WaterLine photo by Josh Olive
This enormous flock of tree swallows surrounding us was a little surrreal but quite beautiful.
WaterLine photo by Josh Olive
What this small but solid bass lacked in color he made up for in thickness.
WaterLine photo by Josh Olive
Capt. Ralph demonstrates his specialized technique for catching the smallest fish in any given body of water.
WaterLine photo by Josh Olive
One of Ralph's typical catches on the fly rod. Later, he caught one that was so small he didn't know it was there until he lifted the line to make another cast.
WaterLine photo by Josh Olive
A 9-foot gator tries to hypnotize the photographer (and nearly succeeds).
WaterLine photo by Josh Olive
The sun's rays burst through the late afternoon clouds.
Story and photos by Josh Olive
If you remember all the way back to last week, Capt. Ralph Allen wrote his column about pond-hopping. On Saturday, he decided to take his own advice and went fishing at Babcock-Webb WMA south of Punta Gorda. He likes to have witnesses along to verify his incredible fishing ability, so he invited me and longtime Webb volunteer Chuck Sperow. The fishing was not as good as we might have imagined, but we caught more than afew and also were able to enjoy the magnificent scenery the Webb offers. This area is a gem that many locals overlook. If you’re one of them, maybe it’s time you rethought that.
