This past weekend I had the privilege of visiting my good friend Nick Fisch at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Nick was my former teammate on both the Tampa Bay Titans Hockey Club and our high school hockey team. Unfortunately I didn’t get to face him at all during our college careers.
Pictured above is Nick with a bowfin. This prehistoric fish was his first fish on fly back home in Palm Harbor.
We had an entire weekend planned. We would make a trip to Saint Augustine for some nighttime shark fishing, fly fish lake Wauburg and take a trip to Cedar Key for redfish. Additionally we would be exploring the Gainesville night life. While I did have a good time, the actual fishing portion of this trip was a disaster.
Take off From Gainesville
Our first fishing day on the East Coast yielded no fish. However, I did get tossed out of a kayak while trying to kayak a bait off the beach. During this calamity my tarpon set up which was also tossed and went straight to the bottom of the Atlantic. So we left St. Augustine one rod short and without catching any fish.
Lake Wauburg was also a bust for fish, but perhaps it couldn’t be helped. There was a lot of boat traffic and the techniques we were using weren’t the best for bass fishing. I have never fished for bass on fly in a lake the size of Wauburg. On the bright side, I did paddle board for the first time so that was a fun experience.
The day was finally upon us. It was time to hit Cedar Key for redfish. When we got to Cedar Key with the yaks it was apparent that today was also destined for disaster. I closed my back window and for inexplicable reasons it shattered. I was left without a back window for the remainder of my two days in Gainesville – a trip that would see torrential rains.
As for the fishing at Cedar Key, it was less than stellar. In the face of howling winds we managed just one rat red, a fat trout and no less than 30 catfish. In addition to this, we were joined by quite a number of horse flies throughout the day, and to top it off Nick’s phone got soaked and was ruined.
In Conclusion
So all and all, one could make the argument that my Gainesville trip was a disaster. Despite the many infuriating moments that occurred, overall I had a good time. The nightlife was great and I got to hang out with my friend, so I had a good time and would love to go back. Maybe next time we’ll catch something good!
Until next time, Tight Lines.