• Originally published February 6, 2012 at 3:54 a.m., updated February 6, 2012 at 4 a.m.

BINK GRIMES, WOOD, WINGS & WATER :: Kirk Stansel, a dear friend of mine and one of a trio of brothers who operate Hackberry Rod and Gun in Southwest Louisiana, has asked me on several occasions, "Why get out of a perfectly good boat?"

If I ran my charters on Calcasieu Lake I might ask the same question, but his brother Guy will tell you it's all about the hunt for huge trout.

Mind you, Kirk has caught just as many trophy trout out of the boat as I have wading, but there is something special about being eye-level and in the same environment as the fish.

It's also cool to see a large school of trout and redfish swim right by you, or on a few occasions, right between my legs.

For some reason there are fewer anglers willing these days compared to a decade ago. It's fact, what used to be 80-20 wading to drifting has now changed to 80 percent drifting.

Stingrays lying on the bay floor, bacteria roving with the tides and jellyfish hovering on the surface are all good reasons to stay in the boat. But, a little common sense and protection alleviates any reservations of negotiating the brine on foot.

Waders negotiate terrain a boat could never reach without flushing every fish in the area. I might walk five steps, make five casts and catch a fish. Then I shuffle for another first down and methodically cast to the point where sand and grass meet. My first, second, third and tenth casts are met with a thump, and the fish never know I am there, something I could never pull off out of a boat.

ForEverLast, a Texas-based company, makes a stingray boot and/or leg guards to wear over you own boots, giving waders a sense of security when shuffling down a shoreline. To be quite honest, a shuffle of the feet is normally all the protection you need from stingrays. When waders get in a hurry by tromping back to the boat like a horse headed for the stall is when accidents happen.

Vibrio, the "flesh-eating" bacteria dramatized in the media over the past decade, has been and will always be in seawater. According to the Center for Disease Control, on average of 30 people die from the bacteria annually, most by consuming raw shellfish like oysters. Vibrio is more likely to affect those with immune deficiencies like diabetics, those with liver problems and those with reoccurring health problems. The bacteria can enter the bloodstream through a cut, open wound or prick of the finger by the fin of a fish or the sharp horn of a shrimp. Most healthy waders have come in contact with Vibrio several times, but like any infection, most healthy humans fight it off.

Common sense is the greatest deterrent. Don't wade if you have an open wound. Keep a First Aid supply of alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on the boat and treat a prick or cut immediately if seawater consumes. Wear a pair of nylon "wading" pants if the sting of hot jelly bothers you. If you are apprehensive about your health, slip on a pair of breathable waders and keep on casting. This world is full of things that bite, sting, burn and prick - always have, always will. It's what makes the outdoors wild.

The joy of fooling a giant yellow-mouthed, lavender-backed speckled trout in waist-deep water as the waking sun creeps over the horizon is still more reward than risk to me.

Bink Grimes is a freelance writer, photographer, author and licensed captain (binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net.)

• Print
• •
• Share
  • Share this item

    Send this to a friend

    Share on FaceBook

  • Grab the link

    Copy and paste the link:

  • Blog about it

    Blog about this page.

  • Close
• •
• Post a Comment
• •
• Favorite
• •
• Report error
  • Thank you for your submission.
    Error report or correction

    Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  

    
  • Close
• •