Guest Angler Q&A Series: Captain Blake Walters
In this monthly series, we sit down with guests from across to angling community to bring new perspectives and share a glimpse into different aspects of the sport, fisheries and watersheds, and culture. This month, we spoke with Captain Blake Walters (aka Fairhope Fly Guy) about how he to into the sport, the fishery he focuses on, and more.
How did you get into the sport and when did you start guiding?
I was introduced to sport fishing in college, and fished the FLW collegiate tournament series. Once out of college, my passion slowly transitioned into every type of fishing with fly fishing being one of them that really stuck. I started guiding in 2023 after 2 corporate careers ended due to buy outs or company financial woes. It was the best decision I’ve ever been forced to make!
Being based in Alabama near the Mississippi border, you have a variety of fisheries to choose from. Can you tell us a little about them and the difference?
In the western-most side of my range, it's a spartina marsh with mud bottom. This is a stark contrast to the eastern side which is an emerald coast with white sand beaches. Then, in between, we have one of the most diverse river deltas in the world, often called America’s Amazon - it is a vast, beautiful wilderness that is one of my favorite places to explore
The species that most anglers target in your neck of the woods are redfish. They might not be as glamorous as tarpon or permit. Why are they your favorite fish to pursue?
They are my favorite to pursue with a client because they readily will chase and eat a fly, and they often have very predictable body language that makes them fun to interact with. It’s hard to explain but once you watch them enough, you can almost always tell if they will eat. Peck fins in and sitting still means they are not in the mood. Fins waving, wagging their tail, scouring the bottom means they will eat anything.
For those that haven’t experienced it, what’s the best way to describe chasing redfish on the flood tide?
We don’t get the extreme flood tides that the east coast gets, but when we have extreme highs, it will force fish into the grass. When in the grass, the redfish will root around with their noses down and their tails up, chasing crabs and shrimp through the vegetation. This makes it easier to find them when they are waving their tails at you. Plus, what angler doesn’t love sighting tailing fish (particularly at dusk).
You are really plugged into the local fly fishing community in Alabama and along the gulf. Is fly fishing popular locally and why are local shops so important?
It is becoming more and more popular, but that hasn’t always been the case. We are sandwiched between the nature coast and Louisiana, two meccas of the sport so our area often gets overlooked. The majority of anglers in our area are conventional fishermen but thanks to our local fly shop, Community Fly Supply, more folks are being introduced to the sport and it is growing which is great for the sport.
As a father, you probably want to share your passion for angling with your kids. Can you share a few tips on how to be successful?
Absolutely. Finding what they are interested in has been the ticket. My oldest really wanted to catch his “Georgia Trout Slam” so we spent a few weeks taking him to camp in the North Georgia mountains and help him accomplish that goal. My youngest really loves catching fish on dock lights so I take him to do that as much as possible. It’s all about keeping it fun.
When you manage to find time to get on the water yourself, do you have a favorite style of fishing and what are you chasing?
That is the hardest question I could ever answer. The diversity of our area makes it impossible to have a favorite. You can catch crappie, bass, redfish, bowfin, sheepshead, striped bass, and tarpon (and a dozen other gamefish) all from the same boat, any given day. I love them all. So I guess all of the above.
Thanks Blake for sitting down with us and sharing your story!
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Your Name: Blake Walters
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Location & Home Water:
Location - Fairhope, Alabama
Homewater - Pensacola Florida to Pascagoula Mississippi and the Mobile-Tensaw Delta in between
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Favorite Species: For clients, I love the interaction with redfish but personally, I like species that are less targeted, and difficult to catch such as bowfin, sheepshead, etc.
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Favorite Fly Pattern: Variation on the Ted McVay squimp bonefish fly (I tie it slightly bigger in a size 2 usually and in a buggy style that most species can’t resist)
Favorite Rod / Reel Set-up: Rod - 9ft 7wt Winston Air 2 max, Reel - Bauer RX 5, Line - Royal Wulff Bermuda triangle taper
