There's shrimp all up in them waters

Tuesday, August 5th: There’s something luxurious about sleeping in on a big, white, fluffy bed. It makes you feel like royalty. And a view of the city below is even better from a high perch. By 6 am Tuesday, boats were moving up and down the Mississippi. It was fun to watch for a little while and then climb back in under the covers to drift back into dreams-- a rare indulgence. Our next destination was Grand Isle, Louisiana. We wanted to include a beach trip since the next coast we will see will be in California. We programmed Gladys for the Bridge Side Marina where Dan had called about a fishing license. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed talking and laughing on our leisurely trip to the Gulf through the salt marshes of southern Louisiana. All along the water’s edge, you could see shrimp boats with their trawler arms raised, ready to go out for the day’s catch. At the marina, we purchased the license ($20!) and a tarpon decal for The Egg in memory of the one Dan caught last November in the Florida Keys.

Dan grabbed his new 8-weight Orvis Helios fly rod and began casting to breaking fish which he soon identified as mullet. These fish feed on algae, so they are not predatory. In other words, they can be very difficult to catch. A short distance away, Melody met a couple of men fishing from the bridge with their sons. One man had previously been stationed in Norfolk, Virginia when he served with the Navy. The boys joined in the pursuit of mullet with Dan, but the fish did not cooperate. So, we decided to hunt for fish on the beach.

It was gorgeous. The sun was high, but the breeze off the water kept it cool. The sand was dark and well compacted instead of grainy and giving. Not more than 10 people scattered the beach. Kids played in the waves on boogie boards, parents watched from folding chairs, and an abandoned crab cage sat in the surf. Upon closer inspection, 3 crabs were attached to the outside, picking the bait fish clean one pinch at a time. Later we met Pete and Vicki who were catching crabs with a string of chicken necks hanging between two poles. They were having great success due to Eduardo‘s aftermath.

While Dan fished the surf, Melody filmed her own version of The Blue Planet with the sand crabs on the beach. One timid crab would slowly climb out of his hole in the sand, turn and spot danger (Melody looking on), freeze, and then quickly return to his hole. This dance continued, with little variation, about 15 times before Melody was satisfied with her video of him and walked off to find her fisherman. Dan reported that fishing conditions were a bit rough, with a strong head wind and heavy chop. So we leisurely walked the beach back to The Egg and decided to head for the next stop.

Dan saw some fish jumping in the canals as we headed back north to the mainland, so Melody got some classic footage of him fishing from the side of the road, carefully timing his back cast as cars went whizzing by. We couldn’t resist one more quick stop for a photo-op on a couple of old children’s rides before driving into the night. We knew it was too late to aim for Houston, so we settled into Lafayette, LA for a good night’s rest.