I stood at the boat landing sipping my coffee and looking at the
beautiful day. Sunny and promises of 70 degrees for early March brought
a smile to my face. I heard a truck pulling up to the landing and I
turned to see a Carolina Blue Towee skiff rolling into the parking lot.
This would be the first fishing voyage of the new Towee and my buddy Merritt Brady was beaming like a new father. Towee guide tested Skiffs
are awesome boats, perfect for skinny water in the marsh or floating
the rivers in inland for Muskie and trout. At 16 feet long, the Towee
Calusa is my dream boat. Small, easy to handle, stable as all get out,
and maneuverable, a 20hp outboard makes it fly down the river. Once in
your favorite spot, it is a dream to pole along quietly looking for
coppery quarry. Like standing on a dock, these little boats provide
big boat stability and comfort. They are hand built and finished in
McMinnville, Tennessee by my friend Capt. Todd Gregory and his crew of
master craftsmen, all expert boat builders. I fell in like with Towee
the first time I saw them and fell hopelessly in love once I actually
saw one up close and got to fish in it. Now, we have a goal to achieve, Merritt new boat needs a redfish in it.
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| A happy new owner and is Carolina Blue Towee Calusa |
Merritt had a stipulation. His first fish in the new boat had to be on
the fly and on a fly HE tied. We ran down the river and into a creek. I
put him up front and began to pole through the grass hoping to see a
tail but looking for laid up fish. We poled around, across and through
the flats and back out to the river. Telling me about a spot he knew of from a buddy, a
guide, told him about, we made the move and got settled. He hopped
up on the bow and I ran the back of the house. Merritt is a Chef, and a
dang good one at that, so I knew he needed some “front of the house”
love. As we made our way down the grass edge we didn’t see anything.
No bait, no fish. Then it all changed. I saw ripples from a pocket but
wasn’t sure if it was a redfish, a little farther along and then Merritt
saw it too, a big boil in the same spot. Like a surgeon, he dropped
the fly, HIS fly right next to the grass near where we saw the boil. He
let the fly sink a little, then one small slow strip and BAM! The line
twitched and he set the hook low and to the right. The game was afoot!
Merritt Played the fish like a pro. He let him run when he wanted to and
gained line back when he could. The Towee was so easy to maneuver
around to keep him pointed at the fish and the entire time the boat
never tipped, these things are Rock Solid! He finally got the fish
close to the boat and I was able to grab the fish and hand it to one happy dude. As I hoisted the fish up we both whooped and yelled! Mission
Accomplished.
First redfish in the new Towee,
On a fly rod and on a fly
HE tied. After some brief photos, we released the fish to fight another day and started looking for another one.
If you would like to see the Towee skiffs you can check their web site out
HERE, and if you are in need of the services of,
in my opinion, the best chef in Charleston, you can contact Merritt Brady at the Pampered Palate Web site click
HERE.
