I, Al Harper, ventured to the southern coast in February to escape the Missouri cold.  But the vibrant sport fishing environment there soon had me trying to arrange for some fly fishing.  

Although winter is the “off season” along the newly re-named gulf, guides remain eager to have anglers climb aboard their boats for inshore/nearshore or offshore excursions pursuing a variety of splendid game fish that thrive there.  

The Alabama Charter Boat Directory, for instance, includes the names of 60 captains and fishing guides and photos of their boats as well.  And there are about 10 busy local marinas along just the Alabama gulf coast too. However, no publication I found delineates guides willing to allow clients to try their luck with fly rods.  

I stayed in Orange Beach, AL during my getaway.  Just a few miles away is the National Naval Aviation Museum in nearby Pensacola, FL.  The museum is the most visited attraction on the gulf and because I once served in a squadron deployed on an aircraft carrier, visiting the place where Navy pilots learn to fly was a must-do activity for me.  During my visit I struck up a conversation with a fellow fisherman who referred me to a guide he thought could assist me.  A few days later I was on Escambia Bay fishing with captain Colin O’Brien of Fin Addicts guide service.

Conditions for fly fishing in bays and estuaries are more demanding than other types of local angling and things just happened to come together on a day that included temps in the 60s and very light winds.  

Colin takes his 19’ fiberglass boat into the rivers and bayous that empty fresh water into the salt water bay producing the brackish water rich in shrimp, minnows, mullets and other baitfish that gamefish love. His boat had a spacious prow that allowed room for strenuous casting of an 8 weight Redington rod he provided. He offered streamers that imitated a fleeing shrimp or a colorful minnow.  

Guides down there also provide licenses for their clients. A nice convenience.  

The water color often vacillates between resembling strong tea or chocolate milk depending upon how much rain has recently fallen upstream on the mainland.  Generally the giant bays feature muddy bottoms and the occasional oyster beds. And many areas are shallow enough to require an outboard to be trimmed upward as one navigates close to shore.

The maze of waterways I fished cut through acres and acres of lush (but winter brown) vegetation and had outcroppings and points that made great targets for casting flys.  One fly fishing tactic in the marshes involves spotting the dorsal fins of fish that are huttled up or schooling. Sight casting is a productive but seasonal practice.  We had to resort to casting in likely spots and the greater distance the better so as not to spoke them.  

As mentioned, there are many species of game fish that can be caught in the gulf area. One of the most desirable is redfish.  They must be between 18.25” and 27” to be kept.  One of the reds I caught was within the range so Colin later filleted it for me.  I was also somewhat surprised to catch a largemouth bass which I kept as well. 

The bays down on the gulf feature a lot of wildlife.  We watched an osprey hovering majestically over shallows in search of a meal.  And at one point Colin pointed out an alligator nest along a bank.  I had also seen two gators during a bike ride a couple of days earlier near a state park and I include a photo of one of them with this report.  

Fly fishing the Gulf of America under the right conditions was a unique experience I’d recommend to anyone.  But it requires some research and a little extra effort by a guide.  Good luck.