Got up early today. Had my first cup of coffee around 4:15 AM. While sipping java I turned on the TV to check the radar. No thunder storms or rain. Nice. Light SSE wind. But the heat index was already 89 degrees. Man it was hot before dawn.
After a couple of eggs, I got in the car and headed to Pineland. My plan for the day was to sight-fish. No blind casting allowed. I wanted either to cast at tailing reds, or chuck a fly at rolling tarpon. To that end I had a 6 weight and an 8 weight ready to go. As things turned out, however, no sight-fishing opportunities arrived.
I remembered a guy in Long Island Sound, who often drifted for hours in a small boat. Loaded with food and his dog, he used only the wind and tide to quietly explore. Rumor had it that he saw and learned a tremendous amount. So I figured I’d try it, in my effort to discover more about this beautiful backcountry, and its chain of islands. I pulled in the paddle.
Silently I moved along, all the while studing this vast territory. It sure was peaceful. Suddenly something big surfaced and gulped air right next to me. I looked down, expecting to see “Flipper”. Instead it was a sea turtle. It wasn’t a loggerhead. Given its size, it was likely a Green Turtle or perhaps a rare Kemps ridley. Either way I consider myself lucky. Pineland is the Promised Land.
The Promised Land
