By Captain Larry Jarboe
Yesterday, I was joined by my wife, Carlene, and our local pirate queen, Calypso, to take a beach clean-up of the only naturally sandy beach in Key Largo.
We took the commercial fishing boat decked with W700’s to paddle and motor our way in.
Upon arrival offshore of Rattlesnake Key beach, I proceeded to anchor beyond casting range, upwind, and up current of a flats guide boat. Never, would I place my boat down current within the chum slick of a working fisherman. Nor, am I stupid enough to put my boat within casting range of an 8 ounce lead flung by a 6 foot Ugly Stik.
The most fashionably dressed guide proceeded to dress me out at the top of his lungs which I could barely hear as he was shouting into the breeze fifty yards downwind.
Somehow, I managed to gather that he thought I was blocking his fish from coming to him. to bite.
Rather than argue with ignorance, I moved my work boat further out to sea. The outboard motor on my Wavewalk more than compensates for increased distance to travel to shore.
My wife stayed on board as the “monitoring mate” of the Line Dancer while Calypso and I motored ashore to do our part to clean up the environment.
We all watched the guide and his two customers not catch fish as he spent most of his time flinging a fly line back and forth into the wind.
First rule of fishing: put your hook in the water.
However, that nasty tempered guide did look king of pretty in his fancy fishing outfit. But, my mates are a lot more foxy…
Larry also offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »
Thank you Larry, Calypso and Carlene!
You guys rock!
Larry, it takes some serious talent to produce a video that makes trash collection look like a lot of fun 😀
I can’t imagine someone watching this video without thinking “I wish I was on that beach too, cleaning it from plastic debris!” The effect is magnified for someone somewhere up North who watches the video in a cold and gray day…
I can only guess that the people who named that beach “Rattlesnake Beach” did it just to prevent others from going there.
Yoav
Yoav,
The amount of plastic debris that is floating in the ocean or deposited on the shoreline is unbelievable. Calypso observed at the end of the video that she has been blessed. We all have been blessed with mostly good weather year round here in the Caribbean of the U.S.
Those heavy duty plastic bags were recycled from a wood pellet plant that leased from me, went out of business, and “blessed” me with over 20 thousand logo imprinted plastic bags to dispose of. They come in handy for fish bags and, then, trash bags. Everything has its place.
Even plastic.
As long as it is a seaworthy plastic boat on the ocean that is used to get plastic out of the water and off the shore.
Yes, these boats really do do it all!
Larry J.
By towing a second Wavewalk behind your motorized one, you’ll be able to double and possibly triple the amount of plastic collected in each trip.