Pro Shop | Ron Ratliff | Marshdawn Fly Fishing
Pro Shop | Ron Ratliff | Marshdawn Fly Fishing
I’m a native-born full-time fly-fishing guide in southern Louisiana. This area is an endless maze of bayous and marshes. In addition to world-class fly fishing, the area features amazing birdlife, exceptional food, and unique local communities.
I’ve fly fished for most of my life and am also a published fly tyer, having patterns in America’s Favorite Flies and Drew Chicone’s Redfish Flies. I fish for anything from redfish to sharks on fly.
Redfish are the main species of interest, but we also regularly target large black drum, sheepshead, and jack crevalle.
Spring and early fall are great times to target redfish in the 5 to 15 pound-range. This is sight-casting with the fish often within 30 feet and willing to give an inexperienced angler multiple shots at them. Winter time increases the odds of finding large fish really shallow, often with their backs out with the water barely covering their gills.
Most days I carry an 8-wt, 2 9-wts., and a 12-wt. in my skiff. This allows me to cover both marsh and bay fishing, as we may do both on any given day. The environment is varied and harsh from flat calm to high wind and high-humidity, with temperatures ranging from extreme heat to cold. Your gear takes a real beating and has to perform.
I mainly use Scientific Anglers Redfish Warm, Grand Slam, and Grand Slam Clear Tip lines to cover the different fishing situations we encounter. The Redfish Warm mainly for marsh use and the two Grand Slam lines for larger fish and deeper areas. These lines hold up well and present the fly effectively under a variety of conditions.
I’ve been greatly impressed with SA’s tippet materials as I tie all my own leaders. I have a hard time trusting tapered leaders for large fish. A proper leader is also important as I fish IGFA compliant. Earlier thus year I landed a 7-foot blacktip shark on a 16 lb. leader. You have to trust the material when applying the necessary pressure on these fish.
Myself and a group of guides recently joined forces with the American Saltwater Guide Association (ASGA) to fight for increased protection for redfish. It is definitely and uphill battle, but our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. As a full-time fishing guide, the health of all fisheries should be our number one priority. It is part of the guides job to proper fish handling and the importance of catch-and-release to our clientele. We all need to take the proper steps to ensure a brighter future for those who come after us.
