FFI Gulf Coast Council

Welcome to “SweatFest”, the annual festival no likes to celebrate!  It’s 90 degree days, 75 degree nights, and high humidity, punctuated by the occasional tropical storm.  The hot water and plethora of bait makes for tough conditions on the coast. Even moreso for fly anglers.

But there are some exceptions.

One of those is Spanish Mackerel. They’ll be cruising the beaches and passes now through September. Toss a Clouser Minnow or other slim-profile baitfish pattern into a school and strip fast. Hold on for a vicious strike and several leaps!

Then there’s the jack crevalle. These will be busting mullets along beaches and in bays. They love large baitfish patterns. I’ve caught them around Destin off the rock jetties and in Lake Pontchartrain from kayak. Hook one in a kayak and you’d better have your passport ready for Cuba!

For jacks, tackle requirements include a 10-weight rod or higher, a disc drag reel holding at least 200 yards of backing, and either an intermediate or sinking fly line. As with mackerel, a bite tippet of wire is necessary or one chomp and it’s over!

On the lighter side, schools of sand trout are common in July and August. A sandie in the 11 to 14 inch range hits like it’s spotted cousin, and on a 6-weight rod is as much fun as the law allows! A sparsely-dressed, size 2 white Clouser Minnow is the ticket.

Night fishing under dock lights can be very productive in late summer for sand trout, speckled trout, and even redfish. The key is a moving tide, but one that’s not too strong. Fish the edges of the light ring for best results.

If you fish during the day, remember to hydrate often.  And to protect yourself from the sun’s harsh radiation – a leading cause of skin cancer. A sunscreen of UPF 50, brimmed hat, neck gaitor, long-sleeve nylon or polyester shirt and pants will protect and keep you cool enough to enjoy several hours on the water. Since best fishing times are very early and very late, use the midday to rest and tie flies. With jacks, mackerel, trout and other toothy critters, tying replacement flies is a necessary chore.

Late last week, we learned of the passing of former Gulf Coast Council board member Brooks Bouldin. Brooks was a legend in Texas fly fishing circles. A former real estate developer, he started the Anglers Edge fly shop in Houston. In 1976 co-founded the Texas Fly Fishers club of Houston and later the San Gabriel Fly Fishers. For nearly five decades, Brooks taught thousands the art of fly fishing, from casting to tying flies. He was also instrumental in getting several Texas guides their start. Brooks was also very active in Reel Recovery, the program which helps men with, or recovering from, cancer to learn fly fishing as a therapeutic leisure activity.

As a tier, he created several patterns, including his marketed line of poppers known as BetterBugs. His best known flies are the Brooks Shrimp, the Carabou Slider, the Brooks Crappie Fly and the Brooks Redfish Popper, which is featured in Chico Fernandez’s book, “Fly Fishing for Redfish”.

At one point, Brooks was co-owner with John Hannah of the E.F. Payne Rod Company. He was featured in numerous magazine articles and several books, including “Fly Fishing the Texas Coast”.

From it’s formation in 2006 to November of 2016, south Texas was part of the Gulf Coast Council. In the beginning, Brooks was instrumental in getting Texas clubs to sign up with the GCC, assuring the 10 club minimum needed for council status. Later he joined our board, and helped in organizing two of our club expos, a.k.a. “conclaves”, in New Braunfels (our most successful and well attended event to this date) and the following year, in San Antonio. Brooks also organized a months-long raffle for the GCC, with a week for two at the High Lonesome Ranch in northwest Colorado. The raffle generated several thousand dollars for the council.

Glen ‘Catch’ Cormier, co-founder and first president of the GCC described Brooks as “one of the most likeable and most professional persons I’ve dealt with in any organizational capacity”.

Brooks is preceded in passing by his wife, Judy, and survived by his sons, Brian and Brad, their wives, and five grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.