A Week Exploring the Marsh

For the past few winters, Captain Kevin Morlock and Captain Steve Martinez escape Michigan winter for a couple of typically kinder and gentler months in the Louisiana marsh.  They have both had a great time learning the area and creating another guide season for themselves.  

 

I've been going down there with them for the past five or so years and past two January's, I've been invited down for "Buddy Week" which is a few days focused on exploring and learning new areas, trying different techniques, flies, and more map reading than actual fishing for the most part.  There's also some great meals, a few drinks, and of course we put flies or lures in the face of bull reds when we can as well.

 

I could ramble on but instead I'll let a mess of iPhone photographs do the talking.  There's some trip notes to take in as you scroll down as well.  

TRIP NOTES:

I'm working on a full size "10 for the Marsh" gear review which will dive deeper into the essentials from the trip but here are the high points to chew on... 

The new Epic Reference Series 888 and Bandit arrived just in time to get dirty corks on this trip and everything that I mentioned in this T.F.M. post is true.  If you're looking at the Epic 888 or the Bandit, where big fish, big flies, skiffs with rod holders and hatch doors, and any other number of ways that fly rods get broke, the Reference Series is the way to go.  The Epic Warranty will make it easy to get replacement sections if something dreadful happens.

 

For the past few years I've been using three fly lines on this trip with the RIO Winter Redfish (which looks like it was replaced with the RIO Premier Redfish XP), Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Redfish Cold, and the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Titan Long.  They cast great on glass fly rods and turn over flies of all sizes with ease.

I live in my Simms Challenger Jacket, Challenger Bibs, and Challenger Boots anytime I'm down in marsh.  These items are my uniform for the week with a sweatshirt and nylon pants underneath.  I stay dry, warm, and it's typically good to layer up.

Looking for a glass spinning rod that can handle the salt?  I carried two Ugly Stick Bigwater spinning rods with me and had a great time chucking popping corks with jigs with them. More on those in the follow-up gear post. 

 

Hopefully you do this already but travel with friends who can cook.  You can see in these photographs that none of us went hungry.  Jambalaya, a Lowcountry Boil, local and fresh oysters and shrimp several different ways, and stuffed chickens smoked on the Traeger Ranger made for some over the top meals.

Speaking of oysters, you can break into them with a screwdriver and hammer if you had to but why when Woody Handmade makes the King Jeremy Oyster Knife? 

Don't sleep on the local taqueria either.  El Pastio in Houma is our spot and so damn good we had dinner there twice.

 

And for the record, Abita Amber tastes ten times better on draft than in a can.  Thanks, Delta Sky Club. 

Well, in less than two weeks I'll be back in Louisiana for a second week in the marsh.  Look for a follow-up trip post, the "10 for the Marsh" gear post, and a steady stream of Instagram Stories while we are there.