I am hesitant to post this. I have been keeping it to my self for nearly a year. I have not spoken of it for fear of folks thinking me crazy, or even some how question my credibility. With reluctance, here goes. Last April, during my vacation, I was out fishing, as one would expect. At least those that know me. As it was in the middle of the work week I had to fish alone. It was the first hot day of the year that I had gotten to fish. By then the water on the flats was warming and the bite was solid. I caught fish after fish on a top water plug. It was one of those days that just keep you grinning and you begin to make up and rehearse the stories that you are going to tell your fishing buddies. High tide was at 11:45 that day. Of course this caused the bite to slow to a stop. The wind had also taken a break right along with the water movement. I was starting to get bored now. I am guessing it was about 12:30 that I decided that I was going to switch from top water plugs to live baits to try to stir up some action. I pulled out my 7 bait net and started scanning the flats for schools of pilchards, finger mullet or pinfish. I was not going to be picky now. It was getting hot and I just wanted to gather some bait and get in the water to cool off as I was beginning to get hot. As I drifted along in my boat I would see the little tell tale sparkle and glitter of schools of bait fish flashing in the new turtle grass. As I would get in to throwing range I would begin to swing back to throw the net and they would scatter. Nothing. This happened for twenty minutes or so. Finally I saw a school of mullet coming right towards my boat. I could tell that they were a little bigger than I was looking for, but by this time I was frustrated enough to gamble on a bigger bait hoping to find that one big trout that would beat my personal best. They were bubbling and gurgling along as if they were totally oblivious to me. Closer. Closer. As soon as they got to that magic spot I launched the net. Then the school of fish jumped from the water as if they were being chased by a shark or a tarpon. My net was falling and the leading edge began to break the surface of the water and I see the fish continue upward. I am feeling that feeling that comes with a solid shot with a cast net... Got em. Just as my confidence in my success was rising, so were the fish. Right through the net. The net was now sinking over the school, but they all continued to take to the air. Scattering in a manner such that I first thought that some how I had thrown over a school of flying fish inshore on the flats. No, they had no long pectoral fins, but some how they were flying. Upward. Higher. And higher. I think that I may have said a bad word at this point thinking that some how my prey had eluded me. It had not dawned on me as of yet exactly what had happened. But as I stand there on the bow of my boat watching these fish fly higher and higher, they began to gain more and more distance. They swirled and flowed upward just like the giant flocks of sparrows that we see here in Florida in the winter. I watched them bank to the north and fly right around the pines on the shore. It was like the forest just sucked them in absorbing the school mysteriously turned flock. As I stood there gawking, a strong wind blows against my back. It was a sudden thing. It was a very cold wind against my freshly sun burned skin. The immediate change of temperatures drove a shiver down my spine and goose bumps over my skin. I turned in to the direction of the wind and some how the high sun that had been right over my head was now touching the horizon and the sky was blazing with pinks, purples and oranges. Then the thought flashed across my mind, red sky at night, Sailors delight. As it all began to dawn on me what had just transpired I jerked my wrist before my eyes to look at my watch... 7:30 P.M. I began to make my way to the landing, wondering how I was going to explain to my wife why I had missed our agreed upon return time.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 01:08:29 +0000
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