Louisiana Redfish on the Fly: Expert Advice from Ron Ratliff

With: ronratliffs_marshdawn

If you’ve ever dreamed of chasing bull redfish in the Louisiana marsh, you’ll want to hear from someone who’s spent his life doing just that. We caught up with Ron Ratliff (@ronratliffs_marshdawn), a seasoned fly fishing guide with decades of experience hunting reds in the murky waters of the Gulf. From his first sight-casted redfish back in ‘89 to his deep-rooted passion for conservation, Ron knows these fish—and this fishery—like the back of his hand.

Ron, what first got you into fly fishing, and what drew you to guiding in the Louisiana marsh?

I was drawn to it at an early age. I grew up reading magazines, and watching television shows about fly fishing. On one of many trips to western national parks, my mother bought me a cheap kit to get me out of her hair, I would tie flies with a pair of vice grips while traveling from park to park.  I saw a television show on espn and learned that redfish ate flies. 
One Saturday morning in 1989 I caught my first redfish on fly, by sight fishing it off of the levee behind my house. 36 years later I’m still chasing that feeling, whether I’m fishing or guiding. 

Louisiana’s marshes are famous for their redfish. What’s your favorite part about chasing them on the fly?

Redfish are amazing fish whether they are 5lbs or 45lbs. I love the eat, I love watching them tail, meander through flooded grass, push on the banks, float and belly crawl. I like to see how small of a fly I can get them to eat. 

As a conservationist and naturalist, what changes have you seen in the marsh over the years, and what concerns you most about its future?

Being on the water in Louisiana my entire life, the biggest changes have been watching the marsh wash away. We loose amazing amounts of marsh every month, due to coastal erosion. The marsh is like a living creature, it isn’t being fed sediment from the Mississippi River, so it is starving to death. Overfishing , and redfish being bycatch by the menhaden industry is a major concern of mine for the future of redfish. Louisiana has a kill, kill mentality, and that needs to change. 

What are your three best tips for chasing redfish on the fly?

Silence is golden: no tapping, banging, or tap dancing.

Double haul : to make the best out of your redfish trip…… you need to know how to cast.

Listen to your guide: he’s been there longer than you, always be willing to learn.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to an angler looking to book their first trip for Louisiana redfish on the fly?

Enjoy the adventure, appreciate the journey. 

Every fish is a victory, no matter the size. 

@ronratliffs_marshdawn

Marshdawn.com