you add water, waves,
to arrive at a floating wooden bookcase in space where
weather and human stupidity, anything can happen.
he sees his younger self in his daughter’s bedroom and
Unfazed, we strapped five Hobie yaks on the roof of the
somehow moves the secondhand of her watch so that she
wheelhouse, packed up a variety of fine meats, cheeses
realizes it’s morse code and understands that her father
and cold beverages, loaded up the camera equipment
from the past is communicating with her in the future and
along with about 50 fishing rods, and pointed the bow out
that everything in life will work out fine. Well, on second thought, maybe
FRED GARTH
my fishing world ain’t
For the past 25 years, Fred D.
quite that weird.
Garth’s articles have appeared in
…On paper, everything looked brilliant, but when you add water, waves,
Nonetheless, this
numerous books, magazines and
latest craziness began
newspapers around the world.
when the Hobie Kayak
Read his blog at:
TV guys came to visit us
GuyHarveyMagazine.com.
at Guy Harvey Magazine.
tempt fate. In case you haven’t heard, kayak fishing is magma hot these days. Yet, even with efficient
weather and human stupidity, anything can happen.
pedal drives and trolling motors that can transport yakkers long distances, there are still some places
My buddies, Keeton Eoff and Morgan Promnitz, from Hobie,
too far away or too risky to go. Like 20 miles out into blue
showed up with their camera crew to film the extraordinary
water. I guess you could paddle a kayak out there, but that’s
fishiness around what we like to call Flora-Bama-land . . .
idiotic (even on paper). The Mother Ship concept is much
the borderline between northwest Florida and Alabama.
saner. It gets you there safely and in style, and allows you to
It’s here that the states are separated by Perdido Bay, a
move to other spots quickly or cruise back to the near-shore
lovely body of water that means “Lost Bay” in Spanish.
grass flats to catch a sunset trout and/or redfish. All while
Apparently, explorers in the 1600s couldn’t find the bay they
enjoying fois gras and a dry martini, or perhaps a stale
saw on their maps because the pass had closed up after a
cracker and a Bud Light—whatever ticks your clock.
hurricane. Years later, another storm shifted the sugar white
80 | www.GuyHarveyMagazine.com
into the Gulf of Mexico to
Keeton made it clear that catching fish was imperative
sands again, opening up a new cut, and the Lost Bay was
since, after all, we were doing a TV show about fishing.
eventually rediscovered. For the geographically challenged,
I guess that kind of brainpower is why Hobie entrusted
Perdido Bay is near Pensacola.
him with the marketing budget. If there’s any fish that’s
